The Young and the Restless

[Fidelis]

Emma Quayle writes in today's "Age" of a rapidly developing trend for young players recruited interstate to accept a short contract and then go home.

She says:
"They're growing up now in the world of free agency, watching older teammates take greater control of their own destinies and make decisions that money and success have a lot to do with.
''I think a lot of them are starting to look at the sport as a profession, from a young age,'' said Petroro. ''They get more publicity, so they have a much stronger opinion on their own value and a much more commercial focus. They back themselves more. There's a lot who are happier to sign a two-year deal because they're confident, rather than take the security and get three years."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/t ... 2wc28.html

If she's right, the clubs who get across this early will benefit. They've be savvy in courting potential returnees. They'll be careful about who they recruit in the first place. They'll work very hard at retaining potential flight risks.

Some good signs that Pelchen and co are on top of this.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

could very well lead to the game going back into its old zoning style recruitment as Vic clubs will only pick Vic players and interstaters with pick their locals boys ... bad luck for Brissy GC Syd and GWS .... i think in the end the true top flight kids will be well enough rewarded to stay with the drafted club its the thereabouts kids that will look to return home ...

[paddy]

tell them to harden the fruck up...

hate cripps for ditching us

[plugger66]

tell them to harden the fruck up...

hate cripps for ditching us

But do you hate Hickey for coming to us?

[paddy]

tell them to harden the fruck up...

hate cripps for ditching us

But do you hate Hickey for coming to us?

While i get your point, pretty sure Hickey was a GC boy, taken as zone selection...

but at least GC got a decent trade for him..... unlike us for crippa

[plugger66]

tell them to harden the fruck up...

hate cripps for ditching us

But do you hate Hickey for coming to us?

While i get your point, pretty sure Hickey was a GC boy, taken as zone selection...

but at least GC got a decent trade for him..... unlike us for crippa

He was but he wanted to come here because his girlfriend is Victorian just as cripps wanted to go home because his girlfriend was there as well as family. What happens in trades isnt Cripps fault so hating seems a bit harsh.