No-one posts here anymore...

[Benchwarmer]

I had heard that North Shore missed out by a whisker on getting a licence for 2012, so I guess they would be next in line to jump up a grade. Though one may think that a cashed up Dockers might leapfrog them.

I reckon a joint venture model with all north side based clubs (maybe Junior Clubs included as well} in partnership would be a better model to represent the Northern Sydney region in NEAFL.

Not convinced any Sydney Club (maybe Syd Hills) can do it successfully on their own with so few supporters {cash} .

[felix]

Penno have 1st grade at Henson on sunday and div 1 and U18s at penrith at same time.
Maq uni have 1 team at Picken 1 team at GOSFORD and 2 teams at Maroubra on Saturday.
Just small examples of why it is so hard to maintain interest for suporters

[tara]

Boo Hoo

We have teams at St Pauls Stadium and Bruce Purser on Sat and Henson and village Green on Sunday - none of the timing is doing us any favours but were not going to bitch and moan about it.

[Pekay]

Boo Hoo

We have teams at St Pauls Stadium and Bruce Purser on Sat and Henson and village Green on Sunday - none of the timing is doing us any favours but were not going to bitch and moan about it.

Agreed. We've been split from Gosford to Henson to Manly recently, and we have perhaps the most travel issues. Beats the previous alternative, all teams at say Manly or Cronulla and having our asses handed to us by teams that should've been playing in a higher grade long ago.

[The Student]

I heard about this - understand that he was approached and agreed to commit 1 night a week to assist, now that the RAMS have finished - still playing with the Dragons.

Just your typical S.U. "sleight of hand", make a song and dance about it, just omit some of the facts, you know the ones that are not so important ... to them.

... wonder how many boys get drafted by Collingwood this year

I must have missed the bit where Uni made a song and dance about it. I love dancing. I don't think the club is representing it as anything other than what it is - from what I understand, Saddington and Tadgh Kenneally are both helping out at two sessions a week with our High Performace group (or whatever they call themselves). It is a good opportunity for them to learn from blokes who have been involved for a long time at the highest level, but of course this seems to be something that has escaped you in your petty point scoring attempts. It's quite pathetic, really.

Nobody will be getting drafted this year, but John Haggerty is the last of the Collingwood kids as I understand it and he will be eligible next season I think if the Magpies are interested? But that's okay, I understand you were just being a snide @@@@wit.

[Roscoe]

I must have missed the bit where Uni made a song and dance about it. I love dancing. I don't think the club is representing it as anything other than what it is - from what I understand, Saddington and Tadgh Kenneally are both helping out at two sessions a week with our High Performace group (or whatever they call themselves). It is a good opportunity for them to learn from blokes who have been involved for a long time at the highest level, but of course this seems to be something that has escaped you in your petty point scoring attempts. It's quite pathetic, really.

Nobody will be getting drafted this year, but John Haggerty is the last of the Collingwood kids as I understand it and he will be eligible next season I think if the Magpies are interested? But that's okay, I understand you were just being a snide @@@@wit.

Speaking of Collingwood drafting Uni kids, I see big Jarred Witts has been named as an emergency this week for the Pies - well done

[unconfuseme]

I must have missed the bit where Uni made a song and dance about it. I love dancing. I don't think the club is representing it as anything other than what it is - from what I understand, Saddington and Tadgh Kenneally are both helping out at two sessions a week with our High Performace group (or whatever they call themselves). It is a good opportunity for them to learn from blokes who have been involved for a long time at the highest level, but of course this seems to be something that has escaped you in your petty point scoring attempts. It's quite pathetic, really.

Nobody will be getting drafted this year, but John Haggerty is the last of the Collingwood kids as I understand it and he will be eligible next season I think if the Magpies are interested? But that's okay, I understand you were just being a snide @@@@wit.

I guess the headline "SADDINGTON AND KENNELLY TO JOIN SUANFC" made me assume the wrong thing? ... and then when I continued to read the rest of the article, I was informed that "Jason Saddington is the State Coach for NSW/ACT and has previously played for the Sydney Swans and Carlton Blues AFL clubs." ... no need to mention that he is in fact the current Senior Assistant Coach and a registered player with the St George AFC ... not much self promotion value in those facts!!!

