Sydney Uni + Collingwood U/18 Team

[Pace To Burn]

Um, well no it doesn't really. It just provies that you are making up numbers to suit your argument. No point crying out that we approached four players if you can't even think who they might be. Lets just step back a minute. You say that a player told you that he was receiving the scholarship. Well the Scholarship hasn't been announced yet and the players that are receiving it haven't been told yet. This leads me to believe that there has been some miscommunication along the line. I know what end of the line you will presume it has come from, but do you think perhaps if you really think about it objectively, that he may have misheard or misinterpreted what he was told? I know you will reply and say that we told him he was garunteed to receive it etc, but perhaps, just perhaps, it was an honest miscommunication from the other end.
I don't know everything that goes on at the club, so I can't say with 100% conviction that things you suggest didn't happen. I don't like the idea of poaching U18 players but I recommend that we all take a step back and consider the chance that there might be some chinese whispers going on. For instance, I am sure that any other club would deny they told 17 year old kids that if they left the club, their under 18s team would have to fold, yet through this bloke telling that bloke, telling this guy telling that guy, that is the story I have heard. is it a case of chinese whispers? Probably. Lets all just keep an open mind.

So Junior, the SIX clearances from Penrith to you blokes on the Sydney Afl website are all blokes over 18 i take it

[ShortHalfHead]

Pace, One of them is over 18.

With another two going to Uni, it certainly has ripped the guts out of Penrith. But to their credit, they have good numbers due to some great coaches looking after the side who the boys respect very much. I did hear that both Prems and Challenge teams at East Poach had about 8 each on the bench in trials and they are over the 60 mark. Makes you wonder why they are still sending out their recruiters far and wide (one of ours was again "offered" a spot just this week)
Supporting their local juniors is way, way down the list. probably why Baulko joined up with the Hawks.

[mountainsofpain]

A good point here my friend but the real villians are the AFL. They told everyone that it wouldn't happen but of course it did! They are overlooking a mess that they have created.Someone on this blog suggested that Syd Uni should look after their own backyard.What backyard!!!!?? They don't have one.

Pace, One of them is over 18.
With another two going to Uni, it certainly has ripped the guts out of Penrith. But to their credit, they have good numbers due to some great coaches looking after the side who the boys respect very much. I did hear that both Prems and Challenge teams at East Poach had about 8 each on the bench in trials and they are over the 60 mark. Makes you wonder why they are still sending out their recruiters far and wide (one of ours was again "offered" a spot just this week)

It is good that Penrith still has sufficient numbers in the 18s despite being raided by these predatory clubs, but it directly affects their chances of success in the Under 18s. This then links into the wider problem - which is that the cream of the juniors being ripped out of the local Western area has a direct detrimental effect on senior football out there.

Very few established quality footballers move into the outer west, so the clubs out there have to rely largely on local juniors and players who have not played the game before to both survive and grow. Having the better juniors poached before reaching senior level virtually ensures that the senior game in the outer west will remain stagnant. As I pointed out before, this continued lack of success will simply ensure that the local kids remain easy targets for the stronger clubs.

The fact that this all happens under the AFL's nose makes it all the more shameful. It wasn't that long ago that talented juniors in the outer west were told to play senior football out of the area by the powers that be if they wanted to go anywhere. Now it appears to be happening in a more indirect way (ie players being recruited at AFL run events).

All that will happen out of this is that the players who have been poached will play a year or two of Under 18s and after that - who knows? The best of them may make Sydney AFL senior level, but those who don't may well give the game away. I wonder how that would tie in with the supposed promises given to these kids.

The whole exercise is just helping the strong get stronger and keeping the weak in their place.

The AFL should be looking at assisting the growth of clubs out in the West, rather than sitting by and either directly or indirectly allowing practices which are ensuring the game out there continues to struggle. The move to divisions is a good start, but there is a long way to go given the apparent okay for Sydney AFL clubs to use outer Western Sydney as an additional recruiting zone to their own.

[DLH]

So Junior, the SIX clearances from Penrith to you blokes on the Sydney Afl website are all blokes over 18 i take it

Pace, I think you'll find it's five, four of whom are U/18's players as I said before.

I don't suppose there's much point in going over all of this again, suffice to say that mountainsofpain has summed up my thoughts pretty well.

I wish all the boys luck and hope they do well, they're certainly welcome back in the future.

[I_Heart_Kefalas]

Never seen U/18 competition get so much airplay... great for the game. Well done Sydney Uni...

[Doormat]

well written mountainsofpain.

