2nds Official Swans Academy Thread (Player News and Discussion)

[rustycrate]

 

[Ginnieboy]

Pardon the intrusion guys, just have a question regarding someone who (I think) was in your academy, name is Godfrey Okergurang (May have misspelt it), pretty much the best athlete in the country, any word? Can’t find anything with google etc.

I’m a massive athletics fan hence why I’m asking, u18 national 100 mtr champion (10.5), very talented long jumper, from Wagga.

Never mind just found something, he’s sticking with athletics.

 

[SwansProudly]

Pardon the intrusion guys, just have a question regarding someone who (I think) was in your academy, name is Godfrey Okergurang (May have misspelt it), pretty much the best athlete in the country, any word? Can’t find anything with google etc.

I’m a massive athletics fan hence why I’m asking, u18 national 100 mtr champion (10.5), very talented long jumper, from Wagga.

Never mind just found something, he’s sticking with athletics.

Has anyone heard if Godfrey Okerenyang played with Swans academy
This is latest I could find 26 Dec 2021
(paywall)

Wagga's Godfrey Okerenyang is hoping 2022 can be a landmark year in his athletics career after returning to the track just before Christmas

Godfrey dares to dream of blue skies ahead

Mind over matter: strong return has Wagga sprinter hoping to leave injury worries behind

www.dailyadvertiser.com.au

found GWS link Godfrey Okerenyang 2019/2020 Phase 1 Squads

 

[TheMase]

Pardon the intrusion guys, just have a question regarding someone who (I think) was in your academy, name is Godfrey Okergurang (May have misspelt it), pretty much the best athlete in the country, any word? Can’t find anything with google etc.

I’m a massive athletics fan hence why I’m asking, u18 national 100 mtr champion (10.5), very talented long jumper, from Wagga.

Never mind just found something, he’s sticking with athletics.

I would think he’d be GWS if from Wagga

 

[Membling]

Cabor and Cleary playing u17s

Edit:
2. Cleary
6. Cabor

Both in black

 

[SwansProudly]

Cabor and Cleary playing u17s

2023's draft guns on show: U17s Futures game LIVE from 9.25am AEST

Check out some of the hottest prospects ahead of the 2023 draft in the Grand Final curtain raiser

www.afl.com.au

 

[Membling]

Cleary dominating clearances in the 1st q.

Disposal was a bit hit and miss.

Cabor looked tidy when he had the ball

 

[RUNVS]

Cleary dominating clearances in the 1st q.

Disposal was a bit hit and miss.

Cabor looked tidy when he had the ball

So we have another Like Parker and a slower Lewis Jetta on our hands.

 

[Membling]

So we have another Like Parker and a slower Lewis Jetta on our hands.

Cleary not as good wirh the forward craft but just runs and hits the right spot. If he plays more within himself by foot could be a veey damaging player.

Cabor HBF, not as much nip as Jetta but knows how to play his position

 

[Membling]

Cabor, after a good first, has looked fairly poor today. Missed kicks/HB and looked a bit paniacky after half

Cleary looked good. Can find the pill. After bombing long in first he pulled kicks into the 30-40m range and looked far, far tidier. Reckon he will be a second rounder as it stands.

Trying to find stats:

C.Cleary 31d, 6 i50, 3 clr, 4 tackles (I think)

 

[Ticky009]

Has anyone heard if Godfrey Okerenyang played with Swans academy
This is latest I could find 26 Dec 2021
(paywall)

Godfrey dares to dream of blue skies ahead

Mind over matter: strong return has Wagga sprinter hoping to leave injury worries behind

www.dailyadvertiser.com.au

found GWS link Godfrey Okerenyang 2019/2020 Phase 1 Squads

Nope. Hasn't appeared in any of our academy matches.

 

[rustycrate]

So we have another Like Parker and a slower Lewis Jetta on our hands.

We have Luke Parker, Luke Parks and now Like Parker. It's getting confusing

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

We have Luke Parker, Luke Parks and now Like Parker. It's getting confusing

Luke Parks is like Luke Parker but not as much as Like Parker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rustycrate]

Luke Parks is like Luke Parker but not as much as Like Parker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now I'm more confused

 

[mattpolo8]

Whatever happened to the development of billy King? U17s last year then not a bo peep. He's a tall boy.

 

[rustycrate]

Whatever happened to the development of billy King? U17s last year then not a bo peep. He's a tall boy.

Not sure about him specifically, but with rep teams COVID affected the previous year a lot of U19 year olds played in the U18 year old rep teams. The U19 guys dominated those teams. So a lot of U18s did not get the exposure in their draft year as much as they would have liked.

 

[WillHayward]

Apologies if I'm wrong but does this mean we now have only one indigenous player on our list?

A 37yo Buddy.

 

[Tedeski]

Apologies if I'm wrong but does this mean we now have only one indigenous player on our list?

A 37yo Buddy.

Yes.
We tried with Elija Taylor but he's trash.
We will take next best player available.

 

[Callipygian]

Apologies if I'm wrong but does this mean we now have only one indigenous player on our list?

