Victorian Clubs Handed AFL Funding For Academies

[LostDoggy]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-02-03/victorian-clubs-handed-afl-funding-for-academies

On the face of it, this seems a promising development, allowing us to strengthen ties in our home and extended Ballarat regions. Something really stings about Gippsland being anointed Hawthorn/Melbourne territory, however the logic is hard to argue with.

[Dry Rot]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-02-03/victorian-clubs-handed-afl-funding-for-academies


VICTORIAN clubs have been given seed funding to establish club-branded academies in allocated areas throughout Victoria and the Northern Territory.

Under the plan unveiled to clubs on Tuesday, they will be given the chance to invest in specific regions to attract youngsters from diverse backgrounds and indigenous heritage to play AFL and develop elite talent within those areas.


Thoughts on the zone we've been given?

[Mofra]

The two weakest traditionally, although we have North Ballarat all to ourselves?

IIRC our F/S picks generally come from Calder Cannons.

[Testekill]

At least we recruited Herb Henderson and Matthew Croft from Mallee; otherwise it seems pretty slim pickings since it seems that a lot of quality young country players come more from Gippsland or the more central parts of Victoria.
Meanwhile Richmond gets a number of quality regions in Bendigo & Goulburn Valley.

[Happy Days]

So, why?

[Eastdog]

Interesting. So do we have all of the western suburbs or just parts of it?

[bornadog]

I think the zones we have are right as they concentrate in the west of Victoria and include areas close and around Geelong and beyond.

http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/Images/mapvic.jpg

[bornadog]

...............................

[Eastdog]

I think the zones we have are right as they concentrate in the west of Victoria and include areas around Geelong and beyond.

Geelong's areas are intriguing.

True BAD. Make sense as we are really concentrating a lot on Ballarat.

[Eastdog]

If we had a choice to pick one zone to be included with the assigned ones which would it be?

[Throughandthrough]

SW Victoria is an awesome zone. There's a gazillion AFL players in the past that are from Horsham, Warrnambool and surrounds

Those types of towns are definitely "Aussie Rules" centric centres with Soccer a long way behind

Just over the border, the South East of South Australia (Mt Gambier etc) is a similar demographic and already the recruiting zone for Glenelg, they have 3 very active Academies in the South East that have supplied dozens and dozens of SANFL League footballers

From that zone these players are currently on AFL lists, and i'm pretty sure they have all been through a Glenelg Academy


Jack Redden West Coast
Lachie Neale Fremantle
Tim O'Brien Hawthorn
Jordan Murdoch Geelong
Brodie Murdoch St Kilda
Lincoln McCarthy Geelong
Mason Redman Essendon
Matt Allen West Coast Eagles
Jordan Dawson Sydney Swans
Jack Trengove Melbourne


The only problems I can see is that our new Zone is bloody big, meaning much higher costs in time and $$$ to manage, and also the distance from Melbourne is prohibitive for players and families as well

[divvydan]

Note that these academies are mainly about developing young kids from non-english speaking backgrounds, at least so far as having any first right to drafting them goes.

[LostDoggy]

At least we recruited Herb Henderson and Matthew Croft from Mallee; otherwise it seems pretty slim pickings since it seems that a lot of quality young country players come more from Gippsland or the more central parts of Victoria.
Meanwhile Richmond gets a number of quality regions in Bendigo & Goulburn Valley.

Easton Wood and Leon Cameron are 2 more from south west Victoria off the top of my head.

[Throughandthrough]

Easton Wood and Leon Cameron are 2 more from south west Victoria off the top of my head.

and "Disco" was from Stawell.

[stefoid]

Yeah, this is for Aboriginal, Asian and Arican kids.

So Essendon hit the jackpot in that regard getting western metropolitan melbourne, including footscray, sunshine, st albans, etc... Our heartland!

How many Aboriginal, Asian and African footballing kids in Victoria west of Ballarat? They could probably hold a meeting in a phone box.

