manny100

Could look at a future 3rd or 4th rounder.

Cal Twomey just dropped his September phantom on the AFL website.

ESPN power rankings drop tomorow. Evidently 4 new faces added.

Twomey and Rookie me have him at pick 6. So rated highly. ESPN have him at 18 with a Q on athletic abilities but do say he is a pure footballer.

Its the strategic advantage that comes with Father/sons and NGA picks that is part of the deal. For example if we know we are getting 2 talls in 2025 via those avenues we can go 'hell for leather' recruiting/drafting mid type players in earlier drafts. The Swans played this very well. They knew they had gun Academy type players coming through and that enabled them to go for a few 'riskier' taller types in the draft.

I sent the club an email saying that it would be appropriate to ask the AFL to review these rules. The issue is whether players of a multicultural background but are not 'draft' eligible should be allowed to be part of the Academy? Members and supporters in a way can 'pin their hopes' on some of these players and naturally feel deflated when it all goes 'belly up'. The other issue is that the club invests $$$ and time which end up benefitting another club. We have already been bent over in this regard via Mac Andrew. Its a sure thing the AFL did not reimburse our development costs. Also the Pacific islands are a rugby heartland and Samoa has its own language. Then there is the talent squeeze with Tassy coming in.

Yze may get the stopper role on Langford???

Yes, the game will have to be stopped for regular incontinence breaks.

I think its either the Saints at pick 7 or 8 plus change or he stays at Port.

Ooops, still take pick 5 any day of the week.

We would have to be nuts to trade a pick 5 plus change for a player who is 29 years old next year.

To many kids with crayons working at the AFL. Why wouldn't the AFL be trying to pry talent from a Rugby Heartland of the Pacific Islands. Crazy, crazy. We are just about to embark on a huge talent squeeze with Tassy coming in and the AFL are turning their back on a huge pot of talent. It's embarrassing.

Is he eligible to be drafted by us as an Academy player???

This is probably our most important draft since 2019. We really need to nail pick 5 and snare a future elite player. In this draft we may even land a very good player with a late 1st or earlyish 2nd round pick.

To be eligible he must have at least one parent born in a non-English speaking country or identify as Aboriginal or Torre Strait Islander. It appears in the case of Ah-Mu even though Samoa has its own language English is widely spoken as a sort of 2nd language. Its the multicultural background you have when you don't have a multicultural background. In the context of the AFL’s Next Generation Academy (NGA), a “diverse background” refers to players who come from either an Indigenous or multicultural background. Here’s a breakdown: Indigenous Background Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander: Players who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander are considered to have an Indigenous background1. Multicultural Background Non-English Speaking Country: Players who have at least one parent born in a non-English speaking country are considered to have a multicultural background1.

Its the Academy you have when you do not have one.

List of VFL/AFL players with international backgrounds - Wikipedia Bit of a joke. How many non Academy multi cultural players are from the Pacific Islands - none. See Wiki list above. From the AFL ruling you would think it was common. No encouragement from the AFL it seems. The Dees should request a review of the decision.

Depending on what we see is available next year i would not be surprised if we traded our future 1st back into this draft. Given that Ah-Mu is now off the 'books' we make look at a tall with a traded back future 1st given that both TmC and May are heading towards the sunset.

Interesting, KPF at 5 and we have a choice of a few good mids at the effective pick 7.

I hope we seek clarification. The problem may be whilst Samoa has its own language English is widely spoken. Well i guess is English is widely spoken pretty well every where now. I think it may be like the AFL free agency compensation. You get what the AFL wants you to get. I asked co pilot. In the context of the AFL’s Next Generation Academy (NGA), a “diverse background” refers to players who come from either an Indigenous or multicultural background. Here’s a breakdown: Indigenous Background Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander: Players who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander are considered to have an Indigenous background1. Multicultural Background Non-English Speaking Country: Players who have at least one parent born in a non-English speaking country are considered to have a multicultural background1.

Evidently the AFL have ruled that Ah-Mu despite having a diverse background does not have a diverse background???

Macrae on, Hunter off?

I guess the AFL had to officially notify the Dees as it would materially effect our trading and draft selections. If for example we had Ah-Mu in the bag for 2025 we would have likely only picked up mid type players this draft and trading season. Probably means we will look to pick up a mid with pick 6 and maybe a KPD later in the draft or top 20 if we can move our future 1st back into this draft.

Can't believe the amount of bad luck we have had. The 'luck' worm has to turn sooner or later. Given obvious interest in Ah-Mu from early in the season the AFL should have published their decision much earlier. This sort of stitches him up as a top 10 in 2025. Disgrace.

No surprise but the AFL have ruled that we have NO access to our Academy member Tairon Ah-Mu in the draft next year.