Expansion QLD and NSW academies

[Bostonian]

Stupid argument by anyone wanting to wipe out the northern academies.

Numerous players taken as academy players from the four clubs in NSW and QLD have openly said they wouldn't have taken up AFL if it wasn't for their respective clubs academy and chosen one of the rugby codes or other sports.

I bet the AFL will be all over that.

Victoria produces far better players without AFL clubs needing to be involved.

That's what the talent league clubs and pathways are for.

You don't need to be involved at all.

 

[sunsofanarchy]

Stupid argument by anyone wanting to wipe out the northern academies.

Numerous players taken as academy players from the four clubs in NSW and QLD have openly said they wouldn't have taken up AFL if it wasn't for their respective clubs academy and chosen one of the rugby codes or other sports.

I bet the AFL will be all over that.

I'm just trying to understand his perspective

 

[Bostonian]

The point is, many of these academy players just wouldn't have played AFL but for their clubs involvement early.

Of course Victoria produces better quality players, but you have the elite TAC Cup comp and the private school system which just keeps getting better and better even without the Vic clubs involvement. I get that. But how in NSW or QLD is AFL footy going to replicate that system when there is no elite u/18 or junior comps or private schools barely play or have the coaches to facilitate what Vic or SA or WA kids have?

The point is a dedicated talent league clubs can do all of that

You don't think they have people in their areas identifying young players while they are in their local leagues.

If the QLD and NSW kids are playing the Victorian teams during a season they are being exposed to the best competition for their age group. That's how to expose them to elite football.

 

[Obeanie1]

What other choice do Geelong have? Geelong rarely finishes near the bottom of the ladder to have acccess to some of the best young footballers in the country and to add insult to injury several interstate sides secretly hog a lot of the best young players who happen to reside in their state, denying other clubs a look in to recruit them in the first place!

No wonder the Geelong administration feels the need to resort to these sort of tactics. I generally despise the concept of poaching but since the league has introduced measures that rewards mediocrity in the form of the draft and gives preferential treatment to insterstate sides, this is an approach from Geelong's perspective that evens the playing field just a tiny bit.

Evens the playing field?

When Geelong are one of the most successful modern clubs in the comp.

And others have never played finals or won a flag.

If Geelong were a race horse it would be carrying a few extra kgs weight to slow it down.

 

[Obeanie1]

The point is, many of these academy players just wouldn't have played AFL but for their clubs involvement early.

Of course Victoria produces better quality players, but you have the elite TAC Cup comp and the private school system which just keeps getting better and better even without the Vic clubs involvement. I get that. But how in NSW or QLD is AFL footy going to replicate that system when there is no elite u/18 or junior comps or private schools barely play or have the coaches to facilitate what Vic or SA or WA kids have?

How do they develop players in non football states?

Basically they use the same system as the other states have developed over time.

AFL and private sponsors fund the academies. Clubs provide assistance and are paid for it. THATs how it actually works now. Northern clubs do not fund these academies. The AFL and sponsors pay the costs.

The pathway is there and everyone should benefit.

What is wrong with the current set up is clubs get funding from the AFL and sponsors. (Not their own money). And then if you are a kid who wants to play AFL they are forced into a system that pushes them to one club.

Too bad if the kid wants to move interstate. They don't get a choice do they?

 

[Dangerousfield]

Can't believe a Geelong supporter started this up, yet again!, when no club has benefited more from F/S and Falcons wanting "go home" than Geelong.

Always manage to fit players under their salary cap because of the off the books "Costa Living Allowance" that funds farms and real estate and can't fail property developments.

No clubs have bigger legs up in the AFL than the 4-5 biggest Vic clubs, Geelong at the top, so if you live in THE glass house, don't be throwing stones.

A lot of completely erroneous statements are made on these types of thread.

Hindering non Vic clubs at the draft is the number of high draft Vic draftees that tell interstate clubs in their interviews that they much prefer to stay home. This means only Vic clubs have the opportunity to draft these stay homers. While we're naming draftees, Josh Weddle is another who did this.

The GWS head recruiter said in the media a couple of years ago that the GWS draft board looks a fair bit different in most drafts to the Vic draft boards because of the stay at home types they have to avoid.

