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

[GenericUsername202]

One premiership in a 150 years suggest just making up the numbers is what they have always done.

It's the harsh reality of being a st kilda supporter. It's like when you watch the premier league, and you know which club will make the top end of the table, while also knowing the same clubs that will always hang around the bottom. Clubs like St kilda have relatively little room for growth in an already competitive market. And their continued lack of success will only push more people towards the bigger teams.

 

[Nvent]

St Kilda have been given handouts financially from the afl aswell, so it’s such an odd perspective he’s gone with, it’s majorly built from the club itself, afl helps clubs as they need it to survive. Fixturing is done for clubs performance mainly with their popularity a part of the decision. A lot of this is club built, he’s complaining since their club hasn’t benefited from what’s been given and haven’t taken proper advantage or properly advanced their standpoint as a club.

I reckon the AFL marketed teams once Friday night footy kicked off. The AFL basically built up a few clubs and left the rest to fight for scraps.

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

Delusional take. All the acadamy's would end. We'll keep taking our leg up here, while you keep taking yours by always having an MCG grand final, by always traveling less and by having easier player retention. Victorian clubs have absolutely no right to complain because they're the most entitled lot of them all.

You either have no idea what you’re talking about or talking shit. As if GC and GWS wouldn’t want access to every NSW and Queensland kid.
I also doubt Sydney would want to give up access to players like Mills, Heeney, Blakey Gulden, Campbell etc because they have to pay a fair price. The leg up you are getting is still there, just not taking the piss anymore.

 

[Teflon]

I would have a lot more respect for him if he came out guns blazing about Daicos after Pies won the premiership last year.

He's picking and choosing when to channel his moral outrage too. Brisbane is a much easier target compared to taking on Collingwood.

Who needs AFL franchise respect? I don’t
And for the non blinkered Lions fans (whingeing cause winning the flag and getting no 1 pick for peanuts is defendable right??) the issues Bassat raised and any subsequent changes ought to apply to ALL clubs not just Saints
Spare us your chicken little syndrome ffs

 

[Chadsteve1975]

Bullshit.

Having priority access to the best talent and getting discounts on drafting them is a much bigger advantage than having to travel a few hours for the grand final.

Academies are designed to get kids playing AFL at grassroots or developing more elite kids when the major state footy codes are League or Rugby. Done by clubs not AFL Qld or NSW AFL. The points system is evening up. Reflecting better that clubs been around for 10 years and have potential for father son.

But inequality is everywhere. The Victorian travel rort needs to be managed it’s not just the final. StKilda travelled out of Vic only 7 times. Played since mid July, their last 6 matches, at Marvel. We’d need to send their teams away for a night away after local away matches. Sleep more in hotel beds away from family. Which is just a wrong conversation to have. Do I have to do recruiting strategy for StKilda too

 

[Teflon]

Model needs to be maintained or continued for AFL as it directly correlates to their media contracts. You need the clubs across all states for 7/fox to cough up $4.5 Billion in TV rights.

To be fair, Sydney was happy to withdraw from national draft and get their players exclusively from NSW as far back as 2009/10. Their model is starting to sustain now and they had so much faith in finding talent via academy pathway that they said happy to draft exclusively from NSW. AFL blocked it.

Swans had plan to pull out of draft

Sydney would have completely withdrawn from the national draft and started recruiting exclusively from New South Wales under a radical proposal put to the AFL.

www.theage.com.au

Lions had a combination of mismanagement and poor planning post three-peat in the last 20 years. Our training facility / gym used to be the dump under Gabba or the open ground at Giffin park - https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/giffin-park.

We've come a long way since then and able to cash in far more shrewdly in our current window starting from 2019. Built our $80m springfield training base in 2022 - thanks to Ipswich council, state and federal funding. It helps us provide comparable facilities on par with other clubs and able to attract talent in a more even playing field. I believe we'll make a good dent on our $3 mil deficit in the next few years and move towards being solvent on our own.

30+ years and going strong in Sydney ….
Great sustainable model ..

 

[The Tilt]

no, with that logic the draft isn't fair, the rules for father son are equal and the same for everyone

Sure, but it's basically dumb luck that some clubs benefit from it and others don't. It's not like Collingwood or the Bulldogs have done anything to deserve elite talent received via the father-son rule that St Kilda should go out and emulate.

