Academy uproar rears again

[KSAS]

One of the Fox Footy shows (Saturday Stretch i think) mentioned Wicks has just missed qualification for Rising Star thinking he's just turned 21. They didn't sound 100% sure. Anyone confirm either way?

[Aaron]

But won’t Wicks be nominated this week? He didn’t play 10 last year did he? That would be 3 academy products in a row Wow Wee

He is too 'old" To be eligible for nomination, the player must be aged 20 or under on 1 January that year. He is 21 years and 6 months now.

[ugg]

Luke Parks to debut for Carlton this week. Will he be the first Swans Academy player to play AFL for a team other than the Swans?

Edit: Oops forgot about Ben Davis.

[rb4x]

He is too 'old" To be eligible for nomination, the player must be aged 20 or under on 1 January that year. He is 21 years and 6 months now.

I think it is 21 not 20 this year. Wicks is still ineligible anyway.

[bloodspirit]

Luke Parks to debut for Carlton this week. Will he be the first Swans Academy player to play AFL for a team other than the Swans?

Edit: Oops forgot about Ben Davis.

Here's a nice article about that: No walk in the Parks: How new Blue Luke did it the hard way.

[dejavoodoo44]

Here's a nice article about that: No walk in the Parks: How new Blue Luke did it the hard way.

Well done to him. I thought he was a bit unlucky, not to pick up a rookie spot in 2019.

[Mark26]

Well done to him. I thought he was a bit unlucky, not to pick up a rookie spot in 2019.

What a rare opportunity. Let Luke develop nicely in another state and when he's cherry ripe and out of contract, he can fly the homesick flag and come back to Sydney. Fanciful stuff, but if it ever did eventuate, it couldn't be more fitting to happen to a club like Carlton.

[dejavoodoo44]

What a rare opportunity. Let Luke develop nicely in another state and when he's cherry ripe and out of contract, he can fly the homesick flag and come back to Sydney. Fanciful stuff, but if it ever did eventuate, it couldn't be more fitting to happen to a club like Carlton.

Might be handy when Rampe is due to retire.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

What a rare opportunity. Let Luke develop nicely in another state and when he's cherry ripe and out of contract, he can fly the homesick flag and come back to Sydney. Fanciful stuff, but if it ever did eventuate, it couldn't be more fitting to happen to a club like Carlton.

Question: When Victorian kids in NSW or Qld get homesick, they always seem to go to a Victorian club that (coincidentally and) significantly increases their salary, will the same apply to Sydney kids?

[Mark26]

Question: When Victorian kids in NSW or Qld get homesick, they always seem to go to a Victorian club that (coincidentally and) significantly increases their salary, will the same apply to Sydney kids?

Anything's possible in the post-Buddy contract era.

[mcs]

Just listen to how loud its going to get now.....

Yet it was the academy kid that was rookie listed today that stole the show.... they'll conveniently drop the 'rookie listed' bit out I expect.

[dejavoodoo44]

Just listen to how loud its going to get now.....

Yet it was the academy kid that was rookie listed today that stole the show.... they'll conveniently drop the 'rookie listed' bit out I expect.

And conveniently forget that their own teams have benefited from the NGA rort.

[mcs]

And conveniently forget that their own teams have benefited from the NGA rort.

Absolutely. Great time to see young Parks starting out at Carlton - the first example of many to come I expect where players come through the northern academies but make it elsewhere. That is the greatest evidence we can hope will build to defend the academy model, beyond obviously paying fair dough for the players we get.

And as for NGA rort... don't get me started!

[Thunder Shaker]

And conveniently forget that their own teams have benefited from the NGA rort.

Don't forget father-son. Certain Victorian clubs have done very well indeed out of that.

[Velour&Ruffles]

I have some sneaky sympathy about access to the top end talent - ie I'm not sure (purely on the basis of draft equity, ignoring the fact the competition is far from a level playing field in other aspects) we should have been able to draft both Campbell and McDonald. But the fact we got Gulden at 32, and thus kept next year's draft currency intact, is purely down to the other clubs. I was staggered he lasted to 32.

Predictably, one of the first questions Horse was asked in his post-game interview was about the benefits the club has reaped from the academy system. His immediate answer was (paraphrased) " I should think so. It costs us a lot."

I'm also surprised by how little the football commentators seem to understand about how the academies are set up. Dermot commented during the broadcast that it was amazing that a player could be identified at age 10 as a potentially elite footy player. But of course that's not how it works. One hundred or so boys join the academy each year. Around 30 or so (maybe fewer this year) last beyond age 15. Of those, half a dozen might make it as far as the U18 Allies team in the National Championships. And one or two might then make it onto an AFL list. (More probably should, than have, but hopefully that will gradually change.)

Dermot has worked with the Giants so I am surprised he, of all commentators, isn't more knowledgeable.

Surely you jest. He will always stick to the narrative that suits the Melbourne power clubs (aka the McChins view). He has no powers of analysis for anything beyond basic on-field stuff. Even on-field, he can't get past certain prejudices.