And don't get me started on home ground advantage for the MCG tennats for GF, and the lack of travel, and the ability to avoid playing in all the crap venues, Kardinia Park included here Cats posters. These are huge leg ups for the big Vic clubs.

Close yet another un-needed Vic Bias/whingeing thread!

 

[.Shotties.]

So that actually shows, the AFL is proving additional funding to the northern clubs which is likely for their academies.

Definitely not in Sydney's case. Dunno about the others but they all have sponsors for their academies.

 

[GC2015]

So academies should be retained so potential NRL juniors who dont want to move will choose AFL?

Too bad every other kid outside of those states are forced to go where they are drafted.

It's a poor argument for retaining academy access at current levels. Bordering on tongue in cheek woke BS.

Clubs will fight tooth and nail for every advantage they can get over opposition clubs. Let's not kid ourselves the northern clubs aren't.

There's several legitimate reasons to retain the northern academies. Attracting and retaining junior athletes from other sports, like the more popular rugby codes, is one of those reasons and both Isaac Heeney + Callum Mills are examples of NSW juniors that the game was able to hang on to as a result of the Swans Academy existing. They both admitted publicly that they would have quit footy for rugby had it not been for the Swans Academy.

Tom Trbojevic, Kalyn Ponga and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are recent examples of elite athletes that the northern academies almost convinced to stick with footy, but were eventually lost to NRL clubs. It's important to point out that Ponga signed with the Cowboys at 15 years of age, Tabuai-Fidow signed with the Cowboys at 16 years of age and Trbojevic signed with the Sea Eagles at 17 years of age. NRL clubs have a big recruitment advantage over AFL clubs up here in that they are able to offer these junor athletes professional contracts years before their 18th birthday when they would be eligible for the AFL draft. For the record, all three of those players are considered stars of the NRL now.

Another reason to keep the northern acadmies is to grow the draft pool every year. Prior to the northern academies being established, it was very rare for Queensland or New South Wales to produce first round draft talent and that meant a more shallow pool for every AFL club to share talent from and the northern teams were forced to almost exclusively draft players from interstate virtually every year. Now, there's more draftable talent coming through from all over the country than we've ever seen in the past. That's a good outcome for footy for many reasons, no matter how you choose to frame it.

The game also benefits greatly at the grassroots level in the northern states due to the existence of the academies. Let's say there's an intake of 50 northern academy kids in any given year and at most you're looking at 3-5 graduates that actually get drafted. So 45 odd academy graduates end up going through all the developmental pathways and at the end most of them end up staying in their home state to play locally once their AFL ambitions fade away. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that both Queensland & NSW are lagging well behind the southern states in terms of the standard of local footy being played. So this system continually feeds decent level footballers into the nothern local leagues every year and that will drastically improve the standard of local footy over time.

So there's a few legitimate reasons to keep the northern academies going. I could add more but I get the feeling you're just going to take it out of context again and push some kind of false narrative that the northern academies are a 'woke' invention that have no purpose other than to spoon feed the northern clubs premierships. My question to you would be - have you ever lived in Queensland or New South Wales? If so, for how long and did you get involved in the footy scene? The reason I ask is because I think unless you've lived here and experienced the environment that we're dealing with, you aren't properly qualified to comment on the topic.

 

[Taper]

Ahh... In NSW and QLD they are also competing with criclet, tennis, basketball and soccer.

Why should the NSW and QLD clubs receive preferential treatment over the rest?

 

[Cmarsh]

Why should the NSW and QLD clubs receive preferential treatment over the rest?

Because they are different.

 

[Dangerousfield]

Why should the NSW and QLD clubs receive preferential treatment over the rest?

Because they are in rugby dominated states yeah?

Suggest you leave your cosy AFL heartland Bellarine Peninsula and visit Sydney, Brisbane and surrounds, read the papers, see how much AFL you see around you. I've been in the northern states a lot and it's only in recent years I've ever seen a set of AFL goal posts at an oval, rugby goals are everywhere, it's a hostile environment for AFL.

