SA Footy

Always have discussions with mates about the level of football that college footy is.
This is the saturday comp that teams like Sacred heart, rostrevor, PAC, St peters, St Micks and so on play in.
Do you think that a college side would knock off a SANFL 18's side??

Whats everyones opinions on this??

I'd give any Independant school side a 10 goal start against the top 3 U/18 teams and a 5 goal start against the bottom 3 and then watch them get beaten. Their best players are just as good as the U/18s but it is players 16-22 where the Independant schools struggle. They just don't have the depth.

There may be occasions where the college sides win, but the football development of a young lad is far better in a SANFL club than a college system IMO.

It has happened. Eagles v St Micks trail game a couple of years back. Eagles were beaten.

MightyEagles wrote:It has happened. Eagles v St Micks trail game a couple of years back. Eagles were beaten.

we use to play Eagles and port in trial games while i was at st micks. we beat both very easy. College footy is a good standard

am Bays wrote:I'd give any Independant school side a 10 goal start against the top 3 U/18 teams and a 5 goal start against the bottom 3 and then watch them get beaten. Their best players are just as good as the U/18s but it is players 16-22 where the Independant schools struggle. They just don't have the depth.

Thats a fair call for sure
But I must disagree with you in regards to a 10 goal start. I reckon SHC, PAC and St Peters would be more then competative in under 18 footy, play finals most years.
Teams like Rostrevor and St micks would probs be mid table sides, occasionally being towards the top.
10 goals, remember that it is compulsory for players to play school footy unless they are playing league!
Eg, my 1st 18 side I played in in 2006 had Ebert (west coast), Broadbent (port), Hall (Freo) along with Fairclough, Davoren, Staple all played league for Eagles. Along with a pile of u19 footy players from port and eagles aswell. The worst of the players are now probs playing div 3 A grade, apart from me. This side only made it to 3rd or 4th in the state, PAC, SHC and St Peters all finished above us.
So I cant see why the sanfl sides would need a 10 goal lead at all, They would more then likely get knocked off.

I disagree. I played college footy and thought the standard was certainly better than local comps in the same age bracket. But I'd reckon the standard of SANFL sides would be superior. The college sides don't have anywhere near the same training regimes, skills coaching or depth the SANFL sides would.

Dogwatcher wrote:I disagree. I played college footy and thought the standard was certainly better than local comps in the same age bracket. But I'd reckon the standard of SANFL sides would be superior. The college sides don't have anywhere near the same training regimes, skills coaching or depth the SANFL sides would.

So you think SANFL at the same age bracket is better??
80% of the guys playing would be doing that training on top of there school training, so that argument doesnt work IMO!

Perhaps for the kids' footy career they'd be a little better off being in the SANFL system, but given that some of these kids get to use their footy ability to win a scholarship or even part scholarship to play footy at those schools the choice for them isn't simply club of school, it's about their education and I think that the kids are much better off taking a little out of their footy development (the really good players will become good players anyway) to make sure they have a better education. So long as the schools think it's important to have strong sporting sides representing them there will be kids offered a chance at a better future outside footy just to play for the school.

Iron Fist wrote:

Dogwatcher wrote:I disagree. I played college footy and thought the standard was certainly better than local comps in the same age bracket. But I'd reckon the standard of SANFL sides would be superior. The college sides don't have anywhere near the same training regimes, skills coaching or depth the SANFL sides would.

So you think SANFL at the same age bracket is better??
80% of the guys playing would be doing that training on top of there school training, so that argument doesnt work IMO!

80 per cent of blokes playing college footy would be with an SANFL club, is that what you're saying?

They've done studies. 60% of the time, it works every time.

Iron Fist wrote:

am Bays wrote:I'd give any Independant school side a 10 goal start against the top 3 U/18 teams and a 5 goal start against the bottom 3 and then watch them get beaten. Their best players are just as good as the U/18s but it is players 16-22 where the Independant schools struggle. They just don't have the depth.

