2013 - The Pre-Season. Pump your tyres here

[snow leopard]

Wonder how Mac Uni are faring after the end of their Westbrook tie up - wonder how much their finals debacle hurt that program.

what was the outcome of that finals debale? or was that pushed under the carpet as well

[Mug Punter]

Swept under the carpet one would imagine. Word on the street is that Mac Uni are an absolute rabble this year with lots of outs and not many ins. Will probably struggle to field three teams and revert back to a two team club in 2014...

Can't imagine why any parents would want theor kids playing with a club that has such shoddy standards and suspect this has a lot with Westbrook re-aligning back with Pennant Hills depsite them being bitter junior rivals. If Penno could build an inclusive culture like Sydney Uni and UTS (6 and 5 senior teams respectively) then they could be a real force. The "super club" model has been touted here but it really is a bottom up approach.

It needs to be the norm that clubs like North Shore and Penno offer senior games to anyone that wants to join their clubs, not the elitist rubbish that existed before. ALL kids that play in a, say, North Shore junior club should see wearing the red and black (or equivalent) as a right not a privilege governed by old farts. That's what will grow the game in Sydney, not kids being denied the chance to play in the red and black (or equivalent) because they are not "good enough". Rugby does this well with the 5ths and 6ths and we should follow suit

Rant over...

[justabaraker]

Swept under the carpet one would imagine. Word on the street is that Mac Uni are an absolute rabble this year with lots of outs and not many ins. Will probably struggle to field three teams and revert back to a two team club in 2014...

Can't imagine why any parents would want theor kids playing with a club that has such shoddy standards and suspect this has a lot with Westbrook re-aligning back with Pennant Hills depsite them being bitter junior rivals. If Penno could build an inclusive culture like Sydney Uni and UTS (6 and 5 senior teams respectively) then they could be a real force. The "super club" model has been touted here but it really is a bottom up approach.

It needs to be the norm that clubs like North Shore and Penno offer senior games to anyone that wants to join their clubs, not the elitist rubbish that existed before. ALL kids that play in a, say, North Shore junior club should see wearing the red and black (or equivalent) as a right not a privilege governed by old farts. That's what will grow the game in Sydney, not kids being denied the chance to play in the red and black (or equivalent) because they are not "good enough". Rugby does this well with the 5ths and 6ths and we should follow suit

Rant over...

It sounds a bit freaky, MP, that a PD club would offer a game to anyone who turned up....sort of "every kiddy wins a prize".
Surely in PD we have to put in the best team that we can - if a kid is "not good enough" as you say, but they give him a go in PD anyway, then he's going to get killed by some PD opponent who sees that he's a soft target.
Wow man, they might even put ME on the paddock and I'd be instant roadkill.

We have lower divisions so that the "not good enoughs" can play footy as well.

[Footyfan]

Not sure who your source is MP but you seem to have been led astray.

Mac Uni got up over Southern Power yesterday with a number of former players back this year.

Every club has its issues, id dare say Mac Uni are no different but far from whatever you are conjuring up inside that head.

Id be careful what u take as fact from people with a vendetta against certain clubs.

[Norris Lurker]

It needs to be the norm that clubs like North Shore and Penno offer senior games to anyone that wants to join their clubs, not the elitist rubbish that existed before. ALL kids that play in a, say, North Shore junior club should see wearing the red and black (or equivalent) as a right not a privilege governed by old farts. That's what will grow the game in Sydney, not kids being denied the chance to play in the red and black (or equivalent) because they are not "good enough". Rugby does this well with the 5ths and 6ths and we should follow suit

North Shore and Penno are all too aware of that - they, and several other clubs (Wests is one that comes to mind), are now fielding a thirds team as well as their seniors and reserves.
Of course, the divisional structure makes it viable to do that.

[Mug Punter]

It sounds a bit freaky, MP, that a PD club would offer a game to anyone who turned up....sort of "every kiddy wins a prize".
Surely in PD we have to put in the best team that we can - if a kid is "not good enough" as you say, but they give him a go in PD anyway, then he's going to get killed by some PD opponent who sees that he's a soft target.
Wow man, they might even put ME on the paddock and I'd be instant roadkill.