You are proving yourself to be an ignorant idiot if you keep choosing to ignore what the AFL is trying to achieve north of the Murray and the four AFL clubs are the only way they can make progress. Locals will associate themselves with a club and come to embrace the game, they won't associate themselves with AFL as a sport, it has to be via the clubs.

Speaking of advantages, maybe you might like to tell us how Geelong landed first rounders Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn and Jhye Clark for very little courtesy of northern clubs?

 

[Obeanie1]

There's several legitimate reasons to retain the northern academies. Attracting and retaining junior athletes from other sports, like the more popular rugby codes, is one of those reasons and both Isaac Heeney + Callum Mills are examples of NSW juniors that the game was able to hang on to as a result of the Swans Academy existing. They both admitted publicly that they would have quit footy for rugby had it not been for the Swans Academy.

Tom Trbojevic, Kalyn Ponga and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are recent examples of elite athletes that the northern academies almost convinced to stick with footy, but were eventually lost to NRL clubs. It's important to point out that Ponga signed with the Cowboys at 15 years of age, Tabuai-Fidow signed with the Cowboys at 16 years of age and Trbojevic signed with the Sea Eagles at 17 years of age. NRL clubs have a big recruitment advantage over AFL clubs up here in that they are able to offer these junor athletes professional contracts years before their 18th birthday when they would be eligible for the AFL draft. For the record, all three of those players are considered stars of the NRL now.

Another reason to keep the northern acadmies is to grow the draft pool every year. Prior to the northern academies being established, it was very rare for Queensland or New South Wales to produce first round draft talent and that meant a more shallow pool for every AFL club to share talent from and the northern teams were forced to almost exclusively draft players from interstate virtually every year. Now, there's more draftable talent coming through from all over the country than we've ever seen in the past. That's a good outcome for footy for many reasons, no matter how you choose to frame it.

The game also benefits greatly at the grassroots level in the northern states due to the existence of the academies. Let's say there's an intake of 50 northern academy kids in any given year and at most you're looking at 3-5 graduates that actually get drafted. So 45 odd academy graduates end up going through all the developmental pathways and at the end most of them end up staying in their home state to play locally once their AFL ambitions fade away. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that both Queensland & NSW are lagging well behind the southern states in terms of the standard of local footy being played. So this system continually feeds decent level footballers into the nothern local leagues every year and that will drastically improve the standard of local footy over time.

So there's a few legitimate reasons to keep the northern academies going. I could add more but I get the feeling you're just going to take it out of context again and push some kind of false narrative that the northern academies are a 'woke' invention that have no purpose other than to spoon feed the northern clubs premierships. My question to you would be - have you ever lived in Queensland or New South Wales? If so, for how long and did you get involved in the footy scene? The reason I ask is because I think unless you've lived here and experienced the environment that we're dealing with, you aren't properly qualified to comment on the topic.

No idea where you pulled 'woke invention' from. You just made that up in your head because I've never used the term woke and academies in the same sentence.

Never.

And if you bothered reading my posts with an open mind and eyes you will see I support the academies continuing to be funded by the AFL with clubs being paid for their involvement. I have stated that many times.

The AFL and sponsors fund the academies. Not expansion clubs who struggle to make a profit without extra AFL funding g.

The expansion clubs beat their chests about how much they contribute. It's marketing BS. The AFL and sponsors fund the academies. Not clubs losing money and getting millions more than other clubs.

My gripe is the priority access given to the pet teams in TV rights expansion states. The rest of the competition plus sponsors fund it. And a select few pet clubs gain the benefits.

As another poster stated. The Lions and Swans have EACH played in more grand finals since 2000 than Freo and the Eagles combined. Or the Crows and Port combined.

So why do successful established clubs need the leg up? Why should it continue? They are making more grand finals than most other teams so why the continued extra support?

That's the issue. Not that academies should be stopped. Academies are fine if they serve the for the benefit of the entire game. Not just the AFLs pet teams who happen to be in Qld and NSW.

In horse racing rules are applied equally against all competitors to add weight to the fastest in form horses to give other horses a chance. To make a closer more interesting spectacle and race.