Hopefully that map is an over simplification and we get Footscray , Sunshine St albans and Laverton. seriously, if not = @$#@#$.

[bulldogtragic]

Yeah, this is for Aboriginal, Asian and Arican kids.

So Essendon hit the jackpot in that regard getting western metropolitan melbourne, including footscray, sunshine, st albans, etc... Our heartland!

How many Aboriginal, Asian and African footballing kids in Victoria west of Ballarat? They could probably hold a meeting in a phone box.

Hopefully that map is an over simplification and we get Footscray , Sunshine St albans and Laverton. seriously, if not = @$#@#$.

I don't need another reason to detest the AFL, but if we are cut out of our own patch and region of whom we've been working hard for in the community before this carrot by a confirmed bunch of doping drug cheats then I won't use symbols like you but test every swear filter this forum has. There's bound to be swear word synonyms the mods haven't had blocked that describe the AFL and the drug cheats.

[bulldogtragic]

]
Yeah, this is for Aboriginal, Asian and Arican kids.

So Essendon hit the jackpot in that regard getting western metropolitan melbourne, including footscray, sunshine, st albans, etc... Our heartland!

How many Aboriginal, Asian and African footballing kids in Victoria west of Ballarat? They could probably hold a meeting in a phone box.

Hopefully that map is an over simplification and we get Footscray , Sunshine St albans and Laverton. seriously, if not = @$#@#$.

I believe this is our academy's first meeting getting the great news from Simon: 724

[Webby]

I don't need another reason to detest the AFL, but if we are cut out of our own patch and region of whom we've been working hard for in the community before this carrot by a confirmed bunch of doping drug cheats then I won't use symbols like you but test every swear filter this forum has. There's bound to be swear word synonyms the mods haven't had blocked that describe the AFL and the drug cheats.

"The Bulldogs have been granted a large area in Melbourne’s west to set up a ‘Next Generation’ AFL Academy, an area that encompasses Western Melbourne, the Wimmera, the Mallee, South West Victoria and Ballarat, areas aligned with the current TAC Cup talent regions of the North Ballarat Rebels and Western Jets."

I believe the above clarifies that we are maintaining the zone currently represented by the Western Jets - which is pretty much Footscray to St Albans to Melton to Werribee to Point Cook. We also get greater Ballarat and all of western and southwestern Victoria.

I despise Essendon more than anyone, but there's no need to get too upset by this. We've done pretty well.

[bulldogtragic]

"The Bulldogs have been granted a large area in Melbourne’s west to set up a ‘Next Generation’ AFL Academy, an area that encompasses Western Melbourne, the Wimmera, the Mallee, South West Victoria and Ballarat, areas aligned with the current TAC Cup talent regions of the North Ballarat Rebels and Western Jets."

I believe the above clarifies that we are maintaining the zone currently represented by the Western Jets - which is pretty much Footscray to St Albans to Melton to Werribee to Point Cook. We also get greater Ballarat and all of western and southwestern Victoria.

I despise Essendon more than anyone, but there's no need to get too upset by this. We've done pretty well.

Was going off the map in the thread.

[LostDoggy]

That map is all over the shop. According to the article we've got the Wimmera-Mallee region, but that entire area is shaded as Richmond territory. If the article is correct, I reckon we've got a great deal.

[Testekill]

"The Bulldogs have been granted a large area in Melbourne’s west to set up a ‘Next Generation’ AFL Academy, an area that encompasses Western Melbourne, the Wimmera, the Mallee, South West Victoria and Ballarat, areas aligned with the current TAC Cup talent regions of the North Ballarat Rebels and Western Jets."

I believe the above clarifies that we are maintaining the zone currently represented by the Western Jets - which is pretty much Footscray to St Albans to Melton to Werribee to Point Cook. We also get greater Ballarat and all of western and southwestern Victoria.


North got Wyndham. If the map was a little bit less confusing then we probably wouldn't be having this problem but let's not act like western Victoria is particularily multicultural or has a lot of first or second generation foreign people who speak english as a second language and another language at home.

