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College sport could be a success in Australia

Roar Rookie
11th December, 2015
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Imagine what a difference $6 million a year would make in Alabama. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Roar Rookie
11th December, 2015
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1069 Reads

With all the excitement of the NCAA bringing The University of Hawaii and Cal Bears Down Under for the opening game of the 2016 college football season; it got me thinking. What would Australian sport look like if we completely overhauled everything we have known about sport?

These days we increasingly see the AFL following the trends set by American sport; the draft, the introduction of free agency, and most recently the trading of future selections.

As a society, we are far more familiar with the NBA and NFL than we ever have been, and this could be down to many factors.

Jarryd Hayne making the 49ers squad, Matthew Dellavedova’s grit during last season’s NBA Finals, and the overall coverage and media attention these sports now receive here have all contributed.

I’m an unashamed devotee of Mike and Mike and College Football Gameday.

One particular aspect of American sport has shot to prominence recently – college sport.

Just say the name Ben Simmons and I’ll bet most sports fans around the country could tell you he’s the 6’10” superstar forward from LSU, who was born and raised in Victoria. So, would college sport work here in Australia? How? What would be the benefits?

Imagine Mick Malthouse coaching the best 18 to 22-year-olds from LaTrobe University against the finest from Flinders University coached by Graham Cornes. Think of the amazing talent currently playing in the AFL that falls into that age bracket and it suddenly becomes a very tantalising prospect.

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There is so often talk of raising the draft age in the AFL. I was always against this idea, mainly because I wanted to see the stars of the game play for longer. But as the game evolves and becomes faster and more demanding on the body, it’s less and less likely we will ever see another Brent Harvey-type career.

Introducing a college competition provides a structured, national platform for athletes to put themselves on show, compete against the very best on a weekly basis and of course it also gives Aussie fans another team to support.

The benefits are vast, this provides incentive for kids to concentrate on study and also begin to think about life post football, which we know can be a very tough road for some past retirees. Imagine playing four years of ‘uni ball’, going pro and also having a degree completed!

Discipline? Check. These days we are bombarded constantly with yet another AFL or NRL player in some incident in a bar, restaurant, club or motor vehicle.

Now, I’m not pretending that university football will eradicate all discipline problems. As we all know, there are still discipline problems in American sport, look no further than the controversy surrounding Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy. But generally, and given the population difference, I’d be willing to say that the percentages of better-behaved players may just sway in favour of our Star Spangled cousins.

Is that down to a college education? Everyday structure? It may very well be. One thing is for sure, playing in a nationally televised, supported and exposed environment must prepare these athletes far better for the jump to the big time.

I’m not bagging our game or our players. Generally, our athletes are amazing members of society and perform a great deal of community service that often goes unheralded. But I just wonder if there is a way we could take something great and make it even better.

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Think Nick Saban at Alabama or Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes. To take charge in college it’s so much more than being just a good football coach. You have to be a life coach, set boundaries, provide structure and guide young men at their most fragile and impressionable ages.

These men mentioned here are statesmen of the game in the USA and set solid principles for their athletes to follow. Bad grades? Benched. Trouble with police? Benched. Coaches in the AFL are younger and younger, wouldn’t it be nice to see the statesmen of the AFL – men that have seen it all – guide young players through the transition of university to pro, from boy to man?

What about the benefits to us, the fans?

Just imagine the school spirit, the alumni all coming along to watch opening day. Music students playing on the field as the team runs out to the cheers of their classmates. We have more than 40 registered universities in Australia. Okay, some are small or predominately online institutions, but surely there are plenty to make a strong and truly national competition with ready made fan-bases.

What about all that extra sport we can watch on TV?

Surely this would open up a brand new revenue stream for the universities too and provide some much-needed extra funding funnelling through our education system. Just think tickets and jerseys for a start.

Maybe it’s a pipe dream and obviously a monumental change, but as we get our little taste of college football next year, perhaps the heavy hitters, the fans and media networks here in Australia may become a little more than just curious spectators.

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