The AFL do the opposite. You play and win grand finals if you are from NSW or Qld you keep getting handouts and get stronger. And the AFL really doesn't care who finishes last and how far behind. As long as the TV ratings go up and their fat cat bonuses the job is done.

 

[.Shotties.]

The rest of the competition plus sponsors fund it. And a select few pet clubs gain the benefits.

I love how you've gone from claiming it was just other clubs funding them to admitting club sponsors are responsible. Shows growth

 

[Obeanie1]

Because they are in rugby dominated states yeah?

Suggest you leave your cosy AFL heartland Bellarine Peninsula and visit Sydney, Brisbane and surrounds, read the papers, see how much AFL you see around you. I've been in the northern states a lot and it's only in recent years I've ever seen a set of AFL goal posts at an oval, rugby goals are everywhere, it's a hostile environment for AFL.

You are proving yourself to be an ignorant idiot if you keep choosing to ignore what the AFL is trying to achieve north of the Murray and the four AFL clubs are the only way they can make progress. Locals will associate themselves with a club and come to embrace the game, they won't associate themselves with AFL as a sport, it has to be via the clubs.

Speaking of advantages, maybe you might like to tell us how Geelong landed first rounders Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn and Jhye Clark for very little courtesy of northern clubs?

So you think the academies how they are governed now is fine and it's the best possible solution?

 

[GC2015]

No idea where you pulled 'woke invention' from. You just made that up in your head because I've never used the term woke and academies in the same sentence.

Never.

Uhh... what? This is the full post that I quoted with the woke part in bold:

So academies should be retained so potential NRL juniors who dont want to move will choose AFL?

Too bad every other kid outside of those states are forced to go where they are drafted.

It's a poor argument for retaining academy access at current levels. Bordering on tongue in cheek woke BS.

Clubs will fight tooth and nail for every advantage they can get over opposition clubs. Let's not kid ourselves the northern clubs aren't.

Pretty conclusive evidence. Now you may claim a technicality that they're not in the same sentence, but the two sentences are very clearly linked to one another. So you might want to read back your own posts that have been quoted before you make claims about what you have or haven't written. You either forgot you wrote it or you're trying to troll/gaslight. Either way, the undeniable evidence is there for all to see.

And if you bothered reading my posts with an open mind and eyes you will see I support the academies continuing to be funded by the AFL with clubs being paid for their involvement. I have stated that many times.

You think I'm going to trawl through all 35,000 of your posts on BF just to find out exactly what you think about the academies? What kind of fantasy land are you living in? I responded to the one post I quoted. It's not my fault that you didn't express your support for the academies in that post. You decide what you write, not me. I was just responding to what I read.

The AFL and sponsors fund the academies. Not expansion clubs who struggle to make a profit without extra AFL funding g.

The expansion clubs beat their chests about how much they contribute. It's marketing BS. The AFL and sponsors fund the academies. Not clubs losing money and getting millions more than other clubs.

Okay? The AFL fund plenty of footy related things in Queensland and New South Wales because they're trying to grow the game in these states. The AFL also provide funding to every other club in the AFL for their own needs. It's not surprising that the AFL would generally give more funding to a northern club vs a non-northern club given the footy climate in those states. The game is growing in the northern states so the AFL is (slowly) accomplishing its goal of growth.

My gripe is the priority access given to the pet teams in TV rights expansion states. The rest of the competition plus sponsors fund it. And a select few pet clubs gain the benefits.

Is the rest of the competition really funding the northern academies or is that a narrative you want to push? Collingwood posted the biggest operating profit of all clubs in 2024 and that was just shy of $9 million. The Pies were also given $12 million through the AFL's distribution. Take away the $12 million of AFL funding and suddenly Collingwood are $3 million in the red.

Seems to me that the AFL and their TV rights deal is keeping all clubs away from financial ruin through its distribution of funds. All clubs would likely be insolvent without AFL funding. So I'm not sure the conclusion that the rest of the competition are funding the northern academies is really a true statement.

As another poster stated. The Lions and Swans have EACH played in more grand finals since 2000 than Freo and the Eagles combined. Or the Crows and Port combined.

So why do successful established clubs need the leg up? Why should it continue? They are making more grand finals than most other teams so why the continued extra support?

