THE final siren has sounded on the VFL reserves, the Development League.

Clubs had been campaigning to save the competition, calling it an essential bridge between the TAC Cup and VFL seniors.

They said it gave opportunities to hundreds of aspiring players, many of them graduates of the Under 18s.

But last night AFL Victoria CEO Steve Reaper told presidents and general managers that the VFL executive would be recommending to the AFL Victoria board that the Development League be wound up at the end of the season.

The board will meet tomorrow.

Full article: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/vfl-reserves-afl-victoria-sounds-final-siren-for-development-comp/news-story/ee53738e9a5d6e5375917ad67b0bf310

Wow that is a big step. May be good news for the VAFA though. Amateur clubs that have players nominated to play at VFL clubs without a development league team benefit and have greater player availability i.e. Collingwood and Footscray as opposed to sandringham which has a development team.

 

I don't think there's much difference between playing VFL Reserves and playing A grade VAFA, EFL Div 1 etc etc.

The difference is that the kids playing in the Development League had an easier path to playing VFL and had (somewhat) professional development at VFL clubs. Now they'll go it alone at local clubs before getting a chance in the VFL and those chances might not be consistent. They might get a game here and there until injured players come back and they get sent back.

I think they'll need a compromise and to have VFL train on squads that give a decent number of players the training they require and then maybe even have a carnival mid year of the best players under 22 who haven't played a significant number of VFL games. 

My understanding is clubs are reluctant to draft guys outside of the VFL system because they just haven't seen how their bodies stack up yet alone if they are good enough. There needs to be a way to make sure that the fringe VFL players are willing to give up the comfortable local footy scene to take a chance on themselves at VFL level and that's harder now.

Steve Reaper's nickname wouldn't be 'Grim' by any chance?

The VAFA and VFL are two quite different environments with very different pathways.

Very short sighted decision.

once upon a time it was the vfa where clubs had seniors, reserves and u19s

the vfl had seniors, reservers and u19s

now all that is left is afl seniors. vfl seniors and tac u18's 

I think the VFL (VFA) has lost its way.

Might not be long and it will be an AFL reserves comp. The present structure is massively compromised.

Someone I work with has been doing some consulting work for one of the VFL clubs. He tells me that the reason for the Development League's demise is actually a deliberate plan by AFL Victoria to help other leagues. Apparently there is a concern within AFL Victoria that the VFL "seconds" drain too many players from these other suburban and country leagues potentially putting the viability of some of those competitions at risk. 

 

6 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Someone I work with has been doing some consulting work for one of the VFL clubs. He tells me that the reason for the Development League's demise is actually a deliberate plan by AFL Victoria to help other leagues. Apparently there is a concern within AFL Victoria that the VFL "seconds" drain too many players from these other suburban and country leagues potentially putting the viability of some of those competitions at risk. 

 

they could always put some of their millions into grass roots footy, but i suppose that would be too radical

Another nail in the coffin for the VFL. The sooner the Victorian based AFL clubs come up with their own reserves competition, the better. 

It will be sad to see some of the traditional VFL clubs disappear from view, but presumably they can field a side in their local suburban competitions.

8 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

they could always put some of their millions into grass roots footy, but i suppose that would be too radical

To be fair, I think the point he was making which I may not have articulated clearly was not about suburban and country leagues needing money but rather, their need for sufficient numbers of players.

I reckon the way it is at the mo with a D League, it helps a lot of the good kids get a grounding fairly safely instead of going out to Northern or other thug leagues before they are ready...... 

Just wondering what will happen when an AFL listed player (usually a younger player or a rookie listed one) playing VFL either loses form or is coming back very slowly from injury - currently they play in the development league.  

What will they do now?

And what about the fringe VFL players?   Where do they go?  Where do VFL get their back up numbers form?

2 hours ago, daisycutter said:

they could always put some of their millions into grass roots footy, but i suppose that would be too radical

Is your middle name Fidel because that is way too revolutionary for the AFL dc.

the welfare of the game is hardly something they would care about.

All jokes aside it just shows the constant reduction in the numbers now playing the game. It is in serious strife at Grass roots level.

Big news for the VFL and its viability.

Where will Liam Hulett play his football now?

