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!

 

[Carringbush2010]

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!

Yeah the drawn game, well clearly we got the ascendancy early. Then true colliwobble style of course we give up the lead. Was thinking here we go again, another gf loss to lament.

Then next week was, got the ascendancy early, then went on with it. Saints wilted, though the Pies were 4-5 goal better side, not 9 goals

 

[Gavin Excell]

It's harder than ever to win a premiership