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Freezin wrote: Great debate and discussion here......fantastic to read both sides of the coin.....be interesting to see what eventuates in the end LH......pretty sure most the area's EF picked from SF and Perth were non descript.....yeah up to EF to drive them, but one only has to see at the need for EF and SF to combine their individual age groups thru years 10 - 12 for kids to even play footy at a competitive level......obvious that things arent too great at grass roots level.....even worse it appears in some of those Subi zones you are referring to LH......can see your concern mate.

Mate, its so bad north that WP, CL and S combine in years 8, 9, 10, 11 AND 12.

Times have changed I guess.

Somehow, very quickly, soccer and basketball have become cooler than footy. Not to mention hanging out with ya mates and not playing any sport at all which is even better apparently.

The problem Subi has with there Zone is only having 5 clubs with open rules teams.
Yes they are large clubs but we have to join in with West Perth and Claremont or we would be playing each other every second week...

La Hincha wrote:

Freezin wrote: Great debate and discussion here......fantastic to read both sides of the coin.....be interesting to see what eventuates in the end LH......pretty sure most the area's EF picked from SF and Perth were non descript.....yeah up to EF to drive them, but one only has to see at the need for EF and SF to combine their individual age groups thru years 10 - 12 for kids to even play footy at a competitive level......obvious that things arent too great at grass roots level.....even worse it appears in some of those Subi zones you are referring to LH......can see your concern mate.

Mate, its so bad north that WP, CL and S combine in years 8, 9, 10, 11 AND 12.

Times have changed I guess.

Somehow, very quickly, soccer and basketball have become cooler than footy. Not to mention hanging out with ya mates and not playing any sport at all which is even better apparently.

I hear you Ben but it's not all beer and skittles in the southern areas either. I was involved in the Melville junior footy club for 9 years as my son moved through and finished as a year 12 player last year. In 2014 EF district had to combine with SF and Peel to have a year 11 comp...last year it went back to just EF and SF. This year for the first time ever that I'm aware of Melville JFC has no year 12 side due to lack of numbers..it's a disturbing trend for all zones.

It’s called demographics.

Suburbs get gentrified, homogenised (think Highgate), capitalised and aged.

Also pays to look back 18 years ago to see how many male births occurred, could be an effect of the economic or political scene of the time.

Swings and roundabouts. Floreat and Swanbourne juniors died years back but coming up again. Warwick Greenwood going backwards from their heyday.

Maybe time to revisit the ages of the competitions and go to the 2 year bracket. Eg under 12’s, 14’s, 16’s 18’s.

bloody good topic Ben which has created plenty of discussion...well done.

Soon there may be Subi and EP with several million in the bank and everyone else struggling. Not exactly an even playing field but it never has been. Perhaps a protected list in the colts of thirty then after that open slather. Proximity to training and resources for scouting etc may be stumbling blocks to a pool/draft type system.

I guess there is the Public Schools footy competition as well draining colts depth most weekends, where majority of year 10 - 12 kids are tied to playing for a Guildford Grammar, Scotch etc before their respective WAFL colts side, not to sure how that affects Subi, but I think EF have a couple colts boys who play for their school first before EF.....

I see Subiaco had a win in the Colts today

Yeh not sure what Ben is complaining about...we officially have the worst colts team and chit zones period!

Southerner wrote: I see Subiaco had a win in the Colts today

Maybe Swans should be given at the next WAFL zone changes the likes of Kingsway JFC, Sorrento/Duncraig, Warwick/Greenwood etc to help make us competitive!