We all know the current version of the Aussie rules competition stemmed from the original Victorian Football League with the inclusion of Western Australia and South Australia-based clubs.
But have the powers that be, in a pursuit to sure up what they’ve got, run the risk of flipping the competition back into a Victorian league?
It’s a multi-pronged issue, with a few points I would like to raise. First off the mark is the Northern Academies and the draft bidding process. Both are fundamentally sound, but the devil is in the detail of their execution. The New South Wales and Queensland markets have a stronger rugby and football presence to take the juniors interest away from Aussie rules.
To entice them to AFL, the northern clubs invest a sum of money and build a culture to train and prepare them for the rigors of a professional Aussie rules career. These clubs then (under the old system) could grab them at the equivalent price of a father-son pick.
This has now been changed, after Sydney swans nabbed Isaac Heeney with clubs (Collingwood springs to mind) crying foul at a potential top draft pick going at the basement price of pick 18.
Just ignore the fact that the same father-son rule has delivered Gary Ablett Jr to Geelong at pick 40, Travis Cloke at pick 39 and Heath Shaw at pick 48.
The new system (in really simple terms) will see a price attached to a player, and the clubs use their draft picks to pay that price. From the non-Northern clubs, they see it as a fair price to pay for a quality player. Other side of the coin, clubs like Brisbane who invested three years into a player will have to pay to keep them (both in draft picks and likely in contracts after first seasons.
A fix to this issue is to have the AFL run the academies. Brand them as Swans/Giants/Lions/Suns but have the cash flow from the AFL HQ.
Victoria/SA/WA/TAS can have the exact same academies, and brand them as appropriate. This way, there is a slight advantage afforded if clubs invest above and beyond, but it’s still a level playing field overall.
The other main issue is the scheduling of games to suit the Victorian market. I’m not a business major, but I understand the basics of economics.
Wherever will get the most eyeballs viewing the products and the advertising dollars, invest your time there. The problem that this has created in a short term, are NSW/Queensland/WA/SA clubs regularly playing in the ‘less popular’ timeslots or are the Foxtel games.
I’m a St. Kilda fan living in NSW/ACT region and I don’t watch St. Kilda play live that often, because we are regularly the Foxtel game. The GWS Giants and Gold Coast regularly pop up in the Saturday twilight timeslot for Foxtel viewers, giving them no exposure to the free-to-air markets outside of their local areas (7Mate plays games live in NSW or Queensland respectively).
If an ACT resident is a Gold Coast Suns supporter, they either have to get Foxtel, listen to radio over the internet of follow live scores, as they won’t get the games of free-to-air.
Fixing that one won’t be so easy, as the AFL wants to maximise its next television rights deal, which will likely include more Carlton Friday night clashes.
It could be argued that the teams need to perform better and they’ll get the better timeslots, but fans and viewers are switching off, and it won’t be so easy to get them back.
In closing, if the AFL isn’t careful, it risks alienating the non-Victorian markets to its north.
South Australia and Western Australia will survive, and some fans would argue the old SANFL and WAFL competitions were better. But the Northern states won’t. They need the governing body to hold their hand and support them, or risk drifting off to financial ruin and even folding or merging.
Axle an the Guru
Guest
Unfortunately Paul, I think it will be a very long time before you see a successful Brisbane again. I was hoping to see a much better year out of them with the players they recruited, but it just hasn't happened.
Axle an the Guru
Guest
Beams is a go home factor I think PB,not sure but I think he is a Queenslander.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I don’t think it’s possible for me to be disappointed any further by the current situation with the Lions, or with AFL in general this year.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Yep, but a senior ruckman would just give them some more breathing space to develop as well as (hopefully) offering some more grunt and steel in the midfield and maximise the opportunities for their stellar youngsters in there, not to mention Ablett.
