2015 academy discussion thread (with some FS thrown in for good measure)

[Matt80]

But Heeney was apparently worth that high a pick - that was a completely ok move by Melbourne as they would have gotten an absolute top notch talent if we for whatever and unlikely reason didn't match the bid. And Roosy would be better placed than pretty much all other coaches to judge the quality of an academy graduate - one I assume he'd have had a bit to do with. He'd have perhaps been negligent in his role if he didn't at least try to snare such a talented youngster.

Great post. There is a lot of Paul Roos bashing going on. He is entitled to go after any player he wishes. He can go after Josh Kennedy if he wishes. People take it personally and I don't understand why. The club offered him a poorer next Academy contract and he decided to move on. That's business. He owes the Swans nothing. People need to get into line and stop the Paul Roos bashing.

[707]

Can't agree, bidding pick 2 was purely political. It has given Maguire and co so much anti academy ammunition. If the Tankers and Roos had left it alone, GWS at bidding at pick 4 looks no where near as bad as pick 2.

There is no way the Tankers rated Heney above local boys Petracca and Brayshaw. Karma that their number 2 pick Petracca has done an ACL, full sympathy for Petracca though.

[The Big Cat]

Can't agree, bidding pick 2 was purely political. It has given Maguire and co so much anti academy ammunition. If the Tankers and Roos had left it alone, GWS at bidding at pick 4 looks no where near as bad as pick 2.

There is no way the Tankers rated Heney above local boys Petracca and Brayshaw. Karma that their number 2 pick Petracca has done an ACL, full sympathy for Petracca though.

We don'y know what was offered by other clubs for Heeney. The AFL only publishes the best offer made for a player and since Melbourne was near the bottom their pick 2 trumped other bids. Half the other clubs may also have offered their first pick but Melbourne's was the the highest. Only St Kilda offering up pick one would have been better.

[Ludwig]

We don'y know what was offered by other clubs for Heeney. The AFL only publishes the best offer made for a player and since Melbourne was near the bottom their pick 2 trumped other bids. Half the other clubs may also have offered their first pick but Melbourne's was the the highest. Only St Kilda offering up pick one would have been better.

I think the offers are made sequentially, just like in the regular draft, so the first offer is the only offer.

If we do go to a live bidding system this year, I hope St Kilda remember that we let Membrey join their list before the PSD and don't bid of Mills. They owe us one.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I'll stick by my original view and what's more, while they're not trying to run this fight publicly, people at the Swans have a VERY clear view about what Roos did in putting the academy bidding system up in lights.

[Matt80]

I'll stick by my original view and what's more, while they're not trying to run this fight publicly, people at the Swans have a VERY clear view about what Roos did in putting the academy bidding system up in lights.

You may be correct and people at the Swans will need to grin and bear it. Nobody likes to take a massive pay cut.

Will the Academy suffer in future years without the guidance of Roos? Perris, Brandon Jack, Naismith, Heeney, Hiscox, Davis, Foote, and Mills are largely the fruit of Paul Roos's Academy tree. Will the fruit turn stale without the guidance of Roos. Can the new Academy coaches provide the same excellence as Roos?

[Meg]

Article looking at potential academy draftees end of 2015 season.
'..... it looks like another year of boosting the number of Queensland and NSW players into the league. Swans academy talent and operations manager Chris Smith said smart clubs like Fremantle and Geelong were now putting extra time into scouting the academies. "The new frontier is the northern states," Smith said.'
Northern academy guns ready to take the AFL by storm - AFL.com.au

[wolftone57]

"The academies must continue, but should be run independently by AFL NSW/ACT and AFL Queensland. With the right people at the helm, there is no reason why the AFL can't continue to convert elite young sportsmen like Heeney to Australian football."

it is fair point !

But AG until the AFL is willing to take responsibility of the Academies and pay for their running they should be available to be plundered by the sides that pay for them. If the AFL were to say reimburse the Swans for the running of the Academy over the last 5 years then carte blanche. Otherwise they can stuff off.

