They are at it again. GWS under the pump

[Mug Punter]

Same could be said about the swans. What development did they do in their first 5 years.

The only benchmark to compare the giants against is the suns, and they are miles ahead. So rather than bring them down eddie-style, why not applaud what they have done. The good they do runs off on the swans .

Eg. If the giants have 20 first round picks with 2 years experience and living in sydney surely that makes them easier to poach than the same kid in Melbourne.

It's a silly comparison and you know it barry. Is your sole purpose for coming on here annoying other people? Time to put you back on block like I do for other trolls

When the Swans came to Sydney we didn't have a pot to pee in unlike GWS who are vastly funded. If you knew your facts you would know that there wasn't even a draft when the Swans moved to Sydney.

We also lobbied for many many years to take over NSW development rather than the peanuts at the VFL/AFL funded NSWAFL and have one priority recruit a year from NSW but the d-heads down south feared we'd uncover a decent player like a Carey or Longmire so they preferred to leave the state as under-developed rather than us get the smallest advantage (sound familiar).

GWS go vastly better terms than the Suns but they have undoubtedly done a better job if building their list. My criticism of their lack of academy commitment bears no comparison to Eddie so don't you dare compare me to that dickhead. It is a fair point, anyone who reads my post knows how much I support the academy.

Your ignorance re the GWS list and other points is not worth responding to

[mcs]

Even if there was some skulduggery with phantom bidding GWS will be able to recruit three absolute guns from their academy this year which by my reckoning means they will literally have about 30 first round picks in their squad. And even if they didn't have the academy they'd get nice value straight from the draft at those picks.

30 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS IN THEIR FREAKING SQUAD.

And this will continue because all GWS will do is trade out the odd gun for a couple of first rounders secure in the knowledge that there is a ready made replacement in the wings.

I don't blame GWS for their situation, all the other clubs signed off on it and they have done nothing wrong. But it could well create a team that is so strong that it throws the comp out of kilter for a good decade. The only real issue for them is their players that are coming off contract as free agents in a few years but there has been little go home factor shown to date and I can hardly see it when they are winning flags.

Once the brown stuff hits the fan, and it will make COLA seem like a picnic, then expect a renewed assault on the academy system, even though it was the draft concessions and not the academy system that caused this Super List at GWS. Sheeds did warn us about this list didn't he?

The real problem I have with the GWS list is, despite the coming need to trim the salaries to fit in the cap, they have so much more top end talent than any other club, that they are going to be able to consistently replenish their list with brand new top grade talent, just by flogging off for high draft picks any excess players they have. Look at the talent they've leaked in the last few years - some really top class players, but they've barely skipped a beat. If they manage their list well, then they'll be consistently towards the top of the league for at least a decade, given the ridiculous depth they have accrued.

Even with go home factor (as Treloar talked about today on Game day and obviously a factor in the McCarthy case), its not such an issue when you know you are almost guaranteed to pick up 1st rd draft picks for the players that want to leave, which you can then just used to replenish the list with more top end talent.

[barry]

GWS haven't acheived anything yet so i cannot understand all the anti-academy histeria.

Even with academies, GWS still dont have many NSW kids and the number of south-of murumbidgee riverina kids would be very sma?l.

Anyone advocating change is playing into mcguires hands. Its GWS today, swans tomorrow.

[Mug Punter]

All I will say is that long term it is completely unacceptable for GWS to have Riverina as it goes against the concept of what a development zone is designed for. And it's compounded by their rorting of the system (e.g. drafting Melbourne schoolkids) and their complete negligence of their own backyard which I think is beyond disgraceful. Canberra, country NSW south of Sydney to the Murrumbidgee and their enormous and fast growing Sydney zone are more than adequate.

But I guarantee those muppets will try and have our zone reduced rather than do theor job properly and when that happens I expect WW3 to break out because I can assure you that any kid or club moving from a Sydney Academy environment to a GWS one will be beyond Pissed off. Ask anyone associated with Bankstown Juniors which GWS effectively destroyed about how they care about junior football in Sydney.

Having said all that I think it is absolutely appalling that three chinned creep in Melbourne and his cohorts are starting on this when our last "long term solution" is not yet a season old. And I fully expect the Swans to go to court under restraint if trade if any future weakening to the academy is mooted.

[Mug Punter]

The real problem I have with the GWS list is, despite the coming need to trim the salaries to fit in the cap, they have so much more top end talent than any other club, that they are going to be able to consistently replenish their list with brand new top grade talent, just by flogging off for high draft picks any excess players they have. Look at the talent they've leaked in the last few years - some really top class players, but they've barely skipped a beat. If they manage their list well, then they'll be consistently towards the top of the league for at least a decade, given the ridiculous depth they have accrued.

Even with go home factor (as Treloar talked about today on Game day and obviously a factor in the McCarthy case), its not such an issue when you know you are almost guaranteed to pick up 1st rd draft picks for the players that want to leave, which you can then just used to replenish the list with more top end talent.

I don't have a problem with the list they have built, clearly the AFL decided they could not afford GWS to be weak and they backed them accordingly.

Over time they'll come back to the field. And I do think they are exceptionally poorly run and an absolute house of cards financially. The go home factor will return when free agency comes in to an extent. But the real issue is the continual access to top end talent that they have done virtually nothing to develop and the fact they are neglecting their responsibilities to the area that nears their name in a reprehensible way.

Eddie is using the draft concessions to have another crack at the academy system which is really evil. But if GWS want to be adults and be reasonable here they'll realise that having an AFL heartland as a development zone is just not on, give it back gradually and then agree for extra funding for Western Sydney because to be fair it needs major investment.

