Swans Academy and player watch

[liz]

I think if the Swans get to the point where all the players they take in the NAB draft are academy selections and this happens every year, then the competition could be upset.

What you would have then is a youth system as potent as Manchester United in soccer.

If the Swans Academy becomes so renowned that the best 13 and 14 year old AFL players around the country are moving to Sydney to join the Academy, then the competition could be upset. The competition would become more upset if the Swans were organising jobs for the parents through their networks and putting the academy players into elite private schools.

The academy is not this sort of beast, but the Swans need to be careful not to make the academy as potent as the youth systems at Manchester United or Barcelona otherwise the competition will tear it down!

That suggestion is faintly ridiculous. All the Academy does is provide a development opportunity for NSW (and Queensland) kids that starts to be comparable to the development systems already in place in WA, SA and Victoria, especially in the metro areas. Kids in country areas are always going to be disadvantaged to some degree due to the challenges of travel. Why would a family (that probably supports West Coast, Port, or Essendon, say) going to up root itself so that their 14 year old son who might show some decent promise can move to an area where he might get development opportunities on a par with what he's getting where he already is?

[Ludwig]

I think Craig Bird is the only successful academy player that we got with some benefit in the National Draft. All these years with the Academy for only one success story that we had special access to. I am excluding the ones overlooked by other clubs that came through the rookie system.

Suddenly there is some obvious talent coming through and all the work that went into the academy no longer matters. There should be open access to all. They want to grow the game in the Northern states, but only to the benefit of the Victorian clubs. What a bunch of hypocrites.

If the small benefits of developing these players are taken away, then the clubs involved should close their academies. One of the big benefits of the academy system is that it builds a local fan base for the local teams because these kids are connected with a specific AFL club in their area. After putting so much money into these markets, the AFL is now dismantling the infrastructure they invested in. When you have a fool as the biggest mouth in the AFL, what else could you expect.

If this Eddie driven madness succeeds, there should be an open fan revolt in NSW and QLD to boycott all Collingwood games. It has to come from the fans, because the clubs won't do it.

I am really quite serious. McGuire is a blight on the game. Murdoch should get him over the the US and put him on Fox News. He's a racist bully who talks complete nonsense and never shuts up, so he meets all the job requirements.

[Matt80]

That suggestion is faintly ridiculous. All the Academy does is provide a development opportunity for NSW (and Queensland) kids that starts to be comparable to the development systems already in place in WA, SA and Victoria, especially in the metro areas. Kids in country areas are always going to be disadvantaged to some degree due to the challenges of travel. Why would a family (that probably supports West Coast, Port, or Essendon, say) going to up root itself so that their 14 year old son who might show some decent promise can move to an area where he might get development opportunities on a par with what he's getting where he already is?

When you say faintly ridiculous to you mean small ridiculous? I take faintly ridiculous as a complement because I'm the Red and Whites left field ideas man.

You don't have to uproot the family. Why not partly or fully fund a boarding place at an elite Sydney private school like Scots College.

This is not happening with the QBE Academy, but there are no rules to say this could not happen.

[ugg]

I think Craig Bird is the only successful academy player that we got with some benefit in the National Draft. All these years with the Academy for only one success story that we had special access to. I am excluding the ones overlooked by other clubs that came through the rookie system.

You're confusing the Academy with the NSW scholarship system. The Academy did not exist when Bird was playing his junior football, it was brought in to replace the scholarship scheme. Lloyd Perris being our last scholarship holder but was also an Academy member. BJ and Naismith were also part of the Academy but were drafted via the NSW zone pre-selection to the rookie list i.e. after every other team had passed on them in the main draft.

[Melb Blood Bro]

In fairness to Eddie, we do hide away the cream of the academy crop - playing them in the NEAFL safe in the knowledge no one outside the supporters of the senior AFL sides really gives a @@@@

Are you saying the club scouts don't watch the NEAFL? I'd very very surprised if that was the case.

[Ludwig]

You're confusing the Academy with the NSW scholarship system. The Academy did not exist when Bird was playing his junior football, it was brought in to replace the scholarship scheme. Lloyd Perris being our last scholarship holder but was also an Academy member. BJ and Naismith were also part of the Academy but were drafted via the NSW zone pre-selection to the rookie list i.e. after every other team had passed on them in the main draft.

I knew he was a scholarship player, but didn't remember when the academy started. The various arrangements of the scholarship and academy programs is hard to remember. The point I wanted to make was that Heeney and Mills have caused all the fuss about the academies, just like Buddy was the tipping point (or is it the Tippett point) with the COLA.

