2013... rumours.. signings... something..

[Mug Punter]

and Mug Punter will be glad to know that his mates at Auburn are back for another go (although down in Div 3 this year)

Overjoyed to hear the news

I'm long retired but those dirty filthy thugs are a complete blight on the game in this city and the slack they have been cut over the years due to reverse discrimination is a disgrace...,.

[Mug Punter]

Ahhh balmain.. New season new team. Wonder if funds have dried up? Be intersting how many could go to uni from there?

I imagine that over time the best players will gravitate to Sydney Uni and the Sheagles, plus the fact that Balmain are a complete debacle of a club.

Still find it hard to see how the benefits to grass roots in Sydney in the NEAFL concept can possibly outweigh the minuses....

[justabaraker]

[QUOTE=Mug Punter;600804]I imagine that over time the best players will gravitate to Sydney Uni and the Sheagles, plus the fact that Balmain are a complete debacle of a club.QUOTE]

Anyone got any news about the Baulko/Coastal/Hills/EasternEagles (or whatever their name is to be this year) ?
We know that they have signed up Amon Buchanan and there are rumours of others. But it's mostly quiet out Rouse Hill way.

[Pekay]

There seemed to be a suggestion at the meeting last night that perhaps a regional team/s will be implemented over the current NEAFL clubs in the coming years, so 'the best players in the Premier Division can play in the NEAFL'. Maybe I read into it wrong, but it makes sense to have the league represented, rather than clubs, which for instance, a Pennant Hills player wouldn't want to play for the Eagles, or a UNSW player running out in Students colours.

It was a long drive in and out, so my mate and I discussed it at length before, and on the way back, so we were surprised to hear it.

Thoughts? If it did happen, and they went with say a Sydney FL Central and Sydney FL Districts model (For lack of a better name) you'd have to feel for the Eagles being the guinea pig in this, with the resources they put in to it.

[Purser]

I think Sydney regional/rep sides might throw up more than a few problems...

While yes, it would allow a greater spread of the top PD players to play NEAFL football, how would the squad(s) be constructed?

Treated like a club? So they have a list of say 30-35 players who train together, then players drop back to their PD club when not selected and topups are taken from PD when needed through injury/unavailability? What then happens when a PD contender wants a NEAFL player back because they're in the midst a finals push? What happens when the NEAFL team takes a 'non-squad' PD player from his PD club for the week and he gets injured, cruelling the chances of the PD team? What if a crap PD club needs their gun player to be there week in, week out to salvage at least some respectability?

Let's say a Penno gun has played 8-9 games each for Penno PD and Syd NEAFL rep, and they've both qualified for finals. Who does he play for?

Would Sydney rep/regional teams be a case of 'play to represent' or 'play to win'?

[Pekay]

I think Sydney regional/rep sides might throw up more than a few problems...

While yes, it would allow a greater spread of the top PD players to play NEAFL football, how would the squad(s) be constructed?

Treated like a club? So they have a list of say 30-35 players who train together, then players drop back to their PD club when not selected and topups are taken from PD when needed through injury/unavailability? What then happens when a PD contender wants a NEAFL player back because they're in the midst a finals push? What happens when the NEAFL team takes a 'non-squad' PD player from his PD club for the week and he gets injured, cruelling the chances of the PD team? What if a crap PD club needs their gun player to be there week in, week out to salvage at least some respectability?

Let's say a Penno gun has played 8-9 games each for Penno PD and Syd NEAFL rep, and they've both qualified for finals. Who does he play for?

Would Sydney rep/regional teams be a case of 'play to represent' or 'play to win'?

All good points.

[Tim Freedman]

It simply won't happen for a few main reasons:

Resources - who will run the club, president, committe, coach, assistant coach, physios, trainers, water boys, team manager, stats
Finances - who will finance it - will need at least $300 - $500K PA to run it
Facilities - where will they train & play (already struggling in Syd for decent grounds)
Volunteers - where will these come from considering it would essentially be a REP club
Politics - Sydney clubs simply wouldn't support it due to some of the reasons listed by Purser earlier
Sydney & GWS - the best kids just under NEAFL level will still want to play as top ups at these clubs rather than top up a thrown together Sydney Metro / Country NEAFL side

The NEAFL is starting to show it's real value within Sydney with some outstanding talent coming to play in it. Houlihan & Buchanon to name two. I envisage this list growing over the coming years as it establishes better credibility and when these players are done at NEAFL they may look to local Sydney clubs for the last 1-2 years of their playing career. The medium to long term goal should be to get more Sydney sides in the NEAFL such as North Shore & Penno to provide greater opportunities for local talent.

