JUNIOR FOOTBALL

[Moe]

The rules state that Under 10 football oval size should be approx. 120 metres x 90 metres.
This is perfect.
Regardless of whether the coaches agree to play full size or not, I think these measurements should be adhered to for the kids sake.
Remember coaches, it is about the kids, not your personal thoughts.

Well done to the players and coaches of Brighton Under 8's who played against Morphy Parks last Sunday.
Not a hint of aggression from parents and players played with enthusiasm and my kids loved it. (Even if we didn't score). Which apparently we don't keep anyway.
I have always wondered though why Brighton parents are the only ones who stand on the other side of the oval.

Patronising comments like this give me the sh**s

Seems to be the quality of debate we hear from the SFL Junior Committee and the AFL these days. Meaningless tripe along the lines of "we know best so this is how you are instructed to think and behave". People volunteer their time at the coalface, in the majority of cases they are more qualified than most to give their opinion. They do not deserve to be ridiculed because they are "less educated" than some self-important soles.

Yep, and i am one of those volunteers who measure out the oval at 8am on a sunday morning. I stick to what size i am told for the simple reason the kids will be or are supposed to be, playing on the same size oval every week.
If that is patronising to you, who gives a $$$$.

Good for you.

I am sorry that there are people here who have opinions, opinions that may happen to disagree with the size of the oval.

According to you, these opinions are not to be had because 'it is about the kids, not your personal thoughts', even if those thoughts/opinions are motivated by what is best for the kids.

I think most clubs are following the rules in place, but they are allowed to disagree with those rules, as much as you are allowed to blindly support those rules if that is what you wish.

And there it is. The usual response when someone bites back. I gave my opinion, yet i was patronising. I gave my opinion on the rule regarding the size of the oval for under 10s, yet i was supposedly having a go at educated people.
It is my opinion that mini coaches follow the guide lines set out in the rules set by the SFL so the players of continuity each week.
It is my opinion that some of the rules regarding mini football are wrong, yet i dont change them on a weekly basis because i think it is the right thing to do.
It is my opinion that a year 11 education, which is where i finished, does not qualify me to be more educated than anybody.
That is MY OPINION!
As patronising as it is.

[afc9798]

To me the whole issue relates more to parents than coaches. Most minis coaches coach to the correct spirit of the game, yet parents get frustrated that Little Johnny is not winning a best and fairest or playing up forward or playing for wins/losses. Manage the parental expectation and you're most of the way there. Whole new thing once they get to 14's though....off the leash.

[tigerpie]

Put the parents in their place! The rules have bugger all to do with parents.

Act within the code of conduct enforced by your club, or bugger off. Sad for the kid but zero tolerance on bad parental behaviour.

The mini's carnival debacle recently should send a clear message to clubs to strictly enforce parent behaviour.

[Moe]

Put the parents in their place! The rules have bugger all to do with parents.

Act within the code of conduct enforced by your club, or bugger off. Sad for the kid but zero tolerance on bad parental behaviour.

The mini's carnival debacle recently should send a clear message to clubs to strictly enforce parent behaviour.

Agreed.

[Look Good In Leather]

Yep, and i am one of those volunteers who measure out the oval at 8am on a sunday morning. I stick to what size i am told for the simple reason the kids will be or are supposed to be, playing on the same size oval every week.
If that is patronising to you, who gives a $$$$.

Good for you.

I am sorry that there are people here who have opinions, opinions that may happen to disagree with the size of the oval.

According to you, these opinions are not to be had because 'it is about the kids, not your personal thoughts', even if those thoughts/opinions are motivated by what is best for the kids.

I think most clubs are following the rules in place, but they are allowed to disagree with those rules, as much as you are allowed to blindly support those rules if that is what you wish.

And there it is. The usual response when someone bites back. I gave my opinion, yet i was patronising. I gave my opinion on the rule regarding the size of the oval for under 10s, yet i was supposedly having a go at educated people.
It is my opinion that mini coaches follow the guide lines set out in the rules set by the SFL so the players of continuity each week.
It is my opinion that some of the rules regarding mini football are wrong, yet i dont change them on a weekly basis because i think it is the right thing to do.
It is my opinion that a year 11 education, which is where i finished, does not qualify me to be more educated than anybody.
That is MY OPINION!
As patronising as it is.

Your opinion was fine until you trotted out the line "Remember coaches, it is about the kids, not your personal thoughts."

Yes, we all know it is kids footy, we are not stupid. Using clichéd statements like that implies that those disagreeing with some of those rules are ignorant.

I have yet to be presented with the academic evidence for the claims the AFL keeps trotting out, it seems all the citations at the back of the junior football guide either require payment to read or are inaccessible to the general public. The evidence provided thus far has been very flimsy and I personally hold more weight with the views of the coaches and those involved at ground level than some academic who has been detached from the game and is merely selectively citing "evidence" to support the particular argument that they are being sponsored to commentate on.

For the record I am indifferent to the suggested field sizes as I see both sides of the argument, as usual there is balance to everything. However, by denigrating the role of coaches, as you did previously, their role in junior football is being seriously undervalued.

Junior football is not only about the kids, it is a community service and a club event. If the kids are only there to run around with no purpose, what is the point?
Junior football produces future senior footballers, why else would clubs be involved?
Junior football provides parents a social outlet and an opportunity to be involved with their children's development outside of the family environment.
Junior football provides adults an opportunity to volunteer in the community.
Junior football provides a development ground for umpires.
Junior football provides a development opportunity for coaches.
And, of course, Junior football provides children an opportunity to learn, and participate in Australian football.