Why cut it off at the year 2000? Is it because the narrative falls apart when you look at the stats in their entirety so you choose to focus on a particular period that suits what you're trying to push?

For the record, West Coast have made 7 Grand Finals since they entered the AFL in 1987 and Brisbane have played in 6 Grand Finals since they entered the competition in 1987. Both teams have 4 premierships to show for those appearances. We can compare states too, if you like. WA has had 8 Grand Final appearances and won 4 premierships since entering the league in 1987. Queensland has had 6 Grand Final appearances and won 4 premierships since entering the league in 1987.

The only northern team you could actually claim has outperformed West Coast in terms of Grand Final appearances is Sydney with 8 GF appearances. Even then, the Swans only have 2 premierships to show for those 8 GF appearances, so I'm not sure that's really better than West Coast's 4 flags. Despite the narrative you're clearly trying to push, West Coast have been the most successful non-Victorian team since the league went national and are only behind Geelong + Hawthorn in terms of success between 1987-2024.

That's the issue. Not that academies should be stopped. Academies are fine if they serve the for the benefit of the entire game. Not just the AFLs pet teams who happen to be in Qld and NSW.

In horse racing rules are applied equally against all competitors to add weight to the fastest in form horses to give other horses a chance. To make a closer more interesting spectacle and race.

The AFL do the opposite. You play and win grand finals if you are from NSW or Qld you keep getting handouts and get stronger. And the AFL really doesn't care who finishes last and how far behind. As long as the TV ratings go up and their fat cat bonuses the job is done.

Isn't this why the AFL changed the rules and made it harder to draft father-son and academy players from 2025 onwards? They would have done it in 2024 if Carlton didn't kick up a stink about their father-son picks and/or if Richmond hadn't have complained about the future picks they had acquired losing their value. We'll see how it goes and whether the AFL have found a good happy-medium in terms of clubs paying a fair price for players + not killing the progress made in the northern states.

 

[Obeanie1]

Uhh... what? This is the full post that I quoted with the woke part in bold:

Pretty conclusive evidence. Now you may claim a technicality that they're not in the same sentence, but the two sentences are very clearly linked to one another. So you might want to read back your own posts that have been quoted before you make claims about what you have or haven't written. You either forgot you wrote it or you're trying to troll/gaslight. Either way, the undeniable evidence is there for all to see.


You think I'm going to trawl through all 35,000 of your posts on BF just to find out exactly what you think about the academies? What kind of fantasy land are you living in? I responded to the one post I quoted. It's not my fault that you didn't express your support for the academies in that post. You decide what you write, not me. I was just responding to what I read.


Okay? The AFL fund plenty of footy related things in Queensland and New South Wales because they're trying to grow the game in these states. The AFL also provide funding to every other club in the AFL for their own needs. It's not surprising that the AFL would generally give more funding to a northern club vs a non-northern club given the footy climate in those states. The game is growing in the northern states so the AFL is (slowly) accomplishing its goal of growth.


Is the rest of the competition really funding the northern academies or is that a narrative you want to push? Collingwood posted the biggest operating profit of all clubs in 2024 and that was just shy of $9 million. The Pies were also given $12 million through the AFL's distribution. Take away the $12 million of AFL funding and suddenly Collingwood are $3 million in the red.

Seems to me that the AFL and their TV rights deal is keeping all clubs away from financial ruin through its distribution of funds. All clubs would likely be insolvent without AFL funding. So I'm not sure the conclusion that the rest of the competition are funding the northern academies is really a true statement.


Why cut it off at the year 2000? Is it because the narrative falls apart when you look at the stats in their entirety so you choose to focus on a particular period that suits what you're trying to push?

For the record, West Coast have made 7 Grand Finals since they entered the AFL in 1987 and Brisbane have played in 6 Grand Finals since they entered the competition in 1987. Both teams have 4 premierships to show for those appearances. We can compare states too, if you like. WA has had 8 Grand Final appearances and won 4 premierships since entering the league in 1987. Queensland has had 6 Grand Final appearances and won 4 premierships since entering the league in 1987.