TomC
Roar Guru
I think it'd be a mistake to take the Frawley example as your starting point. Most people agreed that that was overly generous. Colin Sylvia might be a good comparison: same age, both high draft picks (whatever's that worth), both with question marks over them (application for Sylvia, injury for Leuenberger). I guess the one caveat is that Leuey is unlikely to get a three year deal anywhere, which Sylvia did at Freo. Melbourne got band 3 compo for Sylvia (mid-second round) so I'd be starting there and working down. Band 4 compo (end of second round) is probably most likely. I think that's comparable with what the Lions would get in a hypothetical trade. Free agency compo is usually disappointing, so prepare to be disappointed if Leuey leaves. Of course, if the Lions recruit a FA like Suckling, chances are they'll get nothing at all for Leuey.
TomC
Roar Guru
The simplest and most cynical explanation is that the powerful clubs don't want Qld and NSW clubs to stop drafting Victorians, South Australians and West Australians because as things stand they have a good chance of getting these players for cheaper and with a few years of development in them. Eddie McGuire would be conscious of the benefit the Pies got out of Nathan Buckley, Anthony Rocca, Shane O'Bree, Taylor Adams, and possibly Adam Treloar shortly. Collingwood are in a very strong position to appeal to young players with wanderlust.
Paul D
Roar Guru
What sort of compensation pick do you think we’re going to get for a #4 draft pick, aged 27? If it’s not an end of the first round pick I’m going to be spewing, given what Melbourne got for Frawley. Do you think it will be better than the pick or player Sydney would offer us if we were able to hash out a trade?
TomC
Roar Guru
Leuey is a FA, Paul. The Lions won't trade him, but will receive a FA compo pick commensurate with his salary. I'd be surprised if Leuenberger was worth more than $350k per season to anyone, given his injury history and his lousy form this season.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I don’t see why – haven’t they got a bunch of ruckmen already? Zac Smith, Tom Nicholls, and I’m sure there are a couple of others too. I thought they already had plenty of talls. I must admit, I haven’t paid the greatest attention to their list, but I wouldn’t think their need was as pressing as Sydney’s.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
The Suns would be pretty keen on Leuenberger too, wouldn't they?
Paul D
Roar Guru
It is incredibly baffling, I agree. For every local kid drafted by the northern clubs, that’s another Victorian lad who gets to play in his home state. Heeney is the first outstanding talent to come through the academies anyway, although Harris Andrews may well be another excellent tall for the Lions down the track. He’s not in Heeney’s league yet, but in his own way he’s a real success already, given the season the Lions have had. Also – on a somewhat related tangent, if anyone thinks the equally ridiculous trade restrictions are only hurting Sydney, think again. Matthew Leunberger shows every sign of being let go by the Lions at the end of this season, and Sydney would be one of the first clubs lining up to trade for him normally, given their ruck issues at present. However with Sydney being hamstrung by only being able to offer $350,000 and Leunberger commanding a sum in excess of that, the Lions are going to have to shop him around and probably will get screwed on the trade, whereas if they’d been able to trade with Sydney who do need a ruck, they probably could have worked out a trade to best advantage of both parties.
conchie
Roar Rookie
I would agree as well, the more Northern states boys drafted to northern clubs leaves more Southern state boys to be drafted locally. Don't understand how Eddie can't see that.
AR
Guest
"I never really had a great problem with the Northern academies, because their existence is important for the health of the game as a whole." Amen.
TW
Guest
It is amazing what happens when a team like GWS start winning fairly regularly The sports fans in general want to check them out. Thanks for the various codes crowd figures and even though the game was advertised as a sellout on the GWS website that point got no coverage at all. As other posters have said it looks like Canberra is a 3 code town for sporting interest.
