NEAFL - Thoughts on Year 1?

[Mug Punter]

I don't agree that it compromises the Sydney AFL at all.

Surely you are joking....

The interest and profile of the SFL is at an all-time low (and that is saying something)- people are just not interested. Ask Norris what his stats are for this site this year. The whole things is a three ring circus and typical of the idiots running the game in this state

[The Student]

Whatever you are on I want some of.....

Yeah, as if decent footballers from a decent football comp would need to come and play for Sydney Uni or Baulko...

It might go hand in hand with coming to Sydney for work, a partner, a sea change or whatever. If a bloke comes over from the WAFL or whatever and is looking to continue on with his footy, could be interested in furthering his education etc. then of course SU would be a good fit. Likewise if he was living and working out west, I'm sure the Eagles would suit him perfectly.

[The Student]

Of course the AFL should fund it if they want it to be successful.

They should completely fund the East/West rep sides and cover all expenses. They have no problem throwing $20M a year down the drain for that mob of jokers at Brekky Creek so they should be able to fund two semi-pro teams.

Fair enough, but I don't see how that would solve the problem of no support, volunteers or general interest from the wider community that Uni and to a lesser extent SHE are battling with. Sure people would say they would be more interested in the NEAFL and go and watch or whatever but let's be honest, nobody would. What sort of crowds do the Sydney AFL rep side get when they play up here? Tens of people?

I would have thought someone who is passionate enough about footy to post on a Sydney AFL message board would be right behind the AFL's efforts to create an all inclusive community based club. Just don't get on the bandwagon when the Giants are unbeatable in about 5 years time!

[Norris Lurker]

Before the Sydney teams were admitted, the NEAFL had clubs from Canberra and Brisbane. The view of the NEAFL people was that they'd rather have clubs rather than rep teams - mainly because they already had volunteer networks to handle game-day operations.
Divisionalisation has its advantages and disadvantages, as we've discussed on other threads - but one big impact it has is that volunteers can be split over a few grounds. No club would have anyone spare to help out with NEAFL rep teams. It's hard hard enough for the league to find volunteers for the rep teams on bye weekends; let alone trying to do it while their club is playing at the same time.

[unconfuseme]

I don't really think the AFL has a genuine interest in NEAFL anyway.

Yes, the facilities and people who are providing the infrastructure for 2 Sydney NEAFL teams are coming from 2 Sydney Clubs.

But success breeds success, and interest, and ultimately money makes that possible!

Put some AFL money in, and do what needs to be done to make those teams REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WHOLE SYDNEY AFL COMMUNITY, and you will get a much stronger infrastructure and wider network of volunteers.

Not just that, you will also get more supporters, more sponsors, and importantly, MUCH STRONGER TEAMS.

I reckon right now you could pick 3 teams from the SAFL that would belt either SHE or SU's NEAFL sides. They would generate more interest too, as they would feed from a number of clubs. If they were set up from a pool of players for a full season of football, and played their home games on rotation with the different clubs they represent, it would help boost support for those club games as well. That structure would also attract better players to Sydney clubs.

At the moment, if your club side happens to be playing at the same venue as SU NEAFL, does anyone really care??? Most people just go home after their side is finished.

Fact is, whilst SHE will do OK, as they are in fact a community club with juniors and a strong grass roots "network", SU is destined for failure, because they don't, and the players who SHOULD BE PLAYING AT THAT LEVEL will in the main resist the poaching and will stay loyal to their Sydney AFL clubs.

The AFL knows the answer to this ... if you want the concept to succeed in a new market like Sydney, you need winning clubs in that market, so you need to give them every bit of help (see GWS and GC Suns).

So it stands to reason that the half baked attempt to get NEAFL up and running in Sydney, had nothing to do with improving the stature of the code in Sydney, but rather was a band-aid solution for the 4 AFL Club Reserve teams' lack of competition issues ... and they have conned the Sydney based volunteers into believing something different, and providing them with their solution at minimal cost ... smart people st the AFL (in Melbourne).

PS: If "University" clubs was the answer, Rugby Union would be the pre eminent participation code in Sydney, and in fact in every major city ... it is not.

[Mug Punter]

I don't really think the AFL has a genuine interest in NEAFL anyway.

Yes, the facilities and people who are providing the infrastructure for 2 Sydney NEAFL teams are coming from 2 Sydney Clubs.

But success breeds success, and interest, and ultimately money makes that possible!

Put some AFL money in, and do what needs to be done to make those teams REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WHOLE SYDNEY AFL COMMUNITY, and you will get a much stronger infrastructure and wider network of volunteers.

Not just that, you will also get more supporters, more sponsors, and importantly, MUCH STRONGER TEAMS.

I reckon right now you could pick 3 teams from the SAFL that would belt either SHE or SU's NEAFL sides. They would generate more interest too, as they would feed from a number of clubs. If they were set up from a pool of players for a full season of football, and played their home games on rotation with the different clubs they represent, it would help boost support for those club games as well. That structure would also attract better players to Sydney clubs.

At the moment, if your club side happens to be playing at the same venue as SU NEAFL, does anyone really care??? Most people just go home after their side is finished.

Fact is, whilst SHE will do OK, as they are in fact a community club with juniors and a strong grass roots "network", SU is destined for failure, because they don't, and the players who SHOULD BE PLAYING AT THAT LEVEL will in the main resist the poaching and will stay loyal to their Sydney AFL clubs.

The AFL knows the answer to this ... if you want the concept to succeed in a new market like Sydney, you need winning clubs in that market, so you need to give them every bit of help (see GWS and GC Suns).

So it stands to reason that the half baked attempt to get NEAFL up and running in Sydney, had nothing to do with improving the stature of the code in Sydney, but rather was a band-aid solution for the 4 AFL Club Reserve teams' lack of competition issues ... and they have conned the Sydney based volunteers into believing something different, and providing them with their solution at minimal cost ... smart people st the AFL (in Melbourne).

PS: If "University" clubs was the answer, Rugby Union would be the pre eminent participation code in Sydney, and in fact in every major city ... it is not.

Spot on post!!!!