If we do get the Maribyrnong area then we are actually winners but everywhere else not so much.

[hujsh]

"The Bulldogs have been granted a large area in Melbourne’s west to set up a ‘Next Generation’ AFL Academy, an area that encompasses Western Melbourne, the Wimmera, the Mallee, South West Victoria and Ballarat, areas aligned with the current TAC Cup talent regions of the North Ballarat Rebels and Western Jets."

I believe the above clarifies that we are maintaining the zone currently represented by the Western Jets - which is pretty much Footscray to St Albans to Melton to Werribee to Point Cook. We also get greater Ballarat and all of western and southwestern Victoria.

I despise Essendon more than anyone, but there's no need to get too upset by this. We've done pretty well.


North got Wyndham. If the map was a little bit less confusing then we probably wouldn't be having this problem but let's not act like western Victoria is particularily multicultural or has a lot of first or second generation foreign people who speak english as a second language and another language at home.

If we do get the Maribyrnong area then we are actually winners but everywhere else not so much.

That's so confusing. So we get Melton to Werribee but not Wyndham which is between the two?

[Drunken Bum]

"Under the plan unveiled to clubs on Tuesday, they will be given the chance to invest in specific regions to attract youngsters from diverse backgrounds and indigenous heritage to play AFL"

I'm hoping we've hit the jackpot, I don't know about western Vic but their could be some indigenous talent running around and getting Western Melbourne is a gift, get some elite coaching into some of these African and Asian kids early and who knows what we might find, the prospect of professional coahing from young age would be enticing for the kids

[Testekill]

That's so confusing. So we get Melton to Werribee but not Wyndham which is between the two?


Wyndham is the city of Wyndham which includes Werribee. That's from Little River out to Laverton & Point Cook and everything in between along with stretching up close to Melton south. So North gets the biggest growth corridor avaliable which sees a lot of people moving there from non-traditional AFL backgrounds which means that they have a massive amount of potential people.

[Drunken Bum]

This is what we are getting according to a big footy poster but apparently north have some of that area too


Brimbank

Ardeer, Cairnlea, Calder Park, Deer Park, Delahey, Derrimut, Kealba
Keilor, Kings Park, St Albans, Sunshine, Sydenham, Taylors Lakes
Hobsons Bay

Altona, Brooklyn, Laverton, Newport, Spotswood, Williamstown
Maribyrnong

Braybrook, Footscray, Kingsville, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, Seddon
Tottenham, West Footscray, Yarraville
Melton

Burnside, Caroline Springs, Diggers Rest, Hillside, Kurunjang, Melton
Ravenhall, Rockbank
Wyndham

Hoppers Crossing, Laverton North, Mambourin, Point Cook, Tarneit
Truganina, Werribee, Wyndham Vale


As far as my understanding of it goes we identify multicultural kids playing other sports and entice them to Football with the prospect of professional coaching, although i presume that would include kids who are already playing but still new to the sport i think we lucked out, i'm hoping so at least

[Ghost Dog]

That map is all over the shop. According to the article we've got the Wimmera-Mallee region, but that entire area is shaded as Richmond territory. If the article is correct, I reckon we've got a great deal.

So do I . PG's dream of a vast Western Bulldogs corridor is being realised.
Some very good footballers come from South West Victoria, a lot of strong grass roots communities.

[Webby]

The article stated that we were allocated the Western Jets territory, which is basically all of the above. However it seems that the Wyndham area has been allocated to North.

Seems a reasonable trade off. I mean, we were given Ballarat to North's protests a couple of years back. They'd gladly swap us back Wyndham for all that we have in Ballarat and surrounds. So we can't have our cake and eat it too.

We should be pretty happy with that.

[bulldogtragic]

Anyone get Tasmania or NT, inc. Tiwi Island?

[bornadog]

Anyone get Tasmania or NT, inc. Tiwi Island?


