St Kilda President Andrew Bassat tees off on the AFL draft system, specifically father/son and the Northern Academies

[gringo2011]

Making excuses to feed the fan base.

How come Hawthorn is so fricken good all the time?

The Saints have been their own worst enemy but making the system fairer should be a priority. It's been set up too make Sydney, GWS, GC and Brisbane perpetually competitive but it makes a competitive disadvantage to smaller clubs who end up making up the numbers.

If you aren't successful players don't want to come over without being paid overs, the product sucks so fans don't show up and you get into a poverty cycle.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

Legitimately one of the most pathetic things I've ever heard

 

[Bald]

He said we've messed up picks and trading. Just wants teams to pay a fair price for the father sons and academy players. Obviously you'll defend them though because they've been awesome for you.

Didn’t he say the system was unfair? How is it unfair if everybody operates under the same system?

What he’s actually saying is it needs to change because it’s not currently benefiting the Saints.

 

[bergholt]

Wow, I hope all these F/S haters one day know what it means to feel joy...far out

I’m a Saints supporter, I’ll never know joy

 

[bergholt]

Didn’t he say the system was unfair? How is it unfair if everybody operates under the same system?

What he’s actually saying is it needs to change because it’s not currently benefiting the Saints.

It’s unfair because the benefits of the system are random and unevenly distributed. That leads to clubs winning flags then getting one of the best players in the draft super cheap. It fundamentally undermines equalisation. If you don’t care about equalisation that’s fine, but you can’t have both.

 

[north_lad]

I hate the father/son rule.


It's how we got stuck with Luke McDonald

 

[rye]

saints, melbourne and norf should count their lucky stars the afl abides their continual existence. ran by idiots all the way down and need constant propping up for minimal return. i would not be changing anything to assist them.

 

[HairyO]

If his club wasnt a financial basketcase he wouldnt be owned by the AFL and could vote with the big clubs who have been pushing for change for years.

As it is he will do as he is told and this rant will be quickly forgotten.

 

[bergholt]

saints, melbourne and norf should count their lucky stars the afl abides their continual existence. ran by idiots all the way down and need constant propping up for minimal return. i would not be changing anything to assist them.

You don’t understand broadcast deals. The broadcasters want more games not less, and more competitive games. Good luck getting rid of clubs!

 

[rye]

You don’t understand broadcast deals. The broadcasters want more games not less, and more competitive games. Good luck getting rid of clubs!

goodbye north, saints and melbourne.

hello act, tas and wa3.

thank me later afl house

 

[beside the seaside]

Didn’t he say the system was unfair? How is it unfair if everybody operates under the same system?

What he’s actually saying is it needs to change because it’s not currently benefiting the Saints.

How are the northern academies an even playing field?

I don't think he's against the father sons he just wants the price paid to be fair. It's hard to be a club that is trying to rebuild through the draft when teams higher up the ladder get top picks basically for free. That's the point he's making.

 

[bergholt]

goodbye north, saints and melbourne.

hello act, tas and wa3.

thank me later afl house

Hah moving a team to a tiny market like Canberra will make it LESS likely to need propping up?

 

[Bucking Beads]

St Kilda is a loser club with a loser mentality. They just simply need to be better with their drafting and recruitment whilst building a decent club culture and they will find a way to be competitive again.

 

[pebblesofsand]

So apparently the reason why the draft for a largest professional sport in Australia is totally compromised is because St Kilda hasn't been successful.

And here I was thinking it was compromised by a F/S rule that relies entirely on luck and an academy system that is specifically designed to benefit clubs in NSW and Queensland.

 

[mpal6]

He actually said we've been the cause of our own issues by stuffing up picks regularly.

It doesn't mean the father son and academy systems aren't flawed. Obviously they benefit your side a lot at the moment so you're going to stand up for them.

Nah, you have to head over to academy overhaul thread for my views which are stated there multiple times - my stance has always been make the first round pure. It'll reduce all the angst amongst clubs.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Brisbane the premiers are about to get the best player in the draft basically free.

Port, Richmond, Melbourne, St Kilda and Freo are the only clubs that do not have advantages in the AFL.

How would y'all make the AFL as a competition fair?

He has the weirdest accent I’ve ever heard. Wth is that

 

[Senor Ed]

Forget about F/S, academies etc.

If you want to make the comp fair, make every team play each other once, with the home team being reversed the following year.

Also piss off the opening round garbage like this year, where teams that have started their season play teams that haven't the following week.

 

[Gavin Excell]

He has the weirdest accent I’ve ever heard. Wth is that

"Desiiigned"

 

[Rotayjay]

The way certain clubs can access academy players is ridiculous. Seriously - we have clubs playing in grand finals, winning flags and getting into the top 5 on draft night. Seriously? That doesn't pass the pub test.

I recall the AFL once saying that equalisation is about giving every fan a realistic hope that their club will win a premiership in their lifetime. Many fans around the world don't get that, and it sets us apart.

I have gold membership which gives me guaranteed access to buy a grand final ticket if Adelaide make it. If I thought my club had no hope of ever winning a flag, no way would I fork out the extra money. In fact, I might not buy a membership at all and just buy a ticket when I feel like going.

If you chip away and poke more Swiss cheesw holes in equalisation, fans will begin to drop off because they have no hope.

 

[stevieg1969]

the competition is full of inequalities, Melbourne teams get the ultimate advantage of have a home grand final

Dogs played as many H&A matches at the G as Brisbane this year. We played more matches at AO. And by the way we have never played a final at our ‘home’ ground - ever!

 

[beside the seaside]

He has the weirdest accent I’ve ever heard. Wth is that

He's partially deaf.

 

[rapidfire7]

Who hurt him?

 

[Elixuh]

He is both right and wrong at the same time.

Right that there are too many clubs in Melbourne so the smaller VFL clubs are always going to have to make up the numbers in a sense. And there is no commercial incentive to have all of these clubs up at the same time or for long periods.

Wrong from the perspective that the Saints have had the worst drafting of any club in recent memory (which is why their list profile is god awful), have hired a coach who plays a brand of footy which isn't commercially attractive to the networks and are a club that gets significant financial contributions on par with the northern clubs to stay financially competitive.

 

[Sully111]

The premier getting the best player in the draft for peanuts is ridiculous.

It's that simple really.

People want to get caught up in nostalgia and have a father son rule... fine. But pay a fair price for it.

 

[DT_35]

and the advantage of having a home grand final every year is excessive, quit your whinging

don't see him advocating for the grand final to be moved

Hey peanut, your team played more games at the MCG than St.Kilda did this year


We literally played GWS in a HOME final last year at the MCG.