TOPIC:

Please don't bring any balance to the argument at this stage. Seriously I doubt the players of any side really care that much to be honest just enjoy playing a good level of footy. On the guy that threw his toys out of the pram, he resigned from a position that he could make some positive changes. One pithy little article in a news paper on his way out is not likely to do anything.

ArkRoyal wrote: Good posts by DW and Cardy, but I disagree that any boycott must come from the players; rather, it must come from the boards of the seven; always keeping in mind that it was the members of the boards whom signed the agreement with the Commission. I could not careless if there is break up in WA football between the clubs and the two Victorian monstrosities. In such a situation, the WAFL will find its own level, which won't involve big crowds and big money. It will however, in such a future, be genuinely west aussie, one free of the manipulations of basically hostile interests from inside and outside the state.

Agree mate and realise what I said by a PLAYER boycott could happen it would be a huge task to organise.
Agree it is really up to the G7 presidents to take some action.
I heard one arguement by a EF supporter on Saturday saying the WAFL wouldnt exist without the money input from the AFL.. OK might be true in some ways but we have allowed ourselves to get to this situation. The WAFL has been going for over 125 years and then the Eagles AKA the AFL came along with all these promises about how it would improve the WAFL etc etc so the WAFC could win their arguement.

It was certainly self interest by the AFL and the clubs concerned. I suggest the AFL would not exist if it DID NOT HAVE THE FEEDER COMPS from especially WA and SA. Ok it would be around but on a much smaller scale?

Getting back to my Boycott arguement lets not forget it has happened before especially in the American Basketball league, Football and MBL (Basketball) where they actually didnt play games and the governing body soon came to the party.
I realise the WAFL is not a Billion dollar league compared to my American examples but it is still an important part of the AFL structure therefore should have some power to make major decisions.

Food for though though. The WAFL G7 clubs must look at all avenues and must even look at aggressive solutions.

Does anyone remember it every happening in Australia in any sporting codes. Seem to remember a threat from the AFL players association a few years ago and another code was embroiled in a conflict as well but cant remember the details.

Beasley Hutton wrote: Grump I hear what you are trying to say but I have just a couple of points to make from your above statements-
1) Keunan will be 32 next year so I would say he has as much chance of being drafted as I have!
2) The recruiters are already looking at the WAFL clubs players, I know for a FACT the Collingwood crew (and a few other clubs) are at Swans games from 9am until 5pm every Saturday & we are not playing ERT in those games!

I wasn't aware of the age thing, he is a WP after all,

As for the scouters being at games yes I am aware of that but my point was that it isn't just the scouts it is the coach etc. This not a supporting comment just an opinion that might help some players and their aspirations.

Getting back to my Boycott arguement lets not forget it has happened before especially in the American Basketball league, Football and MBL (Basketball) where they actually didnt play games and the governing body soon came to the party.

The strikes were abt money, share of profits and conditions not the same thing as being discussed here. I think that if there had been a boycott at the creation of the EPL from the old divisional process, or a boycott at the NFL/AFL process then you argument would be valid but I don't recall there being one or one even suggested.

This would be valid or would have been at the WCE and FFC creation and then that would have seen who knows what!

Hi Cardy -- I agree with every word you are saying about the WAFL being one half of WA football the AFL clubs the other --- most people forget the WAFL part. The attitude of the EF supporter is typical: everything revolves around money, which implies there was no football before the 1960s, because there was no money in the game before this time. The game survived because of support from the community and the integrity of the competition. If the competition completely collapsed because of an absence of integrity, you are right Cardy, the Eagles would have a hard time building another one. It would certainly cost them a wee bit of their precious money.

I love the WAFL and have lost anything but a passing interest in the AFL. But I completely disagree that the AFL clubs need the WAFL for anything at all. And they certainly don't need the WAFL to develop talent that is for certain. Talented kids are everywhere in this country and they have the networks to find them. I would concede it's better and more economical to have their fringe players playing in a strong comp close to home, not travelling interstate in a national reserves comp. As AFL clubs grow in the future these things will always be floated.

of course the AFL clubs need the WAFL, VFL and SANFL.
unless they form their own 18's comp where else are players going to come from ?
state leagues provide pathways to AFL for blokes 18 and above, take that away and all you have is kids playing and blokes going to bush leagues or local comps.
every year blokes get drafted out of state league comps, its not all about the kids..
to think otherwise is very shortsighted and that is with out even mentioning the community benefits WAFL clubs provide in linking a local area with a local side as not everyone can afford to go and watch AFL footy.
EP and Peel might not care about their community but other WAFL clubs do.

without WAFL/VFL/SANFL clubs Priddis, Spurr, Barlow Mzungu, Sinclair, Ballantyne and many others wouldnt be playing AFL as none of those guys got drafted as kids so your comment is way off the mark.

No they don't your delusional, the AFL is a meat market doesn't matter where it comes from. Look at the TAC cup that is the best model moving forward.

no you are the one that is wrong, the AFL clubs want strong state league comps as they know that not all kids come through when they are 18...sorry Larry - if the TAC cup is the best model why are they looking at creating pathways for those over 18 as well ?

a quote from an article on the AFL website:

Those recommendations include the AFL's hope to extend talent programs beyond the age of 18 for those who are overlooked during their draft year by establishing a secondary pathway to reach the top level.

It could come in the form of building more under-21 academies in state leagues across the country, as well as increasing the number of 19-year-olds who can play in underage competitions such as the TAC Cup and the mid-year national championships.

You are spot on Mark. The ultimate aim of the AFL organisation is to totally control all facets of Australian Rules In all states and worldwide. The Australian football Commission runs the AFL E.G

In its role as national and international governing body, the AFL Commission also controls and delegates development funding for Australian state and international bodies and leagues. As most of this funding is sourced the revenue and activities associated with the AFL competition, much of the funding is directed to the competition's developing markets. Semi-professional state competitions are generally self-sufficient and receive a much lower percentage of the AFL's funding.

Unquote

To read full article and office bearers goto

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Commission#cite_note-5

Bottom line the AFL Commission has only their own interests and GREED at heart with no concern for State Leagues. I would venture to say their ultimate aim is to control All State leagues. We already have the QAFL and the NTAFL and NEAFL as these would of been small pigeons compared to the WAFL and SANFL but believe me they are moving in using stealth.
2 WAFL clubs are under the control of 2 AFL clubs where they employ FULL TIME coaches (who they appoint) paid for by the AFL clubs and support staff etc etc are included so they can use these 2 clubs to play their players and in reality the other WAFL clubs are just giving them a training run and an assist in the AFL clubs selection criteria.
That is all the AFL clubs are interested in and their HEARTS are not with the WAFL Competition but their own selfish agenda's.