... John Haggerty? ...would that be the same John Haggerty who was nurtured through all of his junior football with Wests, and then last year, following his "pathway", made his debut with Wests Premier Division Seniors? ... now at SU is he? ... hope he does well!

Don't worry, people don't give a toss what you or I think ... they will make up their own minds, based on the facts ... that are disclosed

P.S. Witts will make it, i have no doubt ... was at Uni for a total of about 6 games in Div 2 u/18's, but hey, he was nothing before that!

[Shotties]

I guess the headline "SADDINGTON AND KENNELLY TO JOIN SUANFC" made me assume the wrong thing?

You're the only one who can improve your literary analysis skills, bro.

[justabaraker]

I heard about this - understand that [Saddington] he was approached and agreed to commit 1 night a week to assist {Sydney Uni}, now that the RAMS have finished - still playing with the Dragons.

It seems a bit odd that someone would provide coaching to a team while playing for the opponent.
But there's a lot of wierd things going on in footy in Sydney>NSW/ACT this year to do with sharing skills around among combatants.
I put it down to the massive thrust of the AFL into NSW/ACT. And their determination to get the skill set up real fast.
And it seems to be involving compromising the old-school ideas of tribalism and club rivalries.
I'm sure the end result will be great for all of us fans....did you know that the AFL is investing $120mill into the Greater Western Sydney area over the next six years ? That's going to buy a whole lot of activity !!!

[ShortHalfHead]

I'm sure the end result will be great for all of us fans....did you know that the AFL is investing $120mill into the Greater Western Sydney area over the next six years ? That's going to buy a whole lot of activity !!!

Just a shame that the GWS boundaries are Homebush to Rouse Hill and include Breakfast Point. Lot of money for such small acreage.

[justabaraker]

Just a shame that the GWS boundaries are Homebush to Rouse Hill and include Breakfast Point. Lot of money for such small acreage.

Wow ShortHH, with $120mill the AFL could just about buy up all the real estate in the area you sketched out !!
Sadly, it ain't that good. The GWS area covers all of Northern Territory, ACT, most of NSW and a fair chunk of Sydney (strange as it may seem, Homebush and Breakfast Point are in the Swans zone.)
But the point remains....a helluva lot of money, and we can be sure that the left-over parts of Sydney and NSW are going to have bucketloads of money thrown at them anyway.

[Mug Punter]

did you know that the AFL is investing $120mill into the Greater Western Sydney area over the next six years ? That's going to buy a whole lot of activity !!!

If that is true then based on the pathetic crowds and general total lack of interest, the money spent so far is an absolute waste.

I went a few weeks ago and the vast majority of the pitifully small crowd was away fans. Sure they have some talented youngsters but I reckon it's a fair bet many will be eagerly looking to going in the pre-season draft in 2014 once they have served their sentence with that mob. As to any decent players going there, forget it....

I've said it from Day 1, that mob will end up where they should have been located in the first place, the ACT...

[DLH]

Their crowds are no worse than what the Swans were getting when they were uncompetitive 20 years ago, and look at them now.

Thankfully the AFL possess some foresight.

[Tubz]

Their crowds are no worse than what the Swans were getting when they were uncompetitive 20 years ago, and look at them now.

Thankfully the AFL possess some foresight.

Did notice that the crowd at Skoda Stadium on Sat arvo was bigger than at the Panthers game that night....I think crowds are down everywhere....only 40odd thousand at Carlton vs Richmond...in the past this has drawn 60k+.....

[-Doogs-]

As an outsider looking in I have to agree with the early poster who put forward the idea of the relegation system. Having being involved with the BDAFL previously as a player and administrator, sending your firsts off on a 2 hour drive in one direction and your seconds and 18s in the other direction, does little for club spirit and unity. The best days are when everyone is together at the same ground. Some clubs will get smacked around at first, but it will even out eventually. The issue I see is the amount of clubs and teams to contend with. I hope they get it right because the SFL is a proud competition with a long history. Obviously, something needs to change otherwise there wouldn't be as much interest in this thread.