Bye-bye to the bye as Sydney Uni go up

[Norris Lurker]

http://www.sydneyafl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=111817

An interesting development. On the positive side, it's good to see the end of the bye and every team having a game every week, and Sydney Uni have a well-resourced club and a more than competitive playing lineup. Against that, the new side is another inner-city club with no under-18s; although the article from the Sydney AFL website indicates they have plans to increase their junior development.
Sydney Uni have been in the SFL before, and took out the premiership in 1992; but only lasted 2 more years before returning to the SFA. 13 years later, they are back.

[BeeEmmAre]

It's great news for Sydney footy that there are 10 teams in Premier League now. Sydney Uni haven't copped the flak for being down too low that the Jets have copped, so it is good to see both going up where they/we belong.

[The Rooster]

Originally posted by BeeEmmAre
It's great news for Sydney footy that there are 10 teams in Premier League now. Sydney Uni haven't copped the flak for being down too low that the Jets have copped, so it is good to see both going up where they/we belong.

With the inclussion of Sydney Uni will it now go to top five?????? not sure have not read anything on the new develpoement.
Also who will coach them in the 2007 ?

[tara]

About bloody time.

BMR or Pekay is it official with you guys? What does this mean for St Clair? And given Syd Uni and NSW Uni dont seem to have number problems why arnt they also told to move to 1st div?

[Rafters]

Congrats to Sydney Uni - they definitely deserve to be back up in the top division. They have had an incredible consistent record in SFA/First Division with a number of grand final appearances and premierships in both first & reserves in the past 13 years.

As the oldest club in Australia (apologies if that stat isn't correct but I think it is), it is also a great story for a good PR publicist to run with. With strong sporting teams at cricket & union, the uni is definitely getting a name as much for its sporting process as its academic ability.

Must admit though that I prefer playing at Sydney Uni No 1 than Henson Park - surface is better (even when 5 rugby games are played the day before) although the goal posts could be aligned better and the ole fig tree in the top end pocket is a virtually 19th defender at times as well.

I would be favour of maintaining a top four as it creates great competition for the places although the SFA used to have a top 5 when there were 10 teams.

I hear that Mickey Barrup is on the short list of coaching candidates for 2007 & if appointed he would have the full support of the players & supporters.

[swansrock4eva]

An interesting development - with VSU coming in they must be getting the extra money from sponsorship or increased fees etc. Good luck to them though, and I hope it helps improve the comp all round!

[wheels27]

This may be an ill-informed comment, but if SU go up and Jets come up, how can that remove the bye?

[Norris Lurker]

Originally posted by wheels27
This may be an ill-informed comment, but if SU go up and Jets come up, how can that remove the bye?

Premier Division - previously 9 teams, plus Syd Uni = 10 (even number).
First Division - previously 8 teams, plus NorWest Jets minus Syd Uni = 8 (even number).
Second Division - previously 13 teams, minus NorWest Jets = 12 (even number).
There may be other changes to First or Second Division which could potentially affect that, but if the only changes to teams for 2007 is Sydney Uni and NorWest Jets going up, we'd have even numbers in every senior division and therefore no byes unless there are split rounds.

[Coastal Boy]

The inclusion of Sydney Uni in the SFL is a joke.
IMO, they bring nothing to the competition.
They have no juniors or U/18.
Demographically it is poor. Sydney needs a team west of ashfield.
With compulsory student unionism finished where will any funding come from?
Their home ground is substandard.
Summary - all they do is relieve the bye. Short term gain for long term pain.

[The Rooster]

Originally posted by Coastal Boy
The inclusion of Sydney Uni in the SFL is a joke.
IMO, they bring nothing to the competition.
They have no juniors or U/18.
Demographically it is poor. Sydney needs a team west of ashfield.
With compulsory student unionism finished where will any funding come from?
Their home ground is substandard.
Summary - all they do is relieve the bye. Short term gain for long term pain.

You would no all about pain wouldnt you coastal boy... those sausages were terrible...

[Pekay]

Originally posted by tara
About bloody time.

BMR or Pekay is it official with you guys? What does this mean for St Clair? And given Syd Uni and NSW Uni dont seem to have number problems why arnt they also told to move to 1st div?

We gave ourselves(and asked for) 2 years in Div 2 to re-structure the club,and to find the necessary players to go back up.We've done most of the hard work already,but it all depends how many show up Rd1 next year.Having said that,i believe we an field 2 very competitive teams,with us hitting the untapped resource of UWS Hawkesbury(An Agriculture College full of country lads,a few at East Coast i'm told)and Quakers Hill,we should gain a few good players.Probably the best we've gained out of the uni in the past was a fella from Holbrook(NSW) named Tom Hickey,great full forward who spent time at Penno before he realised we were out here.Regardless tho,a change in by-law this year means no stand-alone clubs will be allowed in Sydney from 07,meaning we have to go up,and St Clair as far as i know being forced to merge with Penrith.Cant understand that,if its didnt work in the Riff/St Clair days,why will it now??

[DLH]

Originally posted by Pekay
Regardless tho,a change in by-law this year means no stand-alone clubs will be allowed in Sydney from 07,meaning we have to go up,and St Clair as far as i know being forced to merge with Penrith.Cant understand that,if its didnt work in the Riff/St Clair days,why will it now??

Pekay, St.Clair aren't being forced to merge with Penrith. They are free to do whatever they like within the parameters the League have set (quite rightly in my view). I would guess their options are to look east to Parramatta, west to ourselves, or fold the senior section of their club.

I've said this a hundred times, but our area can't flourish with two senior clubs and they should never have been allowed to set up in the first place (thanks Mr Davis!)

As for what happened last time, you'd have to ask St.Clair what their issue was. All I know is that they came to us for help when they were in danger of falling over and we agreed to assist. This situation lasted for a year at which time for whatever reason they felt they could go it alone again.

It was also my understanding that there was a chance that Camden might be coming across to play Division One next year, but I haven't heard any more on that for a while.

[Roo]

Camden are playing in the grand final of the south coast comp this weekend. They play Bomaderry who beat them by a few goals a few weeks ago. It should be a good game of footy, i have been told the teams have met 3 times this year and bomaderry hold a 2-1 advantage although camden were minor premiers.

It could be worth a drive for Wollongong and C'town to have a look at a few boys for next year.

[desredandwhite]

Hmmm interesting.

Well, I look forward to (again) promising to go to more Jets games next year.

[Steiger]

It looks like Sydney Uni will continue to have a team in First Division by promoting players from 2nd Division and they anticipate not all players will want to player Premier Division.

Firstly, I don't understand why you would not want to play in a higher division on the basis that you'll be playing against higher skilled and fitter teams from which playing against will only increase your own skills.

Second of all, being a Second division player, and despite the fact that the Sydney Uni Blues dominate the grade, Its obvious they won't be as strong as their current First Division team. Which leaves me to ask, is the SAFL prepared to lower the competitiveness of other divisions in order to fill a gap in Premier division and weaken that also?

Also, am I misjudginging the skill/fitness gap between First and Second division to being smaller than what I think it is?

WIth these developments, in 2nd division, it appears 2 of the top 4 teams will be leaving the comp, opening it up for UTS, UNSW Penno, Balmain and St Claire.