VFL VFL Season 2024

[Kappa]

Can we please have a competent vfl team in 2025? Getting dominated every week is not the optimal way to develop young talent !!

 

[manicpie]

Our VFL team isn't doing either. Recently it's been a holding pen for the bottom half of our list who spend a few years there before being delisted. Might just be the nature of things, but it hasn't been the place to watch our future players. Josh is the only one of our senior players that I can think of who played a fair bit of reserves footy for us. After their first year at the club, I don't think anyone else other than Cox would have played much if any reserves footy for us.

Hopefully Allan and a couple of others can buck the trend.

Injuries have held them back a bit also. We also don't really know how we are developing them. We just see the stats and watch the VFL but I'm sure most are given a role to play on the day that's meant to help develop them. I just think it's more about developing them for specific roles. Gone are the days when they play to win every week. We've seen quite a few players get games when none of us thought they deserved it

 

[sr36]

Can we please have a competent vfl team in 2025? Getting dominated every week is not the optimal way to develop young talent !!

I'd be interested to go through the senior teams and see how much reserves footy their players played. It seems to me with all the match SIM at training there aren't many who develop in a slow build up through the reserves anymore. Most of those who make it as regular senior players play AFL really early.

It's almost becoming just a hit out to keep your players match fit and ready to play their role if they get selected.

 

[sr36]

Injuries have held them back a bit also. We also don't really know how we are developing them. We just see the stats and watch the VFL but I'm sure most are given a role to play on the day that's meant to help develop them. I just think it's more about developing them for specific roles. Gone are the days when they play to win every week. We've seen quite a few players get games when none of us thought they deserved it

I think the cream rises early these days with all the extra work they do as juniors and the professional environment of AFL with heaps of match play at training these days. And because they enter the system older than they used to.

The senior players tend to be playing seniors by 20, you rarely get long VFL apprenticeships - most of those who go on to have good careers play little vfl at their club, because they're playing seniors.

You'll get the occasional guy who needs physical development who takes time, but not that many as they have arrived having done weights for a few years.

For us it's been Daicos, Murphy and Cox who've played a fair bit of VFL - and thats going back about a decade. But Daicos had to overcome asthma, Murphy a heap of injuries and Cox being a yank. The rest were playing seniors in their first or second year with us or their previous team.

 

[Jen2310]

I think the cream rises early these days with all the extra work they do as juniors and the professional environment of AFL with heaps of match play at training these days. And because they enter the system older than they used to.

The senior players tend to be playing seniors by 20, you rarely get long VFL apprenticeships - most of those who go on to have good careers play little vfl at their club, because they're playing seniors.

You'll get the occasional guy who needs physical development who takes time, but not that many as they have arrived having done weights for a few years.

For us it's been Daicos, Murphy and Cox who've played a fair bit of VFL - and thats going back about a decade. But Daicos had to overcome asthma, Murphy a heap of injuries and Cox being a yank. The rest were playing seniors in their first or second year with us or their previous team.

IQ didn't become a regular until his third season in 2021, before then he played a fair bit vfl in his first 2 years.
But generally most do play early and often if there are spots available

 

[sr36]

IQ didn't become a regular until his third season in 2021, before then he played a fair bit vfl in his first 2 years.
But generally most do play early and often if there are spots available

Yeah I forgot about IQ. He did the old style David Parkin apprenticeship, which was 5 games, 12 games, 22 games for the good kids. But even then he wouldn't have played VFL since the first two months of year 2

 

[Jen2310]

Yeah I forgot about IQ. He did the old style David Parkin apprenticeship, which was 5 games, 12 games, 22 games for the good kids. But even then he wouldn't have played VFL since the first two months of year 2

Yeah, he developed quick. In those early games he wasn't up to it, but those vfl games certainly helped him.

 

[35Daicos]

IQ didn't become a regular until his third season in 2021, before then he played a fair bit vfl in his first 2 years.
But generally most do play early and often if there are spots available

Yeah I forgot about IQ. He did the old style David Parkin apprenticeship, which was 5 games, 12 games, 22 games for the good kids. But even then he wouldn't have played VFL since the first two months of year 2

Isaac Quaynor played 10 VFL games in 2019, his first year with the club, but the 2020 VFL season was called off, so he would have only played at that level in his first year. He didn't get back into the senior side until round 6 2020, but he's been a regular since then (unless injured).

