What is everyone's thoughts on lifting the draft age to 19 as per this article?

https://www.afl.com.au/news/391746/youn ... their-way-

Personally, I have to agree with Sam on this.
Another year later to me just means another year of potential damage to the kids in the 2s without the AFL level medical (if they don't have an under 19 comp).
or another year until they hit that crucial 50 game milestone
or they could have a year less in the AFL system if career lengths remain the same.

On the plus side there could be less risk taken on players based on their performances against seasoned players.

I think it’s got merit, especially for the KPP. They take several years to develop as the clubs pile on extra kgs.

Agreed on the issues of them playing against bigger bodies. The AFL needs to assist with that.

But I think there is an asset to them being able to develop, and as Weiters said, play footy without the additional pressure of school.

And too many kids are “giving up” if they don’t get drafted.

_________________
Everything before the word "but" is horseshit - J Snow

I agree with raising it. But why not 21? Country teams and leagues might actually get to keep players rather than them chucking it in when they aren't drafted at 18.

_________________
The only way for some people to understand is for them to be on the receiving end

Left wing moralists
In self serving denial
They shit me no end

RIP Charlie Kirk (was/were)

I think 19yo is the right age.

It gives the kids an uninterrupted yr12 education and then 12 months after that to get some real world experience and physical/mental development.

If they change it to 19, what about Sam's point of them starting a trade if they don't make university. Who will bring on an apprentice for a year?
Or they could start their degrees and decide they need to spend more time at uni rather than playing football and good talent could be lost.
And if they are not at uni or doing an apprenticeship, does this make them more susceptible to fall through the cracks?

Raising the age to 21 could open the door for a college football league instead of reserves?
One of the biggest drawbacks though could be the lack of population and player numbers.

It should absolutely be raised to age 20.
You can do two years of full-time work after high school or two years of full-time Uni, while easing into footy. Players can play footy part-time in the state-based competitions for a few years, which would be a boon for those competitions. The leap from under-18s and school footy to the AFL is too big for 80% of players. Yes, some who are ready will miss out on immediately playing AFL, but many more will benefit. And if they cut down list sizes, you really want the 35 blokes on the list to be up to AFL standard immediately, not dragging around half-a-dozen development players for four years.

I don't even know where the push for this has come from but leave it as is. If you're 18 and good enough you should be able to play (work) in the top league.

If you're not ready the first 2 years are like an apprenticeship.

_________________
Between our dreams and actions lies this world

I think lift it.

It is too much of a lottery as the mo. Some of these kids are stick insects. Too young,

Fair point.

I'm with you on this.

Leave it alone.

I loved the old days when here was an under 19 game before the reserves game before the seniors.
Those days are gone and never coming back in my lifetime, so leave it as it is.

If youre 18 and good enough to play, then you should.
We have already put a line through 16yo first gamers like Sheldon Buckley or Watson at 15yo.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Or conversely the second tier comp could become u/23 or u/25 with X over-age players allowed.
With drafting and some mid-season top-up from that pool

_________________
░L░I░N░K░I░N░B░I░O ░

I was watching the Last Dance last night about Micheal Jordan and I was thinking there might be some merit to a 20/21 years and over draft or better still a college football system where players can choose to go pro when ready or wait until the draft age.
Imagine if you drafted Walsh at 20 and he came straight into the team as good as Cripps. Or Dow waited until he was 21 before turning pro and lost all the yips and was a gun straight off the bat. It would change the league and drafting for sure, especially with the talls like TDK.
We might not get all the good potential talent that we could have, but then again we might have gotten some better players also.

What a "fix" this has become.
Steve Hocking has handpicked the people on his pathway review panel to give him the system they want.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/392198/twom ... s-the-mark

Clarkson and Beveridge have been vocal advocates of raising the draft age for quite a while. So it was a no brainer to select them to be the strongest voices on this review committee.
Matthew Lloyd rightly called Hocking to ask him why respected recruiters like Stephen Wells or Kinnear Beatson weren't on this panel to offer a perspective. Surely they would have a greater understanding of pathways than 3 senior coaches.
Disgraceful effort from the AFL.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Unusual for the AFL and especially Hocking to stack the cards.

Exactly BV. Dont forget Fagan as well.....The Corruption never ceases with this mob.

Forgetting the AFL corruption, the more I think about raising the age the more interesting it sounds but it can not just be an under 19 league. It has to be a huge change, similar to the US.
Although I have never been one for the US influence on our game or systems, this could work to our advantage being an old traditional club.
Imagine this:
We scrap the reserves league in all States and Territories.
We introduce a nation wide/conference "College" style league with Universities footing most of the costs and issues with running a team. They'll do it for sponsorships, support from the AFL, etc.
We then reduce the clubs team size down to 30 or even less.
We also have a midseason draft where we could dump out of contract players and even trade players (not 100% on trading though).

The result being:
Reduce running costs for the clubs, like having to staff a second team. e.g. Coaches, medical staff, etc.
Better talent that will make an immediate impact to the team when drafted (possibly less dud choices too).
Higher paid players, attracting more talent and losing less to other sports.
If players are injured or duds we can drop the duds (if out of contract) and draft mid season.
Creating better teams with a higher levels of skill and ultimately a better game to watch.

A lot of grey areas to work out, but on the surface I think the idea has some merit.

I am not a fan of increasing the age limit to 19.

[1] It may help some kids who take longer to mature, but it is a huge negative for those ready to go. And there are always some kids that are ready to go.

[2] The increase would also leave a number of kids in limbo for a year, not knowing what their future may be. It is not like the 1970's, when players had outside jobs. Players are full time now. Whether a potential player goes to Uni or into a trade or even gets a job (they do exist - sometimes), he then is forced into facing a 1 year period of uncertainty which isn't necessary.

As long as the Draft is done after the Year 12 exam period, the age should stay where it is.

What about bringing them in at about 22-23yo after they have finished degrees or apprenticeships.
This is usually the age where the majority start to show promise and if they did it in a league under the AFL we would know what we are getting.

Kids will move on to other sports where they can enter the system earlier. Cricket, NBL, US college scholarships etc.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

What if a kid is no good at school ? Doesn't get within a bull's roar of year 12. Leaves school at 15 or 16.

But he is a gun footballer.

A gun footballer who can't do what he's best at for 4 or 5 years because he's locked out.

_________________
The problem with Socialism is, you eventually run out of other people's money.