Season 2020

[Blinkers28]

Head Office maintaining their high attention to detail.

Question remains if they’ll be in Platinum next year. Few clubs in Prem could easily fill the void.

[justabaraker]

I wouldn't be writing off North Shore or Penno. In fact, Penno have a history of knocking off unbackable favourites if they make the GF.

Tim, what has happened to the Eagles ? There seems to be plenty of solid names playing, and the Dragons seem to have some of the same cattle as in previous years. But what a result ! I wasn't there to judge for myself but I'd be interested to hear from someone who knows a bit

[bomber.]

I wouldn't be writing off North Shore or Penno. In fact, Penno have a history of knocking off unbackable favourites if they make the GF.

Yep. Heard from a couple of people who watched last weekends UNSW v Penno game that Penno were very good. They play finals really well, so they have to be in the conversation. Prem div isn't a two horse race.

[Norris Lurker]

Penno were only a couple of goals down at three quarter time. The Bulldogs pulled away at the end, but Penno were right in it for most of the day.
North Shore haven't put a foot wrong so far, and have only conceded 6 goals in the first 3 weeks and have a ridiculous percentage. Their list is capable of matching it with UNSW-ES and Sydney Uni; but they've got to get it done in finals, which has been a problem for them in the last few years.

[Tom Wills]

Don't write off St George - 2 big wins and a 4 goal loss to Sydney Uni.
My understanding is that a lot of their kids have come on significantly and they are quietly confident down at Hurstville. Comments Saviour.

[saviour01]

I don't play anymore (if you can count what I did as playing) so haven't been to training but have watched all 3 games.

I think they are in for a good season. A year more experience, more commitment, change in coach and a few big wins has a good feeling around the club.

The Sydney Uni game they were right into it but Uni kicked 3 goals in the 5 minutes before 3/4 time which blew it out.

Still a Sydney Uni v UNSW GF but some great signs.

[Jupiter]

No Jupes
It was the score on fooyweb last night but since been amended. Couldn't imagine the last quarter score being what it said.
I was enjoying a beautiful winters day at Greygums. Platinum division sorting itself out now however nowhere near the debacle that the top division is contesting

Good to hear, glad there is footy on at all! The Bat's scores against North and Uni on small grounds indicate to me the sides they have put out are not up to the standard, but the Bulldogs, North, Uni and Penno have had some massive winning margins I can see - are there some clubs for whom relegation would be a good idea if things aren't sustainable for them at the Prem's level or is this Covid year a bit special? Anyone ready for promotion you reckon, Penrith sitting pretty? On other comments in the thread I don't think its that amazing that people think the top three sides from last year are the favourites this year - and yes they have probably topped up with talent with the AFL pulling NEAFL, but there's a reasonable comp if 4 or 5 might jag a flag as several on here have noted. Personally I like scenarios where there are better players and teams in the local comp and all struggling clubs can do is try to close the gap if they have one to close - I've said enough previously on the local league strategy/ops so I will quit now....

[Tim Freedman]

Tim, what has happened to the Eagles ? There seems to be plenty of solid names playing, and the Dragons seem to have some of the same cattle as in previous years. But what a result ! I wasn't there to judge for myself but I'd be interested to hear from someone who knows a bit

I am not that close to the action these days and have only seen the one game so hard to comment.

[Blinkers28]

Good to hear, glad there is footy on at all! The Bat's scores against North and Uni on small grounds indicate to me the sides they have put out are not up to the standard, but the Bulldogs, North, Uni and Penno have had some massive winning margins I can see - are there some clubs for whom relegation would be a good idea if things aren't sustainable for them at the Prem's level or is this Covid year a bit special? Anyone ready for promotion you reckon, Penrith sitting pretty? On other comments in the thread I don't think its that amazing that people think the top three sides from last year are the favourites this year - and yes they have probably topped up with talent with the AFL pulling NEAFL, but there's a reasonable comp if 4 or 5 might jag a flag as several on here have noted. Personally I like scenarios where there are better players and teams in the local comp and all struggling clubs can do is try to close the gap if they have one to close - I've said enough previously on the local league strategy/ops so I will quit now....

Southern Power probably closest to a promotion - successful club, very solid junior program, excellent facilities.

[bomber.]

Southern Power probably closest to a promotion - successful club, very solid junior program, excellent facilities.