The only northern team you could actually claim has outperformed West Coast in terms of Grand Final appearances is Sydney with 8 GF appearances. Even then, the Swans only have 2 premierships to show for those 8 GF appearances, so I'm not sure that's really better than West Coast's 4 flags. Despite the narrative you're clearly trying to push, West Coast have been the most successful non-Victorian team since the league went national and are only behind Geelong + Hawthorn in terms of success between 1987-2024.


Isn't this why the AFL changed the rules and made it harder to draft father-son and academy players from 2025 onwards? They would have done it in 2024 if Carlton didn't kick up a stink about their father-son picks and/or if Richmond hadn't have complained about the future picks they had acquired losing their value. We'll see how it goes and whether the AFL have found a good happy-medium in terms of clubs paying a fair price for players + not killing the progress made in the northern states.

You have comprehension issues.

I said someone's view was woke. Not that the academies were a woke invention. You posted that.

You don't need to wade through 35000 posts. Just acrually read the one you relpied to.

The AFL funds other clubs academies and other infrastructure. No it doesn't. AFL spends very little in WA. The profits and dividends of Freo and the Eagles fund state football. Junior development and infrastructure. Via club profits.

The clubs also run their own academies but until the last draft got no priority access. Now it's is category B access not full access.

You veiw and arguments are self centred and selfish. You just want your side to keep getting leg ups until you succeed. And to be honest I don't have an issue with Gold Coast getting more help than the Lions or Swans. The Suns have never made finals so sure let's give them some assistance.

What really pissses me off is the AFL shovelling the same assistance to the Lions and Swans who are making grand finals regularly and finals most years.


When does the unfair and quite obviously unnecessary assistance end for clubs making multiple grand finals?

How many grand finals and premierships do they need to win before the AFL take them off the gravey train? Again.

It's happened before with COLA. Lions win 3 and the COLA stopped.

A successful Swans embarrassed the AFL getting Franklin they copped a trade ban. After everyone found out about the COLA rort.

So how many northern premierships do the AFL want until this rort ends. Again.

 

[.Shotties.]

The clubs also run their own academies but until the last draft got no priority access. Now it's is category B access not full access.

Why lie tho?

 

[GC2015]

You have comprehension issues.

I said someone's view was woke. Not that the academies were a woke invention. You posted that.

Let me get this straight. First you post about the northern academies attracting/retaining juniors from other (more popular) sports not being a good enough reason for them to exist and label it bordering on "woke BS". Then you claim you never used the words 'woke' and 'academy' together. Now you're stating you did use 'woke' and 'academy' in the same point, but it was misinterpreted.

... and I have the comprehension issues? Righto.

If you read my post back you'll see I didn't accuse you of stating that the northern academies were a woke invention. What I actually wrote was "I could add more [reasons for the northern academies to exist] but I get the feeling you're just going to take it out of context and push some kind of false narrative that the northern academies are a 'woke' invention that have no purpose other than to spoon feed the northern clubs premierships." Not an accusation, just a feeling I had at the time.

You don't need to wade through 35000 posts. Just acrually read the one you relpied to.

You're changing your mind on what you expect from someone who replies to you. In your last post you stated "If you bothered reading my posts with an open mind and eyes you will see I support the academies continuing to be funded by the AFL with clubs being paid for their involvement. I have stated that many times." Now you're stating I only need to read the post I quoted...

For the record, I did read the one I replied to. In no way, shape or form did it give the impression that you were pro-northern academy. You were questioning the reasoning for their existence and that you viewed them as an advantage over opposition clubs. That doesn't come across as a post you would typically see from someone who is in favour of keeping the northern academies going.

The AFL funds other clubs academies and other infrastructure. No it doesn't. AFL spends very little in WA. The profits and dividends of Freo and the Eagles fund state football. Junior development and infrastructure. Via club profits.

How do you know that? How can you confidently suggest none of the other 14 AFL clubs use the AFL's distribution money to fund their Next Generation Academies? They have to fund it somehow.

