U18, U16 junior footy revamp

[one-eyed]

AFL puts focus on juniors
11 November 2007   Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph

THE AFL has announced a bold overhaul of its junior pathways that will involve a massively boosted AIS-AFL Academy and a radical departure from the traditional Grand Final program.

After an extensive review of the second tier of football in Australia, it will set up eight junior AFL academies across Australia, including separate academies for Vic Metro and Vic Country.

The TAC Cup Grand Final, held on the MCG on Grand Final Day, will be shifted to Telstra Dome -- possibly alongside the VFL play-off - with the finals of the under-16 national championships to take centre stage.

The Division One and Two under-16 grand finals will be played on the MCG before the AFL's biggest clash, giving 14 and 15-year-olds across the country the chance to aspire to playing on Grand Final day.

The under-18 national championships will also be revamped, with the Division Two competition to be used as a qualifying series for the elite Division One section.

It will mean the top two Division Two teams will play off in Division One against the cream of the nation's young talent, allowing recruiters to line them up against stars from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

The expansion of the AIS-AFL Academy should help continue the AFL's dominance in recruiting the country's best junior talent.

Where, previously, 30 of the the best 15 and 16-year-olds were chosen, the net will be cast wider to ensure elite talent will be fast-tracked into the AFL system.

Former AFL stars Jason McCartney and Michael Voss will step up their coaching commitments at the state-based academies, as talks are continuing with former Crows captain Mark Ricciuto on a role in South Australia.

AFL development manager David Matthews said the league wanted to give young footballers every chance to reach their potential.

"Our view is we are giving an elite, highly professional experience to the best 30 kids in Australia, but we should expand it and in a sense decentralise it, so kids everywhere in Australia have access to the same quality program," Matthews said.

"We want to give that same academy experience to 300 kids across Australia."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22736212%255E20322,00.html

[one-eyed]

No free kick for footy boys
Deborah Gough | November 11, 2007 | The Age

VICTORIA'S best schoolboy footballers, already torn between playing for their school and trying to make the radar of AFL talent scouts in the under-18 competition, face a year of increased pressure in 2008.

Many could suffer huge stress unless the AFL returns to an under-19 competition, giving young players a year's grace to display their football prowess after finishing year 12, a leading education expert has warned.

The AFL has expanded the under-18s and under-16s representative season for next year. It is believed that the AFL has contacted schools about a decision made late on Friday that would mean boys who wanted to crack the AFL draft would be required for the under-18 and under-16 competitions for up to three games during the season. As some school teams feature under-16s in their first side, they could be without their best players for up to six games — or nearly two-thirds of the senior school football season.

Associated Public Schools of Victoria chairwoman Pauline Turner says the young footballers are placed under too much pressure as it is.

"There is a conflict and, at that age, they should not be faced with the choice of whether to play for their school or to play a game that may have an impact on their future," Dr Turner said.

She called for the pre-draft football competition to increase the age limit to 19, a move that would please the AFL Players Association, which has raised the age issue in its pay negotiations.

AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said the age of players in the competition was under review, but next season would go ahead with an under-18 competition.

Dr Turner and schools in the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria also expressed concern at the potential loss of top players during their 10-game seasons.

In previous years, boys "auditioned" for talent scouts at a football carnival during school holidays, which did not impact on the AGS and APS seasons.

Penleigh Essendon Grammar School football coach Ken Fletcher, father of Essendon great Dustin, said the extra games would further pressure year 12 players at a time when they were already stressed.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/no-free-kick-for-footy-boys/2007/11/10/1194329570227.html