Every scary movie has a moment where you either be brave and watch or put your hands over your eyes and wait for it to be over. On Saturday, an historic event happened with both expansion clubs Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast winning on the same day.
There is nothing scary about that, however it is the manner in which they did it, who they beat and what it means for the next 10 years which could be the stuff of a slasher film.
GWS were regarded easybeats in the opening week; however with a team full of the best young kids from the past three drafts and the recruitment of experienced players in the off-season, they showed they are going to be as tough a game as any in the competition this season.
A Sydney side everyone expected to smash an inexperienced side still developing got steamrolled. It was one way traffic in the final quarter and the stats were frightening.
Jeremy Cameron and Jonathan Patton up forward showed signs of a combination that will wreak havoc on opposition defences. Add in Tom Boyd and it is the deadliest trio in football.
The midfield over-powered a much stronger and more experienced Sydney midfield.
As for Gold Coast, they are now turning Metricon stadium into a fortress. Led superbly by Gary Ablett and his band of young midfielders, they proved too good for Richmond.
Despite making the finals last year, on the evidence of Saturday night, it looks as though it could be a reverse of Tiger tales this year.
Gold Coast’s win was even better considering Jack Martin went off mid-way through the first quarter and Charlie Dixon missed the second-half after failing a concussion test.
The questions posed after these two matches were how many games would GWS win for the season and could Gold Coast make the finals?
But those are not the question we should be asking. We should be asking, should these two expansion clubs, who have been given access to the best young talent over the past four seasons through a compromised draft, be allowed to enter the next two, possibly three drafts?
Teams such as Melbourne, St Kilda and Brisbane are looking to rebuild and are behind the two expansion clubs. You can also add clubs such as Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood and Western Bulldogs who may struggle to add a premiership in the next 10 years.
The AFL compromised the draft to make sure both expansion teams were going to be competitive in the shortest timeframe possible. In traditional rugby league heartlands, winning is everything – we only have to look at the Western Sydney Wanderers to see how fans have gravitated to a winning team.
Now that they have shown winning is going to be a frequent event and finals for both teams may not be too far from the horizon, it is time to make sure the AFL’s heartland does not get left behind.
Removing both clubs from the upcoming drafts will have a twofold effect; clubs that really need the best talent in the competition will get it and both expansion clubs will give their young talent, which don’t fit their list management plans, to clubs in exchange for mature players that can fast-track their progress to premiership glory.
This has been shown by GWS, who traded Taylor Adams to Collingwood in exchange for Heath Shaw.
With expansion, there comes risk and reward. The risk was doing it in non-traditional football areas but the reward has been the growth of the game. Saturday was a day the AFL will mark down in its history books.
However, the last thing the game needs is for these two teams to dominate and fill their trophy cabinet faster than those who have been in the competition for the last seven decades.
As much as we love watching these two teams now, I fear for the day I cover my eyes, knowing my club’s premiership hopes have been killed-off.
Gerry
Guest
Listen I am from overseas originally although Australian citizen but lets face facts. AFL will only ever be an Australian game so you need to make it the proper National sport it is. As the Australian population grows there will be no problem getting the players or the crowd. Its a great game and having teams come from all the nations states will just be awesome. There has always been a wave of reluctance from the Melbourne based sides to expansion as they see it as their game. However if it was still just the VFL I don't believe it would generate anywhere near the same excitement nationally. I could be wrong. So trying to establish the new teams into the competition so they are not easy beats is part of the plan and the equation. Its a good thing they are given advantages in the draft, otherwise the AFL would not function. There needs to be a realistic cut off point though and expansion should not go beyond 20 teams in my opinion. Bring it on.
Nathan
Guest
Of course these clubs should still be able to deal in the draft, its Ludacris to think they shouldn't. Sure we can all see the improvement, we can all start to fear these new sides, but the fact is there is going to come a time with free agency that these sides wont be able to keep all their players, the price of players is going to rise, contracts are going to finish at similar times. On top of that, as these sides finish higher up the ladder they will be pushed down the order in said draft. Oh and all the 16 clubs agreed on the transition of these 2 clubs joining, if they have a problem with it now,... too late.