51 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Just wondering what will happen when an AFL listed player (usually a younger player or a rookie listed one) playing VFL either loses form or is coming back very slowly from injury - currently they play in the development league.  

What will they do now?

And what about the fringe VFL players?   Where do they go?  Where do VFL get their back up numbers form?

As I see it the AFL players will play in the VFL and the "not needed" VFL players will go back to the local leagues.

In reality the only good non AFL players that will play in the AFL aligned VFL teams are those who want to have a crack at being drafted by an AFL team. The mature VFL players will head to the non aligned teams such as Port and Williamstown.

Cannot see any solution other than increasing list numbers which is not likely to happen.

Must have a real trickle down impact as players come and go from the lower leagues on a  weekly basis.

1 hour ago, old dee said:

Is your middle name Fidel because that is way too revolutionary for the AFL dc.

the welfare of the game is hardly something they would care about.

All jokes aside it just shows the constant reduction in the numbers now playing the game. It is in serious strife at Grass roots level.

dunno what happened to me, od, must've been a senior's fart

Crazy decision. Helps Frankston and Port etc as standalone clubs as they only need 28-30 players and not 50-55.  They can top up and pay only if that player is required

Not many pathways and thus restricts further.  AFL doing its best to reduce participation and young men's lives.  

Feels like the biggest losers in this will be the players playing for affiliated clubs such as Casey. How will it work for these clubs, there have been times we've had project players (most of them not going very far) playing in the development league. Where will they play now?

The advantage to having the development league is.... wait for it...

Ready ???

DEVELOPMENT !!!!

The kids became exposed to an AFL level system and all that entails.

All this does is close the doors on kids who don't quite fit the mould !!

What's an AFL club to do now...form even lower level affiliations ??

This is beyond dumb. AFL shooting feet !!

1 hour ago, beelzebub said:

The advantage to having the development league is.... wait for it...

Ready ???

DEVELOPMENT !!!!

The kids became exposed to an AFL level system and all that entails.

All this does is close the doors on kids who don't quite fit the mould !!

What's an AFL club to do now...form even lower level affiliations ??

This is beyond dumb. AFL shooting feet !!

It is managed by a very average CEO bb

10 hours ago, beelzebub said:

The advantage to having the development league is.... wait for it...

Ready ???

DEVELOPMENT !!!!

The kids became exposed to an AFL level system and all that entails.

All this does is close the doors on kids who don't quite fit the mould !!

What's an AFL club to do now...form even lower level affiliations ??

This is beyond dumb. AFL shooting feet !!

How much exposure do the kids kicking around in the dev league really get to the AFL system, other than having one or two of the worst players on the list(s) turn up for their games on Saturday? As it is the players in the senior sides don't train with the AFL players; I imagine the dev league players are even further removed.

7 minutes ago, Nasher said:

How much exposure do the kids kicking around in the dev league really get to the AFL system, other than having one or two of the worst players on the list(s) turn up for their games on Saturday? As it is the players in the senior sides don't train with the AFL players; I imagine the dev league players are even further removed.

They get some. It is/was still part of the planning and integration of AFL clubs, if only via their VFL affiliate. They came under that umbrella. Now there will be another conduit removed.

Very few AFL players come OUT of the VAFA...its where many go to retire ffs.

Though the dev league rates down the ladder it was still used by clubs to evaluate the lads potential etc .

But to use your own rhetoric possibly Nash..where there is little, there will be none.

First step in the reintroduction of a proper AFL reserves? VFL then bumps to the same role as the current development league?

3 minutes ago, Siren said:

First step in the reintroduction of a proper AFL reserves? VFL then bumps to the same role as the current development league?

Definitely some support for a legitimate Magoos , but not from all quarters. If the above scenario played out it still holds a vexed question  ( for mine ).  The idea of the dev league is to have a vehicle for players who wont be playing VFL seniors but are either on the radar or indeed on the list of an AFL club but are the project players. The types that might be years away from seniors but need to be schooled in the manner that the Club ( say MFC ) want players to learn. 

Currently the VFL clubs affiliated in the manner as say Casey play the way the senior coaches want. If Casey becomes the new dev league team  ( as it were ) and we had a Reserves then  would the players still get tutored in the same way ?