A 37yo Buddy.

Yes, on our AFL list - but we have two Indigenous players on our AFLW list: Newman & Anthony.

 

[rustycrate]

Yes, on our AFL list - but we have two Indigenous players on our AFLW list: Newman & Anthony.

Hopefully through our Sydney Swans First Nations Academy that we establish a pipeline of indigenous players, coaches, fitness staff, administrators etc that will provide an inclusive environment that encourages young indigenous men and women to become part of, and contribute to, the fabric of the Swans club.
As the most supported club(of any code) in Australia, it would be great if this initiative propels others clubs to follow our lead.
I think there is so much untapped talent in northern Australia that is reticent to migrate to the AFL/AFLW because the pathway is too hard. Staying home among friends and family would appear to be a safer option.

The Hawthorn club's/AFL's current investigation is like the iceberg. You don't know how big the problem is as it is all covered up. I don't want to get into this as it is a bigger can of worms than I want to delve into. But if this CAN happen then where there is smoke there is fire.

Rather I hope, and am confident, that the Swans are leaders in creating inclusion and will make this a success. The annual Swans v Saints pride match when initiated would not have been popular with everyone in the AFL or among supporters in the wider community. But it is a tradition that has grown. It has provided or given the Swans club further credibility that the Swans are leaders despite the AFL. The AFL are always late to the party.

To have indigenous players growing and achieving and, inspiring others to do the same, would be a magnificent achievement for not only the Swans and the AFL, but for Australia as a whole.

 

[caesar88]

Hopefully through our Sydney Swans First Nations Academy that we establish a pipeline of indigenous players, coaches, fitness staff, administrators etc that will provide an inclusive environment that encourages young indigenous men and women to become part of, and contribute to, the fabric of the Swans club.
As the most supported club(of any code) in Australia, it would be great if this initiative propels others clubs to follow our lead.
I think there is so much untapped talent in northern Australia that is reticent to migrate to the AFL/AFLW because the pathway is too hard. Staying home among friends and family would appear to be a safer option.

The Hawthorn club's/AFL's current investigation is like the iceberg. You don't know how big the problem is as it is all covered up. I don't want to get into this as it is a bigger can of worms than I want to delve into. But if this CAN happen then where there is smoke there is fire.

Rather I hope, and am confident, that the Swans are leaders in creating inclusion. The annual Swans v Saints pride match when initiated would not have been popular with everyone in the AFL or among supporters in the wider community. But it is a tradition that has grown. It has provided or given the Swans club further credibility that the Swans are leaders despite the AFL. The AFL are always late to the party.

To have indigenous players growing and achieving and, inspiring others to do the same, would be a magnificent achievement for not only the Swans and the AFL, but for Australia as a whole.

The First Nations Academy is a great initiative because it addresses the cause at its heart. I see a lot of comments on social media saying that AFL recruiters, including ours, don't draft enough indigenous players. It's a problematic point of view for a number of reasons - implying intentional racial discrimination, suggesting there's some kind of quota that needs to be met, ignoring that indigenous representation on AFL lists actually exceeds the indigenous percentage of our population, to name a few.

The way to get more indigenous players in the AFL is to invest in the pathways to get them there. Through my various involvements with local junior clubs, I've known and heard of too many exceptional indigenous talents en route to AFL careers who have deviated from that course for various reasons. Among them being local systems not providing adequate support for the players or their families; racism within clubs that deterred them from pursuing footy further; lack of appropriate education and guidance during the draft process; and in the cases of those who are drafted and make it to the stage they have an AFL career, a failure by clubs and the league to support their lifestyle change.

The latter is a particularly recurring issue. Many indigenous players hail from regional communities with cultural traditions and customs that don't always lend themselves to suddenly living an urban lifestyle with a professional career. But I have heard on very good authority that time and again, clubs don't provide the appropriate support to help with that transition for indigenous players. It's not their job to make that change for themselves. It's the clubs job to help them make that change. The clubs are the ones who picked the players, not the other way round.

All of this is to say that I think there's a real opportunity with the First Nations Academy to achieve three objectives in one: attract indigenous talent to footy in the first place, harness that indigenous talent throughout juniors so a footy career is attainable, and prepare and support that indigenous talent so that said AFL career is sustainable.

 

[Kapers]

The First Nations Academy is a great initiative because it addresses the cause at its heart. I see a lot of comments on social media saying that AFL recruiters, including ours, don't draft enough indigenous players. It's a problematic point of view for a number of reasons - implying intentional racial discrimination, suggesting there's some kind of quota that needs to be met, ignoring that indigenous representation on AFL lists actually exceeds the indigenous percentage of our population, to name a few.

The way to get more indigenous players in the AFL is to invest in the pathways to get them there. Through my various involvements with local junior clubs, I've known and heard of too many exceptional indigenous talents en route to AFL careers who have deviated from that course for various reasons. Among them being local systems not providing adequate support for the players or their families; racism within clubs that deterred them from pursuing footy further; lack of appropriate education and guidance during the draft process; and in the cases of those who are drafted and make it to the stage they have an AFL career, a failure by clubs and the league to support their lifestyle change.