Ron Jeremy
Guest
The GWS crowd on Saturday in Canberra was terrific and all power to them. I agree the AFL does a far superior job in most aspects of running their sport than either the NRL or ARU. However, there are faults in your comparison with the other local codes in Canberra. The Raiders still have about 4 or 5 homes games to play this year so you are not correct to say "their biggest crowd this year was ... " ie the season isn't over and they may get bigger crowds especially if they make a run for the finals (granted, they may get smaller crowds if their season goes pear-shaped). Also, they have averaged just under 10K for their home games this season, not 8K. The Brumbies v Crusaders match (which I was at) was NOT a semi final. It was the final round of the regular season. Please get your facts right before you make your comparisons. I lived in Canberra for over 30 years. It has always been pretty much a 3 code town. Even though the Raiders and Brumbies are long term local teams, AFL has always had a strong presence both historically and currently, with strong local clubs, juniors, proximity to the Riverina region, a transient population and plenty of AFL fans always living and working/studying in Canberra having relocated from the "AFL states".
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Personally, I never really had a great problem with the Northern academies, because their existence is important for the health of the game as a whole. People might complain about the Swans getting Heeney at a bargain basement price (and they did), but the flip side is that without the Swans academy, there would have been no Heeney, that we now have a player of his undoubted potential in the AFL is a testament to the value of these academies. It has been mentioned that we might be moving to a future where all clubs have their own academies - in the case of the Victorian clubs, that might mean links to the U18 teams (which are effectively academies in terms of their capacity to produce AFL-ready players). Perhaps we can end up with a system whereby each club is allowed one automatic selection from their own academy. I could see this being of particular use to the non-Vic clubs, including the WA and SA clubs, because it would allow them to hold onto the very best local talent, which I think would be good for them. Thereafter, the Northern academy picks would operate under the points system put forward, so that further picks come at an acceptable cost, but everyone else would have to go into the open draft.
JM
Guest
"This has now been changed, after Sydney swans nabbed Isaac Heeney with clubs (Collingwood springs to mind) crying foul at a potential top draft pick going at the basement price of pick 18. Just ignore the fact that the same father-son rule has delivered Gary Ablett Jr to Geelong at pick 40, Travis Cloke at pick 39 and Heath Shaw at pick 48." This is not the same rule. Sydney has access to the father son rule (Mitchell and potentially Dunkley) and the academies.
AR
Guest
Well ok... as I said the world aint perfect, but when it comes to viewing options via the broadcast deal, AFL fans have it much much better than fans of any other sport. I'm not sure if the headline is yours, but suggesting the "A" isn't merited on these grounds seems like nitpicking.
Wayne
Roar Guru
It was more meant to be a point that if you supported a team that wasn't the Swans/Giants in the NSW market you probably won't get FTA coverage. Not specifically Suns/Lions. Also applies to SA/WA teams
Perry Bridge
Guest
The AFL ain't perfect - but the 'A' more than certainly deserves to be there. That said - seeing the inability of Brisbane Lions to retain their top draft picks in recent years is in part an indictment. To a degree clubs like StKilda and the Doggies need only recall back 12 years ago as the Lions completed a 'Three-peat' and their sympathy will dissolve rapidly. The Lions this year seem to have been unlucky with injuries - having recruited seemingly okay bringing in Dayne Beams and Christensen in particular. The Suns have been harder hit with injuries. And that's bad luck for AFL in QLD this season. In NSW the Swans and Giants are fighting it out well - the Swans again a contender and generating a heap of publicity. What is interesting though - is the 'go home factor'. The Suns lured Harbrow. The Lions have got Beams. But - they couldn't lure Nick Riewoldt or Kurt Tippett and I suggest David Armitage would be a good get. Home grown talent you'd think would be high on their priority list - which is why you'd hope the Suns retain Zac Smith and Charlie Dixon. If the AFL refuses to go down a SoO path - then - sides in NSW and QLD probably need some mechanism to have the chance to develop home grown talent as a priority. However - as seen with some WA and SA talent who did 'Go home' - some Vic clubs have been burned (North Melb post 1999 GF win lost Pickett, Bell and Welsh to 'Go Home' factor) - and so, club drafting policies may tend to be a little more closer to home these days in a choice of comparables.