Centrals Lower Grades - Concerns?

[csbowes]

Just curious for the thoughts of Centrals fans and Centrals insiders...

... are there concerns about the performances of the lower grade teams, as I'm not sure what its been like in recent seasons, but I've noticed this year that all three Dogs sides are pretty low on the table.

So any insight into those sides would be appreciated.

[Adelaide Hawk]

They wouldn't be too worried about it. Just another shopping spree when the talent runs out.

The funny thing about the 1980s when Norwood had far and away the most successful underage teams, we weren't really getting any more players graduating to league ranks as clubs who had ordinary junior programs.

Junior development is essential, but it is still the clubs who recruit best from interstate who do better at league level.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

Its injuries.
When a number of their injured players get back their other grades will improve. No concern if I was a dogs fan.

[CENTURION]

there are currently 24 players on both the league & reserves list that are out injured, things should start to pick up after this weekend's bye.

[cennals05]

there are currently 24 players on both the league & reserves list that are out injured, things should start to pick up after this weekend's bye.

What he said. We could make a team from our injury list at the moment.

[whufc]

Yep injuries have gone all the way through the club.

Currently there wouldn't be any more than a couple of players in the reserves over the age of 23 with many being first year senior players.

Underage age results is never an issue all we need is 2-3 players a year that go on to play league football ala Dutschke and Duncan and the club will be in a strong position.

Having superstar juniors doesn't help a clubs league side, they just get drafted to the AFL.

Westies are the perfect example of how great juniors means nothing to your league side, they have had brilliant junior sides and brilliant junior players but the most of them have gone on to play AFL or weren't up to league standard as they were being carried by the Cooney, Waters, Hartletts at junior level.

[Dogwatcher]

They wouldn't be too worried about it. Just another shopping spree when the talent runs out.

Could you please list the players who have arrived at the club in a 'spending spree' in the past decade AH?

[MightyEagles]

You should not have concerns as Central under 16s won yesterday.

[ca]

[quote="whufc"]

Currently there wouldn't be any more than a couple of players in the reserves over the age of 23 with many being first year senior players.
quote]

I think you would find that is the make up of most if not all reserves sides.

[whufc]

Currently there wouldn't be any more than a couple of players in the reserves over the age of 23 with many being first year senior players.
quote]

I think you would find that is the make up of most if not all reserves sides.

true but will add with our reserves all players included would have played less than 20 league games experience. In previous years we have had blokes that have played 20+ league games but are in the reserves this year there is no league experience in the squad.

[Big Phil]

I wrote this on another thread where the same question was asked, and as others have pointed out here, you could make a pretty good team out of the players currently out injured in the senior teams at elizabeth so as I mentioned below, certainly not panic stations yet...

As has been discussed elsewhere REB, part of the reason for the lower grades at Central struggling is due partly to do with depth but mainly because of the flow-on effect that 7 or 8 injuries to league players has down through the grades.

There would be at least 6 walk up starters out injuured for the Dogs at the moment that upon returning to the side, will send some 'fringe' league players back to the reserves and some of the Under 18's lads playing reserves will drop back down to the 18's. Yes, Central's reserves and Under 18's are struggling at present but I would expect them to improve as the season progresses.

I was speaking with Central Under 18's coach Grant Coffee at Norwood on Friday night and he said that his side is struglling at the moment because he has a lot of his better players playing reserves football, again because of that flow on effect as a result of the high number of injured league players at Elizabeth.

For example, Grant Coffee told me Friday night he recieved a phone call from Jeff Brown, the Central reserves coach, advising him that there will be 2 more of Coffee's better under 18's players going up to the reserves (yesterday at Alberton) because of a couple of late withdrawals from the Dogs intitially selected side.

At present, yes the club would be dissapointed to have the lower grades struggling while the league team is going along nicely, but they will no doubt see some light at the end of the tunnel and wont be hitting the panic button just yet.

[sjt]

They wouldn't be too worried about it. Just another shopping spree when the talent runs out.
.

The thread refers to Centrals not Norwood (pre getting caught).

[beenreal]

Yep injuries have gone all the way through the club.

Currently there wouldn't be any more than a couple of players in the reserves over the age of 23 with many being first year senior players.

Underage age results is never an issue all we need is 2-3 players a year that go on to play league football ala Dutschke and Duncan and the club will be in a strong position.

Having superstar juniors doesn't help a clubs league side, they just get drafted to the AFL.

Westies are the perfect example of how great juniors means nothing to your league side, they have had brilliant junior sides and brilliant junior players but the most of them have gone on to play AFL or weren't up to league standard as they were being carried by the Cooney, Waters, Hartletts at junior level.

That's an absolute falacy used as a cop out by clubs that don't want to develop their juniors. Sure, perhaps 1 or 2 will go but last time I looked the AFL wasn't exactly crawling with players recruited from the SANFL underage comps.

Trust me, the SANFL will be introducing import restrictions very soon and those who haven't got an effective junior program will miss the boat.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

Yep injuries have gone all the way through the club.

