The Mystique of the AFL Flag - Dead?

[PhatBoy]

Starting to feel that way a bit with the NRL. Obviously 4 in a row is nowhere near 10, but without a draft it's anyones guess as to how Penrith fall off the pace, players can be going there all day for unders for a flag for their career.

The MLB feels like a bit of a joke at times when some teams like Athletics, Twins etc can't afford even 50% of the salary roll the Dodgers, Mets & Yankees are putting up. I don't & can't take it, or Soccer for that matter except the world cup, seriously.

The panthers keep winning because they have an incredible coach, a playmaker arguably on track to be the greatest player of all time, and a system that simply demands excellence from every single player that joins their ranks. It might be boring I will grant you that, but the way it’s happening is totally different from the SPL

 

[Philth]

The NRL don’t have a draft?
How does recruiting work for them?

 

[Toump Ass]

WOW, you're such a maverick!!!
Don't support a team, don't care about premierships! (what are the chances?!?!)

We are all beneath you Lavender. Thank you so much for gracing us with your thoughts.

 

[PhatBoy]

The NRL don’t have a draft?
How does recruiting work for them?

Every team is different.

The best current team - the Panthers - have a junior system that is the biggest on the planet (not a huge thing realistically as only three major nations play the sport) but yeah they have over 20 clubs in their junior catchment area as well as having a talent development program west of the blue mountains so the best junior players from all those clubs feed straight into their Harold Matthews Cup and SG Ball sides (under 17s/19s) and they sign them from there and hold onto them. Clubs like Souths and North Queensland have big junior bases as well, the Dogs, Newcastle, Wests etc.

Others don’t - the Roosters are famous for copping shit for stealing other clubs’ juniors (I’m a roosters fan). We had junior clubs in more abundance until the 70s but now only have 3 so went through a period of just throwing the cheque book at players from all over the place.

Now we have an academy based on the central coast. A lot of teams do scouting in Brisbane given that Brisbane itself only has two NRL clubs but still has a strong Queensland Cup with clubs to draw junior players from.

The island nations and New Zealand provide a lot of talent and so does schoolboy football

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

The mystique is still with me now, once you experience one you never let it go.

Still mystiquing 90 and 10 as well.

2010 would have been unusual as a Collingwood fan. How did you feel about the drawn Grand Final? As a neutral I didn't know what to think at the time.

I didn't expect the Saints to cop a flogging the next week though!