 

[Mollythedolly]

Our VFL team isn't doing either. Recently it's been a holding pen for the bottom half of our list who spend a few years there before being delisted. Might just be the nature of things, but it hasn't been the place to watch our future players. Josh is the only one of our senior players that I can think of who played a fair bit of reserves footy for us. After their first year at the club, I don't think anyone else other than Cox would have played much if any reserves footy for us.

Hopefully Allan and a couple of others can buck the trend.

Wasn't Hutchinson taken by WC in the MSD this year from our VFL team? Didn't we take Long and Eyre from our VFL program? Wasn't Ned Moyle taken by GCS in the MSD a few years back off the back of his VFL performances?

 

[sr36]

Wasn't Hutchinson taken by WC in the MSD this year from our VFL team? Didn't we take Long and Eyre from our VFL program? Wasn't Ned Moyle taken by GCS in the MSD a few years back off the back of his VFL performances?

I think you missed my point. I'm talking about developing players into senior regulars. Those players aren't that.

Apprenticeships in the reserves are bloody short for most of the guys who kick on. I'm not saying that as a criticism of the VFL program. It's league wide. If you play a couple of years in the reserves for your club, it's not looking good in terms of you going on to be an AFL regular. The players who we just have to give time to - be patient with - who spend 2 or 3 years developing in the VFL end up delisted more often than not. Hopefully Allan can break that trend. Reef's role change gives him a chance. I wouldn't be holding my breath on the others who've had multiple years in the reserves. It's just not a common path anymore.

 

[Mollythedolly]

I think you missed my point. I'm talking about developing players into senior regulars. Those players aren't that.

Apprenticeships in the reserves are bloody short for most of the guys who kick on. I'm not saying that as a criticism of the VFL program. It's league wide. If you play a couple of years in the reserves for your club, it's not looking good in terms of you going on to be an AFL regular. The players who we just have to give time to - be patient with - who spend 2 or 3 years developing in the VFL end up delisted more often than not. Hopefully Allan can break that trend. Reef's role change gives him a chance. I wouldn't be holding my breath on the others who've had multiple years in the reserves. It's just not a common path anymore.

I think much of that is a consequence of reduced list sizes. Clubs can’t afford longer apprenticeships. I’d have thought the aim of VFL development when you’re talking VFL players was to get them onto senior lists.

 

[sr36]

I think much of that is a consequence of reduced list sizes. Clubs can’t afford longer apprenticeships. I’d have thought the aim of VFL development when you’re talking VFL players was to get them onto senior lists.

For our listed guys, the aim of VFL development is to become senior players.

Yeah, I think list size is a factor, but also the amount of prior work players have done before entering the AFL and the amount of work and match sim they do at training these days - the good ones enter the club much better prepared than they used to and then get way better prepared once at the club, so they get up to speed to play a role in the AFL quickly - if they're good enough.

 

[Mollythedolly]

For our listed guys, the aim of VFL development is to become senior players.

Yeah, I think list size is a factor, but also the amount of prior work players have done before entering the AFL and the amount of work and match sim they do at training these days - the good ones enter the club much better prepared than they used to and then get way better prepared once at the club, so they get up to speed to play a role in the AFL quickly - if they're good enough.

Senior listed guys I think continuity and opportunity have been the main issues. When players are getting the VFL continuity, there hasn’t been the opportunity, when there’s been opportunity, players haven’t been getting continuity.

Ryan the classic case in point. Got his opportunity based on team need rather than a strong run of VFL form, largely due to injury. Prior to his injuries his form was the best we’ve seen but there wasn’t opportunity.

 

[sr36]

Senior listed guys I think continuity and opportunity have been the main issues. When players are getting the VFL continuity, there hasn’t been the opportunity, when there’s been opportunity, players haven’t been getting continuity.

Ryan the classic case in point. Got his opportunity based on team need rather than a strong run of VFL form, largely due to injury. Prior to his injuries his form was the best we’ve seen but there wasn’t opportunity.

It's most clubs - a lengthy VFL apprenticeship leading to success rather than delisting has become a rarity. Obviously there will be occasional exceptions - but it's a small fraction compared to the number of guys who do 2-5 years mainly in the reserves and then get delisted.