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localfootylegend23 said:
Having no u19s makes it so tough. or any feeder program to be honest.

I heard anyone associated with mount lilydale oc left after the first year of the kangarams. So much so I'm shocked they still carry the name, unless there was a designated time period in the merge that it couldn't be changed again. They got a vets and a girls team up, just struggling to recruit anyone to help them push up the ladder
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Stretching the memory but I have a feeling that back in the day Croydon North Vets explored a couple of alignments with senior clubs but the story was always that they wanted almost full control of the club... ie a takeover. Basically they were just always looking for a way to recreate Croydon North as a senior club.

Perhaps they found their mark in MLOC, who were always extremely weak in the VAFA... they would bounce between D4 and back to Clubbies when they couldn't get the numbers to field a reserves side.

Perhaps they will simply be Croydon North in future.
 
Voice of the G said:
Long time no post.Surprised how many of you are making your selections before we even had practice matches.Do you mind Mitcham on the slide,have not recruited any one etc.Look at the Mitcham Football Club facebook page for updates where they are at.It seems we are the under dog as every one thinks South Belgrave have the flag all ready,I love the underdog tag but really rate that club as the team to beat as well.Of what I saw last season Beaconsfield and North Ringwood impressed me.As for Park Orchards and Doncaster they
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Voice of the G said:
Long time no post.Surprised how many of you are making your selections before we even had practice matches.Do you mind Mitcham on the slide,have not recruited any one etc.Look at the Mitcham Football Club facebook page for updates where they are at.It seems we are the under dog as every one thinks South Belgrave have the flag all ready,I love the underdog tag but really rate that club as the team to beat as well.Of what I saw last season Beaconsfield and North Ringwood impressed me.As for Park Orchards and Doncaster they are the unknown.
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Of the 6 recruits posted on Mitcham Facebook page only 2 of them managed to play 7 or more senior games last season, compared to Beaconsfields 5 new signings who are all vfl listed and South Belgrave who have signed Luke Dunstan. will be rooting against South Belgrave, but just can't see them losing again
 
guest666 said:
Of the 6 recruits posted on Mitcham Facebook page only 2 of them managed to play 7 or more senior games last season, compared to Beaconsfields 5 new signings who are all vfl listed and South Belgrave who have signed Luke Dunstan. will be rooting against South Belgrave, but just can't see them losing again
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They have indeed brought in Dunstan, but SB have also added
  • Blake Simondson, North Melbourne VFL (from Berwick Springs)
  • Lachie Benson, Narre Warren's #1 ruck
  • Matteo D'Alfonso, Silvan's best player, captain and multiple B&F winner
  • Will Evans, Rowville U19 B&F
  • Lachie Rankin, straight off Sydney's AFL list (he's playing VFL, but he'll play a few games and finals for SB)
I mean it's quite obviously a pisstake.

Strange thing i heard about SB last week is they do not have Under 19 numbers and will not be fielding a team. But not sure how that could be possible given they have two junior clubs (SBJFC and Lysterfield).
 

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Bunk Moreland said:
Strange thing i heard about SB last week is they do not have Under 19 numbers and will not be fielding a team. But not sure how that could be possible given they have two junior clubs (SBJFC and Lysterfield).
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Actually i heard they were looking at fielding 2 under 19s teams this year just last week.
 
Interesting developments in SA.
Gaza Football Club, which competes in the Adelaide Footy League has been found guilty of breaching player payment regulations by the independent Salary Cap Commissioner.

The breaches were during the 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 seasons and included upfront player payments, individual player match payments and total player match payments which significantly exceeded the maximum allowable under the Player Payment Regulations.

Although the club pleaded not guilty to all charges, they were proven and the club was found guilty of 223 breaches of the regulations.

The independent Salary Cap Commissioner, Justice Michael David KC –recommended the club be fined a total of $186,000 for the breaches.
OUCH!
 
ChristianBoy said:
Reckon you could just get a 10 year old to run his eye across and see some clubs were over.
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I think the Adelaide example had the players giving evidence that they were paid under the table.