[Doctor]

Article looking at potential academy draftees end of 2015 season.
'..... it looks like another year of boosting the number of Queensland and NSW players into the league. Swans academy talent and operations manager Chris Smith said smart clubs like Fremantle and Geelong were now putting extra time into scouting the academies. "The new frontier is the northern states," Smith said.'
Northern academy guns ready to take the AFL by storm - AFL.com.au

This statement from Chris Smith (great guy btw) gets to the heart of why the academies were created in the first place. More developed talent means more quality footy players for EVERY club, including Freo and Geelong. The rules already mean that Sydney can't take every kid who comes through. We can only draft or rookie list so many players. There is no secret stash or glut of talent up here. There is now, however, an academy that develops the talent that IS identified to a level that makes it draftable in some cases or worth a look at for a rookie list or VFL, SANFL, WAFL list etc. If left to prosper, the academies at the other three northern clubs may do the same. We are only going to see the kids who have been in the academy since the U11s in the next year or two. That's when the depth will be apparent and the rest of the AFL clubs will have a greater pool to draw from if they're good enough, and I think they will be.

[Ludwig]

You may be correct and people at the Swans will need to grin and bear it. Nobody likes to take a massive pay cut.

Will the Academy suffer in future years without the guidance of Roos? Perris, Brandon Jack, Naismith, Heeney, Hiscox, Davis, Foote, and Mills are largely the fruit of Paul Roos's Academy tree. Will the fruit turn stale without the guidance of Roos. Can the new Academy coaches provide the same excellence as Roos?

In the end Roos ended up with a massive pay rise. I doubt if we will ever see the Roos family standing in a bread line.

And I don't see any suffering at the academy since MOL took over as head coach. He's building quite a good coaching resume and is working his way toward becoming the first indigenous AFL head coach.

[Meg]

At last, a substantial financial contributor to the Swans Academy has come out swinging.

"Successful banker and now Greater Western Sydney board member Paul Moore said McGuire?s move on the academies would only hurt the competition and make the AFL a bit player in Australian sport with the proposed rule changes to the system. .....Six years ago he approached the Swans .............. and stumped up in a big way to help establish the academy along with major sponsor QBE. ....He then helped the Giants out as well, where he is now a director. .....Moore is now questioning his ongoing investment in the academies."

No Cookies | dailytelegraph.com.au

[Auntie.Gerald]

.....

?But the academies have produced just one player so far so how can that compromise it?.........ie Heeney

?There?s 99 draft picks in NSW and Queensland who all want to go home after two years. The Melbourne clubs have a huge advantage, they should be looking at redressing the balance between the clubs. At the Giants we won?t have a father-and-son pick for a long time.?


_________________


Ok do we know how many WC, Freo, Crows, Port, GWS, Swans, Brissie, GC Suns players do return to melb each year?

i am sure he isnt far off and I am sure the AFL are aware off this stat

[rojo]

The 'article of the year' so far, I think! It needs to be picked up by afl.com but they probably run everything by Eddie and the Melbourne-centric filter first, so chances of are not great.

[Ludwig]

I posted this on the McGuire thread, but no one seems to have picked up on that Michael Long wants to be the first aboriginal AFL Commissioner, which is quite relevant, since the Commission will be making decisions affecting the academies, and this could be a swing vote that determines how it goes.

see No Cookies | Fox Sports News, Live Sport, Sports | Fox Sports

Reading through the article I learned something new. Is there anything this weasel doesn't have a hand in? How many conflicts of interest can one person have. Here's the operative passage:

Former Channel Nine boss Jeff Browne has been linked to the role. It?s been reported Browne has the support of Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and West Coast chairman Alan Cransberg, two people who are on the nominations sub-committee.


Why does Eddie McGuire have a say in every decision the AFL makes? How did it happen that one person came to effectively control the operation of the biggest sport in Australia?

[Matt80]

I posted this on the McGuire thread, but no one seems to have picked up on that Michael Long wants to be the first aboriginal AFL Commissioner, which is quite relevant, since the Commission will be making decisions affecting the academies, and this could be a swing vote that determines how it goes.

see No Cookies | Fox Sports News, Live Sport, Sports | Fox Sports

Reading through the article I learned something new. Is there anything this weasel doesn't have a hand in? How many conflicts of interest can one person have. Here's the operative passage:

Former Channel Nine boss Jeff Browne has been linked to the role. It?s been reported Browne has the support of Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and West Coast chairman Alan Cransberg, two people who are on the nominations sub-committee.


Why does Eddie McGuire have a say in every decision the AFL makes? How did it happen that one person came to effectively control the operation of the biggest sport in Australia?

It's interesting they have an external sub-committee to make nominations for the AFL commission.

A lot of ASX Boards have nomination committees from within the existing Board.

Having an external committee to consider AFL commission appointments seem unnecessary as you would think that the current commissioners would have a good handle of the available mix of talent they are looking for in commissioners.