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

[YvonneH]

[QUOTE
Could the Swans be the first AFL club to have a full time acting and drama teacher on their books[/QUOTE]


Don't give Eddie McQuire any more ammunition to use against us.
Next thing you know he will be blabbering about how the Swans are going to 'tank' at the draft camps.

[Matt80]

I do think this year will be an outlier....

I think we will get real value from the second round quality academy products - I'd say that a genuine first rounder would only come along every 5-6 years.

Just wondering if someone can help me with how this system works. I gather we can carry over players to the following year but only if the debt is cleared before the next seasons trade period.

Can someone please explain how that works?

I do think that if we want both Dunkley and Mills we will need to trade a player but an early second rounder would be all that we need (this is not meant to cue a trade discussion)

So, if Mills is rated #1 and Dunkley #8 (both VERY optimistic I think) then if we finish third this year we would need to give up picks 16, 34, 52 a player worth a trade for pick 21 plus the following year's pick 16. Plus we get 344 points change. Seems like a decent deal to me.

If they were rated 3rd and 10th then we would keep our following year first round pick or not have to trade

The real benefits are down the list I think. In the same situation of finishing 3rd and then picking four academy kids rated as 10, 20, 25 and 30 we would only have to give up either pick 16 the following year or trade a player for pick 21

Another risk people have mentioned is that of phantom bids high in the list. I think that this risk is perhaps over-estimated by us. Firstly this is only really effective for picks 1-6, after that the penalty to us is lessened. Clubs with those picks will usually not be the clubs who wish to hurt us with the possible exception of the pig at Whitten Oval. Clubs in the bottom 6 should be totally focussed on getting the best kids for their club not hurting us.

I can also see a gentleman's agreement between the Northern Alliance clubs not to select each others academy players. With the possible exception of that f-wit at Port I can also see the SA and WA clubs not wishing to hurt us.

Finally I can see us playing some serious mind games with the Melbourne clubs at draft camps etc. If kids know that the club will definitely draft them if they can they have nothing to fear - they can be as rude and obnoxious when being interviewed by Bucks, they can be complete prats throughout the draft camp. Sure, they may be acting, but are they really? Only we will know because we have known these kids since they were 11.

Could the Swans be the first AFL club to have a full time acting and drama teacher on their books

It would be dumb for Academy kids to act like brats to deter other clubs from interest. You have a long career in football, which a lot of the time goes beyond your playing days.

What happens to the 30 year old academy player who is retired and now wants a job as an assistant coach in Melbourne. He struggles to get an interview anywhere because coaches and officials remember what an idiot he was at draft camp.

[tasmania60]

Look at English soccer academies ,there talent scouted from early youth put through academies and eventually if good enough come up through the ranks and play senior soccer ! Whats wrong with that the club and third parties pay for most of their families needs .System looks fair ,cant the VFL see this or does Real Madrid ( hawthorn ) want it all ?

[707]

Slipping just a handful of places at the top of the draft has real benefits.

We don't want Mills to be no.1 as it will kill us but 4, 5, 6 will be a bargain. Can't really see say St.Kilda, Carlton or Bulldogs stuffing around with their top pick when what they really need to do is nail who they really want as Mills is never going to them anyway. Two clubs we don't want to finish bottom four are Collingwood and Melbourne who would both like to stuff us up, Melbourne did this year.

Same with Dunkley, anything out of the top 10 and he only costs us our 2016 ND top pick, nice!

A lot of time to go but I reckon we'll take both.

[The Big Cat]

Same with Dunkley, anything out of the top 10 and he only costs us our 2016 ND top pick, nice!

One of the draft experts on the AFL website didn't have Dunkley in his top 20. The bad news (or good news) is that he had Mills number 1.

[Mug Punter]

One of the draft experts on the AFL website didn't have Dunkley in his top 20. The bad news (or good news) is that he had Mills number 1.

If Mills is a genuine Number 1 Draft Prospect then I am happy and glad to pay the price

[cherub]

There is a bit of top end talent. AFL.com is talking up Sam Weideman and Callum Ah Chee. Weideman is a mobile tall, so would fill a different need to an "injury -prone" Callum Mills. Could be some change in draft order perception over the year.