Don’t know how it got to that but that’s the sort of evidence you need that you’re never gonna get.
 
adock said:
Actually i heard they were looking at fielding 2 under 19s teams this year just last week.
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Are you talking about South Belgrave? As for U19,s I have heard a whisper that a number of premier clubs are struggling to field U19,s this season.When will senior clubs and that means other sports as well not realise their junior club including Aus kick (footy) is the most important part of a senior club.
 
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Voice of the G said:
Are you talking about South Belgrave? As for U19,s I have heard a whisper that a number of premier clubs are struggling to field U19,s this season.When will senior clubs and that means other sports as well not realise their junior club including Aus kick (footy) is the most important of a senior club.
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I think we have the same discussion (U19's) year in and year out.
 
Voice of the G said:
Are you talking about South Belgrave? As for U19,s I have heard a whisper that a number of premier clubs are struggling to field U19,s this season.When will senior clubs and that means other sports as well not realise their junior club including Aus kick (footy) is the most important part of a senior club.
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Yes i was told last week they were having 2 Under 19s. It could be wrong. it was a passing comment a father of a player made to me.
 
On U19's I hear some clubs have like 15 players who are in negotiations with other clubs to send them to them. I think clubs working together is a must. Better having them play football than not at all. Then we have some clubs fielding two teams. Strange times. The clubs fielding two teams get caught out as they can't fit them all in going forward and they lose players who want to play with their mates. De Ja Vu, I am sure I have written this before.
 
Nothing gets fixed in one season but I think the league should be keeping tabs on all clubs and their ongoing plans / work with their junior club to produce U19 teams down the track. I understand the trouble many clubs face but for others, I have no doubt it’s simply not a priority.

Without knowing I look at a club like Boronia, senior club going very strongly, big junior club… how on earth can they not have U19s? Are they trying?

I can cop clubs who’ve had a year or so here or there where they just didn’t have the numbers, but those who never have them? What is going on? Are they working toward it?

One of the underrated impacts I think is on opposition clubs. Not having U19 opponents really stuffs a senior matchday and has volunteers etc having to go around to different grounds because the U19 fixture is different. It’s hard enough on these people, volunteers are hard to get.

Hosting a club that doesn’t have U19s reduces your revenue on the day too, two matches rather than three.

By the same token, if you want to have a second team, then I think it has to be made as easy as possible on their opposition. You should have to find another club that doesn’t have Under 19s and play in their slot. You obviously play under your own name, jumper etc, but your games are played at the same location as the senior club they’re paired with. That way their opposition get a whole matchday there.
 
Clubs aren't having U19s by choice. Demographics have a lot to do with Junior numbers/teams. Some clubs have a heap and some have minimal. Some clubs poach juniors with the offer of free fees etc. The only thing that should change is you can only have one U19 team. Imagine the uproar?
 
eflreceiver said:
Clubs aren't having U19s by choice. Demographics have a lot to do with Junior numbers/teams. Some clubs have a heap and some have minimal. Some clubs poach juniors with the offer of free fees etc. The only thing that should change is you can only have one U19 team. Imagine the uproar?
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Disagree,put the work into your juniors and rate them more important then your seniors,these kids are our senior clubs future and no need to go out and pay big money for outsiders and the worry of salary cap or points issue.Make them feel apart of your club when they get to 16/17 years of age which is a huge step for boys when facing playing against senior players.
 
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eflreceiver said:
Clubs aren't having U19s by choice. Demographics have a lot to do with Junior numbers/teams. Some clubs have a heap and some have minimal. Some clubs poach juniors with the offer of free fees etc. The only thing that should change is you can only have one U19 team. Imagine the uproar?
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Certainly some clubs have it very, very hard when it comes to getting juniors and U19s up and I totally get that. If the league worked with those clubs on U19 strategies then they'd clearly see that, the club wouldn't be blamed.

But I think there's other clubs where it's just pretty clear that it's not a priority.