Cat
Roar Guru
Players weren't gonna get more money for moving who had existing contracts, thats why GWS and GCFC could only lure out of contract players.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
It was off-cap money, and if you want to see what a team that puts no effort into finding KPFs looks like, see the rabble that are Carlton.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Those were also given large bags of cash to stay past the two year window. Now, no complaints about clubs doing that - but dont whinge now that we used the first-round picks you traded us.
Joel Clarke
Guest
The reason I wrote this is that if GWS and GC can't get available talent, then it forces the hand of both clubs and especially players. Players will be more open to trades to get a game elsewhere. GWS very never going to trade the number 1 pick unless they landed Franklin IMO. Clubs have been slack in trading wth GWS and only the GC have been willing to in reality via the mini draft, however by excluding them, players hands will be forced. More importanly, the clubs that really need the next batch of talent will get it.
andyincanberra
Guest
Correct, Carlton had 3 number 1 draft picks in a row, along with a couple of number 2's in the same time frame. The expansion teams owe the established clubs nothing.
Paul D
Roar Guru
The only thing I would add to that, is that there might have been some big names who were willing to go to GWS, and might have agreed terms for the amount of cash GWS had available – however the players that might have induced GWS to part with their top draft picks weren’t put on the table. So negotiations never even commenced.
Cat
Roar Guru
Have to agree with TomC on this one, wasn't clubs that's the problem, players have all the power when it comes to trades and none would have let themselves be traded (why would they when they have the power to nominate teams and decline trades they don't want). The way the rules are right now all a player has to say is I don't want to go to X team and there is not a dang thing a team can do about it. Pretty unique power in any sport that I am aware of.
TomC
Roar Guru
Was it the clubs or the players? I haven't heard of any player who wanted to be traded to GWS but his club refused to deal. Possibly of course that has happened but wasn't made public, but I don't know why we'd assume it was the clubs who were recalcitrant.
Australian Rules
Guest
Yep, pretty much how it went.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Carlton's trading 'strategy' - I emphasis strategy as it doesn't appear they have one - has been beyond awful. Ian nailed it. No-one was willing to give up anyone decent to GWS, so they gave everyone the finger and kept all the picks.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
" Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood and Western Bulldogs" GWS approached every club on that list looking to trade picks, minidraft picks and so on for established players. All knockbacks. Collingwood was happy to trade for zone picks, which - together with trades to St Kilda, who also only ever offered draft picks - we turned into high picks. If fans are narky about the amount of young talent GWS has, blame your own lazy, gutless and cowardly front offices for refusing to trade established players.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
I remember after Folau signed with the Giants, a poll was conducted (I can't remember who by) asking a) if you were interested to see how Folau would go in AFL (Most said yes) b) if you cared enough to actually watch a game live or on tv (most answered no) It was a bold experiment, but probably best to nurture young talent.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Totally agree AR - balance the competition back out as the Saints and Dees need some junior talent and even the Lions to a degree. The Giants and Suns have more than enough talent running through those list. I would propose that the draft again involve all 18 clubs in 2016.
Australian Rules
Guest
Good marketing value insofar as a "sports interest story", but Hunt can't get a game and Folau couldnt cut it. The junior footballers are showing where the true value lies.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Perhaps they should go back to spending big bucks on Rugby League converts.
Cat
Roar Guru
The mistake the AFL made was that they assumed GCFC and GWS would end up trading some of those picks for established players. Great idea in theory but players have far too much power to block any trade and not many contracted players were gonna agree to be traded to unknown entities. The traded players would not have gotten paid overs as many of the uncontracted signings did.
Australian Rules
Guest
From what I've seen, there is absolutely no need for the Giants and Suns to be involved in the next draft. Both (esp the Giants) have an absurd amount of junior talent. But of course, it's a moot point, that won't happen. Did the AFL go overboard in its concessions? Guess we'll find out.
Mark
Guest
Fair point but it will tough to balance it out. How much longer do GWS and the Suns get extra picks in the draft (if at all)?