NSW rookies

[liz]

Originally posted by SimonH
A moot issue, because Sydney isn't limited to a maximum of 3 local rookie positions. We can fill up our rookie list with as many as we like (e.g. in 2006, up to 6). The situation is explained here.

I am not convinced you're correct that an unlimited number of local rookies can be taken as priority picks. I've read the BF post that you've linked through to, and also the AFL.com.au article linked on that post but there is an error in the AFL article. I can't link to anything that supports my belief but I don't think that what you've linked to is conclusive.

Jack wasn't taken as a priority selection last season. Despite being a local, he was actually the Swans' last regular pick in the rookie draft. There was an article at the time about how his draft application was never received by the AFL and he signed a stat dec stating that he did send it in. The AFL agreed to let him participate in the rookie draft but made him ineligible as a Swans' priority pick to eliminate any concern it was a ruse by him and the Swans to guarantee they got him. In reality it was a moot point because it was always Sydney that he was likely to land up at but he was available to other clubs.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by liz
I am not convinced you're correct that an unlimited number of local rookies can be taken as priority picks. I've read the BF post that you've linked through to, and also the AFL.com.au article linked on that post but there is an error in the AFL article. I can't link to anything that supports my belief but I don't think that what you've linked to is conclusive.

Jack wasn't taken as a priority selection last season. Despite being a local, he was actually the Swans' last regular pick in the rookie draft. There was an article at the time about how his draft application was never received by the AFL and he signed a stat dec stating that he did send it in. The AFL agreed to let him participate in the rookie draft but made him ineligible as a Swans' priority pick to eliminate any concern it was a ruse by him and the Swans to guarantee they got him. In reality it was a moot point because it was always Sydney that he was likely to land up at but he was available to other clubs.

Here is the article you were talking about. It certainly shows that the linked AFL teams list was wrong when it referred to Jack as a 'local rookie'; I'm not sure if it establishes that we can't pick 4 local rookies, though. Of course, you could well be right, but the article itself doesn't tend to point one way or t'other. Hard to know if the statement, "Ricky Barham said Jack... was in line to be listed as a local rookie until his form got lost" is intended to mean that he would have been #4, or that we wouldn't have taken one of Barlow, Prior or Rowe.

Chalk up another bout of confusion to the AFL's charming refusal to make available to the public the rules under which the competition operates.

[Industrial Fan]

Any chance he will turn into a player rather than just a feelgood piece in the AFL vs RL marketplace?

[chammond]

Originally posted by liz
Does anyone know how second year rookies affect the number of local rookies the club can take as priority picks? Can they pick up to three each year, or top-up to up to three each year?

Both Rowe and Barlow were picked as NSW rookies last year and have been retained for a second year. Does this mean that the club only gets one priority local pick this year, or can they still pick three?

From memory, I think the intention was always that Sydney gets the 44 player squad that every other team has, plus the concession of 3 local rookies taken from the current crop. That would mean that Rowe and Barlow are part of the 44, and Sydney gets 3 more local rookies this year.

But, like you, I'm not sure that that assumption has ever been tested. It might well be to Sydney's advantage to hold Rowe and Barlow as nominal 'local' rookies, and that way get to take 5 non-local rookies in the draft. It also begs the question whether the Swans can de-list a local rookie and then re-draft him as a priority pick?

Sydney definitely don't get more than 3 priority local picks . . . as you pointed out elsewhere, Kieran Jack was an 'ordinary' rookie selection.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by Boodnutz
Some of you may be aware that the Sydney junior comps went to Sunday football in 06 in an attempt to get these athletes to play aussie rules on the Sunday after playing the other on the Saturday.

The move has been an outstanding success. Player regos have been up across the board largely due to these standout players trying their hand. The good news is that the majority of them love the change and don't want to go back to their old game next year. And there are some jaw-dropping athletes among them. If the Swans are smart they will push to have some local concessions kicking in in 3 to 4 years time to get the pick of these boys.

The face of the junior game in Sydney has quietly undergone enormous change in the last 12 months.

Just wanted to correct a few facts there.

Not all junior comps have gone to Sunday, in fact only one has, Sydney North, all 7 other comps have stayed on Saturday and as far as I am aware will remain on Saturday next year.

Sydney Norths regos have not increased that dramatically, in fact their growth has been pretty much in line with that over previous years when they played on Sat. What they have found is that as you have suggested they are getting a bunch of kids who normally wouldn't have been able to play to do so (particularly the private school kids). The downside has been a drop off of those that don't/can't play on the Sunday (for example that play in a number of League comps across Sydney that play on Sunday).

[SimonH]

Back on the topic (well, kind of),here is a generally fairly well thought-out mock rookie draft done by 'Snoop Dog' on BigFooty. Suggests the local rookies will be Matt Suckling, Jacob Wooden and... Ed Wilson.

Would be interested in people's views (esp on Wilson, for Sydney AFL/Rams watchers).

[Northern_Swan]

Originally posted by floppinab
Just wanted to correct a few facts there.

Not all junior comps have gone to Sunday, in fact only one has, Sydney North, all 7 other comps have stayed on Saturday and as far as I am aware will remain on Saturday next year.

Sydney Norths regos have not increased that dramatically, in fact their growth has been pretty much in line with that over previous years when they played on Sat. What they have found is that as you have suggested they are getting a bunch of kids who normally wouldn't have been able to play to do so (particularly the private school kids). The downside has been a drop off of those that don't/can't play on the Sunday (for example that play in a number of League comps across Sydney that play on Sunday).

My understanding is that only Syd North went to Sunday on 06, which was tied entirely to Riverview. From what I was told, Riverview were going to drop Australian Rules unless they moved the games to a Sunday.

Further to this, I understand that ALL competitions affiliated with the Greater sydney Juniors have been instructed (that is forced) to go to Sunday competitions in 2007.

[Boodnutz]

Originally posted by Northern_Swan
My understanding is that only Syd North went to Sunday on 06, which was tied entirely to Riverview. From what I was told, Riverview were going to drop Australian Rules unless they moved the games to a Sunday.

Further to this, I understand that ALL competitions affiliated with the Greater sydney Juniors have been instructed (that is forced) to go to Sunday competitions in 2007.

No, in fact it was the opposite. Riverview games had to be played on a Saturday - they were the only games to do so. As it stands, it may well be that Riverview move in the near future to a GPS competition and out of Northside.

The point I was making re rego increases was that we in the Hills saw a dramatic increase in quality recruits from the rugby games. That may not have been reflected across the competition but we actively promoted it and got a great response.

i'm aware that pro-active moves are afoot to mirror this elsewhere in both Northside and the other comps. We will have 8 boys in our Div 1 team this year that are also union/league rep players. Most of them won't go back to league or union this year. If that result was mirrored across greater Sydney you'd have a super draft in 2010 for Sydney alone.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by Northern_Swan

Further to this, I understand that ALL competitions affiliated with the Greater sydney Juniors have been instructed (that is forced) to go to Sunday competitions in 2007.

This is the Swans and Roos in particular have been lobbying heavily for a move to Sunday across Sydney. It has been driven heavily by his experience in the affluent eastern suburbs.

As I mentioned there are upsides and downsides and it does not necessarily suit all, particularly in areas where kids don't attend private schools in the numbers they do inner east and north/northwest.

At least 3 out of the 7 assoc. I mentioned earlier are staying on Saturday in 2007. I'm not totally sure about the rest but I know they are resisting any change.

[wedge.maverick]

With what's available in NSW this year I just hope that Rowe and Barlow at least and hopefully Jack all count as NSW rookies so we can take the rest from other states as that is where all the talent is.