I don't mean to pick on Boronia but they're a very good example. All the surrounding clubs have them (The Basin have two sides some years), Boronia have heaps of money, good facilities, are a big club and have a big junior club. Sorry, but in a situation like that, I think it's pretty clear it's just not been a priority to bring the juniors through to Under 19s over a few years.

Norwood is another one. Seriously? Other clubs around them have them (some with two) and they have a bloody high school over the road. And a big junior club. They used to be Norwood High School Football Club ffs! They're finally back to them in 2024 apparently, but seriously... I'd be pretty sure it simply hasn't had the focus of the club in other years.

It's not easy, you have to plan 1-2 years ahead and work with a junior club to make it happen, which is what makes it hard. The clubs who constantly have them would have to be thinking about 2025 Under 19s NOW. It's hard, unsexy work when people only want to hear about new marquee recruits etc. But people do it.

I think the league basically has been treating U19s as just another junior grade. Have them if you can, have two sides if you can, they've been moving individual teams among divisions... all that stuff. It's not a junior grade, it's a senior (thirds) grade and always has been. Having the three teams makes for a very good matchday and it's obviously healthy for all clubs to have 18-19yo players in the senior club.

I know the league has other priorities - don't even get me started on bloody netball, which is just stupid - but I think it's time they put some work into an U19 strategy again. You don't want to end up like other leagues who have very few U19 sides.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Certainly some clubs have it very, very hard when it comes to getting juniors and U19s up and I totally get that. If the league worked with those clubs on U19 strategies then they'd clearly see that, the club wouldn't be blamed.

But I think there's other clubs where it's just pretty clear that it's not a priority.

I don't mean to pick on Boronia but they're a very good example. All the surrounding clubs have them (The Basin have two sides some years), Boronia have heaps of money, good facilities, are a big club and have a big junior club. Sorry, but in a situation like that, I think it's pretty clear it's just not been a priority to bring the juniors through to Under 19s over a few years.

Norwood is another one. Seriously? Other clubs around them have them (some with two) and they have a bloody high school over the road. And a big junior club. They used to be Norwood High School Football Club ffs! They're finally back to them in 2024 apparently, but seriously... I'd be pretty sure it simply hasn't had the focus of the club in other years.

It's not easy, you have to plan 1-2 years ahead and work with a junior club to make it happen, which is what makes it hard. The clubs who constantly have them would have to be thinking about 2025 Under 19s NOW. It's hard, unsexy work when people only want to hear about new marquee recruits etc. But people do it.

I think the league basically has been treating U19s as just another junior grade. Have them if you can, have two sides if you can, they've been moving individual teams among divisions... all that stuff. It's not a junior grade, it's a senior (thirds) grade and always has been. Having the three teams makes for a very good matchday and it's obviously healthy for all clubs to have 18-19yo players in the senior club.

I know the league has other priorities - don't even get me started on bloody netball, which is just stupid - but I think it's time they put some work into an U19 strategy again. You don't want to end up like other leagues who have very few U19 sides.
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Boronia identified a gap in our junior numbers back in 2017 that would put our future Under 19's at risk. As one club, juniors and seniors, we worked very hard to build our junior numbers to fill that gap, but junior players were prepared to join other clubs when they they thought Boronia would struggle for on-field success with low numbers in the 14's through 17's bracket. Eventually we went from 30 Under 19's, mainly top age, in 2021 to six prospective players in 2022. The player pipeline had dried up. Merger talks didn't work out and the six players joined our senior program. We had good Under 17 numbers in 2023 and are very keen to form a Under 19's team again very soon as our junior program builds again. It all came about for a number of reasons and the club would probably do a few things differently with the benefit of hindsight. Bringing together junior and seniors as one club in 2017 was the first step to begin the rebuild. It often comes back to the volunteers and their capability to strategise and plan while also managing the day to day footy operations. In 2017 Boronia planned the rebuild from Auskick upwards, which has been a great success since it was rebooted in 2018. Youth football is not easy for any club as demographics move around, even for clubs that may be seem to outsiders to be otherwise successful and well run. We will always keep doing our best to encourage kids to play footy and love their club.
 
