Hoops

SMH editor: AFL is a dead-end, 'wasting' our athletes

i think if there was more opportunity in basketball it would drawthose players who play at a high level at both Football and Basketball. with football there is a lot more opportunities, in state teams everything is payed for but with basketball you have to fork out money just to compete in championships. i enjoy basketball more but once under 18s finished there was nothing further to continue basketball. AFL has alot more opportunity to make it. basketball needs more opportunties if they want to draw in those multi talented people who are on the boarder of choosing their sport.

I completely agree with the article. Im pro football and basketball (proper football that is, the world game) and i have not come across anyone that wouldnt like to see the world cup come here in 2022 except for the AFL. I remember Eddie came out and said "its all too hard, why bother" its only too hard because the AFL doesnt want to accommodate for any other code out there because they know they are a dead end and if we did get the world cup we would see a lot more of the younger generation interested and the AFL cant have that because they dont give a stuff.

Dont get my wrong i dont mind watching the AFL i just hate their selfishness, and it will be their downfall

Fair point Isaac. But still, there are leagues paying decent enough money to easily survive on.

What some posters have failed to acknowledge is there are opportunities to earn very good money playing basketball overseas - soemthing you can not do as an AFL footballer. Therefore limiting the argument between just the AFL and NBL is not a terue indication of the opportunities available to good basketballers overall.

I guess you could argue that a young athlete who chooses to play football (soccer), rugby, basketball, tennis, motor racing, whatever, rather than AFL will then benefit from more junior coaching etc and may have a greater chance of becoming a successful international player. If you are a talented athlete playing an international sport you should be overseas by the time you are 17 or 18 anyway. We simply cannot match the money and wealth of training knowledge that is available overseas, and never will be able to. AFL appeals for it's social and tribal aspects. Have a kick and a few beers with your mates...

Does this mean Steve Hooker can get a Geelong jumper when Ling retires?

The writer is a Sydneysider with a passion for rugby who has authored a few books on rugby. Therefore I read into that a love to hate of everything AFL.

He is right in saying that the AFL deliberately targets the best athletes - but which sport wouldnt?

I think athlete education is therefore the most important thing - make the athletes aware of their development pathways in relevants sports, therefore knowing the AFL will not lead them to international stardom, there will be no World Championship and certainly no Olympic Games.

I think most other sports, basketball included, should learn a lot from the AFL in how it targets and then develops talent. However unlike the AFL, basketball does not have the financial war chest to support such an endeavour.

Also if comparing rugby with the AFL, rugby is a fragmented fraternity with no one governing body or commission like the AFL. This is why the development of the NRL lags well behind the AFL and subsequently why a lot of northerner's get their nose out of joint with the AFL.

That's enough ramble for now...