Left at 3/4 time

[Glenn]

Re: Re: Re: Left at 3/4 time

Originally posted by Schneiderman
Er, last I checked we didn't have a single NSW umpire. Unless you mean that the Vic umpires at SCG games are swayed by us, and that we actually WANT Goldsphincter to give a few strange ones to the opposition to make it look unbiased.

Even having a NSW based ump on the panel doesn't help, the name Anton Lewis springs to mind *shudder*

[cruiser]

Re: Re: Left at 3/4 time

Originally posted by barry
Umpiring was bad. St Kilda had 3 free kicks inside 50 in the first half, which just about accounts for their lead. Thus denying the swans any momentum.

And there was also MOL's mark in the first quarter that wasnt paid right in front and the Saints got the ball, rushed down the field and kicked one trhemselves instead. From where I was sitting, we all thought it was a mark. I am happy to be enlightened otherwise.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by barry
My point being that if we are not winning the comp, then there are better sides out there, and therefore to play in a losing side is to have met your match on a player level.

The comp seems much weaker down here this year. Belconnen have won the last three flags in a row but are struggling this year. Ainslie's form is down too. The Swans new found 'depth' is aiding them too. Our shallow spread of mediocre AFL midfielders dominate in a bush league. I think the comp needs revamping. Swans + 2 Sydney teams + 3 ACT teams + a team from Newcastle and a team from Wollongong? Plus a whole lot of cash from somewhere to pay players enough to attract a few up from the bush. Dunno, something has to change.

[ROK Lobster]

Re: Re: Re: Left at 3/4 time

Originally posted by cruiser
And there was also MOL's mark in the first quarter that wasnt paid right in front and the Saints got the ball, rushed down the field and kicked one trhemselves instead. From where I was sitting, we all thought it was a mark. I am happy to be enlightened otherwise.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
The comp seems much weaker down here this year. Belconnen have won the last three flags in a row but are struggling this year. Ainslie's form is down too. The Swans new found 'depth' is aiding them too. Our shallow spread of mediocre AFL midfielders dominate in a bush league. I think the comp needs revamping. Swans + 2 Sydney teams + 3 ACT teams + a team from Newcastle and a team from Wollongong? Plus a whole lot of cash from somewhere to pay players enough to attract a few up from the bush. Dunno, something has to change.

Would such a league really make much difference for the Swans? We'd still be playing against bush footballers.

We need to be at the same standard that other clubs get. The VFL is the only plausible option... whatever it costs, it simply needs to be looked at as a necessary expense for player development.

We could get the AFL to kick in a fair bit, as well, on the basis that it would be a great opportunity for the best five or six NSW U18 players to get regular experience in a high-level competition.

How much could it possibly cost?

[Newbie]

Originally posted by Charlie
Would such a league really make much difference for the Swans? We'd still be playing against bush footballers.

We need to be at the same standard that other clubs get. The VFL is the only plausible option... whatever it costs, it simply needs to be looked at as a necessary expense for player development.

We could get the AFL to kick in a fair bit, as well, on the basis that it would be a great opportunity for the best five or six NSW U18 players to get regular experience in a high-level competition.

How much could it possibly cost?

I think we should look at the strategy of "loaning" players to VFL teams. Dont know how that works with the AFL rules but in European soccer, it is very common. What we could do is to send all of our first year draftees to a Melbourne club for a full year (after the preseason with us). We might have a full time staff in Melbourne looking after them.

With our custom of not playing first year players, I cant see why we could not "loan" them out for a full season.

The previous arrangement of flighting them in for each game was too expensive and the travel was too taxing.

[Vivien]

I feel very sorry for those of you who were at the game!!! Talk about boring! I'm sorry, but I'm at the point now where I don't even care if we are losing - I just want to see some exciting football!!!

[Foreign Legion]

Originally posted by Charlie
Would such a league really make much difference for the Swans? We'd still be playing against bush footballers.

We need to be at the same standard that other clubs get. The VFL is the only plausible option... whatever it costs, it simply needs to be looked at as a necessary expense for player development.

We could get the AFL to kick in a fair bit, as well, on the basis that it would be a great opportunity for the best five or six NSW U18 players to get regular experience in a high-level competition.

How much could it possibly cost?

We will get to the stage soon where Victorian kids will not want to come to Sydney. Why would you if you are going to learn the game playing in a second rate comp? I honestly believe that player managers etc would be using this angle.

Withdrawing from the VFL was the biggest mistake made in the last 15 years by the club. Who cares what it costs!

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Newbie

The previous arrangement of flighting them in for each game was too expensive and the travel was too taxing.

Well... I'm imagining a Sydney based team, playing home games in weeks when the seniors play at home, in Victoria when the seniors are playing in Victoria, and in Victoria/Tasmania when the seniors are in SA/WA/Qld.

This doesn't solve the cost problem, but it has a few other advantages.
- In 17-18 weeks of the year, the seniors and reserves are in the same city, so we won't have emergency listed players missing out on playing a game because they can't be in two cities at once.
- Having the youngsters going to Melbourne with the seniors would be team-building, to a certain extent. They'd experience that facet of football earlier than they otherwise would.
- Playing in NSW obviously halves the number of trips we'd have to make.

[stellation]

A note on the Wagga Tigers website (which was actually crediting comments to Brett Allison that the AFL Canberra league is good for player development) mentioned

The only alternative is sending a maximum of 12 players to Port Melbourne, where Sydney coaches have no control over game time and player positions.

[stellation]

Re: Left at 3/4 time

Originally posted by Foreign Legion

McVeigh won't make it - don't care what anyone thinks - he is too light.

He won't make it all because he is too light or just won't make it as an elite midfielder?

[Charlie]

Originally posted by stellation
A note on the Wagga Tigers website (which was actually crediting comments to Brett Allison that the AFL Canberra league is good for player development) mentioned

Why on earth should it be the only option?

[stellation]

Originally posted by Charlie
Why on earth should it be the only option?

I don't think it is at all. I hadn't really seen the comments re: Port Adelaide and game time/player positions previously though... but surely an arrangement can be reached there.

[Newbie]

Originally posted by Charlie
Well... I'm imagining a Sydney based team, playing home games in weeks when the seniors play at home, in Victoria when the seniors are playing in Victoria, and in Victoria/Tasmania when the seniors are in SA/WA/Qld.

This would be the ideal case but I dont know how keen other VFL clubs would feel about the idea. I would be surprise if we did not explore this option before decided to team up with Port Melbourne back then.

[ROK Lobster]

The discussion has moved on a bit but harking back to Charlie's query, there are plenty of good bush footballers running around, it is just that they are spread a bit thin. Reducing the number of Sydney and ACT teams could possibly raise the standard. But until the reserves can play in a quasi-professional league, not much is going to happen.

Perhaps the AFL needs a reserves comp again. I have no idea how much it would cost but surely all the money coming in from the TV deal could just about subsidise it.