Some history

[DLH]

Overall I think divisionalisation has been a positive. It has certainly saved my club, having gone from struggling to put two teams on the paddock to now having five. Having said that, it just doesn't quite have the same feel to it as the old SFL/SFA days.

I don't think the NEAFL has helped over the last couple of years either, so I'm glad to see the Eagles back.

One other thing I miss is the old radio shows that used to be devoted to Sydney footy which really enhanced that community feel.

[saviour01]

Saviour StGeogre acknowledged in a meeting with a league that whilst their numbers were good that in 2016 you would see at least one existing team under 19 in the region go by the wayside as the numbers going forward couldn't sustain it. By existing teams than meant Southern Power, Campbelltown and Mooreabank. Saints numbers in regards the juniors have been helped by the demise of Bankstown whose departure has been to the detriment of the junior comp in the region. That development was nothing to do with them. Do you realise that Saints have had an agreement with my club Moorebank that under 19's could play with us in the event of not getting a game but retain them at the same time. Surely they could work with other clubs to develop a strong junior case within the region to ensure the growth of the game.

Campbelltown is like 40 minutes away. There are over 600k people in the shire, st george and canterbury area's. Surely they could find 100 people aged between 17 and 19 who want to play football? I doubt there would be too many going to play at a different club for a game. Maybe for a week or two but I know if my club was pushing me off to someone else I wouldn't bother the next year.

Tell me giving your involvement why cant you attract people from the schools you teach at to the game?

We coach teams, enter them in knock outs, run it for school sport. If that doesn't gets kids interested then I'm not going to run round giving out brouchers for local clubs. They'd probably end up at Auburn tigers in 10 years time and thats not good for anyone!

[justabaraker]

This time last year, I started up a conversation about how the on-field standard has changed over twenty/thirty years.
Now I'd be interested to hear what you people think of the quality of our comp generally compared to twenty/thirty years ago - strong teams ? Solid supporter bases ? More participation ? Good marketing (lol !!), good grassroots growth ? Penetration into the general community ?

Answering my own question here....I need to get out more......

I see that Penno will field 6 senior teams this year, the highest number of teams in its history. And a senior coaching panel of 13, including a Director of Coaching.
That must be up there with the most that any club has had - they must be doing something right.

[ShortHalfHead]

Answering my own question here....I need to get out more......

I see that Penno will field 6 senior teams this year, the highest number of teams in its history. And a senior coaching panel of 13, including a Director of Coaching.
That must be up there with the most that any club has had - they must be doing something right.

I counted 4 senior teams and 2 19's teams. And they are trying to get a ladies team as well. It's certainly a big effort, though Uni NSW had 7 or 8 last year from memory (inc ladies). They've always been a class act and produced some fine players. Penrith running 5 again this year, Moorebank the same. Sydney Uni running 5 senior teams as well as 19's and ladies.

[tara]

Campbelltown is like 40 minutes away. There are over 600k people in the shire, st george and canterbury area's. Surely they could find 100 people aged between 17 and 19 who want to play football? I doubt there would be too many going to play at a different club for a game. Maybe for a week or two but I know if my club was pushing me off to someone else I wouldn't bother the next year.



We coach teams, enter them in knock outs, run it for school sport. If that doesn't gets kids interested then I'm not going to run round giving out brouchers for local clubs. They'd probably end up at Auburn tigers in 10 years time and thats not good for anyone!

The kids wernt pushed and our relationship with the coaches and people at the Saints has always been good. Many of those kids were part of you 19's flag last year so they certainly wernt that fazed they walked away.


Its a shame that you don't promote the local clubs. Kids playing sport outside school is great for their development and also helps grow our game. I understand your feelings regarding Auburn but like most groups it tends to be a minority that causes the bulk of the problems. There were a lot of people at that club who tried to instil the right thing unfortunately not enough of them.

[Pekay]

I understand your feelings regarding Auburn but like most groups it tends to be a minority that causes the bulk of the problems. There were a lot of people at that club who tried to instil the right thing unfortunately not enough of them.

Last time we played Auburn, about half a dozen of them walked off at half time and jumped in their cars, they were sick of their blokes starting blues all day.

[justabaraker]

Last time we played Auburn, about half a dozen of them walked off at half time and jumped in their cars, they were sick of their blokes starting blues all day.