SAFL isn't serious about clubs out west. They allow faceless souls to fly under the radar. Its a disgrace that you have lost 6 kids directly to EC & a further 2 UNI.Just goes to show that what you have done in the past for the kids works. I suppose you don't need to have a full time employee or a multi million dollar organization behind you to get it right.

love the slogan "Play Local Stay Local' don't know how you can keep up the positive imagine in light of what EC & Uni have done to you.

What is UNI slogan again ??
EC- ?? that's right they are the best run club in Sydney aren't they

It is good that Penrith still has sufficient numbers in the 18s despite being raided by these predatory clubs, but it directly affects their chances of success in the Under 18s. This then links into the wider problem - which is that the cream of the juniors being ripped out of the local Western area has a direct detrimental effect on senior football out there.

Very few established quality footballers move into the outer west, so the clubs out there have to rely largely on local juniors and players who have not played the game before to both survive and grow. Having the better juniors poached before reaching senior level virtually ensures that the senior game in the outer west will remain stagnant. As I pointed out before, this continued lack of success will simply ensure that the local kids remain easy targets for the stronger clubs.

The fact that this all happens under the AFL's nose makes it all the more shameful. It wasn't that long ago that talented juniors in the outer west were told to play senior football out of the area by the powers that be if they wanted to go anywhere. Now it appears to be happening in a more indirect way (ie players being recruited at AFL run events).

All that will happen out of this is that the players who have been poached will play a year or two of Under 18s and after that - who knows? The best of them may make Sydney AFL senior level, but those who don't may well give the game away. I wonder how that would tie in with the supposed promises given to these kids.

The whole exercise is just helping the strong get stronger and keeping the weak in their place.

The AFL should be looking at assisting the growth of clubs out in the West, rather than sitting by and either directly or indirectly allowing practices which are ensuring the game out there continues to struggle. The move to divisions is a good start, but there is a long way to go given the apparent okay for Sydney AFL clubs to use outer Western Sydney as an additional recruiting zone to their own.

[Doormat]

Don't make a mockery of this issue just because you can't get a senior game

Never seen U/18 competition get so much airplay... great for the game. Well done Sydney Uni...

[I_Heart_Kefalas]

Don't make a mockery of this issue just because you can't get a senior game

Who are you hero?

[DLH]

love the slogan "Play Local Stay Local' don't know how you can keep up the positive imagine in light of what EC & Uni have done to you.

I guess this is the real issue.

Unfortunately the flow on effect to these kids going is that there are a number of other talented kids coming out of junior footy who have decided not to play at all this year, primarily because their mates have gone elsewhere.

It becomes a vicious circle that is almost impossible to break out of which is pretty demoralising for someone like me who puts a heap of time and energy into the club.

It makes it pretty difficult to move the place forward, however, I guess we can be pleased that we have produced some of the best talents in Sydney footy at the moment such as Alastair Richardson, Mark Egan and Earl Shaw.

[Doormat]

See you kicked 3 on the weekend big fella. N/S must have been bad or Easts must have had a few out.
also spoke to one bomber ex player now living out here & he thought you were soft for having a crack at the kids.[
QUOTE=I_Heart_Kefalas;431175]Who are you hero?[/QUOTE]

[Monty Burns2]

See you kicked 3 on the weekend big fella. N/S must have been bad or Easts must have had a few out.
also spoke to one bomber ex player now living out here & he thought you were soft for having a crack at the kids.

Who are you hero?

Got a few to come in, but IHK was legitimately in the best - 14 marks and 3 goals is not a bad day out.

Didn't see him throw any though??

[Doormat]

My info was that the bombers were very upset with him. he was reported right?

Then they saw him out on Sunday arvo Talking himself up.

Do you do the stats Monty

Got a few to come in, but IHK was legitimately in the best - 14 marks and 3 goals is not a bad day out.

Didn't see him throw any though??

[Monty Burns2]

My info was that the bombers were very upset with him. he was reported right?

Then they saw him out on Sunday arvo Talking himself up.

Do you do the stats Monty



Got a few to come in, but IHK was legitimately in the best - 14 marks and 3 goals is not a bad day out.

Didn't see him throw any though??

No, he wasn't reported and no, I don't do the stats. But, yes, it was a big Sat night.

[Doormat]

Then what do you do other than talking up IHK?

No, he wasn't reported and no, I don't do the stats. But, yes, it was a big Sat night.

[Monty Burns2]

Then what do you do other than talking up IHK?

Try to get a kick myself.