Yep. Southern Power are a well run club, Penrith are going well and I’ve watched Randwick play some good footy in the past few years too.
The issue for promotion is that the gap between Platinum and Prems is massive.
Randwick finished 4th in Div 1 last year and will be in the top few in Platinum this year. The standard of the top Div 1 teams has lifted significantly this year and I doubt that last year's Randwick team would make finals in Div 1 this year. No offence intended, it’s just where the standard has gone.
Drawing a line through that, the top half of Platinum is about in the middle of Div 1 from a standards perspective, with Penrith being a bit better than that.
The top Div 1 and the top Platinum teams would beat the bottom Prem Reserves teams, but they wouldn’t get anywhere near the top reserves teams.
Promotion through to Prem’s was always going to be a problem for Platinum clubs when the competitions were separated. I’m sure it’s helped from a club perspective, but it hasn’t from a comparative standards perspective.

[bomber.]

Re the men's Prems comp, the gaps developing in the comp have actually been masked by the NEAFL. If there hadn’t been a NEAFL, most of the players who’re back in Prems this year would’ve been there in previous years too and what we’re seeing now would have happened earlier.
So in general what we’re seeing now isn’t some unfair outcome of the NEAFL not going ahead, mostly it’s the real gap in the relative development of our clubs.
Everyone can and I’m sure will, improve, but the current top clubs are also still improving, so the gaps between the top and the bottom aren’t going to close any time soon.
There is a solution to this though. Take the top teams in the Prem div comp and put them in a NSW/ACT comp with the top teams in Canberra. All those clubs would still field teams in the respective Prem div comps (ie with their current reserves teams).
That would even up the Prem, Prem Reserves, Div 1 and Under 19 Div 1 comps in Sydney. It also fixes competition problems in the ACT. It closes the gap between Prems and Platinum to make promotion more feasible and it will, in time, create a meaningful second tier competition in NSW/ACT that will do more for our game here that the NEAFL was ever going to.
Then do something similar for a women’s comp.
Just a thought.

- - - Updated - - -

Quiet day at work.

[Westy]

Yep. Southern Power are a well run club, Penrith are going well and I’ve watched Randwick play some good footy in the past few years too.
The issue for promotion is that the gap between Platinum and Prems is massive.
Randwick finished 4th in Div 1 last year and will be in the top few in Platinum this year. The standard of the top Div 1 teams has lifted significantly this year and I doubt that last year's Randwick team would make finals in Div 1 this year. No offence intended, it’s just where the standard has gone.
Drawing a line through that, the top half of Platinum is about in the middle of Div 1 from a standards perspective, with Penrith being a bit better than that.
The top Div 1 and the top Platinum teams would beat the bottom Prem Reserves teams, but they wouldn’t get anywhere near the top reserves teams.
Promotion through to Prem’s was always going to be a problem for Platinum clubs when the competitions were separated. I’m sure it’s helped from a club perspective, but it hasn’t from a comparative standards perspective.

Agree that the gap between Prems and Platinum is huge, but if you think the Top 4 from Platinum 2019 wouldn't beat most if not all Div 1 teams from 2019 you're dreaming. Southern Power in particular last year would have comfortably played finals in Prems Reserves.

Can see Randwick maybe sneaking into 4th in Platinum this year given the drop off of Blacktown.

Interesting theory on the Canberra/SydAFL mix though. Don't mind the concept

[Pekay]

Albury should be there to represent the O n M. And they've got endless cash!

[Jupiter]

Agree that the gap between Prems and Platinum is huge, but if you think the Top 4 from Platinum 2019 wouldn't beat most if not all Div 1 teams from 2019 you're dreaming. Southern Power in particular last year would have comfortably played finals in Prems Reserves.

Can see Randwick maybe sneaking into 4th in Platinum this year given the drop off of Blacktown.

Interesting theory on the Canberra/SydAFL mix though. Don't mind the concept

Really interesting concept. The only changes for senior footy (although mixed views on whether positive or negative I know) have been when enough clubs wake up and work together for a while (promo/relegation, growth of teams and lower divisions) or one or more clubs bust out some moves (C'town into ACT, ECE/Uni into NEAFL). Time now certainly ripe for some leadership from club land for sure.

[andreww1]

It seems to me that those clubs that have had strong U19s over the last 6 or so years are now performing best in Prems and most grades. Many of those better U19s that progressed to NEAFL have now filtered back to their Prems clubs to strengthen them even more. Maybe the AFL have got it right in encouraging Prems clubs to put more effort in to 19s.


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