[unconfuseme]

It simply won't happen for a few main reasons:

Resources - who will run the club, president, committee, coach, assistant coach, physios, trainers, water boys, team manager, stats
The current Uni and Hills coaching staff will need a gig, if the two entities are truely representative, the respective clubs will find the appropriate Admin structure (committees?).

Finances - who will finance it - will need at least $300 - $500K PA to run it
If this structure is truly going to grow the code in Sydney, I'm certain the AFL can find a lazy mill form somewhere.

Facilities - where will they train & play (already struggling in Syd for decent grounds)
Where do they play now? That's the problem, nobody knows because nobody cares! In fact, when a NEAFL game is scheduled in conjunction with a SAFL fixture, it is more of an inconvenience than anything else, when it should be an event! Sydney fixtures should be played on rotation as support fixture for the respective PD feeder club home games - will add interest at both levels. Preference would be to play them at the suburban grounds.

Volunteers - where will these come from considering it would essentially be a REP club
Same as coaching staff and admin ... it's easier to get volunteers from a dozen clubs than two!

Politics - Sydney clubs simply wouldn't support it due to some of the reasons listed by Purser earlier
Not compulsory, but I'm sure they will lose good young players who aspire to a higher level if they don't support the model, whereas, this gives them the chance to support those players and in 99% of cases, retain them long term. The other issues that Purser raises are already issues within competition structures now, and can all be worked through

Sydney & GWS - the best kids just under NEAFL level will still want to play as top ups at these clubs rather than top up a thrown together Sydney Metro / Country NEAFL side
The Academy top ups are age restricted now - these teams would be aimed at the say 19 to 24 y.o.'s ( with some lee way for mature aged players like the Buchanon's, to provide mentoring, etc)

The mindset has to change from making one or two Sydney CLUBS competitive in a higher division of football, to making this into an opportunity to DEVELOP the code in Sydney, with unilateral support - the first relies on taking players away from the local clubs, and supporting them with players who are at the end of their careers and from other leagues anyway. The second focuses on keeping players in Sydney ... example ... from what I have read, there will be at least 4 or 5 ex Swans Academy/rookies aged between 20 - 23 who will be playing in the SANFL next season, as their last shot at the big time ... they should be playing in the NEAFL, and under this model, they might.

The NEAFL is starting to show it's real value within Sydney with some outstanding talent coming to play in it. Houlihan & Buchanon to name two. I envisage this list growing over the coming years as it establishes better credibility and when these players are done at NEAFL they may look to local Sydney clubs for the last 1-2 years of their playing career. The medium to long term goal should be to get more Sydney sides in the NEAFL such as North Shore & Penno to provide greater opportunities for local talent.

Agree that it is gaining credibility as a league, but the problem remains, individual club entities will not get supported other than by their own clubs, and SU have already shown that there isn't much support from within either!

[justabaraker]

Still find it hard to see how the benefits to grass roots in Sydney in the NEAFL concept can possibly outweigh the minuses....

MP, you and I have disagreed about this before, and I think we are about to disagree again. I see from the AFL website today that 7 unlisted guys have been invited to train with Giants/Swans prior to the pre-season draft; and 5 of those 7 played SFL and onto NEAFL this season. (Add Craig Moller onto that and you've got 6 SFL>NEAFL players drafted or in with a real chance of being drafted in a couple of weeks.)
OK, the top end of the SFL has taken a whack this year but the career prospects for a keen young lad have never been better.

[justabaraker]

I think Sydney regional/rep sides might throw up more than a few problems...

While yes, it would allow a greater spread of the top PD players to play NEAFL football, how would the squad(s) be constructed?

Treated like a club? So they have a list of say 30-35 players who train together, then players drop back to their PD club when not selected and topups are taken from PD when needed through injury/unavailability? What then happens when a PD contender wants a NEAFL player back because they're in the midst a finals push? What happens when the NEAFL team takes a 'non-squad' PD player from his PD club for the week and he gets injured, cruelling the chances of the PD team? What if a crap PD club needs their gun player to be there week in, week out to salvage at least some respectability?

Let's say a Penno gun has played 8-9 games each for Penno PD and Syd NEAFL rep, and they've both qualified for finals. Who does he play for?

Would Sydney rep/regional teams be a case of 'play to represent' or 'play to win'?

The "Brave New World" is already here....if you followed the fortunes of the SHEagles in the NEAFL this year then you would have seen most of these conflicts arise. And it just got worse when one of the SHEagles kids ended up playing as a top-up FOR the Giants AGAINST his own team. That's not to say that the conflicts were resolved (I don't think they were !!) but it means that they are with us now anyway.

[justabaraker]

There seemed to be a suggestion at the meeting last night that perhaps a regional team/s will be implemented over the current NEAFL clubs in the coming years, so 'the best players in the Premier Division can play in the NEAFL'. Maybe I read into it wrong, but it makes sense to have the league represented, rather than clubs, which for instance, a Pennant Hills player wouldn't want to play for the Eagles, or a UNSW player running out in Students colours.