Next generation AFL club academies – Victorian clubs region allocation

Western Bulldogs – Western Melbourne, Wimmera, Mallee, South West Victoria, Ballarat, (North Ballarat Rebels & Western Jets)

Essendon – North West Melbourne (Calder Cannons), West Arnhem (NT)

Melbourne – South East Melbourne (Dandenong Stingrays), Alice Springs (NT)

Collingwood – Central Melbourne (Oakleigh Chargers), Barkly (NT)

St Kilda – Inner Southern Melbourne (Sandringham Dragons), Frankston LGA

North Melbourne – Melbourne and Wyndham LGAs (Calder Cannons & Western Jets)

Hawthorn – Eastern/Whitehorse LGAs (Eastern Ranges), Gippsland (Gippsland Power), Katherine (NT)

Carlton – Northern Melbourne (Northern Knights)

Geelong – Geelong /Hampden (Geelong Falcons), East Arnhem (NT)

Richmond – Goulburn Murray, Bendigo, Sunraysia, North Central (Bendigo Pioneers and Murray Bushrangers)

http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/Images/mapnt.jpg

[stefoid]

Phew. We have taken a hit in membership numbers due to the number of immigrants into the FFC heartland suburbs over the last couple of decades so of course we should be able to benefit from that now those immigrants have settled and their kids take up the sport.

[LostDoggy]

This isn't just about getting first access to a few players either, it's about building connections to communities. The area we have been allocated ties in nicely to our pre-existing plans and will not be as difficult logistically as some (such as the NT clubs).

If we are holding academies as well as sending players to schools in Warrnambool, Hamilton, Mildura, Ballarat etc and playing games in Ballarat, we become the team in the face of a lot of families in a football mad zone. All in all, I think this announcement should be viewed as a positive.

[hujsh]

Wyndham is the city of Wyndham which includes Werribee. That's from Little River out to Laverton & Point Cook and everything in between along with stretching up close to Melton south. So North gets the biggest growth corridor avaliable which sees a lot of people moving there from non-traditional AFL backgrounds which means that they have a massive amount of potential people.

Ah I assumed it meant Wyndham Vale.

[LostDoggy]

I don't fully get how the academies will tie in with the draft and a bidding system. One potentially exciting aspect is that StPatrick's in Ballarat has probably the best indigenous programme of any school around, having produced Daniel Rioli, Dom Barry and Jake Neade in recent times alone. They have produced over 100 AFL footballers so whatever work we do with them should be a good investment.

[Ghost Dog]

Do we get Colac as well? Has produce few good footballers. NT is a difficult one. While I would like us to be more involved ( and we had a great record up there ) the costs involved are significant.

[LostDoggy]

Do we get Colac as well? Has produce few good footballers.

Looking at the map, Colac looks close to the border of our zone and Geelong's. Map is dodgy though. Has anyone seen a list that details regions more precisely than the AFL article?

[bulldogtragic]

Do we get Colac as well? Has produce few good footballers. NT is a difficult one. While I would like us to be more involved ( and we had a great record up there ) the costs involved are significant.

I was thinking the same. Tassie would be good but I imagine Hawthorn & North will have dibs or they're waiting for a Tassie team and giving them their own academy.

[Ghost Dog]

Who gets NZ? hehe:D

[LostDoggy]

I was thinking the same. Tassie would be good but I imagine Hawthorn & North will have dibs or they're waiting for a Tassie team and giving them their own academy.

I think the article said they are planning to break up Tassie also. Given 5 clubs are sharing NT, maybe the other 5 in Tassie? Not sure Tassie is too rich in multicultural talent, but would be good to build a connection down there.

[bulldogtragic]

Who gets NZ? hehe:D

Glasses houses my friend, remember our Scott Clayton took Fiji. :D

Now diplomatic ties are back on, is Inoke Ratu still coming?

[bulldogtragic]

I think the article said they are planning to break up Tassie also. Given 5 clubs are sharing NT, maybe the other 5 in Tassie? Not sure Tassie is too rich in multicultural talent, but would be good to build a connection down there.