We have lower divisions so that the "not good enoughs" can play footy as well.

Fair enough, keep your elitist view and then complain why clubs like UTS, Sydney Uni and UNSW with 5, 6 or 7 senior tems start thrashing you due to weight of numbers.

Not suggesting every kid plays PD you idiot, but thyat it stands to reason that the power of numbers of the Unis and district clubs that promote an inclusive culture will vertake cliquey little clubs like yours...

[Norris Lurker]

What I think Mug Punter is suggesting (correct me if I'm wrong); is that a structure of only fielding a Premier Division, Div 1 & Under 18s isn't totally viable.
For a club with that structure, if someone comes along that isn't Div 1 standard, that club would have to turn them away. For some clubs, that's the experience they've had - and it's not because they're trying to be snobby or elitist, but because they've got nothing to offer a player who isn't Div 1 standard.
Some clubs have been able to get their numbers up enough to field a thirds team in a lower division - North Shore and Wests have for a couple of years, Penno have one this year.
But for other clubs, it's a chicken and egg situation - they can't field a thirds team until they've got the numbers to play in it, but can't get the numbers until there's a team to play in.

[justabaraker]

Not sure who your source is MP but you seem to have been led astray.

Mac Uni got up over Southern Power yesterday with a number of former players back this year.

Every club has its issues, id dare say Mac Uni are no different but far from whatever you are conjuring up inside that head.

Id be careful what u take as fact from people with a vendetta against certain clubs.

Nice work FF....couldn't have summed it up better myself.

[Mug Punter]

Nice work FF....couldn't have summed it up better myself.

What about the U18s FF since you're such an expert....

Let's see how many teams they finish the season with

[Mug Punter]

Not to mention ONE junior registration - yep, out of 129 kids signed up to play U18 footy ONE has chosen Mac UNi.

Surely they will be another U18 casualty...

[snow leopard]

Not to mention ONE junior registration - yep, out of 129 kids signed up to play U18 footy ONE has chosen Mac UNi.

Surely they will be another U18 casualty...

Dont worry they will play a heap of A.N Others under bodgy names

[Mug Punter]

Dont worry they will play a heap of A.N Others under bodgy names

An absolute disgrace!!!!

[Mug Punter]

What I think Mug Punter is suggesting (correct me if I'm wrong); is that a structure of only fielding a Premier Division, Div 1 & Under 18s isn't totally viable.
For a club with that structure, if someone comes along that isn't Div 1 standard, that club would have to turn them away. For some clubs, that's the experience they've had - and it's not because they're trying to be snobby or elitist, but because they've got nothing to offer a player who isn't Div 1 standard.
Some clubs have been able to get their numbers up enough to field a thirds team in a lower division - North Shore and Wests have for a couple of years, Penno have one this year.
But for other clubs, it's a chicken and egg situation - they can't field a thirds team until they've got the numbers to play in it, but can't get the numbers until there's a team to play in.

Weight of numbers will win out in the end with the inclusive clubs overpowering the elitist clubs with their self-inflated egos that somehow it is a privilege to pull on their jersey.

North Shore and Penno are prime examples of this with their wealth of junior numbers. Both of these clubs should have at least 4 senior sides and preferably two U18 teams. It's only their arrogance and ability to make new players unwelcome that stops this happening.

But then again, Justabaraker reckons it's a bad things if everybody gets a game...

Go figure.....

[Norris Lurker]

Dont worry they will play a heap of A.N Others under bodgy names

After what went down in last year's finals, there's not a chance that anyone at Mac Uni will be playing under an alias this year.

Hopefully that sort of thing won't happen anywhere. For starters, any player involved is not covered by insurance.

[Pekay]

After what went down in last year's finals, there's not a chance that anyone at Mac Uni will be playing under an alias this year.

Hopefully that sort of thing won't happen anywhere. For starters, any player involved is not covered by insurance.

Grubs. Their blatant cheating cost us a further final spot.