Can Someone please explain what this program means.

I have my eye on a player below, Ranga Ediriwickrama, I hear good things about him but Geelong apparently has first dibs on him via this scholarship program. I don't understand it and I don't have the time To find out myself.

Ranga is Sri Lankan, and while I always say take the best player, this kid could open a lot of doors into a fairly sizeable section of the Melbourne community.

Also does anyone know about our one: Teddy Strudwick

NSW/ACT SCHOLARSHIP-HOLDERS

Adelaide: Sam Martyn

Bris Lions: James Brain, Jack Lawson

Collingwood: Scott Reed, Nick Perry, Thomas Young

Carlton: Joshua Fenaroli, Jake Pianta

Essendon: Benjamin Simon, James Webster

Fremantle: Matthew Long, Max Wilson

Geelong: Kale Temple, Ranga Ediriwickrama

Hawthorn: Michael Johnston, William Sierakowski, Trent Stubbs, Thomas Kickett

Melbourne: Teddy Strudwick

Port Adelaide: Jordan Johns

N Melb: Lachlan Pryor

Richmond: Harrison Lee

St Kilda: Joshua Duncan, Kane Murphy, Blake McGrath

Sydney: Ryan Bottin-Noonan, Jay Lewis, Matt May

West Coast: Anthony Stubbs

Western Bulldogs: Braedon Jones, Chris Ogle, Daniel Lloyd

Source: Real Footy

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/youn...215.html?page=3

Think of it like the rookie program - you get first dibs on the kids when they come of age.

What does first dibs mean in this case?

If Melbourne and Geelong both want him does it mean Geelong can take him before us as a rookie, even if we have the first selection?

Does it affect the normal Draft system at all?

The club who sponsors the player gets first dibs on them and can choose to place them either on their primary list or rookie list.

The clubs dont have to use any draft picks. There is no bidding system like a Father-Son selection now requires.

The only way another club could get a scholarship player is if the player's sponsor club choose not to list them and the player then entered the draft as normal. If the sponsor club wont even offer a rookie list spot to a player they've invested in for several years already it'd make you wonder though...

So in short Ranga is going to the Cats and there is nothing we can do about it.

From memory Strudwick played early on in the national champs and missed the last couple of games, not sure if it was through injury or form. He has another year in the system yet until we can draft him.

Hopefully MFC invest in a couple more of these players with the GC17 concessions coming up.

So is it the recruiters or spy's that do the ground work to find these kids?

A great way to get talent without having to go throught the draft.

A distinct advantage to the richer clubs, it basically says that with enough money you can lock down up to six 15 year old kids, if any of them get good enough you don't even have to waste a pick to secure them come draft time.

I just hope our pick gets up, would be great if we could get a player for free. C'mon Teddy.

How much money does it take to secure or sponsor one? The Hawks have 4!

Minimum of $10,000, max of $20,000

Edit: I should add that it is first come first serve with signing these players. Which makes it tough for us to compete against some of the bigger clubs, who have more to offer in terms of facilities. Also means that they could steal a good one from us if they convice the kid to break contract with us and sign the next year with them.

Also means that they could steal a good one from us if they convice the kid to break contract with us and sign the next year with them.

I would have thought the AFL would have some rules regarding things like that, in order to safeguard a Clubs investment in a scholarship holder.

i dont know exactly, but i thought once you were signed you were signed, unless the club decided to break it off.

i dont know exactly, but i thought once you were signed you were signed, unless the club decided to break it off.

I read throught the PDF online, it seemed to me that there was a loophole there.

It might be similar to young kids in the EPL, because the contract is with a kid under a certain age then there's not a lot you can do if they choose to break it.

g. CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS

No agreements, arrangements or understandings are to be entered into before 1 May in any one year. Any arrangements already entered in to, shall not be enforceable as against a player.

so we are expecting the kids to be showing loyalty? no wonder we've only signed one...

so we are expecting the kids to be showing loyalty? no wonder we've only signed one...

And it's no wonder Hawks have 4.

I spotted an article on Strudwick not so long ago that had him winning some kind of NSW rising star of some sort. Can't remember the details but I did post it on Demonland somewhere. I may even have made a topic for it.

I'll search around and get back to you.

I spotted an article on Strudwick not so long ago that had him winning some kind of NSW rising star of some sort. Can't remember the details but I did post it on Demonland somewhere. I may even have made a topic for it.

I'll search around and get back to you.

Up until now its all been about money and our lack of it. I don't know if this scholarship has much more legs in it given the likelihood of a ew team from West Sydney, but it will be interesting to see if Melbourne gives it a go now that half the debt has been wiped off.