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July 06, 2005
Sydney AFL - Why Throwing Money At the Problem Isn't Working
Over the past week and a half the issue of the lack of impact the AFL is making in Sydney with kids has become a hot topic. While things are much better than they were a decade ago, things aren't where they were expected to be after years of throwing money to help develop the code in metro Sydney. Last week the AFL floated a plan where each club could select a junior from Metro Sydney to train who they could then select in a way simular to a Father Son Selection.
Under the proposed apprenticeship plan, clubs would identify players in their mid-teenage years and list them separately to their senior and rookie players. The footballers would remain in Sydney but be nurtured and developed by their sponsor club.
This is finally acknowledgement from the AFL that more needs to be done in metro Sydney, while the Swans continue to be light years away from a premiership. At the moment, while Auskick numbers continue to be riseing, kids lack the pathway to senior level that kids interstate have. Few school have an Aussie Rules team, let alone Aussie Rules program and the AFL is finally getting message on that front.
Winning Sydney an elusive formula is an interesting article from Caroline Wilson (I know, I know its a first) on the issue. Its shows the difference two cousins (one in Melbourne and one in Sydney) took in their Aussie Rules life and how the one in Sydney is now playing Union for his school because his school doesn't play Aussie Rules in any form.
Just shows you how much work the AFL has to do in Sydney to get regualar AFL players coming from the state.
Posted by robbieando at July 6, 2005 07:57 PM