Victoria clubs get AFL funding for Vic and NT Academies

[dejavoodoo44]

Fo me the is the most egregious part of the announcement. Not only is this the NT decision ridiculous from an 'academy' point of view, but also it takes kids away from the NT league and NEAFL. So if anything it creates a "go home factor" that would not have otherwise exist potentially reducing the number of NT kids in the AFL system over time rather than increasing it - all for the sake of preferencing VIC clubs. Simply stupid. Surely if the AFL was serious about proving a pathway for NT kids to the AFL - the NEAFL and by extension the existing academies are best suited to this. Second in line would be WAFL and SANFL, given strong existing geographic and community ties to NT, plus excellent state based competitions. The worst pathway, by a long shot, is VFL and Vic clubs.

I guess you call this Vic politics in action.

Yes, and I'm now wondering what sort of consultation went on with the NT clubs: if any?

[Mug Punter]

The reality is that whilst this is dressed up to "grow the game" what it really does is quarantine a sector is the AFL draft pool.

I guarantee that most AFL clubs will not use this for unearthing new talent to the game. For starters the indigenous kids are all AFL crazy anyway so there'll be no additions to the talent pool there just a recruitment zone. And as for the ethnic kids, all AFL clubs will look for is decent players with the required ethnicity % rather than developing programmes to introduce new kids to the game.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, for example I could see how the Sudanese community could be an area to tap, but for all intents this is creating a recruitment zone for non-Caucasians.

And to be fair it's all GWS is using the Academy system as either as their complete disinterest of the Western Sydney market shows.

All this shows is the continued ignorance is Victoria about what three of the four academies are about

[mcs]

The reality is that whilst this is dressed up to "grow the game" what it really does is quarantine a sector is the AFL draft pool.

I guarantee that most AFL clubs will not use this for unearthing new talent to the game. For starters the indigenous kids are all AFL crazy anyway so there'll be no additions to the talent pool there just a recruitment zone. And as for the ethnic kids, all AFL clubs will look for is decent players with the required ethnicity % rather than developing programmes to introduce new kids to the game.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, for example I could see how the Sudanese community could be an area to tap, but for all intents this is creating a recruitment zone for non-Caucasians.

And to be fair it's all GWS is using the Academy system as either as their complete disinterest of the Western Sydney market shows.

All this shows is the continued ignorance is Victoria about what three of the four academies are about

Hard to disagree with any of this Mug!