The latter is a particularly recurring issue. Many indigenous players hail from regional communities with cultural traditions and customs that don't always lend themselves to suddenly living an urban lifestyle with a professional career. But I have heard on very good authority that time and again, clubs don't provide the appropriate support to help with that transition for indigenous players. It's not their job to make that change for themselves. It's the clubs job to help them make that change. The clubs are the ones who picked the players, not the other way round.

All of this is to say that I think there's a real opportunity with the First Nations Academy to achieve three objectives in one: attract indigenous talent to footy in the first place, harness that indigenous talent throughout juniors so a footy career is attainable, and prepare and support that indigenous talent so that said AFL career is sustainable.

This is also part of the problem of picking players at the age of 18. It's hard enough to adapt to a completely new life style, it's especially hard because of how young players are picked in afl.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

The First Nations Academy is a great initiative because it addresses the cause at its heart. I see a lot of comments on social media saying that AFL recruiters, including ours, don't draft enough indigenous players. It's a problematic point of view for a number of reasons - implying intentional racial discrimination, suggesting there's some kind of quota that needs to be met, ignoring that indigenous representation on AFL lists actually exceeds the indigenous percentage of our population, to name a few.

The way to get more indigenous players in the AFL is to invest in the pathways to get them there. Through my various involvements with local junior clubs, I've known and heard of too many exceptional indigenous talents en route to AFL careers who have deviated from that course for various reasons. Among them being local systems not providing adequate support for the players or their families; racism within clubs that deterred them from pursuing footy further; lack of appropriate education and guidance during the draft process; and in the cases of those who are drafted and make it to the stage they have an AFL career, a failure by clubs and the league to support their lifestyle change.

The latter is a particularly recurring issue. Many indigenous players hail from regional communities with cultural traditions and customs that don't always lend themselves to suddenly living an urban lifestyle with a professional career. But I have heard on very good authority that time and again, clubs don't provide the appropriate support to help with that transition for indigenous players. It's not their job to make that change for themselves. It's the clubs job to help them make that change. The clubs are the ones who picked the players, not the other way round.

All of this is to say that I think there's a real opportunity with the First Nations Academy to achieve three objectives in one: attract indigenous talent to footy in the first place, harness that indigenous talent throughout juniors so a footy career is attainable, and prepare and support that indigenous talent so that said AFL career is sustainable.

I agree that the First Nations Academy is a great initiative and reflects genuine intent from the club to do the right thing and get better in this area.

I do find it difficult though to view our recent recruitment record and not ask myself whether unconscious bias or a lack of imagination may have been at play.

This is a space where all people and organisations need to get better. I think it is okay to acknowledge areas where Sydney may be able to improve.

 

[caesar88]

I agree that the First Nations Academy is a great initiative and reflects genuine intent from the club to do the right thing and get better in this area.

I do find it difficult though to view our recent recruitment record and not ask myself whether unconscious bias or a lack of imagination may have been at play.

This is a space where all people and organisations need to get better. I think it is okay to acknowledge areas where Sydney may be able to improve.

I can't agree with that. I'm all for acknowledging ways we can improve and I get in trouble on here for doing so more often than not. But on the issue of indigenous recruitment, I don't see how we could've done anything differently.

If you look at the draft classes each year, the indigenous representation always means there are slim pickings in an 18-club competition (which is the result of the reasons I spoke of above.) We can't just draft someone because they're indigenous. If we did, we could've drafted Irving Mosquito (retired) instead of James Rowbottom (3rd in our best and fairest). Or Sydney Stack (delisted) instead of Justin McInerney (2x Rising Star nominee). Or Sam Ramsay (delisted) instead of Chad Warner (2nd in our best and fairest).

It's also not as if we haven't still drafted indigenous players. We drafted Lewis Jetta and he won a premiership with us, but he was homesick. We drafted Elijah Taylor, who was incredibly promising but had issues that forced us to part ways with him. We drafted James Bell from our academy and Tony Armstrong, and recruited Shaun Edwards, but he turns out to be not quite good enough. If their tenures with us turn out differently and they're all still on our list, does our recruiting pass the indigenous quota? All of a sudden yes it does.

The mixture of inability, personal issues and homesickness that led to all of the above not working out with us, just further speaks to the work that the league as a whole (NOT our recruiters specifically) has to do to both improve the pathway for indigenous players into the AFL, and the support system for indigenous players once they're in the AFL.

(Apologies for the rant)

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I agree that the First Nations Academy is a great initiative and reflects genuine intent from the club to do the right thing and get better in this area.

I do find it difficult though to view our recent recruitment record and not ask myself whether unconscious bias or a lack of imagination may have been at play.

This is a space where all people and organisations need to get better. I think it is okay to acknowledge areas where Sydney may be able to improve.

I can’t agree here.

Sydney has recruited lots of indigenous players in recent years and to suggest there’s some kind of “unconscious bias” against indigenous recruits is unreasonable.

Further, it’s a professional sport - recruiting decisions need to be based on talent and attitude, not race.