Worth digging in if only to grow our brand in another place. If a tassie team ever eventuates than those academies will vanish, or this is a signal from the AFL to Tassie.... I would've liked the Tiwi Islands though, a lot.

[LostDoggy]

Worth digging in if only to grow our brand in another place. If a tassie team ever eventuates than those academies will vanish, or this is a signal from the AFL to Tassie.... I would've liked the Tiwi Islands though, a lot.

On the one hand, the talent pool would be amazing, on the other it is a big commitment logistically. I think working the western suburbs and western Victoria is good for us - we can commit to doing that properly. Having to send resources constantly to remote NT could be a big drain - although the AFL provide funding, it is still pulling away people and time.

[Ghost Dog]

Glasses houses my friend, remember our Scott Clayton took Fiji. :D

Now diplomatic ties are back on, is Inoke Ratu still coming?

Clayton! is he still on his way to Williamstown? That current is pretty strong, better swim hard Scott.

[Greystache]

Glasses houses my friend, remember our Scott Clayton took Fiji. :D

Now diplomatic ties are back on, is Inoke Ratu still coming?

He's been living in South Warnambool for 3 years, so he's now in our zone. Looks like all the stars are aligning, except for the bit where he trained with us for 3 months recently and was no good :)

[bulldogtragic]

He's been living in South Warnambool for 3 years, so he's now in our zone. Looks like all the stars are aligning, except for the bit where he trained with us for 3 months recently and was no good :)

That'd be amusing, if it didn't involve us pissing away money and club resources on that program... :)

[LostDoggy]

He's been living in South Warnambool for 3 years, so he's now in our zone. Looks like all the stars are aligning, except for the bit where he trained with us for 3 months recently and was no good :)

Fiji to South Warrnambool - bet he's loving that choice in the depths of winter. :)

[Bulldog4life]

That'd be amusing, if it didn't involve us pissing away money and club resources on that program... :)

I thought a supporter contributed the money for the Fiji experiment. Might be wrong...

[bornadog]

Glasses houses my friend, remember our Scott Clayton took Fiji. :D

Now diplomatic ties are back on, is Inoke Ratu still coming?

Scott did pick out Nick Natanui and had a relationship with his family. Unfortunately, he was in the normal draft.

[Axe Man]

Scott did pick out Nick Natanui and had a relationship with his family. Unfortunately, he was in the normal draft.

What do you mean he picked out Naitanui? I think came through the traditional WA underage pathway and dominated the national championships - every recruiter in Australia would have picked him out.

[GVGjr]

I thought a supporter contributed the money for the Fiji experiment. Might be wrong...

It was Shaun Bassett who funded our 'Project Fiji'.

Here is a link to a previous thread

http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?8564-Bulldogs-drop-local-AFL-hopefuls

[bulldogtragic]

I thought a supporter contributed the money for the Fiji experiment. Might be wrong...

It's still, with hindsight, a giant waste. That supporter has funded lots of things, including rookieing Tommy Gun about a decade ago, both ventures were money we could've spent on something fruitful. Having Clayton oversee the program might explain some bad drafting decisions by spreading him thinner. Paying flights for him and Minson and others etc.

I've never made a mistake in hindsight, but taking money to spend on magic beans and investing resources like the head recruiter, his team and players in a country that was in and out of diplomatic problems with the Australian Government is a waste of money and resources. And frankly, if I'd put in over $100,000 on Tommy Gun and Inoke Ratu and others, I'd never hand over another cent to the club for projects above and beyond memberships. Hopefully, those types of mistakes are long past our new club management.

[bulldogtragic]

What do you mean he picked out Naitanui? I think came through the traditional WA underage pathway and dominated the national championships - every recruiter in Australia would have picked him out.

And they all did.

[bornadog]

What do you mean he picked out Naitanui? I think came through the traditional WA underage pathway and dominated the national championships - every recruiter in Australia would have picked him out.