WA doesn't need the same kind of grassroots funding from the AFL that QLD & NSW require. WA has produced 27 players taken in the national draft in the last 3 years alone. Wanna guess how many QLD & NSW have combined to produce in the last 3 years? I'll save you the time - it's 14. In the current climate, WA is essentially producing double the amount of players taken in the national draft when compared to a combined tally from QLD & NSW. Break down QLD & NSW into individual state draftee numbers and it looks even worse. Do you now see why the AFL tends to prioritise grassroots funding for the northern states vs a state like WA?

The clubs also run their own academies but until the last draft got no priority access. Now it's is category B access not full access.

It's amazing that you can be so wrong about so many things and still post confidently like you know the facts. Do you remember Jarrod Cameron? He was Charlie Cameron's brother, if you don't remember. Brisbane wanted to reunite the Cameron brothers when they bid to draft Jarrod with a second round pick in the 2018 national draft. West Coast then used their priority NGA access to match Brisbane's bid and made him an Eagle. Your category B access only claim is false, too.

You've got this one dead wrong. I suggest you do your homework before posting about this one again.

You veiw and arguments are self centred and selfish. You just want your side to keep getting leg ups until you succeed. And to be honest I don't have an issue with Gold Coast getting more help than the Lions or Swans. The Suns have never made finals so sure let's give them some assistance.

What really pissses me off is the AFL shovelling the same assistance to the Lions and Swans who are making grand finals regularly and finals most years.

When does the unfair and quite obviously unnecessary assistance end for clubs making multiple grand finals?

How many grand finals and premierships do they need to win before the AFL take them off the gravey train? Again.

It's happened before with COLA. Lions win 3 and the COLA stopped.

A successful Swans embarrassed the AFL getting Franklin they copped a trade ban. After everyone found out about the COLA rort.

So how many northern premierships do the AFL want until this rort ends. Again.

I'd love to see my side succeed, as I'm sure you would too with your Eagles. After 14 years in the league, your team had won 2 flags, played in 3 GFs and participated in 11 finals series. My team is yet to participate in a single finals series in its 14 year history. I think it's probably fair to suggest that we need/needed a bit of help to get the ball rolling.

Seems like you have a far bigger issue with the Lions and Swans than you do with the Suns. Can you answer the question I asked earlier about whether you've lived in QLD or NSW at any point in your life? If so, for how long and did you get involved in the footy scene? I think this is a very important question to ask when determining your credibility to comment on this topic.

 

[Obeanie1]

Let me get this straight. First you post about the northern academies attracting/retaining juniors from other (more popular) sports not being a good enough reason for them to exist and label it bordering on "woke BS". Then you claim you never used the words 'woke' and 'academy' together. Now you're stating you did use 'woke' and 'academy' in the same point, but it was misinterpreted.

... and I have the comprehension issues? Righto.

If you read my post back you'll see I didn't accuse you of stating that the northern academies were a woke invention. What I actually wrote was "I could add more [reasons for the northern academies to exist] but I get the feeling you're just going to take it out of context and push some kind of false narrative that the northern academies are a 'woke' invention that have no purpose other than to spoon feed the northern clubs premierships." Not an accusation, just a feeling I had at the time.


You're changing your mind on what you expect from someone who replies to you. In your last post you stated "If you bothered reading my posts with an open mind and eyes you will see I support the academies continuing to be funded by the AFL with clubs being paid for their involvement. I have stated that many times." Now you're stating I only need to read the post I quoted...

For the record, I did read the one I replied to. In no way, shape or form did it give the impression that you were pro-northern academy. You were questioning the reasoning for their existence and that you viewed them as an advantage over opposition clubs. That doesn't come across as a post you would typically see from someone who is in favour of keeping the northern academies going.


How do you know that? How can you confidently suggest none of the other 14 AFL clubs use the AFL's distribution money to fund their Next Generation Academies? They have to fund it somehow.

WA doesn't need the same kind of grassroots funding from the AFL that QLD & NSW require. WA has produced 27 players taken in the national draft in the last 3 years alone. Wanna guess how many QLD & NSW have combined to produce in the last 3 years? I'll save you the time - it's 14. In the current climate, WA is essentially producing double the amount of players taken in the national draft when compared to a combined tally from QLD & NSW. Break down QLD & NSW into individual state draftee numbers and it looks even worse. Do you now see why the AFL tends to prioritise grassroots funding for the northern states vs a state like WA?


