TOPIC:

Beasley Hutton wrote: Freeze as an avid Colts & State 18's observer it would be fair to say $500 would be a fair amount of money to some families who have sons running around at that level of footy ..maybe not to you on your massive Kiwi salary but to others from difficult backgrounds it is ..and dont forget if the parents want to watch little Johnny running around in the Interstate 18's games they are then up for flights & accomodation expenses probably worth a grand or so as well.
But that is getting off the actual reason for the topic thread and that is why on earth are the AFL not paying for these kids to play for their respective States at the 18's championships especially seeing as tho Fox Footy cover a few games and the AFL received $1.25 billion from the bloody TV rights did they not!

obviously you haven't been to NZ mate....cost of living here is greater than what I have experienced in Oz, UK and the States mate LOL.....true $500 may be expensive to a lot of folk.....but isn't that where the clubs and even fans can step in....if you think your boy from Midland/Midvale is gonna need $500 what's stopping the club or you the fan for chipping in and helping....10 fans donate $50 each....that would be a few cans of beer and feed for most folks on a Sat arvo, surely charitable fellas like you,42, Swandog and MO could sacrifice a few beers and pies for the young fella?

Yeah the AFL could/should pay, but then again why should high wage earners pay more in taxes than others to supplement the dole bludgers/benefit spongers in todays society? Everyone has an argument, my point is the AFL provide a stage for these kids to showcase their talents, why should they be responsible for getting them there as well....

..no kid should be deprived of an opportunity to show case their talents, why don't folk stop passing the buck and whinging about it and just get on with it and find an alternative option then....still on topic I reckon, just providing a different side of the argument.....for arguments sake of course

I did provide an alternative option - I want you to pay but you didnt like that alternative option, you only like the ones that dont see you having to pay.

La Hincha wrote: They can scrap those tours overseas for a start.

Yeah, yeah, of course the players "love it".

Why wouldn't they - going to London at 17 years of age.

I watched one of those games on youtube. 17 year old kids playing against F-grade level ammos on a dog walking park in South London in front of 60-70 people. What does it achieve?

Unless of course you're preparing these kids for the spoilt AFL lifestyle that lays ahead. I guess it's of some value if that's the case.

Spot on La Hincha, it achieves nothing. Clem Smith for example should be back here playing league football for Perth and showing WAFL people his skills. It's a blight on the game that he and others are being prevented from playing in the WAFL for many weeks this year.

MarkOlsen wrote: I did provide an alternative option - I want you to pay but you didnt like that alternative option, you only like the ones that dont see you having to pay.

who's to say I haven't paid MO?.....just don't want to waste some of my hard earned NZ 1000's investing in some SD junior with a hard luck story, whose gonna bail before the season even starts most likely.........perhaps SDFC have some spare change out of Garletts 35K?.....or even better you can skip the beers and pies for the rest of the season and help out one of your own do something good in their life.....

so you have paid for the East Freo kids ?

naagh mate.... wouldn't have enough money, you know as well as I, how many EF kids have been drafted or played u/18s each year over the last decade, I'd be a pauper.....as for you SD boys....well not toooo sure what your excuse is though.....though with EF only having two boys in the u/18's this year perhaps this year is the year I write my cheques

oh well, until you front up the money for the East Freo kids then maybe stop telling Swans supporters to do likewise.

While we're on this subject, does anybody know what the current WA squad is? Can't find a complete list anywhere?

Freezin why should Swans do that because Hawthorn quite spectacularly failed in providing the support for someone they chose to draft?

Markie I aint whinging like you about the injustice of it all, more than happy to sub 500 bucks to a SD junior to better themself........just think I'd be wasting my money mate.......rather give it to a kid who would make better use of it......and more importantly appreciate it.........you can take the kid out of the gutter, but you cant take the gutter out of the kid?