Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

[Twodogs]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

That kid who left school early to work 10-12 hours a day as a forkie did ok in the AFL system.
Dustin Martin

It's like some kids who are 'self starters' and should be marked higher by recruiters are marked more harshly.

I do note that we have benefited from FS picks more than most clubs and our players do tend to send a lot of their kids to St Kevins.
Plus the APS scholarship scheme for notable talented kids like Marra and Cyril Rioli as boarders bumps up the private school numbers too.

I wouldn't have let my kids anywhere near St Kevin's. When I was younger I knew heaps of Kevies old boys and they weren't exactly shining examples of their school.

[EasternWest]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

I wouldn't have let my kids anywhere near St Kevin's. When I was younger I knew heaps of Kevies old boys and they weren't exactly shining examples of their school.

Didn't Jordan de Goey go to St Kevin's?

[Twodogs]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

Didn't Jordan de Goey go to St Kevin's?

I believe so.

https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/melbourne-st-kevins-burning-blazer/

If you've ever seen the film Dogs In Space, most of the guys in the band it's based on met at St Kevins.

[jeemak]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

This was 15 ish, so yeah probably grew out of it. When you're a man at 15 hard not to walk around like the king.
He was certainly proud of himself.

Yeah and senior footy certainly sorted him out. A girl I knew dated him for a while, at least in his early twenties he was reportedly still not grown out of it but glad to hear form boydogs he seemed to.

[jeemak]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

St Kevins was known as Toorak Tech for a long time for a good reason.

[EasternWest]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

I believe so.

I'll set em up, you knock em down.

Coincidentally that's Jordan and his mates pick up routine too.

[Bornadog]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

I wouldn't have let my kids anywhere near St Kevin's. When I was younger I knew heaps of Kevies old boys and they weren't exactly shining examples of their school.

Libba and Wallis went to St Kevs

[Twodogs]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

I'll set em up, you knock em down.

Coincidentally that's Jordan and his mates pick up routine too.

I had to explain to my mum what a wingman was the other night. Some mentioned it on the telly.


"Well mum, you know how girls usually go out in pairs?"

[mjp]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

It's not the "SCHOOL" as such that is the reason why private school students are prioritised. It's what it represents about the player and their background.

1/. They have some family support available. Even if that support is primarily financial, you wouldn't find too many private school kids doing a 'Sydney Stack' and sleeping on whatever couch he could beg or borrow for the night whilst playing u18 footy (be it colts or NAB league the principle is the same.

2/. They are WELL experienced in doing stuff "ON TIME". To me, this is one of the great problems with the demise of the AFL Academy programs (apart from a personal loss of income and free travel!) - kids who weren't used to 'doing much' had to learn (quickly) to act as a collective, get to a meeting/meal/session on time and in uniform. I know this will be sneezed at by many but it is a massive issue with players entering into 'talent pathway footy' who are straight out of (for example) Hoppers Crossing Y10's. Just learning how to 'get along' is a big (BIG) problem - and footy clubs have higher expectations and lower tolerance levels that public high schools...mainly because footy clubs can simply say "SEE YA" whereas the Public High School needs to work through a P&D process (sorry, punishment and discipline - you know, parent meetings, detention, suspension etc) and EVEN THEN probably still needs to allow them to continue to be enrolled...

3/. A clear understanding of hierarchy and an ability to respect it. I guess this is part of the previous point but a kid from a private school would never do what one recent draftee did and arrange to meet a club at his house...only to decide that he probably didn't want to play there anyway so just decided not to be there and turned his phone off...I mean, NEVER might be too strong a word but it is also probably an accurate one...and again, this isn't reflective of the 'school' as such - and 99% of public school kids wouldn't do this either - but it is more a general comment on the general 'picture' - private school represents family support, an ability to follow the rules and an understanding that 'work' has to be done...versus the picture that public schools represent broken families, kids who are ill-disciplined in terms of work/play and lack basic time management/self management skills.

Do I think any of this is true? Maybe. Sometimes. I don't know. But the recruiters CLEARLY do emphasise it. You would have to ask them why they behave this way. Clearly based on the public/private school mix in the NRL (the second most popular football sport in Australia and the dominant code in both Sydney and Brisbane) there is more than enough athletic potential in the public school system...but there is the perception that potential has more baggage attached.

[SquirrelGrip]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

And so our top 3 picks all attended elite private schools:

Darce - Scotch
King Arthur - Wesley WA
“Lucky Phil” Cleary - Haileybury

[Jeanette54]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

Footy isn't the only sport with a private/state school divide. Cricket is another, although the reasons may be a little different, but then maybe not.

Almost every test batsman (I refuse to say batter) in living memory came from a private school. Three reasons, better coaching, more influential contacts (the old boy network) and turf wickets (ie. sporting facilities). You probably have to go back to Jeff Thompson and Lenny Pascoe to find state school cricketers at the highest level.

[Twodogs]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

Footy isn't the only sport with a private/state school divide. Cricket is another, although the reasons may be a little different, but then maybe not.

Almost every test batsman (I refuse to say batter) in living memory came from a private school. Three reasons, better coaching, more influential contacts (the old boy network) and turf wickets (ie. sporting facilities). You probably have to go back to Jeff Thompson and Lenny Pascoe to find state school cricketers at the highest level.

Colin Miller and Merv Hughes both went to state schools. I think that Tony Dodemaide went to Chisholm college in Braybrook.

[jeemak]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

David Warner isn't from a private school, Ricky Ponting left high school after year ten and went to work at a private school as a grounds maintenance staffer.

[Twodogs]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

David Warner isn't from a private school, Ricky Ponting left high school after year ten and went to work at a private school as a grounds maintenance staffer.

In 1902 the Prince of Wales was being introduced to Australian fast bowler Ernie Jones and found out he was from Adelaide. The prince said "Ah, Adelaide. Tell me did you go to Prince Alfred college?" "Yes, your majesty." said Ernie "I drive the shit cart through it twice a week"

[Bornadog]

Re: Is the AFL becoming a private school comp? And does it matter?

Melbourne public school hits draft home run


The college in Melbourne's south-east that's proving you don't have to be at a private school to get drafted

full story in link