2020 Vision - Who's Going Where

[Norris Lurker]

One season comes to an end, and a new one is just a few months away. No doubt plenty of player and coaching movements, maybe a few clubs adding or removing teams; and plenty more.
Let the scuttlebutt begin!!

[Blinkers28]

Will be very surprised if Fosdike goes around again, particularly if rumours are true around UTS dropping to Platinum Division. Has been there a few years with not a lot to show unfortunately.

[Tom Wills]

Will be very surprised if Fosdike goes around again, particularly if rumours are true around UTS dropping to Platinum Division. Has been there a few years with not a lot to show unfortunately.

UTS in Plutonium..... surely that's not possible. They would win every Flag for the next 10 years.

[Pekay]

Michael Hosking joins Camden as Senior Coach.

[Pmcc2911]

Wests are still under show cause, will they get there act together?

[Norris Lurker]

Wests are still under show cause, will they get there act together?

I thought they showed plenty of cause in the second half of this year.

[Jupiter]

Wests are still under show cause, will they get there act together?

Personally I think there is a bit of a gulf between the top 5 or 6 clubs and the rest in Premier Div and currently the comp is a bit boring outside looking in - although there are still upsets I'm not sure the overall standard week in week out is improving greatly year on year. Interested in others' thoughts as I see little local footy these days, just mostly streamed games and the odd final. Needs a shake up I think.

[Coastal Boy]

Personally I think there is a bit of a gulf between the top 5 or 6 clubs and the rest in Premier Div and currently the comp is a bit boring outside looking in - although there are still upsets I'm not sure the overall standard week in week out is improving greatly year on year. Interested in others' thoughts as I see little local footy these days, just mostly streamed games and the odd final. Needs a shake up I think.

The advent of mature drafting by AFL clubs means that good young players who miss being drafted go to VFL, WAFL, etc looking for a second opportunity.
When you combine this with the NEAFL, SydneyAFL has been hit hard for top end talent and overall standard. Imagine taking the top 30 players at Sydney Uni NEAFL and spreading that talent across the prem div clubs. The extra 3-4 top notch players at each club would lift the standard and interest in the competition no end. Prem Div was a better comp standard pre 2010(and keep going back 40+ years). A lot of former VFL/AFL players used to grace our competition. Not to mention swans reserve grade players who came to Sydney for a chance and decided to stay when they were cut. Now they just go to SydneyUni or interstate.

[Pmcc2911]

Is the exodus of talented players to other leagues (NEAFL, SANFL, VFL etc) an unintended consequence of the Swans academy.
As young kids and teenagers they are told they could be drafted and they grow up looking for a professional AFL career, when they don't get drafted they head off to the other leagues looking to realise their ambitions. (Nothing wrong with looking to live out your dream).
The flip side of course is that most of the kids in the academy program have an opportunity to become better footballers as a result.
Hopefully these guys off playing in the other leagues will come back to Sydney, play locally and share their talent.

[Jupiter]

Is the exodus of talented players to other leagues (NEAFL, SANFL, VFL etc) an unintended consequence of the Swans academy.
As young kids and teenagers they are told they could be drafted and they grow up looking for a professional AFL career, when they don't get drafted they head off to the other leagues looking to realise their ambitions. (Nothing wrong with looking to live out your dream).
The flip side of course is that most of the kids in the academy program have an opportunity to become better footballers as a result.
Hopefully these guys off playing in the other leagues will come back to Sydney, play locally and share their talent.

Indeed. I guess my view is I'm disappointed there is no plan to make Prem Div a more sought after comp. Not saying it can be turned into a state league level comp overnight, but I don't see one iota of initiative currently to take it forward quicker (just left to individual clubs).

[5yearplan]

Zero direction at top... points system for a serious comp yet it is a community comp... the league needs to aspire to make it a state league comp! Will take time but aspire to do it at least

[bomber.]

No doubt the prem div comp took a knock with the introduction of the NEAFL, but I reckon the top of the comp has improved quite a bit over the past couple of years. UNSW and Sydney Uni have moved the standards up, which probably highlights the gap between the top 5 or so and the rest.
The AFL don't appear to see Sydney AFL as a potential state league comp, but they should. It might take quite a while to get to that level, but it will happen at some point if the right steps are taken now to make it happen.
The AFL and the individual prem div clubs have be looking at how to keep lifting the standards, so bringing the top teams down through a points system or whatever, to make the comp more even isn't the answer.
Not sure that even works, but standards have to go up so the focus has to be on lifting the level of current bottom ranked clubs.
Unfortunately, the impression you get is that there is more interest in Sydney footy in complaining the top clubs down than there is in pushing the bottom clubs up.
The AFL appear to be working along those lines as well - it's easier and it fits current thinking.