[Auntie.Gerald]

when you are on top you just have to handle the hate !!!

last year when we came 4th we were considered the "Audit"

now that we are looking like a much bigger threat then last year with our twin towers upfront we are no longer the Audit.........

we are now worse then an increase in "Income Tax"

I suppose the Libs would call us a.........."Levy"

[Jewels]

Are you saying the club scouts don't watch the NEAFL? I'd very very surprised if that was the case.

I'm thinking it was meant tongue in cheek!

[chalbilto]

The National Talent Manager of the AFL, Kevin Sheehan, was just on SEN talking to KB about Eddie's comment's RE the acadamies and basically laughed them off.

He fully explained how the current academy system works and how clubs have the right to bid on players the same as with the father-son rule and mentioned it is just the luck of ladder positioning that Sydney will be able to draft 'a likely top 5-er' with pick 16, 17, 18.

He also went into detail saying that currently only 11% of all AFL players are drafted from NSW/Qld combined and that the AFL is aiming for this to be 20% as soon as possible and that it definitely wouldn't be achievable without the development provided via the academies.

He may not exactly be Gillon McLachlan but it is still comforting to hear somebody with an official AFL role come out and vehemently defend the academies.

By the way, loving Andrew Pridham getting on the front foot on twitter and getting behind the club, very passionate man!

Good to see that he is getting behind the club, however, i and many others do not use twitter so I think he should really get on the front foot and contact the media outlets, radio, tv, fox sports news and speak just as Andrew Ireland recently did. This would have more effect.

[Xie Shan]

Good to see that he is getting behind the club, however, i and many others do not use twitter so I think he should really get on the front foot and contact the media outlets, radio, tv, fox sports news and speak just as Andrew Ireland recently did. This would have more effect.

Yep, social media can be a fantastic tool for certain things, but it's no substitute for actually getting your message out there.

[Matt80]

I both hope and believe that if there are any changes to the academy rules they won't affect the next 2 drafts. Usually there is a transition period before changes take place. It would appear an act of jealousy if changes were made just because of the circumstances where we are in line to nab a couple of very promising players.

Since there are 4 clubs involved, including some powerful figures that will fight any changes, it won't be an easy task.

Eddie is a blight on the game. He's the most negative influence on footy and should be given a lifetime ban. Almost everything he does brings the game in disrepute. Each time he opens his mouth he brings the game down a little bit more. We should get Luis Suarez to bite Eddies' tongue and rip it out of his mouth.

I think Eddie is a highly talented operator who has had a glittering career as a broadcaster, but he has grown into what he has become because not enough powerful people have objected to clear credibility issues.

In 2002, Tim Lane tried to make a credibility point on Eddie commentating on Collingwood matches but he was the only one who publicly took up the fight.

As a club president he should probably not be allowed to commentate on any AFL matches. The commentary on 9 was allowed to continue since 2002 and now it occurs on Fox Sports. Maybe the majority viewer feedback is positive for Eddie? I'm not sure.

The AFL administration have also allowed Eddie to become what he is. I'm sure Eddie would count most of the commissioners and the top executives of the AFL as friends. The AFL have been onside with Eddie on most issues and have relied on his media support. The AFL also selects Eddie to sit on many working groups and Sub Committees in order to have him publicly support them and be part of the process.

He is a very powerful media operator and many AFL media pundits can do very well in their careers by having him onside and supporting his opinions.

He also has a great ability to build powerful alliances and this has served him well.

I think he has a very pro Collingwood and pro Victorian view of the game and that leads towards his dissent of interstate teams.

I don't think he is a bad person. He is just someone who has found great power and uses it to his back his own agendas. The AFL, the T.V networks have allowed his power and influence to rise unabated and unchallenged and that has let to the operator we have at this time.

[Melb Blood Bro]

Andrew Pridham on the front foot; QBE Sydney Swans Academy explained.

[Auntie.Gerald]

"It is ironic that just days after bemoaning the talent in the AFL system, that McGuire would attack one of the most important initiatives in the development of football talent across Australia."

[Ludwig]

What a great retort from Andrew. He really makes Eddie look like a fool, although Eddie does a pretty good job doing it himself.

[Conor_Dillon]

This article from Paige Cardona (some of you may know her from 'Supercoach Paige' on Facebook) is a really good read as well. She's highly involved in the TAC cup and has just taken up a recruiting position at an AFL club.

McGuire off the mark criticising academies ? Bound for Glory News