Up the bush: AFL premiers Swans swoop on Sleeth

[Sanecow]

BARKERS VALE teenager Fred Sleeth could be heading to AFL champions the Sydney Swans.

The centre-half forward or ruckman is heading down to Sydney for discussions with Swans coach Paul Roos next week after the premiership-winning club offered Sleeth a football apprenticeship.

It means the 15-year-old would live in Sydney with other players and go to school in the big smoke.

Source

[Go Swannies]

Will there be a prize for the first to come up with a nickname??

[Frog]

He's 15, 94 Kg and 1.93 in height ... Gonna be a big boy !!

[Jeffers1984]

so does this mean we hide him for 2 years so we can draft him?

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
so does this mean we hide him for 2 years so we can draft him?

If he's any good I think he would be picked up by the Swans with a "zone selection"?! No idea about the rules on that though.

[j s]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
so does this mean we hide him for 2 years so we can draft him?

I'm pretty sure the new 'apprenticeship' scheme includes drafting rights - the clubs wouldn't spend the money otherwise - but it's not 'zone' based - other clubs like Collingwood can fund Sydney based apprenticeships as well if they choose.

[Sanecow]

I hadn't read about the apprenticeship bizzo. Must have been out of the country.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/afl/swans-big-fans-of-apprenticeship-plans/2005/06/28/1119724635251.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/afl/afl-searches-for-local-heroes/2005/06/27/1119724580373.html

[SimonH]

This is absolute freaking gold, b/c all 16 players are going to be living and studying in Sydney. Even though for 15 of them some other club will be paying their bills and sponsoring them, guess where they are all going to prefer to live and play?

Be interesting to see how this regime marries with the draft rules.

If the players post-apprenticeship aren't tied to their sponsoring club, then the fact they all live in Sydney may not be such an advantage to us for the 'top 30' draft picks, because if you're an in-demand player you'll darn well go where you're told. But for those further down the draft list and potential rookie list players, incumbency (i.e. the fact that the player is already on our doorstep) is a huge advantage.

[msabenny]

It is called the Swans Academy