heater31 wrote:Booney wrote:Dutchy wrote:Booney wrote:Whilst not exactly the same there are SAAFL clubs who feed players to SANFL clubs and they've dealt with it for years.
Devils advocate here, I don't like the prospect of SANFL players leaving mid-year but clubs below the SANFL have dealt with it for years.
Not really, its very rare for someone to be picked from grassroots clubs mid season and put in the SANFL system if they have had nothing to do with them up to that point.
Just as I think it will be for the AFL mid season draft.
Do you think Mitch Grigg could have slotted straight into an AFL midfield role in July this year? No way, he's 6 months of training from being ready to do so.
Well maybe if he knew a midseason draft was around he might have payed more attention to fitness to be ready...
It's not realistically a question of 'buck up and pay more attention if you want to achieve, sonny Jim!'
It's about access to levels of equipment, coaching, support that are as different as you'd expect between a hyper-professional environment and a semi-pro one; as well as a salary that allows you to focus on footy full-time.
The broader point being made earlier on, is a good one; unless an AFL club is utterly poleaxed by injuries so that they're struggling to get 22 on the park, midfielders who are starring at state level are less likely to be picked up in the mid-season draft. Clubs will be sceptical that mids can walk in, with zero pre-season with the AFL club, and aerobically (and in terms of game style) hit the mark from day 1. Role players (rucks, KPFs, small defenders etc) are much more likely to get a call up to fill specific needs when the AFL club's list has suffered an injury/injuries that has exposed them for depth.