It's amazing that you can be so wrong about so many things and still post confidently like you know the facts. Do you remember Jarrod Cameron? He was Charlie Cameron's brother, if you don't remember. Brisbane wanted to reunite the Cameron brothers when they bid to draft Jarrod with a second round pick in the 2018 national draft. West Coast then used their priority NGA access to match Brisbane's bid and made him an Eagle. Your category B access only claim is false, too.

You've got this one dead wrong. I suggest you do your homework before posting about this one again.


I'd love to see my side succeed, as I'm sure you would too with your Eagles. After 14 years in the league, your team had won 2 flags, played in 3 GFs and participated in 11 finals series. My team is yet to participate in a single finals series in its 14 year history. I think it's probably fair to suggest that we need/needed a bit of help to get the ball rolling.

Seems like you have a far bigger issue with the Lions and Swans than you do with the Suns. Can you answer the question I asked earlier about whether you've lived in QLD or NSW at any point in your life? If so, for how long and did you get involved in the footy scene? I think this is a very important question to ask when determining your credibility to comment on this topic.

Mate stop digging the hole deeper..

You are getting desperate.

Cameron was how long ago, 2018? The AFL changed the rules. They chaged the rules due to the massive unfair rort with northern academies. But only for Cat B players not all. Fact.

This is about priority access. Unfair access other struggling clubs don't get. There's a reason why North got a massive assistance package. It's because the teams playing in grand finals still were loading up and getting stronger Fact.

WA grass roots development is funded by West Coast and Fremantle dividends. Two clubs funding a states junior development and get SFA access back from doing it. Instead we see the Swans and Lions tapping into that. Plus keep 100% priority access to all their academy zones. Fact.

So when should teams playing finals and winning grand finals stop getting priority access? Ahead of clubs who haven't won a final for 20 years or one who has spent decades bottom 4?

As I have stated many times. No issue with priority access if the club needs it. Gold Coast need it.

Swans, Lions and GWS do not.

Maybe the Gold Coast will get there faster if teams playing in grand finals don't get the same benefits.

 

[Elixuh]

Fagan is an average coach who has benefited from a truckload of high draft picks, as well as the Lions academy and father sons.
Take away these leg ups and Fagan is nothing more than a poor man's Neil Craig.
Craig was a far better tactician than Fagan, and Craig never had access to high draft picks, an academy or father sons.

Take away the disgusting leg up that the lions get of checks notes being able to draft players and Fagan is a spud!

Is spud Fagan in the room with us right now?

 

[Taper]

Take away the disgusting leg up that the lions get of checks notes being able to draft players and Fagan is a spud!

Is spud Fagan in the room with us right now?

Fagan has been lucky to coach a club that receives benefits other clubs don't have access to.
Once Brisbane drop out of the top 8, watch their fans abandon the club in droves just as they did in the years following 2004.

 

[Cmarsh]

Fagan has been lucky to coach a club that receives benefits other clubs don't have access to.
Once Brisbane drop out of the top 8, watch their fans abandon the club in droves just as they did in the years following 2004.

Strawman argument. Every club's fans drop off in down years.

 

[.Shotties.]

WA grass roots development is funded by West Coast and Fremantle dividends. Two clubs funding a states junior development and get SFA access back from doing it. Instead we see the Swans and Lions tapping into that.

This sounds much nicer than 'The licence holder of the Eagles and Dockers uses a small percentage of the income from those teams for pathways that were established and predate both the WA team".

 

[Elixuh]

Fagan has been lucky to coach a club that receives benefits other clubs don't have access to.
Once Brisbane drop out of the top 8, watch their fans abandon the club in droves just as they did in the years following 2004.

No other club has access to the draft?

Is spud fagan still in the room with you?

 

[jonnobackpocket]

At what point do the AFL remove the training wheels from the Swans and Lions?
First it was the retention allowance and cost of living allowance, now it's the academies.
I've had to witness my side get knocked out of the finals in 2004, 2005, 2016 and 2024 by teams benefiting from these leg ups.

Boo f&n hooo, who would have thought it would be a Geelong supporter having a sook……