Take off your duffle coats and stop whining about fairness, the AFL is bigger than Victoria |
For the third year in a row, opening round matches will be played in front of sellout crowds, generating front- and back-page articles and numerous television spots in NSW and Queensland. The round was introduced to turn the focus to AFL, as it’s called in these parts, in Queensland and NSW, before the spotlight inevitably returns to Victoria. It’s been an overwhelming success.
But there’s a sense from “down South” that Victoria is missing out. It’s not. The same number of games will be played in Victoria this season regardless of opening round. Anyway, the AFL has relented and on Sunday St Kilda will play Collingwood in footy-starved Melbourne, taking the slightest shine off the northern spectacle.
Richmond complained about having draft pick seven after finishing 17th. Former Gold Coast captain Tom Lynch moved to the Tigers as a free agent at the end of 2018.Credit: Justin McManus
There are always tensions between clubs, but the north v south debate has been spicier than usual with the recent tête-à-tête between Chris Fagan and Ross Lyon.
After Fagan told AFL Media the Saints’ post-season spending spree was a “danger for the game”, Lyon “took umbrage” and said the expansion teams have too many advantages.
Which is a perfect segue into the perennial debate about academies, at which point I declare my interest as head of the Sydney Swans academy. On Wednesday the AFL Commission is expected to decide the rules for acquisition of players from the northern academies, next-generation academies and father-son selections.
Unfortunately, these entities get thrown under the one umbrella. They shouldn’t. Father-son picks are about romance, next-generation academies about bringing in players from diverse backgrounds who wouldn’t otherwise play footy, and the northern academies aim to attract and develop players in the “non-traditional football states”, NSW and Queensland.
Ross Lyon is not a fan of the northern academy system.Credit: Getty Images
Aside from developing the talent in those states, there is a broader context of allowing those players to play in their home states, by extension allowing teams in NSW and Queensland to draft home-grown talent. This reduces the risk of players from other states wanting to return home after a year or two.
The commission’s decision, on whether clubs should have to give up higher draft picks to select a player from their academy, may have major ramifications.