U18 Div 2 Championships

[707]

Haven't noticed any promos for them so wonder if the U18 games being shown on Fox like last year?

[Mug Punter]

Haven't noticed any promos for them so wonder if the U18 games being shown on Fox like last year?

Not that I can see

[Mug Punter]

Teams just released
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1890[/ATTACH]

Right, so we go through the series undefeated and they can only find spots for FOUR Swans boys in the best 23 (Robertson, Bell, Blakey and Hardman)?

Is it bad to say I almost hope our boys go well but that the Allies get pumped

[Mug Punter]

Vic County 10.8.68 def Allies 8.8.56

4 unanswered goals in the final quarter after trailing by 12 points at the last change.

Hardman and Blakey both got goals for the Allies with CHF Dixon from Tasmania getting three.

[bloodspirit]

Why is this thread in the Swans forum? Just spent a while looking for it elsewhere (I thought it might NSW footy) before finding it here. Don't get me wrong, I think it is unfortunate when interesting threads (like this) get shipped off to relative Siberia (i.e. anywhere outside the Swans forum) where they don't get much attention but it should be consistent/fair.

I look forward to reading a match report somewhere and hearing how our lads (in particular - but also the other NSW boys) went.

[Mug Punter]

Why is this thread in the Swans forum? Just spent a while looking for it elsewhere (I thought it might NSW footy) before finding it here. Don't get me wrong, I think it is unfortunate when interesting threads (like this) get shipped off to relative Siberia (i.e. anywhere outside the Swans forum) where they don't get much attention but it should be consistent/fair.

I look forward to reading a match report somewhere and hearing how our lads (in particular - but also the other NSW boys) went.

I thought it would be obvious, that the Div 2 U18 Championships involve the Swans Academy and those kids could well end up being on our list.

It's probably a bit less relevant now as the Allies have kids from other states but given that the likes of Hardman and Bell could be drafted from our Academy I think it still belongs here

[707]

I'm happy for any news of Academy kids playing, particularly when they may end up on our list.

[ugg]

I hear Luke Robertson broke his leg in the first quarter. Hardman started really well but faded

[aardvark]

I'm happy for any news of Academy kids playing, particularly when they may end up on our list.

+1

[Mug Punter]

I know I'm beating an old drum here but the results this year provide a pretty good idea re the academies.

This is, I believe, the first batch of kids that have come through the Swans Academy from U11s, kids who have had the same access to the coaching and development pathways that kids in "AFL states" take for granted.

It has clearly been a success and a good year, our whitewash in the Academy Series proves that. But it should also provide a healthy does of reality to both the expectations of Swans fans and also to allay the fears of idiots like Eddie Three Chins.

For all the money and development the Allies will be, at best, highly competitive at Div 1 level which is an achievement. But we still look at there only being one or maybe two draftees this year and later round picks at this. Kids like Heeney, Mills and Blakey will provide the cream, and we'll pay a fair price for them too. Overall though the development of senior AFL players in the Sydney market will require a lot of work, a lot of money and a fair degree of luck.

This is no disrespect to the Academy but merely a recognition of how strong other pathways like the TAC Cup and WAFL is. Each one of those clubs has a set up that I would say is at least the equal of the Swans and they have an environmental advantage too.

So, in many ways for the Academy they have been playing catch up and the hard work starts now

[707]

I hear Luke Robertson broke his leg in the first quarter.................

Dreadful bad luck for the lad, puts his whole footy path back 12 months+. Good luck for a full and uncomplicated recovery.

[Boddo]

I know I'm beating an old drum here but the results this year provide a pretty good idea re the academies.

This is, I believe, the first batch of kids that have come through the Swans Academy from U11s, kids who have had the same access to the coaching and development pathways that kids in "AFL states" take for granted.

It has clearly been a success and a good year, our whitewash in the Academy Series proves that. But it should also provide a healthy does of reality to both the expectations of Swans fans and also to allay the fears of idiots like Eddie Three Chins.

For all the money and development the Allies will be, at best, highly competitive at Div 1 level which is an achievement. But we still look at there only being one or maybe two draftees this year and later round picks at this. Kids like Heeney, Mills and Blakey will provide the cream, and we'll pay a fair price for them too. Overall though the development of senior AFL players in the Sydney market will require a lot of work, a lot of money and a fair degree of luck.

This is no disrespect to the Academy but merely a recognition of how strong other pathways like the TAC Cup and WAFL is. Each one of those clubs has a set up that I would say is at least the equal of the Swans and they have an environmental advantage too.

So, in many ways for the Academy they have been playing catch up and the hard work starts now

It should also be noted that to be competitive the allies pool players from 3 states and a territory. That gives an indication that there is still a bit to go. Also pathway wise it has also allowed a player to come from another state and have access to what he would back home, Mitch Rogers. And lastly we are seeing it work and work so well because imo the players coming through now have only ever known a successful Sydney Swans. Try the academy back in 1992 & more than likely the uptake from parents would be less meaning less talented kids coming through. Talented kids coming through lifts the standard of the game across Sydney which then encourages more to watch and possibly take up the sport. Which gives you a larger player pool. And the more that watches the game the higher the tv ratings, the higher the tv ratings thus a higher tv rights deal meaning more money for clubs.

[bloodspirit]

I'm happy for any news of Academy kids playing, particularly when they may end up on our list.

I think I made it clear in my post that I am too. However, other, equally interesting, threads get bumped off into other forums when they are not sufficiently connected with the Swans and then they barely get seen because most people don't look outside the Swans forum. One example is the AFLW thread that started in the Swans forum but got moved outside of it. Some of these other threads also discuss players that could wind up on our list. (True, that doesn't apply to the AFLW thread while we aren't that close to getting a women's team even though many of us look forward impatiently to the day we do get our own women's team.) It's the inconsistency that I am drawing attention to.

One alternative would be to see all the footy forums merged - given the relatively small traffic the other forums get, this might not be too problematic. Another alternative could be an additional footy forum for everything related to under-age divisions, national champs, the AFL Academy and the other academy kids (a bit like draft hub on afl.com.au).

[barry]

Agree on just one footy forum. Worst moderation ever is to kick a topic off to Siberia.

[Boddo]

Allies vs Vic Country – AFL Draft Central