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I think we've all being watching the situation over the past couple of seasons with Clarke with a LOT of interest. As a draft story he had a very different background to so many other players and in so many ways his selection (pick 21) really was a show of faith in 'the little guys'.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years that the AFL has become the bastion of players who grow up in South East Melbourne (and attend an APS school), the Adelaide Hills (and attend a private school) and the eastern suburbs of Perth (and attend a private school). There are a few hotbeds outside of that - Geelong (private school of course), Ballarat (ditto) and the Wodonga region (ditto). Outside of that...good luck.
There are lots of questions why and the simple answer given by the clubs is simple - maturity. The real reason isn't maturity - but more an understanding that being able to follow simple rules and be in a certain place, dressed in a certain way - and ON TIME - is absolutely ingrained into the kids with these backgrounds. Add in the fact that they are generally well spoken (and conversational) and well versed in managing the day-to-day responsibilities of (what is a pretty protected/privileged life) is another thing.
There is no doubt that it is - and I'll use WA examples due to familiarity - that the 'average' kid from the eastern suburbs is a lot more 'ready' than the 'average' kid from the south-east corridor. The kid from the south-east is probably working a part-time job, racing around to training, has mates from footy, school, work...and there will be a lot of intermingling. They will have 'done' things and 'tried' things due to this range of experience - and will have a big picture view of the world...they will have their own ideas about whether some things are important or otherwise - and will have been juggling priorities for a LOOOOOONG time. The kid from the eastern suburbs wont be working - mum and dad (mostly mum) will be transporting them around, the kids they play with they no doubt see at school...and they go to parties with that same crew. I mean sure, maybe the kids from Scotch will run into the kids from Christ Church at the same parties but you get what I'm saying.
There is NO DOUBT the kids who don't 'live' the private school pathway have a lot harder time getting on-board with everything going on at an AFL club. When I look back at the kids I have coached - and more than 120 have been drafted so I know a bit about this - the ones who have REALLY made it fit the private school/incredibly close + supportive family model. Others - some of whom had talent by the wazoo - just couldn't get it together...there are (of course) exceptions from both categories (I mean, of course!) but if you consider that most males don't really 'mature' until age 22-23 (and indigenous males are so often a couple of years behind that) then the difficulty in 'making it' for someone from Clarke's background is incredibly HIGH.
I have my own thoughts about the low number of First Nations draft candidates being drafted in recent years and the reasons why - but I am certain that the difficulty of getting them 'up to speed' in terms of the way they need to conduct/present themselves from day-to-day in a foreign environment with no peer support...it's actually not hard to figure out the reasons why.
Does any of this mean the club is wrong to delist Clarke? Probably not. But at the same time I will say if they were going to draft him then what EXACTLY did they expect? And even if they told him clearly what was expected, did they really think he was going to be able to step into line within two seasons?
I'm not concerned about individual cases like Clarke. But I am concerned about the overall trend. Once upon a time clubs had access to kids from 15 years old (WAFL and SANFL clubs still do I guess) so as they come through they build relationships with senior players and develop familiarity with coaches and administrators. This - like it or not - helps TEACH them what is needed/required to succeed in a SENIOR footy environment (which is what they are going to need to do). I worry that so many kids are being lost because they have been taken away from their clubs (and prospective role models)...the private school kids don't need them (they have rules, structure and family)...so many others do.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years that the AFL has become the bastion of players who grow up in South East Melbourne (and attend an APS school), the Adelaide Hills (and attend a private school) and the eastern suburbs of Perth (and attend a private school). There are a few hotbeds outside of that - Geelong (private school of course), Ballarat (ditto) and the Wodonga region (ditto). Outside of that...good luck.
There are lots of questions why and the simple answer given by the clubs is simple - maturity. The real reason isn't maturity - but more an understanding that being able to follow simple rules and be in a certain place, dressed in a certain way - and ON TIME - is absolutely ingrained into the kids with these backgrounds. Add in the fact that they are generally well spoken (and conversational) and well versed in managing the day-to-day responsibilities of (what is a pretty protected/privileged life) is another thing.
There is no doubt that it is - and I'll use WA examples due to familiarity - that the 'average' kid from the eastern suburbs is a lot more 'ready' than the 'average' kid from the south-east corridor. The kid from the south-east is probably working a part-time job, racing around to training, has mates from footy, school, work...and there will be a lot of intermingling. They will have 'done' things and 'tried' things due to this range of experience - and will have a big picture view of the world...they will have their own ideas about whether some things are important or otherwise - and will have been juggling priorities for a LOOOOOONG time. The kid from the eastern suburbs wont be working - mum and dad (mostly mum) will be transporting them around, the kids they play with they no doubt see at school...and they go to parties with that same crew. I mean sure, maybe the kids from Scotch will run into the kids from Christ Church at the same parties but you get what I'm saying.
There is NO DOUBT the kids who don't 'live' the private school pathway have a lot harder time getting on-board with everything going on at an AFL club. When I look back at the kids I have coached - and more than 120 have been drafted so I know a bit about this - the ones who have REALLY made it fit the private school/incredibly close + supportive family model. Others - some of whom had talent by the wazoo - just couldn't get it together...there are (of course) exceptions from both categories (I mean, of course!) but if you consider that most males don't really 'mature' until age 22-23 (and indigenous males are so often a couple of years behind that) then the difficulty in 'making it' for someone from Clarke's background is incredibly HIGH.
I have my own thoughts about the low number of First Nations draft candidates being drafted in recent years and the reasons why - but I am certain that the difficulty of getting them 'up to speed' in terms of the way they need to conduct/present themselves from day-to-day in a foreign environment with no peer support...it's actually not hard to figure out the reasons why.
Does any of this mean the club is wrong to delist Clarke? Probably not. But at the same time I will say if they were going to draft him then what EXACTLY did they expect? And even if they told him clearly what was expected, did they really think he was going to be able to step into line within two seasons?
I'm not concerned about individual cases like Clarke. But I am concerned about the overall trend. Once upon a time clubs had access to kids from 15 years old (WAFL and SANFL clubs still do I guess) so as they come through they build relationships with senior players and develop familiarity with coaches and administrators. This - like it or not - helps TEACH them what is needed/required to succeed in a SENIOR footy environment (which is what they are going to need to do). I worry that so many kids are being lost because they have been taken away from their clubs (and prospective role models)...the private school kids don't need them (they have rules, structure and family)...so many others do.
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