It was a long drive in and out, so my mate and I discussed it at length before, and on the way back, so we were surprised to hear it.

Thoughts? If it did happen, and they went with say a Sydney FL Central and Sydney FL Districts model (For lack of a better name) you'd have to feel for the Eagles being the guinea pig in this, with the resources they put in to it.

Pekay, during the season, one of the Balmain "movers-and-shakers" (now THERE'S an opening for you post-ers to comment !!!), one of the Balmain movers-and-shakers fessed up to me that Balmain had passed up on the opportunity to be in NEAFL because they were toolling up to be in a new "Super NEAFL" that is under wraps but is coming. His comment has puzzled me all year but now, after your revelation, I understand all. I understand:-
(1) what the big kahooner was getting at, and
(2) the brilliant strategy underlying the whacky decisions and statements that come out of that club.

[Jupiter]

I definitely find Tim freedman's analysis much more persuasive - although I couldn't agree with his "it wont happen" because Sydney AFL history says anything could, despite logic sometimes. I don't think the focus should be on being bitter about 2 clubs pushing forward or about crowds which is a total irrelevance at this stage locally - it's just a matter of time, the way Penrith, Manly, Sthn Power and other clubs keep improving, that if the AFL keeps up the investment and nails the schools side of things that eventually they will be in a position to challenge Eagles and Students and join whatever the best comp of the day is - NEAFL 2.0, Prem Div 3.0, whatever. Keep in mind I sincerely doubt you would of had divisionalisation without these two clubs and a few other key ones being supportive of it - first movers take risks and influence markets and benefits flow to all eventually. Clubs like Penno or North could be there super quickly if certain things fall into place and they want to, who knows. NEAFL as it is today wont stay like that forever so no reason to fret or change it again too soon. That would be a debacle.

Generally, I'm not a NEAFL fan, it's an AFL frankenstein and a cop out from delivering a Premier Division of worthy standard through many years of poor execution. However, we are where we are now and the decisions having been made, both of the clubs in it are from what I can tell substantially putting their necks on the line for the AFL experiment - remember the AFL is meant to be the experts on developing the code (admittedly failing often in Sydney) and these two clubs have a recent record of being orientated towards taking on challenges and improving quickly, I imagine thats why they got invites. Despite joining NEAFL they have both remained committed to Sydney AFL, which most of their members still play in - it would be far easier for the Eagles to enjoy trying for a longer string of flags or the Students to sustain just 2 or 3 teams max or top out at Prem and try to win a flag there - how much fun would that of been if 1 or 2 clubs ended up dominating for years.... Either way its clearly a much cheaper and more organic solution with less detrimental effect on the other Clubs than what you suggest - lets not forget the players, there's so much more to a Club experience than a permanent "rep side" - GWS is one thing, but to replicate that type of model from Sydney footy, fair stretch that.

[Tiges]

Pekay, during the season, one of the Balmain "movers-and-shakers" (now THERE'S an opening for you post-ers to comment !!!), one of the Balmain movers-and-shakers fessed up to me that Balmain had passed up on the opportunity to be in NEAFL because they were toolling up to be in a new "Super NEAFL" that is under wraps but is coming. His comment has puzzled me all year but now, after your revelation, I understand all. I understand:-
(1) what the big kahooner was getting at, and
(2) the brilliant strategy underlying the whacky decisions and statements that come out of that club.

I can confirm that what you have been told with regards to Balmain is a load of absolute rubbish

[tara]

I can confirm that what you have been told with regards to Balmain is a load of absolute rubbish

That may be rubbish but I was told that they were just waiting for ECE to go broke and then they would step in to fill the void. Again one of the movers and shakers - mind you the year before he was speaking to our under 18's parents and trying his best to convince them to join the club and enjoys the benefits of the relationship with the dockers. Mind you he probably didn't realise I was the president of the club at the time.

[Tiges]

That may be rubbish but I was told that they were just waiting for ECE to go broke and then they would step in to fill the void. Again one of the movers and shakers - mind you the year before he was speaking to our under 18's parents and trying his best to convince them to join the club and enjoys the benefits of the relationship with the dockers. Mind you he probably didn't realise I was the president of the club at the time.

It doesn't surprise me they would say this sort of thing, but I would believe nothing they say to be honest. I am a former player from a past era with intimate knowledge of that club, and it saddens me that last year that they had a general manager who was passionate about the club, and was making inroads to resolving the errors of the past, but in the end he was unable to work with the "movers and shakers" due to their behaviour, and left. Now the club looks to be imploding due to the same bunch of "movers and shakers", who couldn't run a chook raffle. Very sad.