[Moe]

Agree with 99% of what you say LGIL.
Truce

[Look Good In Leather]

Agree with 99% of what you say LGIL.
Truce

Truce agreed

[Backliner]

Positive for Aldinga U16, 12point win over Happy Valley and sitting 3rd, keep up the good form lads

[marbles]

surely aldinga's under 12s could be moved up to the Under 12s white league (div1) instead of maroon league (div2) they smashed us

we hardly got a kick let alone a score on the board

their under 12s could beat kilburn A-grade

my lad in the maroon league like the rest of his team mates have barely played footy, what a waste of day that was playing them

[Look Good In Leather]

surely aldinga's under 12s could be moved up to the Under 12s white league (div1) instead of maroon league (div2) they smashed us

we hardly got a kick let alone a score on the board

their under 12s could beat kilburn A-grade

my lad in the maroon league like the rest of his team mates have barely played footy, what a waste of day that was playing them

Don't get bitter, get better

[tigerpie]

surely aldinga's under 12s could be moved up to the Under 12s white league (div1) instead of maroon league (div2) they smashed us

we hardly got a kick let alone a score on the board

their under 12s could beat kilburn A-grade

my lad in the maroon league like the rest of his team mates have barely played footy, what a waste of day that was playing them

Don't get bitter, get better

Marbles you're a gem?
Your lad is getting a game of footy in.
Its u12's FFS.
Bugger off back to the so-called amateur comp you might be happier

[Dutchy]

Not sure there is a Div 1 and a Div 2 in under 12's, first Ive heard of it if that's the case.

Aldinga subbies have always been strong, not sure why it hasn't progressed up into the 14's 16's though.

[Down the Hill]

No doubt you call yourself Marbles because you lost yours long ago. No such thing as the Maroon comp being stronger than the White. It seems to me that every club bar Townies has a team in the 14 team Maroon comp and the White comp consists of the clubs with 2nd teams or 3rd teams in the case of Brighton and Reynella. Seems a fair way of doing things although it gives greater variety of opponents to the teams in the Maroon group. But I understand that the fixturing guru needs to do things this way to enable him to structure an equitable spread of home and away games for the clubs with more than one team.

[marbles]

well at morphett vale its seems our Under 12 whites are all are best experienced players

our under 12s maroons is all the novices & beginners

or extend that whites are bigger kids (maybe grade 7s at school) & the emu marrons are grade 6ers

our whites smashed our maroons in the trial game

aldinga's only under 12s side would likely beat our under 12s whites (agrade)

just figured its our a-grade & bgrade

geeze apologies for wanting good times for the kids

[marbles]

No doubt you call yourself Marbles because you lost yours long ago. No such thing as the Maroon comp being stronger than the White. It seems to me that every club bar Townies has a team in the 14 team Maroon comp and the White comp consists of the clubs with 2nd teams or 3rd teams in the case of Brighton and Reynella. Seems a fair way of doing things although it gives greater variety of opponents to the teams in the Maroon group. But I understand that the fixturing guru needs to do things this way to enable him to structure an equitable spread of home and away games for the clubs with more than one team.

if the 2nds & 3rds are in white comp, maybe the emus need to consider switching their 2 teams around so our best under 12s side (the whites) can smash everyone in the maroons comp

[reppoh_eht]

well at morphett vale its seems our Under 12 whites are all are best experienced players

our under 12s maroons is all the novices & beginners

or extend that whites are bigger kids (maybe grade 7s at school) & the emu marrons are grade 6ers

our whites smashed our maroons in the trial game

aldinga's only under 12s side would likely beat our under 12s whites (agrade)

just figured its our a-grade & bgrade

geeze apologies for wanting good times for the kids

Fairly certain almost every other club in the league would be splitting their sides evenly, not having an A & B Grade Team...

[MatteeG]

LOL- maybe the whites need to move to Ammo div 7....

[marbles]

nah aldinga's under 12s are the invincibles - move them could probably beat their agrade

[Snaparazzi]

well at morphett vale its seems our Under 12 whites are all are best experienced players

our under 12s maroons is all the novices & beginners

or extend that whites are bigger kids (maybe grade 7s at school) & the emu marrons are grade 6ers

our whites smashed our maroons in the trial game

aldinga's only under 12s side would likely beat our under 12s whites (agrade)

just figured its our a-grade & bgrade

geeze apologies for wanting good times for the kids

Can confirm there is not a division 1 or division 2 side at MV, the sides are picked mainly in regard to other siblings playing on the same day and in the event new kids arrive they are sent to the team that has the fewest numbers, 3 years ago the Reds were 6 or so kids ahead of the blacks during pre season for 1 reason or another and a number of kids that had played together for a number of years were asked to move across to the other side to keep numbers the same who were not affected by brothers/sisters playing on the same day, ability was not a consideration every other year the numbers have been pretty consistent. One thing MV also do is swap the entire teams from Red to Black and vice versa every 2-3 years so they all get to experience playing in the different guernseys, this changed back only this year. This years Black side (playing in the white comp) has 3 2nd year players, the rest are 1st year U/12's, so they will all be much better again next year and will look to improve as the year goes on playing against some older sides. We have never in my time at the club picked sides for the mini's on talent.

[Dutchy]

Good to hear Snappa, while it can never be perfect with siblings etc Id be confident all clubs have an reasonably even split of talent across their multiple teams in the same age group.

We are heading to MV this Sunday, looking forward to a good morning of subbie footy!