A-League will kill Sydney's D-League.

[Rod]

It's an interesting suggestion Pekay - but I think that strategy would be a tad too radical and put too many people's noses out of joint and we may lose them to the game altogether.
I don't think mass merges are a way of the future because people that play footy in Sydney do so for many different reasons. A lot of Sydney AFL players don't want an absolute top class elite competition. They are happy training 2 nights a week and having a pizza the night before a game. While I think this is unfortunate, it's the nature of the beast at the moment.

I still think patience is the key here. As more kids come back to local clubs through the talented player pathways (whatever that may be this week), that professionalism they learn there they will hopefully put into action at their clubs. They will train more intensely, they will eat the right things, get to the gym on top of their training, and eventually they will be leaders at local clubs and instilling that attitude to all involved. It's already hapenning at a number of clubs - David Boers and Justin Barrett at Penno, Trent Goodrem at ECE, the Bartlett boy at Wollongong, Dean Davies at North Shore (he is at Nth isn't he??). As time goes on there'll be more and more of these kids coming through and leading local clubs. The imports will be a constant in Sydney, but the depth is getting better and better I think.

It's not a spectacular answer to the Sydney AFL, but I think it's a very solid one which will not upset masses of people, and will create a sustainable competition which will keep getting better and better in terms of it's standard so that in 5 years time we'll be looking on rubbing our hands together thinking "Geez this is good footy."

[motorace_182]

My youngest brother is currently playing in the under 12 and 13s comps. There has been a massive growth from when i played back then. There are local teams shootin up everywhere. He plays for Baulko, as i did at that age before moving to Penno. When i played the only local team was Westbrook. Now there is Kellyville, Hornsby, Parra and a few more. It has certainly grown a lot for these teams to be competitive as they are.
Also the same brother is playing for the Sydney West AFL team... this was never on offer almost a decade ago when i went through the ranks. They go on tour to Canberra soon, and there has been a massively growing increase in the team.
There has also been an AFL comp started up in the PSSA comps... this was never even close 10 years ago. I finished yr 6 in 98... there were two other lads that knew something about AFL back then. Now, some schools have removed soccer and placed AFL as the number oine winter sport and the only boys sport for PSSA. MASSIVE ACHIEVEMENT.
The sport is growing, dont just sit there n bitch about it, do something if you see an issue

[Rafters]

Having been around footy for a few years & having seen the administration side of things as well, I think that the NSWAFL & associated bodies have done very well given limited resources.

What should be the key performance measures of the NSWAFL?
- junior numbers up? significantly
- senior clubs up? New clubs like St Clair, UTS & Riverwood that I can think of
- NSW players entering the AFL ranks? Messrs Hayes, McVeigh x 2, Davis, Stafford, R Hall that I can think of easily
- AFL funding up? Well you need to be able to convince any organisation that you are doing the right thing if you want cash
- Swans members & attendances up? sure think so given the numbers at Telstra Stadium games
- brand awareness up? sure is - I don't hear too many "aerial ping pong" jibes anymore
- Standard of SFL? Probably in decline across the board but a representative team would probably be better now than a decade ago.
- paid positions within SFL clubs? we see that some clubs now have self-funding with managers
- links with AFL clubs? I think the majority of sides have an affiliation with an AFL club now
- exposure? we have fox footy show on TV & a website now
- umpire numbers up? no this is a national problem & the supporters & players are the ones to blame here for their myopic blasts on the shortcomings of umpires rather than looking at their team's own deficiencies.
- domination by one side only? Apart from perennial GF specialists Norths no team has dominated the competition by winning the premiership every year - so it must be pretty well shared around. In the past 10 years, Norths, Wests, Balmain Easts & Campbelltown have won a premiership yet also come last
- maybe even throw in Penno.

Sure the Sydney AFL is not the premier competition of Australia ... otherwise it would be called the AFL ... but I don't think that it is not for the lack of effort by people interested in the game. Don't bag them otherwise they will turn their backs & never return to footy.

One thing that I think we (as a community) should try & promote is a Sydney Aussie Rules club where each club owns a share of the club in association with the NSWAFL and each club then supports that licensed club with functions etc etc. 5 hard years of combined work in getting that club up & running (thru support & voluntary labour) will be so worth it in the long run for footy in Sydney ... we could have a self-sustaining competition like they do in places like Cairns.

If you want a state based comp ... lets have rep fixtures or champion of champion format & see if state based competitions could work in the future.

[Coastal Boy]

Rod, As I mentioned on this thread I feel promoting AFL into the schools as a sport offered on the weekend is critical. Rugby Union 10 years ago was miles behind where it is today but when the push came they had a strong private school base which enabled a quick conversion of supporters to the super 12 concept. Where does the AFL stand with school promotion and I stress I dont just mean thursday sport or a knock out comp but a genuine interschoo l weekend competition? Is it a priority? is it feasable or a possibility to think AFL could infiltrate private or state schools? (I see St Ig in the U18s and think thats great.) I would appreciate your thoughts on this point. Cheers.

[Rod]

That's a good point Coastal. Not sure about how they're attacking this problem. Will see what I can find out.
I totally agree that a genuine shcools comp (like they have in Vic - not sure what they do in other states) should be a big priority. It's probably a tough ask to infiltrate the more traditional private schools like Kings, Barker, Shore etc as their committment to Union at most of those schools would be a very tough nut to crack.
If anyone does know what the story is with schools comps let us know. I'll see if I can dig anything up in the meantime.

