'Sweeping changes' to Academy and Father/Son bidding system

[Matt80]

I think people such as Eddie, Newbold and the presidents of the Victorian Clubs Coalition are missing one key point in all their arguments and air play:

"The Welfare of Isacc Heeney"

This young man has become the symbol of this huge political fight in AFL circles.

He has to read the AFL news and realise that he is at the centre of this stupid fight for supremacy in the AFL.

He is 18 years old, doing his HSC and trying to live a normal life at Waverley College. He is now the most widely known U18 player in the history of the AFL.

Would Eddie like his Son to be subjected to this coverage and pressure as an 18 year old. His only crime was being the best he could be.

If I was Isaac I would be taking a year off traveling and not nominating for the upcoming draft. I would see how I felt about Football once all the heat had died down.

[dimelb]

Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold said his club would pursue fairness in the draft.
"What we've pushed for and one of the principles agreed was an even playing field, an even draft and an even salary cap," he told Channel Nine.
"We've got to get back to those principles.
"We're supportive of a bidding system where they have to effectively pay a price for those academy kids."

I wonder if Newbold realises the Swans are already paying a price, unlike the other (non-northern) clubs. Dill.

[Doctor]

Gees you'd think Isaac Heeney was a 300 gamer with 4 premierships, 5 Brownlows and the cure for cancer.

[liz]

Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold said his club would pursue fairness in the draft.
"What we've pushed for and one of the principles agreed was an even playing field, an even draft and an even salary cap," he told Channel Nine.
"We've got to get back to those principles.
"We're supportive of a bidding system where they have to effectively pay a price for those academy kids."

I wonder if Newbold realises the Swans are already paying a price, unlike the other (non-northern) clubs. Dill.

Are he and his mate Eddie also pushing for

- even prime time / FTA coverage for all clubs, achieved by sharing around Anzac Day, Queens Birthday and Friday night fixtures?
- the government to implement rent controls such that people living in each city have to pay the same rent to live in equivalent properties?
- clubs that lure "home" U23 players coming out of their first or second contracts coughing up draft picks to the player's current club that roughly equate to a fair value?

[jono2707]

We're all kind of going round in circles with this thread and the anti-Eddie thread (which is almost the same topic anyway). I think it sounds like the current system is gone, so the best we can hope for is something that doesn't do too much damage and remains reasonably fair. Maybe I'm asking too much?

The biggest losers out of watered down academy benefits are the Suns and GWS who won't get F/S picks for a long time. I guess the old Melbourne clubs were so peeved about the expansion clubs' draft concessions so I guess they won't give a hoot about these upcoming changes and the impact to the growth of the game in non-traditional AFL states.....

[Meg]

The biggest question that remains it that, if they are all so opposed, why have the voices of opposition been so quiet over the past 3-4 years while the Swans and other clubs have been ploughing millions of dollars into the scheme?.

Exactly right. To understand the background a little better I've spent a bit of time doing some internet searches. There was plenty of publicity when the academies were first announced and established. And all the articles set out the draft bidding process which would apply if/when an Academy player qualified and was good enough for the draft. Zero complaint then.

[Ludwig]

Are he and his mate Eddie also pushing for

- even prime time / FTA coverage for all clubs, achieved by sharing around Anzac Day, Queens Birthday and Friday night fixtures?
- the government to implement rent controls such that people living in each city have to pay the same rent to live in equivalent properties?
- clubs that lure "home" U23 players coming out of their first or second contracts coughing up draft picks to the player's current club that roughly equate to a fair value?

This 'go home' compensation makes perfect sense in the context of what Eddie says he wants to achieve. In fact, their should not only be fair compensation paid in the form of a fair value draft pick or player, but also additional compensation in either cash or draft picks to compensate the original club for its development costs. This would help mitigate the kind of pain that Brisbane is going through by having developed players like Polec and Yeo and now being forced to start over again with a new lot of recruits. At this rate they will never get off the bottom, and that's grossly unfair, especially in such a fragile market. The northern clubs should not be used as training camps for the clubs in traditional Aussie Rules areas.