From this (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/gold-coast-in-love-with-naitanui-20100507-ujdf.html)article


Clayton said he first realised Naitanui's potential after seeing him play at Fremantle Oval for Swan Districts' colts side – a revelation which led to the Bulldogs holding football camps in Naitanui's Fijian homeland.

"I was at Fremantle Oval and Swan Districts were playing South Fremantle in colts, I turned to the person next to me and asked him where he was from. They said Fiji and my first response was 'I am going there'," Clayton said.


"A week or two later I rang (Nic's) mother (Ateca) and asked if we could catch up for a coffee. We had a coffee and I asked her if there were any more like that there. We then went four or five times and combed the countryside."


Thinking ahead, Clayton built a relationship with the Naitanui family during another trip to Fiji.
"She (Naitanui's mother) was going for the family for the Christmas holiday, so I packed up my Christmas vacation and went with her," Clayton told backpagelead.com.au.
"I met her in Suva and spent three or four days on a reconnoiter looking around."

[hujsh]

That sounds kinda racist actually.

[jeemak]

It's still, with hindsight, a giant waste. That supporter has funded lots of things, including rookieing Tommy Gun about a decade ago, both ventures were money we could've spent on something fruitful. Having Clayton oversee the program might explain some bad drafting decisions by spreading him thinner. Paying flights for him and Minson and others etc.

I've never made a mistake in hindsight, but taking money to spend on magic beans and investing resources like the head recruiter, his team and players in a country that was in and out of diplomatic problems with the Australian Government is a waste of money and resources. And frankly, if I'd put in over $100,000 on Tommy Gun and Inoke Ratu and others, I'd never hand over another cent to the club for projects above and beyond memberships. Hopefully, those types of mistakes are long past our new club management.

Who's to say that investor would have invested with the constraints that you've suggested?

Sure in hindsight it's been a fail, but innovation costs.

[Axe Man]

From this (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/gold-coast-in-love-with-naitanui-20100507-ujdf.html)article

The problem with Clayton's plan was Naitanui was born in Australia, grew up playing footy from a young age. It's all very well to give some athletic Fijians a footy, very, very difficult to teach them a game so foreign to them.

As an aside I play footy with a Fijian guy. He came here in his early 20s from a rugby background. I think he's played 3 years of footy now and improved out of sight. However his kicking, whilst vastly improved is still hit and miss. Whilst his footy IQ (for lack of a better term) will always be behind someone who grew up playing the game - the when and where to run, etc. His tackling and aggression on the other hand is well above most other players.

[bornadog]

Whilst his footy IQ (for lack of a better term) will always be behind someone who grew up playing the game - the when and where to run, etc. His tackling and aggression on the other hand is well above most other players.
that is always going to be the problem. We saw what happened to the two NRL players trying to convert.

[Eastdog]

Wyndham is the city of Wyndham which includes Werribee. That's from Little River out to Laverton & Point Cook and everything in between along with stretching up close to Melton south. So North gets the biggest growth corridor avaliable which sees a lot of people moving there from non-traditional AFL backgrounds which means that they have a massive amount of potential people.

So do we share Wyndham with North Melbourne. Still our allocated areas seem quite good and it covers lots of areas.

[Testekill]

So do we share Wyndham with North Melbourne. Still our allocated areas seem quite good and it covers lots of areas.

It looks like North just flat out get the city of Wyndham.

[Mantis]

It looks like North just flat out get the city of Wyndham.

We aren't missing out on much.. Barely a decent player from the region.

Brad Johnson clearly the best, but played his junior footy elsewhere.

[Eastdog]

It looks like North just flat out get the city of Wyndham.

Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay you would think would be ours.

[Eastdog]

We aren't missing out on much.. Barely a decent player from the region.

Brad Johnson clearly the best, but played his junior footy elsewhere.

Johnno originally from Hoppers Crossing I believe.

[Twodogs]

It looks like North just flat out get the city of Wyndham.

It makes sense with Werribee being their VFL club.