Thats a fair call for sure
But I must disagree with you in regards to a 10 goal start. I reckon SHC, PAC and St Peters would be more then competative in under 18 footy, play finals most years.
Teams like Rostrevor and St micks would probs be mid table sides, occasionally being towards the top.
10 goals, remember that it is compulsory for players to play school footy unless they are playing league!
Eg, my 1st 18 side I played in in 2006 had Ebert (west coast), Broadbent (port), Hall (Freo) along with Fairclough, Davoren, Staple all played league for Eagles. Along with a pile of u19 footy players from port and eagles aswell. The worst of the players are now probs playing div 3 A grade, apart from me. This side only made it to 3rd or 4th in the state, PAC, SHC and St Peters all finished above us.
So I cant see why the sanfl sides would need a 10 goal lead at all, They would more then likely get knocked off.

What is your background with regards to Independent Schools footy Iron Fist? I ask this because if you had a reasonable knowledge base or involvement at 1st XVIII level you certainly wouldn't be putting Rostrevor College in the 'mid table' bracket. Along with Sacred Heart, RC have dominated school football for the last twenty years. Saints haven't got anywhere near Rostrevor College since John Halbert coached them back in 1989, whilst you could also count the number of times Princes have beaten RC or SHC on one hand in the last twenty years. St.Michaels have been competitive at times but again have failed to get anywhere near the level of the two powerhouses.

The standard of college football is pretty good across the top three or four schools but I would suggest it drops away pretty steeply after that and most of the U/18 SANFL sides would have them covered.

Between 1990-1995 Rostrevor College went undefeated and were the Champions of Australia, I'd suggest they would have given most U/19 club sides a hiding or two back then.

You get a good idea, when you look at the Glenelg U18 side, which at full strength is made up of alot (maybe 70-80%) of Sacred Heart or other college boys. Glenelg are very strong when they play.

I think fitness is a fair bit different, no question that most SANFL sides train harder that the school sides do.

Slots It Through wrote:You get a good idea, when you look at the Glenelg U18 side, which at full strength is made up of alot (maybe 70-80%) of Sacred Heart or other college boys. Glenelg are very strong when they play.

I think fitness is a fair bit different, no question that most SANFL sides train harder that the school sides do.

Half those percentages 50% tops, sometimes we play college kids when non-college kids are playing ressies. I'm not sure of the exact percentages but can find out. I think there are about 9 college kids in our best side.

am Bays wrote:

Slots It Through wrote:You get a good idea, when you look at the Glenelg U18 side, which at full strength is made up of alot (maybe 70-80%) of Sacred Heart or other college boys. Glenelg are very strong when they play.

I think fitness is a fair bit different, no question that most SANFL sides train harder that the school sides do.

Half those percentages 50% tops, sometimes we play college kids when non-college kids are playing ressies. I'm not sure of the exact percentages but can find out. I think there are about 9 college kids in our best side.

8 out of 22 in the team vs West Adealide yesterday = 36%

Mutley wrote:

am Bays wrote:

Slots It Through wrote:You get a good idea, when you look at the Glenelg U18 side, which at full strength is made up of alot (maybe 70-80%) of Sacred Heart or other college boys. Glenelg are very strong when they play.

I think fitness is a fair bit different, no question that most SANFL sides train harder that the school sides do.

Half those percentages 50% tops, sometimes we play college kids when non-college kids are playing ressies. I'm not sure of the exact percentages but can find out. I think there are about 9 college kids in our best side.

8 out of 22 in the team vs West Adealide yesterday = 36%

Mutley how do the college boys find the pace of the game when they come back and play SANFL from school footy. Do they run out games ok?
We find at Port that some of the kids struggle to run out 4 quarters when they come back after playing school footy.

MST wrote:

Iron Fist wrote:

am Bays wrote:I'd give any Independant school side a 10 goal start against the top 3 U/18 teams and a 5 goal start against the bottom 3 and then watch them get beaten. Their best players are just as good as the U/18s but it is players 16-22 where the Independant schools struggle. They just don't have the depth.

Thats a fair call for sure
But I must disagree with you in regards to a 10 goal start. I reckon SHC, PAC and St Peters would be more then competative in under 18 footy, play finals most years.
Teams like Rostrevor and St micks would probs be mid table sides, occasionally being towards the top.
10 goals, remember that it is compulsory for players to play school footy unless they are playing league!
Eg, my 1st 18 side I played in in 2006 had Ebert (west coast), Broadbent (port), Hall (Freo) along with Fairclough, Davoren, Staple all played league for Eagles. Along with a pile of u19 footy players from port and eagles aswell. The worst of the players are now probs playing div 3 A grade, apart from me. This side only made it to 3rd or 4th in the state, PAC, SHC and St Peters all finished above us.
So I cant see why the sanfl sides would need a 10 goal lead at all, They would more then likely get knocked off.