I think I live my life with my head up my ar**e - what has become of Auburn ? Disbanded ?

[saviour01]

Before we got promoted out of div 2, we had a game with them and they forfeited. They didn't tell the "aussie" blokes tho so they turned up as normal ready for a game.

Got disbanded, struggled for numbers. Forfeited a heap of times during their last season.

[Norris Lurker]

Answering my own question here....I need to get out more......

I see that Penno will field 6 senior teams this year, the highest number of teams in its history. And a senior coaching panel of 13, including a Director of Coaching.
That must be up there with the most that any club has had - they must be doing something right.

Four senior teams & two Under 19s teams. But it's certainly a record for Penno. Other clubs have also had increases in numbers and teams in recent years.

It's a club record, but not the most any club has had. It's well short of Sydney Uni, who have a NEAFL team, five senior teams in the six Sydney AFL divisions, an Under 19s and a womens team.
UNSW-ES are also well represented with plenty of teams across the divisions. And UTS as well, although they've dropped their Div 2 team.

On the benchmark of more people playing the game than ever before, the league is successful. Other indicators maybe not quite as positive.....

[DLH]

Logic to me says if a club withdraws a team from competition it should be their lowest division not the one in the middle.

Can someone explain how UTS get to pull out their Div 2 team?

[Mug Punter]

I counted 4 senior teams and 2 19's teams. And they are trying to get a ladies team as well. It's certainly a big effort, though Uni NSW had 7 or 8 last year from memory (inc ladies). They've always been a class act and produced some fine players. Penrith running 5 again this year, Moorebank the same. Sydney Uni running 5 senior teams as well as 19's and ladies.

Sydney Uni really led the way in promoting inclusiveness and getting additional teams - they basically forced the NSWAFL to get the old Div 3 started which led the way to divisonalisation.

It's a clear weight of numbers thing and it leads to a greater community engagement. North Shore have followed suit so I can see most SFL clubs having at least four senior sides within 4-5 years if they nurture their juniors well enough.

As for the general standard you'd like to think it might improve but it certainly hasn't gone up lately. The proof is Manly and how their SFA team basically went up unchanged and has won the SFL flag the last two years.

[tara]

UTS arnt alone UNSW also pulled the pin a month or two ago. Div 2 in now an 8 team comp. The Bats have convinced the afl that what they've lost player wise they won't be able to compete and it will be a flogging each week.

Should UTS finish top 3 div 2 and smash div 5 I'd say the afl will have egg on their face.

At least we won one concession and it has been left as a final five not final 4 as proposed.

[tara]

Manly we're a dominant team in the old sfa for years. Given ty armitage performed pretty well in carltons intra club last weekend three of their players inc him are now in the vfl I'd suggest the standard isn't as bad a people like to suggest. People really need to take into account how much the game has evolved over the past 30 years.

John Nicolls n polly farmer were 189 n 191 respectively and both regarded as legends of he game as ruck man. Adam goodies is 194 n Scott pendlebury is 191 and both are regarded as great modern on ballers in the mould of the old rovers n ruck rovers who used to be more around the 180 mark.

[Footy Barista]

Name 12 players from the manly team from 2012 and 2013 mug punter ? You will find over 50 percent of manly including their coach all come from north shore under 18s that won 2008-09 premiership s in the under 18 comp .... Manly is not the sfa team you think it is they recruit players yearly .... But of course your the expert you have been here for years

[justabaraker]

I was asking if our comp is better than 20/30 years ago....not so much on-field as to do with sponsorship, penetrating into the community, being innovative, more players...

Baulko seems to set the bar pretty high in this area for a few reasons...
- they had a crack at a national comp. The experiment has evidently failed and they are loaded up with debt (according to the PREZ) but they were ambitious and brave enough to at least have a dip.
- as a result, they will probably dominate in most grades this season.
- they have developed partnerships that have led to the best playing facility in Sydney second-tier footy. There are some horrible crap grounds at the bottom-end.
- look at the Prez update on Feb 16 and you can see that they are developing sponsors in the business community.

Apparently they are short of funds but they sure are being creative and busy to sort out that problem.

I've said on here before that I'm no great Baulko lover but I sure admire the way they go about things.