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Freezin Dayle Garlett is a classic example of someone lacking the maturity at a young age and the problem is these guys get put up on a pedestal as the "next big thing" because they have excelled against kids their own age. Doesn't mean they are going to graduate at a higher level. Then if they don't get drafted they are devastated like it's the end of the world.

AFL clubs are largely responsible for this due to greed. They want to take them early before someone else gets their mits on them and are prepared to gamble on them turning out to be gems. It's a meat market and so many fail because they are taken before they are ready.

..and Priddis freez... don't necessarily agree with Broughton and Hardingham not setting the world on fire either. whilst they're not superstars, both have been very serviceable over a lengthy period of time with Broughto averaging 25 possies a game and coming 3rd in Freo's F&B a few years ago

Beasley Hutton wrote: I tend to agree with DD that the draft age should be lifted to 19.
Would it really hurt these young blokes to have a FULL year of senior footy under their belts before embarking on to the AFL rather than getting plucked straight out of TAC or Colts footy playing against kids their own age?
In the USA most of their professional sportsmen dont play in the big leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB) until they have finished College at age 22/23 so what makes our system of drafting kids at 18 work better?
Back in the day most of our WAFL stars who headed east at age 23ish had 5 years of League footy under their belts and most of those guys footy didnt seem to suffer because of it so I dont know how 1 year extra here is going to hurt their development in fact it might be a good thing to see who can actually handle the transition of playing against men before being uprooted across the other side of the nation!

BH, they won't be playing senior footy if the draft age is lifted by a year unfortunately.

It is proposed that the age of colts football is also lifted by a year and that players will start colts a year later.

The AFL clubs have stated that they still want the 19 year olds playing TAC Cup/colts for identification purposes just as the 18 year olds are "encouraged" to now.

Instead of having to get "permission" to play 18 year olds in the league side, WAFL clubs will now have to get "permission" to play 19 year olds in the league side.

Wouldn't it have been nice if the colts comp stayed an 18's comp and the draft age increased to 19. Sadly, not to be.

dont see that being a big deal LaHincha, certainly Swans and Subi are already pusing up colts players to league and reserves this year with Swans playing a couple of 17 year olds in reserves lately including Levi Ridley, son of former Lion and Royal Paul Ridley.

From a previous post of Freezin:

DD...understand your reasoning, but do you really think another season playing at PFC under McMahon would of helped OMeara?.....at the other end of the spectrum, Joel Houghton has stayed in Perth and played at PFC during his time at Freo......what has he done....likely to do?

how many kids can you think of who have been drafted over east at 18, delisted within 2 years and come back and dominated at the WAFL level?..Blackwell and Lee....but Lee has gone back to the AFL older and wiser and still struggled...if the kid is any good they will adapt and succeed no matter where they go......ditto if they aren't any good in terms of failure.....junior success doesn't always correlate to senior success.....the draft is great at falsely boosting a kids footy CV and the fans expectations of that kids ability.

I'd be the first to say increasing the draft age to 19 would be great....EF have lost the likes of Harry & Jon Marsh, Cripps, Paparone, Jansen, Yeo, Swallow, Fasolo,Allirr & Johanninsen of late who could of helped EFFC no end by staying that extra year.....SF have lost a shed load as well in Kersten, Shaw, Matera,Newton, Johnson, AhChee etc...SD could of won more flags if all those kids from their golden colts team had stayed on a tad longer...

...geez one year EF lost Kennedy, Ryder, Clark (3 key talls) and Swallow at 18 yrs old over east.....if they had stayed on for an another year, who knows how much EF flag chances would of been boosted....but that is me being selfish as an EF fan....

don't be sad Cardy....3 swear words in a 1000 word essay aint that over the top fella.....anyway none were personally directed at Swandog.....just around him mate. .....I have no doubt Swandog will live

QED

MarkOlsen wrote: dont see that being a big deal LaHincha, certainly Swans and Subi are already pusing up colts players to league and reserves this year with Swans playing a couple of 17 year olds in reserves lately including Levi Ridley, son of former Lion and Royal Paul Ridley.

You're right, it's not a big deal either way.

But what I mean is things will stay roughly the same as they are now.

There won't be that extra year of having a Sheed for example at the club because he will be starting colts one year later if you know what I mean.

From what I've been told the 16's dev squad carnival will become a 17's dev squad carnival and after that player will start colts but not before.

So John Todd could win a Sandover Medal at 17 but would not be allowed to play Colts these days!!!!!

DD wrote: Freezin Dayle Garlett is a classic example of someone lacking the maturity at a young age and the problem is these guys get put up on a pedestal as the "next big thing" because they have excelled against kids their own age. Doesn't mean they are going to graduate at a higher level. Then if they don't get drafted they are devastated like it's the end of the world.

AFL clubs are largely responsible for this due to greed. They want to take them early before someone else gets their mits on them and are prepared to gamble on them turning out to be gems. It's a meat market and so many fail because they are taken before they are ready.

I think everyone is responsible mate......AFL clubs as you say want first dibs on these kids JUST in case they come off.......the kid thinks they are ready and the trappings of playing are pretty alluring......so you cant blame them......most parents would struggle trying to delay the process especially at that age footy is all the kid knows and wants to do.......we all thought we were invicible and infallible at 18 I guess.......

..I guess a solution would be 1st and 2nd round picks can be at 18 plus, all picks after that the player has to be 19ys or older at drafting, thus a max of 36 kids only can be exposed to the AFL meat market instead of 72 plus

swan42 wrote: So John Todd could win a Sandover Medal at 17 but would not be allowed to play Colts these days!!!!!

Exactly.

As it stands now, a player can start colts in his 16th year, usually after the development squad carnival if they're really good.

With the proposal as it's been explained to me, players will start a year later.

So players won't be getting into elite training/weights etc in a WAFL program until their 17th year.

So in reality most players will still be playing colts at 19 instead of 18.

some clubs may take that approach but Swans certainly have the attitude that if they are a chance at league footy then they go up the grades, cant see it affecting Swans - cant speak for other clubs.