EP Sport - back with a vengeance

[bluestheboy]

tips...they are no chance of beating Mallees 17's...As TRR stated, common sense comes into the equation when selecting which games they play...doesn't always happen tho...

[therealROSSCO]

careful btb.......

[steiger]

Agree with some of your comments eski

In general I am generalising - there are some games (eg B v MP this week and W v T last year as alluded to by BTB) where you can mix and match

Case study - actually happened quite a few years ago. Gun u17 player goes up to A's and doesn't play U17's in a grand final. A's lost by a few goals and u17's (who were favourites) lose by 2 points I think it was. Kid in question was devastated as were his u'17 MATES. No doubt in anyones mind that u17's would have won with him in side. Devastated is actually understatement as the kid didn't play footy again for 5-6 years and that was at another town. Really affected him. So I don't think I will move on from playing with mates.
Don't forget we are playing with kid's minds here.
Junior footy is not only about developing them as footballers, it's also about developing them as people, and if you see what we try and do at our club you will appreciate that, and no this is not a holier than thou comment.

Granted there is a possibility of an U17 player getting injured and throwing the A's into turmoil, but would suggest that would be by far the minority and not the majority of the time

So I stick with my suggestion that they are young and fit enough to play both. Especially if they are the 21st man in the A's. Little bit different at Bostons where those kids Biggles mentioned are actually necessary for there A grade to have any chance. As I said there are certain games.

And TRR my point is if they come back down not when.

Why no comment on the Bulldogs stance and the Coaches course recommendation?

Anyway everyone to ther opinion and that's great

[westcoastpanther]

It should go like this

1. If u/17 wants to play A grade and is good enough to make starting 18, he should play and train with the A grade all year. (Levi, Snowy & Luke Harder etc)

2. If above quality kids choose to play 17's, let them. No point them playing unhappy. I don't agree with this type of mentality from said kid, but is their decision. They don't come up for senior selection unless 21st man.

3. If kid has potential and club is looking to develop, they should play 3/4's of 17's then be 21st for the A's. It is in these circumstances that the right time to take them from the 17's needs to be considered.

4. A grade coach should always have final say. The situation we had in 2004 with the two kids was atrocious, they wanted to play A's, coach wanted them for A's but they were being heavily pressured by 17's coach and several parents. This was looked at closely afterwards and will not happen again with our club......

[westcoastpanther]

Further to point 4, how about the MR kid that was persuaded by said pressure to not play A grade for us, yet played A grade EP footy and was AFL drafted 3 months later. Real intelligent that was, lucky we still won the flag....

[Eski]

At the top of my comment stated that if kid good enough and "keen" he plays A grade every time. Bulldogs have seen this is what kid wanted and let him go. Great for them to do that and chance for kid to move on. 1 game is all he played not whole season.

So I ask you steiger! If your boy had chance to become this year key forward in A grade side and finals side (which he is capable of), you would push him to play colts? If he "keen" to play A grade which way then?

Kids all develope personally at diffrerent stages, but the ones that are not advanced in there developement as people probably wouldn't be in consideration for A grade. Self belief and confidence in who you are play big part in being successful, and even the good colts have self belief. Just becuase for two hours on a saturday you play with older people doesn't mean you can't develope as a kid with your mates.

[steiger]

Further to point 4, how about the MR kid that was persuaded by said pressure to not play A grade for us, yet played A grade EP footy and was AFL drafted 3 months later. Real intelligent that was, lucky we still won the flag....

WCP - Careful - make sure you have your facts right

[rangerbob]

i dont know what the big deal is about 16 year olds playing a grade, most other leagues on eyre peninsula they have to play senior footy at that age as its only under 16s, many kids up in eastern eyre even play at 15.
just as eski and wcp have said if kids are good enough and keen to play a's let them.
A grade is the number 1 team to any club.

[Eski]

Steiger you cannot say that the u17 coach didn't early in the year have a massive influence on what Tills did. I no he was advised come finals by afl contacts etc not to play footy at all as he didn't.

Current u17 coach when got job had it explained to him when he got the job that if I wanted a player for A grade that was that if kid keen. I beleive that he isn't standing by that at present and with assisstant coach being ex u17 coach that caused all the issues I really think kids are being brain washed again about the importance of playing colts.

