The structure of Sydney Football

[Old Dragon]

Senior football in Sydney is almost a nothing. Compare the open age teams in a city with a population of over 4 million and it borders on ridculous.

There have been many reviews of senior footy in Sydney over the years by people who have had the games at heart but at the end of the day, nothing has changed. If you go back and read how the game was structured 40 or 50 years ago here the same principles apply today.

Sydney Football needs a radical shakeup if it is to grow.

Where do all those young players go who filter through the junior ranks? What percentage make senior football or for that fact WANT to make senior football? I suggest between 5-10%

Here are some alternative ideas:

1. Maintain an elite major league and second tier competition.
2. Review the need for reserve grade.
3. Maintain an elite Under 18 competition.
4. Establish open age competitions on top of each junior
association. So it doesnt stop at Under 16s, it goes on.
Each junior club be encouraged to introduce in time A, B (both
open age) and C (Under 18) grade competitions under a time
frame maybe without the rigid rules of the present senior
footy. These teams play locally.
5. Make this footy more enjoyable. Vary the rules. Think
outside the square.
6. Snap your fingers and generate some creative club and
league administrators who are willing to give it a go.

Any other ideas?

[Steiger]

Flush out the admin in their ivory tower and employ people that are proactive and not reactive.

The Black Diamond AFL already have released their draw:

http://www.sportingpulse.com/comp_info.cgi?a=ROUND&round=18&client=1-916-0-50031-0&pool=-1

The SAFL should take a few pages out of the BDAFLs book.

Where's the draw?

Where's the SAFL player of the match sponsored by Carlton which is worth a carton of carlton?

Where's the innovative policy to expand the game within a given timeframe?




I think part of the problem lies in that there's a lot of clubs but only a few of those clubs get the numbers to have depth and strength be it based on location, facilities, ca$h or whatever reputation.

Some clubs fielded a 2nd division side yet others couldn't field a reserve grade 1st division side and struggled just to get a 1st grade team on the field.

[Old Dragon]

Thats because we all tend to look at it as we have looked at it for the past 50 or so years. Stand back from it and reaccess the situation. What we do now DOESNT WORK. It needs a whole lot of re-thinking.