DavefromBoronia said:
Boronia identified a gap in our junior numbers back in 2017 that would put our future Under 19's at risk. As one club, juniors and seniors, we worked very hard to build our junior numbers to fill that gap, but junior players were prepared to join other clubs when they they thought Boronia would struggle for on-field success with low numbers in the 14's through 17's bracket. Eventually we went from 30 Under 19's, mainly top age, in 2021 to six prospective players in 2022. The player pipeline had dried up. Merger talks didn't work out and the six players joined our senior program. We had good Under 17 numbers in 2023 and are very keen to form a Under 19's team again very soon as our junior program builds again. It all came about for a number of reasons and the club would probably do a few things differently with the benefit of hindsight. Bringing together junior and seniors as one club in 2017 was the first step to begin the rebuild. It often comes back to the volunteers and their capability to strategise and plan while also managing the day to day footy operations. In 2017 Boronia planned the rebuild from Auskick upwards, which has been a great success since it was rebooted in 2018. Youth football is not easy for any club as demographics move around, even for clubs that may be seem to outsiders to be otherwise successful and well run. We will always keep doing our best to encourage kids to play footy and love their club.
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Good on you. As you say, it takes a number of years to recover it.
 
DavefromBoronia said:
Boronia identified a gap in our junior numbers back in 2017 that would put our future Under 19's at risk. As one club, juniors and seniors, we worked very hard to build our junior numbers to fill that gap, but junior players were prepared to join other clubs when they they thought Boronia would struggle for on-field success with low numbers in the 14's through 17's bracket. Eventually we went from 30 Under 19's, mainly top age, in 2021 to six prospective players in 2022. The player pipeline had dried up. Merger talks didn't work out and the six players joined our senior program. We had good Under 17 numbers in 2023 and are very keen to form a Under 19's team again very soon as our junior program builds again. It all came about for a number of reasons and the club would probably do a few things differently with the benefit of hindsight. Bringing together junior and seniors as one club in 2017 was the first step to begin the rebuild. It often comes back to the volunteers and their capability to strategise and plan while also managing the day to day footy operations. In 2017 Boronia planned the rebuild from Auskick upwards, which has been a great success since it was rebooted in 2018. Youth football is not easy for any club as demographics move around, even for clubs that may be seem to outsiders to be otherwise successful and well run. We will always keep doing our best to encourage kids to play footy and love their club.
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Boronia is a great example of a club getting the structure of their club right. Have good senior teams and the junior club is now starting to flourish. The junior club lost their way for a few years and didn't really have a relationship with the senior club. They are going to be ok moving forward and destined to soon be back in higher divisions of football where they should be. Kudos to all involved there on their efforts.

The Basin are another club that have done similar things and worked really hard on having a pathway from juniors to seniors as seen by the many 'locals' who are playing senior football. Both clubs have not gone out and spent large amounts of money to fill gaps with imports which is to be commended (unlike one club that we discuss a lot on here). Their growth as clubs is also seen by how their women's football programs and netball teams have grown significantly over the past few years.

Both clubs have excellent cultures and great numbers (on and off field) and this is also seen by significant growth in sponsorship from both local and larger businesses. These clubs should be used as examples for others on how to successfully run a club in a sustainable manner.
 
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A club is only as good as its foot soldiers (volunteers). The more you have sharing the load and the drive the better you are. We have a generation of volunteers from all clubs that turn up rain hail or shine and unfortunately, they are dying off. They are not like the new generation coming through where "what's in it for me". The clubs I love venturing to have one thing in common, great volunteers.
 
adock said:
Hearing Beau Mitchener has let Templestowe know he wont be playing with them anymore and has join Kilsyth. Templestowe has apparently agreed to release him.

Huge pick up for Kilsyth. He's going to take the piss in Div 4.
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Hi Addy,

Wondering where you heard this and if you have heard anything further? Nothing on Kilsyth socials as of yet. Huge if true though.

Will
 

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