Steiger no response to query on your boy?

[biggles]

great comments here i think i'm even more confused now. Here is the sit... I think our u/17 at bostons can beat Mallees this week with our best line up. The Waybacks game blew out at the end last week we lost our two best defenders to injury early and kicked 2 goals 9 in the first quarter hitting the post 5 times during the match so score line doesnt show how close that contest was. Game plan and tactics could get us a win but we need all our guns in. If we lose we lose 2 in a row and may go from 3rd to 5th on the ladder. I think there is enough time in the year for them to regain ladder status as its only early. M Paton C Dorwood S Singh M Tabe will all walk in to our A Grade side and give us a contest all over the ground. Maybe if we play them in the colts for a quarter if its not working bring em off get em ready for A Grade thats what i would like to do. The ram has my utmost respect and the final word if he demands they play A Grade only them maybe we will see some other colts shine and also a good lesson on heart and commitment to go at it without your captain vice and top gun players. I also believe that the A Grade side is the top priority of any club and should come first. Junior development is there to enhance the senior grades. All thes lads under scrutiny can handle themselves in the seniors but my concern is hate to see a season ending injury to one of the colts playing A Grade.

[boags]

Play em all in A grade and not u/17's. If they want to play with their mates they will have 4 mates their age in the A grade.
WCP- Snowy should have played u/17 in '04. We would've won the A's.

[therealROSSCO]

one thing i can say - and i hope i speak for all on the site - it is sensational that at least you are thinking about this prospect biggles.....it requires forward thinking (for the best interests of the players and the club) and coupled with Rambo - a premiership and interleague coach - you will come up with the right decision.....good luck

[steiger]

Steiger no response to query on your boy?

Sorry but I was home cooking tea.
For the record if my lad was given the opporunity to play A grade footy he would be rapt and so would I. Hell Ive been encouraging him to do his best at footy for a long time with the aim of going as high as his ability takes him. But I also know, and I was careful to let hime make his own decision with no pressure, he would also want to play U17's. He feels not only an obligation to his U17 teammates, but also a desire to play there. That is as well as not instead of A grade.
And everybody is right the A grade comes first and if it is A grade only - so be it. That decision would then be made but I make one request - think of the kid also
I will have a chat to you and WCP privately about a couple of other issues - other posters might get bored s...less otherwise

[WhiteTips]

Steiger no response to query on your boy?

Sorry but I was home cooking tea.

top work steiger

[steiger]

Bloody hell I knew I forgot something. Eggs would have been good with the BBQ steak

[westcoastpanther]

WCP- Snowy should have played u/17 in '04. We would've won the A's.

Ahh, but then you change fate and maybe then Macca might not have done his driver and we'd have won anyway!!

Good to hear some constructive talk on here regarding the kids, I'm sure as a coach some of the opinions would be taken on by Biggles and maybe a few other coaches that are probably having a glance on here from time to time. Gives the site a 'little' credibility, well done.....

[Justquietly]

Well!
I think that's 2 cents from pretty much everyone now! Very thought-provoking. Some interesting stuff.
My 2 cents - play at the highest level you can, when and while you can.
Club success is usually measured by A grade performance.
Not really a comment worth waiting for, seeing as about 90% of everyone said the same...

[bluestheboy]

Fair call panther...cos we had such a great run with injuries during that finals series.

[our_longreach]

While all this constructive talk is fine lets be realistic.
Firstly biggles you are dreaming thinking you can win any grade. Your confused?
A grade is number 1 team at every club except Tasmans.
And we couldn't go a subject without JustD##Headly put his two cents worth from the Adelaide Hills.

[westcoastpanther]

Tips for this week

Rangers - 40 points (should easily account for a depleted Eagles outfit)
Mallees - 60 points (still think the Tigers are a fair way off but would love to see a win for them!!)
Tasmans - 15 points (Rossco was keen on the $3 and I reckon Tassies may be a little more desparate than the Dees at this time of the year, especially if there are Wayback outs)

Clash of the week - Me v Grub, on like Donkey Kong.....