[Jupiter]

No doubt the prem div comp took a knock with the introduction of the NEAFL, but I reckon the top of the comp has improved quite a bit over the past couple of years. UNSW and Sydney Uni have moved the standards up, which probably highlights the gap between the top 5 or so and the rest.
The AFL don't appear to see Sydney AFL as a potential state league comp, but they should. It might take quite a while to get to that level, but it will happen at some point if the right steps are taken now to make it happen.
The AFL and the individual prem div clubs have be looking at how to keep lifting the standards, so bringing the top teams down through a points system or whatever, to make the comp more even isn't the answer.
Not sure that even works, but standards have to go up so the focus has to be on lifting the level of current bottom ranked clubs.
Unfortunately, the impression you get is that there is more interest in Sydney footy in complaining the top clubs down than there is in pushing the bottom clubs up.
The AFL appear to be working along those lines as well - it's easier and it fits current thinking.

I agree with everything you say here, promotion relegation came in eventually after years of only a few asking for it and has been mostly good for local clubs I think but now more is needed to push the standard on. I think all the moaning about clubs on this site is often due to the lack of leadership from league to provide more direction for the future of Sydney footy - the points thing you mention is a case in point, flawed policy in the extreme as you say, no upside besides someone's KPI for head office who's working on "standardisation" but the clubs are letting it through I hear - how many Bulldogs player will move to play for Camden because of it I wonder.... On standard I would think the exposure to NEAFL - Swans, Giants, Uni, improves local players a lot as the standard of training, coaching and competition is way out in front of Prems week in week out. However the issue there is that comp is currently run just to give AFL clubs' lists a work out, not much else, it doesn't build a following for Sydney footy, not televised, not many drafted etc - as the Academy graduate pool increases the future looks better I guess but I hate the idea that Sydney footy clubs can't be part of the "development pathway" and be recognised and supported more as such.

One idea would be to make the Prem comp at least a bit smaller for a few years to drive standards up - possibly 6 teams (a left field idea would be having 4 Canberra and 6 Sydney teams or whatever combination but so many issues with that I realise) and do away with a Uni NEAFL side so players fall back into that improved comp (losing only top ups to Giants and Swans out of that player pool), with ability for clubs to be promoted into it when ready, or relegated.

Other ideas?

[Pekay]

I agree with everything you say here, promotion relegation came in eventually after years of only a few asking for it and has been mostly good for local clubs I think but now more is needed to push the standard on. I think all the moaning about clubs on this site is often due to the lack of leadership from league to provide more direction for the future of Sydney footy - the points thing you mention is a case in point, flawed policy in the extreme as you say, no upside besides someone's KPI for head office who's working on "standardisation" but the clubs are letting it through I hear - how many Bulldogs player will move to play for Camden because of it I wonder.... On standard I would think the exposure to NEAFL - Swans, Giants, Uni, improves local players a lot as the standard of training, coaching and competition is way out in front of Prems week in week out. However the issue there is that comp is currently run just to give AFL clubs' lists a work out, not much else, it doesn't build a following for Sydney footy, not televised, not many drafted etc - as the Academy graduate pool increases the future looks better I guess but I hate the idea that Sydney footy clubs can't be part of the "development pathway" and be recognised and supported more as such.

One idea would be to make the Prem comp at least a bit smaller for a few years to drive standards up - possibly 6 teams (a left field idea would be having 4 Canberra and 6 Sydney teams or whatever combination but so many issues with that I realise) and do away with a Uni NEAFL side so players fall back into that improved comp (losing only top ups to Giants and Swans out of that player pool), with ability for clubs to be promoted into it when ready, or relegated.

Other ideas?

Albury and Newcastle City. Didn't win this year but did every other.

[Norris Lurker]

A few changes for the womens comps next year. North Shore, Penno & Manly go up to Prems. Newtown drop down to Div 1. Wollongong off to AFL South Coast.