Furthermore, the bidding system for academy players should be modified as well, but not in the way that Eddie has suggested. If a club that bids for a player wins the bid to draft that player, in that the nominating club withdraws its preselection, then the winning club will not only have to use the pick it bid for that player, but also pay compensation to the academy club with its next pick to cover the development costs of that player. For example, if Carlton bids its first round pick, let's say pick 5, for Heeney and the Swans let them have him, then Carlton would use that pick to draft Heeney and also give its 2nd round pick to Sydney as development compensation.

[barry]

Playing yhe grand final at the home ground of collingwood and hawthorn is the biggest legup in all sport world wide.

Lets address that one first.

[goswannies]

Playing yhe grand final at the home ground of collingwood and hawthorn is the biggest legup in all sport world wide.

Lets address that one first.

I'd rather the academy players.

We play the MCG pretty well in September & not many (& by that I mean none) other grounds hold the 100+K crowds of a GF ... that's a lot of revenue in ticket sales

[ernie koala]

The principle of what Barry suggests is right though.

How can there be an equal comp when some teams are guaranteed a home grand final?

Just to stick it up Eddie and co, you'll be happy to know Barry, I'll even put up with it being played at ANZ now and then!

[Ruck'n'Roll]

The biggest question that remains it that, if they are all so opposed, why have the voices of opposition been so quiet over the past 3-4 years while the Swans and other clubs have been ploughing millions of dollars into the scheme?

The answer to that is . . . New CEO. While I found Andrews apparent inability to tell right from wrong distasteful. There was one non negotiable with him. his authority, once he actually put his name to a decision Vlad was absolutely savage when he felt someone was questioning it.

And the second question is how they propose development paths in the northern states should be enhanced given the abject failure of previous efforts over the past 10 years. This is especially pertinent given that just a couple of weeks ago McGuire was whingeing about how the talent pool wasn't big enough to support 18 teams in the competition.

Egregious Eddie has no interest in game development in the northern states and never has (the short memories here seem to have forgotten his 04-06 campaign to torpedo development of the game in NSW). That succeeded, so will this one - despite what you and I perceive as the "abject failure" of what was instituted at his behest. From his perspective the scholarship scheme was a success, its narrow cherry picking focus did produce a handful of talent from NSW (some of which ended up at his club).
As to the shortage of talent, Egregious Eddie doesn't want the talent pool expanded very much (especially if it doesn't directly benefit his Magpies) all he wants is for most of the talent playing in black and white. His antipathy to the Swans probably stems from his hardcore belief that the role of the lesser clubs is to act as a recruiting zone for his predatory club (Rocca, Smith, Morwood, Teasedale, Mitchell etc. etc.) and he is absolutely furious that not only do the Swans not recognise and accept that role, they have the temerity to go round winning premierships and out predating the predators in the wonderful new free agency universe.

[ernie koala]

Cut the Melbourne clubs loose. Let them go back to the VFL. The remaining 8 clubs plus Geelong and a new franchise in Tasmania can be the new AFL. It will be a much better competition without them and their antiquated provincialism.

If this kind of Victorian centric behaviour continues then at some stage (a fair way into the future) your proposal may just happen.

There may be a few of the poorer Melbourne clubs that might also come on board...maximum of 2 I say. Plus possibly a team in Canberra and a team from

Northern Territory. That's about 13 teams, evenly spread across Australia.

Look forward to it.

[CJK]

If this kind of Victorian centric behaviour continues then at some stage (a fair way into the future) your proposal may just happen.

There may be a few of the poorer Melbourne clubs that might also come on board...maximum of 2 I say. Plus possibly a team in Canberra and a team from

Northern Territory. That's about 13 teams, evenly spread across Australia.

Look forward to it.

That would be truly wonderful.

[dimelb]

The principle of what Barry suggests is right though.

How can there be an equal comp when some teams are guaranteed a home grand final?

Just to stick it up Eddie and co, you'll be happy to know Barry, I'll even put up with it being played at ANZ now and then!

[Reggi]

Atbthe AFL site there are quotes from Evans that the acadamies are here to stay