[Lensman]

Did you see "Seriously AFL" on the weekend... Seems the Eagles (Both West Coast and East Coast) have made a big commitment to developing the game at Coverdale College. Might be something to have a look at Rod. Pretty amazing that a club from the other side of the country is working with the school...

[Mightyswans2005]

Originally posted by Lensman
Did you see "Seriously AFL" on the weekend... Seems the Eagles (Both West Coast and East Coast) have made a big commitment to developing the game at Coverdale College. Might be something to have a look at Rod. Pretty amazing that a club from the other side of the country is working with the school...

Coverdale College are offering alot of Scholarships to young athletes, i know there is a few there on scholarships for AFL and cricket.

[Troy G]

A big day tomorrow my prayers might finally be answered and that of the SydneyAFL, surely a State League is due over the next ten years- let's hope it's not just another talkfest.

Below is from an AFL Media Release:

"AFL Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou will host a day-long strategy meeting in Sydney tomorrow, Tuesday May 31, as the AFL seeks to outline its goals for the game in New South Wales, and greater Sydney in particular, over the next 10 years to 2015.

Mr Demetriou said the AFL's entire executive and line management staff of more than 35 across all sections of the organisation -- Football Operations; Game Development; Marketing and Communications; Commercial Operations; Legal; Finance and Administration -- would join the conference to understand what the game needed to do to achieve its long-term objectives in greater Sydney.

Keynote speakers during the day will include Sydney coach Paul Roos and Sydney Chief Executive Myles Baron-Hay, with staff to spend Wednesday June 1 visiting a range of locations across the metropolitan area."

[footyhead]

I hope the AFL are as serious as they have been sounding in recent months about fixing up the problems with the code in Sydney. Far too late in my opinion, but better late than never!

[shearer]

Besides Troy G, who we all know were he stands on a State League, can anyone see any benefits for there particular club if a State League came in?

Be happy to hear what people who are actually involved with a football club think, rather than someone with no connection nor history to a place.

[Coastal Boy]

Originally posted by shearer
Besides Troy G, who we all know were he stands on a State League, can anyone see any benefits for there particular club if a State League came in?

Be happy to hear what people who are actually involved with a football club think, rather than someone with no connection nor history to a place.

I point to Campbelltown as a good example which should be studied. Their move to the ACTAFL was to play a better standard. Ultimately it must be viewed as a failure as sponsorship dried up, the Blues were not as competitive as first thought and they ended up back in the SFL(and now really struggling).

Look at the joint ventures in the NRL. To think joining 2 or 3 SFL clubs will form a 'powerhouse' club has not been the case with any of the NRL mergers. The rationalisation of the soccer in Australia will prove a good case study.

What ever happened to the Hunter team in the SFL? Was this concept ever embraced by the hunter region or any of the players???

What effect will another AFL team in Sydney have on the designs of a State League?

Players play for a club they like, not necessarily one in the top league. The SFA is bursting with many players who would slot right in to SFL first grade but they choose not to. Many players would most likely simply continue with their local club and not embrace a State League.

I cannot see any benefit to any individual club by merging. Advocates of a state league with reduced Sydney teams ought to look closely at the perceived benefits as they they may not materialise. Unless there is a standout of SFL clubs wanting to break free I cannot see things working. There is no club in the SFL bursting with money, talent and a top management team so do we really think this will improve by merely merging clubs?

I believe the NSWAFL were on a good idea by providing funds for a general manager for each club of the SFL. I think we ought to make the local league a powerhouse then allow a state league to be evolve naturally with the support of all AFL clubs in Sydney and not be forced. Timing is important.

[shearer]

Well said.

[Troy G]

Well said?

I can't believe that you are even for a moment trying to compare NRL clubs and their impact on Sydney's sporting scene to merged SydneyAFL clubs as somehow being of similar effect!!!

There is no comparison, just one NRL club gets offered $9million just to relocate while the whole state of NSW gets $9 million from the AFL in development.

[shearer]

There was 6 other paragraphs to that thread Troy G .

One thing i would like the AFL to do is to pay the umpires themselves. I find it ludicrous the clubs have to pay the umpires fees, it should come from the league.

[Coastal Boy]

Originally posted by Troy G
Well said?

I can't believe that you are even for a moment trying to compare NRL clubs and their impact on Sydney's sporting scene to merged SydneyAFL clubs as somehow being of similar effect!!!

There is no comparison, just one NRL club gets offered $9million just to relocate while the whole state of NSW gets $9 million from the AFL in development.

The mention of $9million merely valides my point. The Wests Tigers and Northern Eagles group were given $9m to merge, exempt from the salary cap for a couple of years, given access to the player pool of both teams yet they were just as bad as the stand alone clubs. The poor management and coaching combined withthe lack of sponsorship of each team merely transferred across to the new venture. If Wests, UNSW and Balmain were to merge would an existing coach from one of those clubs bring any more to the players than currently. Would they attract more sponsorship than any of the clubs on their own?? I say no. How would the new board members be selected to run the club? Would there be bickering and internal problems? Of course. It would be better to pick one of these clubs to join a State league and let the others stay local (as was done with Central Coast teams in the Jim Beam Cup RL) or as soccer in Australia have done and scrap all teams and start again.