 

[Teflon]

Most non-vfl teams are just sick of the same tired routine. We sit back and watch over decades as the VFL clubs are advantaged by these rules far and above any non-vfl team.

As soon as a non-vfl team gets a lick of the ice cream a club like St Kilda comes out and is critical of it. It’s a tired routine. Where were these criticisms when teams like the Pies and Doggies were getting F/S year on year?

What Bassat is upset about is St Kilda being a small club doesn’t get the same advantages as the big VFL clubs and wants a lick of that ice cream. But he can’t outright say that so just a waits until a non-vfl club is advantaged by a rule and tees off. It’s pathetic.

Lick of the ice cream???
No 1 DP for peanut's after winning flag
Norm Smith - gift
Untouchable academy gifts ….for multiple years …
I think your licking something it ain’t ice cream…

 

[Elixuh]

Lick of the ice cream???
No 1 DP for peanut's after winning flag
Norm Smith - gift
Untouchable academy gifts ….for multiple years …
I think your licking something it ain’t ice cream…

Which ones?

 

[Teflon]

So we should fund and run our academy but not receive the intended benefit?

Happened to us ask Hawks ???

 

[Toump Ass]

Academies are designed to get kids playing AFL at grassroots or developing more elite kids

Nick Blakey's dad was a two-time premiership AFL player. His son was playing AFL as a kid.

"Developing" more elite kids doesn't help the competition when those elite kids bypass the draft and are given to specific clubs at a discount.

But inequality is everywhere.

Great! Let's address it, rather than add to it.

 

[Teflon]

He was right about one thing: St. Kilda's "role is meant to be to just make up the numbers."

Like your final game of the year and finals campaign??

 

[Teflon]

Which ones?

What wi you pay for Marshall this year top 20 prospect???
Fake “Roy boys” the worst

 

[Elixuh]

What wi you pay for Marshall this year top 20 prospect???
Fake “Roy boys” the worst

Hopefully a packet of chips. Do you feel oppressed by the Lions academy?

 

[The King!]

Just ship Stkilda off to the VFL

 

[Hollow Knight]

If St Kilda truly believes it is a cheat code to premiership success, they are welcome to try and re-establish themselves on a footy frontier and enjoy all the largesse of a development academy. We’ll see you in the GF!

 

[Matt Stevic]

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

Don't be too surprised mate. Those that have a hard-on for cutting teams never think it through.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I reckon the AFL marketed teams once Friday night footy kicked off. The AFL basically built up a few clubs and left the rest to fight for scraps.

Hawthorn is a financially wealthy club, a big Victorian club with great history and an exciting list.

How many Friday night games in 2024? St Kilda? (Definitely more).

Hence why it’s a poor point.

 

[Poiter57]

Because I'm completely in favour of making the best out of what you got, instead of complaining about why things can't be the way you want them to be. Look at Richmond's recent premierships - no father sons, no use of academies, the only priority pick was Deledio who left before we got success.. and you can see how it turned out. Why can't St Kilda do something similar? You've had enough times at the draft.

No Dusty,no cups

 

[Nvent]

Hawthorn is a financially wealthy club, a big Victorian club with great history and an exciting list.

How many Friday night games in 2024? St Kilda? (Definitely more).

Hence why it’s a poor point.

This isn’t just a new phenomenon. Collingwood for example were on there knees. The AFL basically made them the franchise of all time slots and basically with ED rebuilt them along with a new supporter base.

 

[Poiter57]

To St Kilda’s credit, the fact that they didn’t go out of business decades ago is a miracle.

They exist to…exist.

Couldn't afford the drugs the Eagles used

 

[Poiter57]

Whose to say one won't become a florrest, another a doctor and another a marketing manager for BP?

Or play for the Tassie devils!

 

[Elixuh]

Geelong about to recruit another 100 best 22 players this offseason via lifestyle, but the academies are the real thing holding St Kilda back.

 

[Mat Mann]

Just heard him speak, is that how he normally sounds or was he on the sauce?

or.. or...... he was born profoundly deaf and has a speech impediment as a result............

no he didn't go full Baker

 

[Altum Volantes]

Couldn't afford the drugs the Eagles used

Mate, go back to Facebook with that outdated nuffie stuff.