[sharp9]

If Mills is a genuine Number 1 Draft Prospect then I am happy and glad to pay the price

Yes, but under the current system our "Price" would be our first, second, third and fouth round choices PLUS something from next year. That's not fair market value - especially when we pay $1million for the academy and we are talking (often) about players who would not even be playing AFL without the Academy.....and EVERY club in the AFL wants us to grow the game in NSW because it will bring in more money to all the clubs.

[Mug Punter]

Yes, but under the current system our "Price" would be our first, second, third and fouth round choices PLUS something from next year. That's not fair market value - especially when we pay $1million for the academy and we are talking (often) about players who would not even be playing AFL without the Academy.....and EVERY club in the AFL wants us to grow the game in NSW because it will bring in more money to all the clubs.

If we won the flag and wanted a number 1 rated draft pick we would get pick 1 instead to 18 and lose picks 2,3 and 4. Plus Pick 2 the following year. But we throw a player in the mix (a Biggs, Everitt or Lamb) and we should only be affected in the current year. The upgrade from 18 to 1 more than offsets losing a couple of late draft picks.

The real value lays in stockpiling late first round and early second round talent. As an example, even if we win the flag we can potentially upgrade from picks 18, 36, 54,72 to 18,20,25,40 with only the loss of a Pick 30 rated player or second round pick the following year.

Then there's the advantage that by filling the side with Sydney talent it is more than likely that these players will play for unders than they would get away from home. Plus the advantage of only drafting known quantities you have worked with for up to 10 years. Plus the clear community engagement advantages.

I would have liked something more generous but I think there is enough in the system for us to benefit.

That is because we can afford it - I'm not sure that running academies will be deemed economic by Brisbane or Gold Coast though. GWS of course have an endless stream of blank cheques paid for by the AFL....

[707]

Worried about Heney, he's showing up to be far too good. chuckling about the purpleness of Eddie's face whilst watching Heeney play!!

But what's worrying is that the 25% discount will be shelved too, it would if Eddie had his way.

If Mills is the same quality as Heeney we'll be getting a bargain. Just need him to slip down the draft order a bit. Always hopeful when you read U18 reports on the other high picks tearing it up in games right now whilst Mills is injured.

[Mug Punter]

Worried about Heney, he's showing up to be far too good. chuckling about the purpleness of Eddie's face whilst watching Heeney play!!

But what's worrying is that the 25% discount will be shelved too, it would if Eddie had his way.

If Mills is the same quality as Heeney we'll be getting a bargain. Just need him to slip down the draft order a bit. Always hopeful when you read U18 reports on the other high picks tearing it up in games right now whilst Mills is injured.

I think common-sense will prevail and the reality is that won't always get the quality of Heeney and we won't always get such an advantage because we won't always be in the GF

If there is no discount then the Academies will just close and I don't think anyone wants that.

I will be glad when this gets resolved because it gives us some certainty and hopefully shuts up peanuts like Eddie

[The Big Cat]

If Mills is the same quality as Heeney

Most pundits say he is better!

[Auntie.Gerald]

Jake Veale - RAMS 2015 squad

just wondering if Jake Veale is Rob Veale's son ?

played footy with Rob Veale and he was a very good player and Captain of SANFL club Sturt and Northshore

http://www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3524946

I think Rob had a role with the Swans Academy as a coach also ?

PS - Almost 50 of the players are from Sydney this year and only 3 of those players appear to be from the western suburbs ie GWS academy players or in the GWS catchment

[Auntie.Gerald]

https://instagram.com/p/i-xrGINj_B/?taken-by=jakevealey

just did some googling and it appears so

does anyone know if young Jake can play and is he on our radar ?

189cm and 80kg - DOB 12.8.97 so turning 18

Screen shot 2015-04-20 at 11.41.09 PM.jpg

[Auntie.Gerald]

AFL NSW/ACT: Tigers announce female coach for 2014[tt_news]=2925&tx_ttnews[backPid]=4&cHash=5de3fea424

AFL NSW/ACT: Tigers announce female coach for 2014[tt_news]=2915&tx_ttnews[backPid]=4&cHash=157962c8fc

So Veale and Hebron from North Shore have been in both games for the Rams so far