Hayley Kirk: Ch-Ch-Changes… …
I’m a very musical person. Cue family and friends rolling their eyes and sniggering.
I am very musical though. I’m not a genius like Mozart or Lady Ga Ga. I don’t play a musical instrument – unless you count the violin in year 7 or the Fisher & Price Cow Xylophone my one year old Sadie got for her birthday in November. I sing. Cue more eyes rolling from family and friends, but laughter this time rather than just the sniggering.
I sing in the privacy and safety of our home, the shower (awesome acoustics) and the car and my best audience are my children. They’re captive and they think I rock. Every time they call for me “MAMA”, I break into an impromptu version of Bohemian Rhapsody and now my children have an appreciation for Queen.
Thanks to Shrek they also have an appreciation for another of my favourite artists, Mr David Bowie (I am literally wearing a Ziggy Stardust tee as my fingers type-type away) and now after going to Melbourne via Brisbane I reach the introduction to the point of this blog… CHANGE!
David sang…’Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes…’ and that is what I have been humming while researching some vital information for this blog. Pre season has been roaring along and then there was the break for the festive fortnight when it t’was the season to be jolly and speaking of jolly, Darren Jolly is no longer a player for the Sydney Swans. He was traded to another avian team, the Collingwood Magpies during trade period. What Tha? Please accept exhibit B to this blog and now I will go forth and try to explain why 2009 your team (or potential team) had those players and now ploughing towards the beginning of the 2010 season your team is looking a whole lot different.
Big breath… Here Goes…
At the end of each season AFL clubs look at their playing list. They work out who’s most likely to become a politician, who’s going to end up in jail or become the next face for Aussie Bum underwear… no they don’t I’m sorry my brain is High School Musical mush I promise to stick to the facts from here on in.
Looking at the playing list is known as list management. The club discusses what they think they need and forecast for the upcoming season/s. What they need could fall under the following categories:
(A) Position – do they require a key forward, a defender or a midfielder;
(B) Speed – are they looking for someone fast;
(C) Experience – think Obi-Wan-Kenobi, possibly someone in their mid to late 20’s;
(D) Youth - think Luke Skywalker training to be a Jedi, new to the force with still a lot to learn.
The football club then takes it’s ‘shopping list’ and de-lists some players (as in see ya later thanks for your services do not pass go do not collect two hundred dollars good luck with life), to make room for trade week and draft picks.
What Is Trade Week?
It’s all a bit like swapping Mayfair and Park Lane for all the Railway Stations plus the two utilities. Players are traded within a set period known as trade week. Both contracted and un-contracted players can be traded or exchanged for players from another club. Players can also be traded for a combination of a player, players, draft selection or draft selection of another club. (Although, if a player is contracted they can choose not to go in the trade and stay with their existing club. But why you would I don’t know?)
So… What Is The Draft?
Every time I write or say the word I immediately think of those snake things that you put at the bottom of a door to stop the breeze coming in… and now I am getting back on track…
The draft is a process that works to make the AFL competition more even Stevens. It was introduced so the ‘rich’ clubs didn’t just go around waving dollar signs at the best players and hogging them all. Not like Soccer/Football overseas or Rugby League in the 1980’s. I can still hear my Dad cursing the Manly Football Club for stealing Michael O’Connor with their hefty bank balance from his beloved St George Dragons. He was blacklisted at our house, we weren’t even allowed to barrack for him when he was kicking goals or scoring tries for NSW in the State of Origin. Loyalties run deep and I have inherited the gene. As much as I adore Barry Hall there is NO way on this blue and green Earth that I will ever, EVER barrack for the Western Bulldogs!
Talent identification becomes really important. Each club has recruiting officers in every state (yep, that’s right EVERY state in Australia!) to seek out the up and coming players of the future. They hope to find the next Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) or Daniel Rich (Brisbane Lions). The quest for sourcing AFL’s future great players still remains a lottery though. These new recruits are young, still growing and injuries and social factors can affect development into a senior AFL footballer.
When potential draftees are found they are put through rigorous testing - physically, psychologically and personality/character/family background. Playing AFL may be a childhood dream but it is also a serious business, BIG business.
In the draft the team who finishes last (16th) at the end of the season has first turn to pick and acquire the best, young players. If you are successful and finish premiers you go last in the draft pick. Football is supposedly set up to be cyclical, you are meant to take your turn at the top and then rotate to the bottom and build back up again, Michael Finnigan begin again!
Well I think that’s about covered it. Although there is the whole Father-Son Rule, a tradition set in stone from the times when Frodo Baggins and Sam Gangee went on that quest with the ring but that’s a whole other blog or possible trilogy.
Until next time when I will let you in on a few secrets on how to survive the AFL season…
Hayley Kirk
Also known as the-woman-on-a-juice-detox-to-flush-all-that-Christmas-pavlova-out-of-her-body!
Step Back In Time Statistic:
* Football in many forms had been played after the settlement of Melbourne in 1834. On Saturday, August 7th 1858, a grand football match was played between boys from Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School on the parklands where the Melbourne Cricket Ground now resides. ‘The match became a legend’ and is recognised as the birth of the Australian Football code.
Key rules to note in the trading / drafting Process A club may exchange a player or players on its primary list for a player or players on the primary list of another club;
A club may exchange a player or players on its primary list for the draft selection or draft selections of another club;
A club may exchange a player or players on its primary list
A club may exchange a draft selection or draft selections for a draft selection or draft selections of another club;
No more than five players shall be exchanged by any one club.
Fast Fact
Former Prime Minister John Howard once suggested that the only job in public life more important than his own was that of Australia’s cricket captain.
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Happy 2010 Hayley! Interesting read thanks for explaining
all that stuff. I'm def jumping on the AFL
wagon this year can't wait for the season to start. Look 4ward
2 next blog
First time to this site.
Have watched a few AFL games
I didn't realise that the players
don't really have control of where
they play?!
I think you are a fabo singer Hay! Both you and I would definately be able to land lead roles in High School Musical Australia I think!! hee hee. I had no idea how much trading went on and how it all worked in the AFL. Your blog is always an inspiring and hilarious read Hay xx