This is interesting...

I know of a player from a new team *wink wink* that was drafted in 2010 to play in 2011 *wink wink* that was quite clearly told to hold off on study in 2011 and focus on footy. All under-20 drafted players did this at said club.

One rule for one team, another for everyone else?

The way I interpret is, is that it gives the young new players 12 months to settle in and concentrate on being at a AFL, to many a rude shock from what they have previously experience. Therefore the best opportunity for them to succeed in the long run. Going to Uni etc, one yera later once they have a good work routine will actually be better, and whats graduating a year later if your playing footy for 10 yrs on a great wage.

As for sports science, there is not much you can do with 17/18 yr olds anyway as they are still growing.

I reckon the 'won't somebody think of the children their education' calls are a little over-the-top; plenty of university grads took a gap year. Even though it doesn't sound like we were proposing the gap year for academic reasons, football players might be better served by not juggling studies with their first year settling into AFL anyway.

Regardless, I thought the more interesting stuff in that article was the sports science v medicos angle, particularly given the rumours around the departure of the two former MFC doctors.

They're footballers, theyre not holding off a degree in Medicine/Law

Stef Martin says hi.

Some things more important than football guys.

University careers for footballers aren't . Have 5 gap years Stef .

I swear a number of our players have been having Gap years since about 2005.

Can they finish now please

Too many footballers focus on "gap" in my opinion.

Seriously, let them have a GAP year first up as an 'apprenticeship' year but force all players to study something at least part-time after 1st year and pay them a salary bonus for finishing a degree.

Too many footballers focus on "gap" in my opinion.

Seriously, let them have a GAP year first up as an 'apprenticeship' year but force all players to study something at least part-time after 1st year and pay them a salary bonus for finishing a degree.

Burnsy I applaud your good intentions here and agree tertiary education for players is a desirable goal. However I think some of your comments are problematic.

1- I don't think you can force players to undertake education not related to their terms of employment

2- Paying a salary bonus would cause salary-cap problems unless the afl granted exemptions

3- Paying bonuses for non-football performance could be seen as discriminatory against those less 'intellectually gifted' players

Burnsy I applaud your good intentions here and agree tertiary education for players is a desirable goal. However I think some of your comments are problematic.

1- I don't think you can force players to undertake education not related to their terms of employment

2- Paying a salary bonus would cause salary-cap problems unless the afl granted exemptions

3- Paying bonuses for non-football performance could be seen as discriminatory against those less 'intellectually gifted' players

Cutter,

1 = Fevola, TJ, Ablett snr, etc etc etc

2 = Paid inside salary cap.

3 = Let's agree to stop recruiting persons with IQ's less than Adrian Battiston's jumper number.

Cutter,

1 = Fevola, TJ, Ablett snr, etc etc etc

2 = Paid inside salary cap.

3 = Let's agree to stop recruiting persons with IQ's less than Adrian Battiston's jumper number.

I don't understand 1 =. Are you referring to rehab/behavioral education as part of punishment? That is totally diff to personal tertiary non-football education.

2=. If you are paying 100% (as we are currently) there is no room

Like I said I fully agree with the sentiment, but I don't think it can be forced on all players. Strongly encouraged, yes

I don't understand 1 =. Are you referring to rehab/behavioral education as part of punishment? That is totally diff to personal tertiary non-football education.

2=. If you are paying 100% (as we are currently) there is no room

Like I said I fully agree with the sentiment, but I don't think it can be forced on all players. Strongly encouraged, yes

DC - something has to happen though, in terms of making "something" compulsory, especially for the non-academic players. If they are lucky enough to have a 5-10 year career and do nothing in their "spare time", they come out of the AFL system bordering on unemployable. They don't have the employability skills, they don't have the knowledge of what an employee is, and more often than not, they have wasted a fair chunk of their football income and have not planned for life after footy. A general belief for these "types" is that they will worry about life after footy when they have finished playing.

Do they have the time to work part time during a footy season? Well, that could be argued. If some players have the time to complete tafe/uni courses, well bloody oath they have time. Do these players understand the benefit of particiapting in some form of employment during their playing career? Probably the biggest factor is are these players too proud to work part time somewhere earning around $20-odd an hour?

Rugby league players train somehting like 25 hours a week, and play on the weekend. I am led to believe that they are required to participate in 15 hours of non "league" stuff, whether that is employment or further education. Interesting concept that I believe is quite impressive and important.

Another area where the NFL has it over the AFL. They don't get recruiter til after college.

Not strictly true. The vast majority play college football, but some go directly from high school. Of the ones that go to college, some of them do not complete their college degrees befor leaving to go to the NFL.

DC - something has to happen though, in terms of making "something" compulsory, especially for the non-academic players. If they are lucky enough to have a 5-10 year career and do nothing in their "spare time", they come out of the AFL system bordering on unemployable. They don't have the employability skills, they don't have the knowledge of what an employee is, and more often than not, they have wasted a fair chunk of their football income and have not planned for life after footy. A general belief for these "types" is that they will worry about life after footy when they have finished playing.

Do they have the time to work part time during a footy season? Well, that could be argued. If some players have the time to complete tafe/uni courses, well bloody oath they have time. Do these players understand the benefit of particiapting in some form of employment during their playing career? Probably the biggest factor is are these players too proud to work part time somewhere earning around $20-odd an hour?

Rugby league players train somehting like 25 hours a week, and play on the weekend. I am led to believe that they are required to participate in 15 hours of non "league" stuff, whether that is employment or further education. Interesting concept that I believe is quite impressive and important.

no argument with me billy

every player should be doing something for the hereafter, whether that be gaining education qualifications or part time work with a view to creating employment skills

clubs should be proactively doing all they can to encourage and reinforce this

same goes for the AFL and AFLPA

but at the end of the day can they enforce this?

(I have this funny image of mr $6M man starting a tiling apprenticeship with his old man down at the local food hall)

no argument with me billy

every player should be doing something for the hereafter, whether that be gaining education qualifications or part time work with a view to creating employment skills

clubs should be proactively doing all they can to encourage and reinforce this

same goes for the AFL and AFLPA

but at the end of the day can they enforce this?

(I have this funny image of mr $6M man starting a tiling apprenticeship with his old man down at the local food hall)

I for one don't want the image of Phil's plumber's smile grinning at me while he is bending over laying tiles!