What is your background with regards to Independent Schools footy Iron Fist? I ask this because if you had a reasonable knowledge base or involvement at 1st XVIII level you certainly wouldn't be putting Rostrevor College in the 'mid table' bracket. Along with Sacred Heart, RC have dominated school football for the last twenty years. Saints haven't got anywhere near Rostrevor College since John Halbert coached them back in 1989, whilst you could also count the number of times Princes have beaten RC or SHC on one hand in the last twenty years. St.Michaels have been competitive at times but again have failed to get anywhere near the level of the two powerhouses.

The standard of college football is pretty good across the top three or four schools but I would suggest it drops away pretty steeply after that and most of the U/18 SANFL sides would have them covered.

Between 1990-1995 Rostrevor College went undefeated and were the Champions of Australia, I'd suggest they would have given most U/19 club sides a hiding or two back then.

My Background isnt that large, i was simply going on from when I played which was in 2006 and they years I played college football, which started in 1999
When I played in 2006 they were about the 5th best side, so thats why i have catergorised them there. SHC are clearly the best IMO.
PAC have improved greatly in recent years.
This isnt the discusiion about what sides are better in the college comp but if the college sides are as good, better or worse then SANFL under age sides!

I totally agree with you in regards to the standard dropping off after the top 3 or 4.
St Michaels are very up and down as they dont or didnt offer scholarships when i was there.

MST wrote: Along with Sacred Heart, RC have dominated school football for the last twenty years. Saints haven't got anywhere near Rostrevor College since John Halbert coached them back in 1989, whilst you could also count the number of times Princes have beaten RC or SHC on one hand in the last twenty years. St.Michaels have been competitive at times but again have failed to get anywhere near the level of the two powerhouses.

The standard of college football is pretty good across the top three or four schools but I would suggest it drops away pretty steeply after that and most of the U/18 SANFL sides would have them covered.

Between 1990-1995 Rostrevor College went undefeated and were the Champions of Australia, I'd suggest they would have given most U/19 club sides a hiding or two back then.

I agree Rostrevor seem to be the pack leaders.
I have observed junior (primary) footy up to firsts level over the last 6 years with my lad playing. Rostrevor run into 3 sides in most grades and have a very strong footy focus that includes their indigenous program. That they are in Div 1 amateurs (for the moment) is probably no coincidence.

SHC are also up there with a lot of depth.

However, for whatever reason Saints and PAC don't seem to have quite the same numbers of kids playing footy.

St Micks (my old school too) along with others such as Pembroke, Pulteney are around the mark at times, but I think all school footy has greater variability than junior sanfl.

This is a good thread and an interesting debate.

However, not sure how you properly measure the comparison. The best school kids are playing sanfl and to some degree the pots overlap.

At least now the playing for school first criteria is more realistic.

Back in my era I could name at least 3 very high profile players (from several schools) who were held back by school. One in particular was disgracefully treated when you consider a blind eye was turned to less high profile students playing outside the school.

schimma wrote:

MightyEagles wrote:It has happened. Eagles v St Micks trail game a couple of years back. Eagles were beaten.

we use to play Eagles and port in trial games while i was at st micks. we beat both very easy. College footy is a good standard

Now having said that how many players should have been with either Eagles or Port. And was it against an under 18 team or an under 17 team????????????????

I'd back the bigger colleges in - Remember they will have first pick of players - therefore players like Cornes, Ebert, Tredrea etc would be playing for their college against Ports, Glenelgs etc ...

I would classify Sacred Heart, Rostrevor, PAC, St Peters, Saint Michaels as the Div 1 Colleges
I would class Div 2 to be made up of teams like Westminsters, Scotch, Immanuel (which fluctuates a little), Trinity, CBC. St michael's college may be more of a Div 2 team with the advent of Co-Education in the secondary campus now. Div 2 teams would not beat any of the U18 sides.

Henley High would be worthy of a mention as well!

That is my 2cents worth