[giant]

No Ludwig, it's not a great article. It's a skilful polemic: emotive, insulting and one-sided. It adds nothing to the debate.

Hear hear. She's a poor journalist. I recall her being emphatic that Buddy was the destroying the culture of the club.

[Bloods05]

GWS haven't acheived anything yet so i cannot understand all the anti-academy histeria.

Even with academies, GWS still dont have many NSW kids and the number of south-of murumbidgee riverina kids would be very sma?l.

Anyone advocating change is playing into mcguires hands. Its GWS today, swans tomorrow.

This is a siege mentality, and ultimately self-defeating. There is a reasonable point to be made about GWS having an Australian Football heartland in their academy zone. If we dig our heels in and refuse to concede anything even when reasonable questions are being raised, just because they are a northern states club and you think we have to maintain a united front, we are running the risk of a serious backlash. That is exactly what we want to guard against.

[aguy]

If you can find out let is all know what they are trying to achieve. But remember this is AFL money they are squandering

I know a fairly prominent member of the Manly playing group and whilst they understand the financial reasons why the club had to accept this most ridiculous branding they absolutely hate the GWS tie up, absolutely hate it. With the possible exception of Baulko's adoption of the Eagles, and Baulko had precious little history as the Falcons in respect of being a senior club at that stage, these re-branding tie ups usually end on tears.

Two of themost ridiculous were where icons Sydney sporting emblems re representing districts were abandoned with St George abandoning the Dragon for the Adelaide Crows and the most ridiculous of all whereby the Balmain Tigers became the Balmain Dockers, a decision that almost sent that club into recess.

There are still Adelaide colours in the St George club house although thankfully they are back to the red and white dragons colours

[barry]

Towns of the murrimbidgee are not AFL heartlands. Wagga is 50/50 AFL, similar tothe gold coast which is also an academy area.

- - - Updated - - -

This is a siege mentality, and ultimately self-defeating. There is a reasonable point to be made about GWS having an Australian Football heartland in their academy zone. If we dig our heels in and refuse to concede anything even when reasonable questions are being raised, just because they are a northern states club and you think we have to maintain a united front, we are running the risk of a serious backlash. That is exactly what we want to guard against.

Playing ball with the AFL got is banned from trading which we took with barely a whimper.

Throwing another northern club under a bus re academies would be appauling.

[Doctor]

I don't have a problem with the list they have built, clearly the AFL decided they could not afford GWS to be weak and they backed them accordingly.

Over time they'll come back to the field. And I do think they are exceptionally poorly run and an absolute house of cards financially. The go home factor will return when free agency comes in to an extent. But the real issue is the continual access to top end talent that they have done virtually nothing to develop and the fact they are neglecting their responsibilities to the area that nears their name in a reprehensible way.

Eddie is using the draft concessions to have another crack at the academy system which is really evil. But if GWS want to be adults and be reasonable here they'll realise that having an AFL heartland as a development zone is just not on, give it back gradually and then agree for extra funding for Western Sydney because to be fair it needs major investment.

They built their list under the noses of the very club(s) that are now complaining about their list. They had draft picks that they offered up and no clubs were bold enough to trade for them. That meant the Giants could draft a stack of kids and blood them for 2-3 years to see which of them would kick on and which would plateau. As we know, many top draft picks don't end up becoming stars. They were then able to trade the lesser players for more picks and seasoned pros. The occasional good one (eg Treloar) they have been then able to trade for more high end picks. It's simply great list management rather than any magic potion or mining of the magic water in the Riverina.

[Faunac8]

An article that outlines something that Mcwhiner and his cronies would do well to remember. If not for interstate clubs there would be no AFL
The day footy (nearly) died - The Age

https://apple.news/A_OnrOyHyQry4bvNDx5xFbQ

[swannymum]

We now have confirmation it is all about McGuire. In today's paper:

On his breakfast radio show on Triple M, McGuire later added: "You question yourself. You have done this for 18 years, can you go through it again? Have you got any more ideas and I look at myself and I go - a lot of the things that I brought to Collingwood when I first came in, have been taken away from me now with equalisation.

Notice the 'ME'!

Read more: 'Shattered' Eddie McGuire considered quitting as Collingwood president

[DA_Swan]

Just hope hope our president refrains from commenting

[Ludwig]

We now have confirmation it is all about McGuire. In today's paper:

On his breakfast radio show on Triple M, McGuire later added: "You question yourself. You have done this for 18 years, can you go through it again? Have you got any more ideas and I look at myself and I go - a lot of the things that I brought to Collingwood when I first came in, have been taken away from me now with equalisation.

Notice the 'ME'!

Read more: 'Shattered' Eddie McGuire considered quitting as Collingwood president

In Ludwig's Footy Journal the McGuire quote goes:

"You question yourself. You have done this for 18 years, can you go through it again? Have you got any more dumb ideas and I look at myself and I go - YUP! Sure you do Eddie.

"I asked my wife and my two boys should I quit Collingwood and they said 'you can't quit, that will mean you'll be spending more time at home driving us crazy. We're your flesh and blood. Go make someone else's kids miserable'. So I decided to stay on, even it means taking Collingwood all the way to the bottom. Let the next club president worry about cleaning up the mess."

Yep. That's my Eddie.

[KTigers]

Only "shattered"? Well, at least he's not "devastated". Will this bogan just ever shut up for five minutes?
He'll probably try and stand for parliament one day.