Currently there wouldn't be any more than a couple of players in the reserves over the age of 23 with many being first year senior players.

Underage age results is never an issue all we need is 2-3 players a year that go on to play league football ala Dutschke and Duncan and the club will be in a strong position.

Having superstar juniors doesn't help a clubs league side, they just get drafted to the AFL.

Westies are the perfect example of how great juniors means nothing to your league side, they have had brilliant junior sides and brilliant junior players but the most of them have gone on to play AFL or weren't up to league standard as they were being carried by the Cooney, Waters, Hartletts at junior level.

That's an absolute falacy used as a cop out by clubs that don't want to develop their juniors. Sure, perhaps 1 or 2 will go but last time I looked the AFL wasn't exactly crawling with players recruited from the SANFL underage comps.

Trust me, the SANFL will be introducing import restrictions very soon and those who haven't got an effective junior program will miss the boat.

I wouldnt take whufc's word on how his club run their juniors.

IMO Central have done well year after year to get the right balance of juniors and imports. How can anyone fault their approach?

If an import rule comes in, i think the dogs can survive a lean year or 2 before getting their local players to step up.

[sjt]

I'm pretty sure (without checking) that Centrals percentage of "local talent", in last years premiership side would be higher than the SANFL average.
As HBT says it's just getting the balance, selective recruiting with a few juniors stepping up each year.

[whufc]

Yep injuries have gone all the way through the club.

Currently there wouldn't be any more than a couple of players in the reserves over the age of 23 with many being first year senior players.

Underage age results is never an issue all we need is 2-3 players a year that go on to play league football ala Dutschke and Duncan and the club will be in a strong position.

Having superstar juniors doesn't help a clubs league side, they just get drafted to the AFL.

Westies are the perfect example of how great juniors means nothing to your league side, they have had brilliant junior sides and brilliant junior players but the most of them have gone on to play AFL or weren't up to league standard as they were being carried by the Cooney, Waters, Hartletts at junior level.

That's an absolute falacy used as a cop out by clubs that don't want to develop their juniors. Sure, perhaps 1 or 2 will go but last time I looked the AFL wasn't exactly crawling with players recruited from the SANFL underage comps.

Trust me, the SANFL will be introducing import restrictions very soon and those who haven't got an effective junior program will miss the boat.

I wouldnt take whufc's word on how his club run their juniors.

IMO Central have done well year after year to get the right balance of juniors and imports. How can anyone fault their approach?

If an import rule comes in, i think the dogs can survive a lean year or 2 before getting their local players to step up.

Norwood have been strong in the juniors now for a while and has that helped there league side?

My main point with juniors is that at U/16 and U/18 level one player can really really dominate a game and single handly win teams games, ladder position at that level may not be a true reflection of overall talent in the side.

The perfect example being the West Adelaide junior side which had Cooney and Waters in there. They were brilliant and dominated the league. Cooney and Waters have gone onto to be brilliant AFL footballers BUT where are the other 19 kids that were in that side now, they were carried by two outstanding juniors.

Imagine if Trengove had played for Sturts Under 18's last year instead of league football, there ladder position would have been alot higher but still wouldn't have meant Sturt would have better juniors coming through.

Take a look at Centrals 2003 Under 19 premiership side only 6 of them (Hurn, Westoff, Norsworthy, Pfitzner, Butler, and Hudson) went on to play any league football, Hurn and Pfitzner went to the AFL and only 1 Leigh Westoff is still at the club. The other three combined for a total of about 15-20 league games between them.

Yet 2 seasons later our Under 19's were mid table, yet we have had O'Hara, Dutschke, Havelberg, Barmby, Stengle, M.Westoff, Obst all come from that side.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

I was actually agreeing with your point whufc in that junior results mean bugger all.

Disagree however how you are implying that Central dont want to develop stars of the game. Shannon Hurn one that springs to mind right away.

I did say not to take your word on what your club does. Lately you have been making up porky pies and imply as it being truth.

Oh and Norwood havent been strong in junior grades lately so dont know where you got that from.

[whufc]

I was actually agreeing with your point whufc in that junior results mean bugger all.

Disagree however how you are implying that Central dont want to develop stars of the game. Shannon Hurn one that springs to mind right away.

I did say not to take your word on what your club does. Lately you have been making up porky pies and imply as it being truth.

Sorry yeah my main point is about results not being a great indicater of future talent.

Love to know about all these porky pies.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

I was actually agreeing with your point whufc in that junior results mean bugger all.

Disagree however how you are implying that Central dont want to develop stars of the game. Shannon Hurn one that springs to mind right away.

I did say not to take your word on what your club does. Lately you have been making up porky pies and imply as it being truth.

Sorry yeah my main point is about results not being a great indicater of future talent.

Love to know about all these porky pies.

How about the point posts at Elizabeth being painted white as directed by the AFL or the Crows for the AFL trial game? The posts at Elizabeth have been white for a number of years.

[CENTURION]

and the one about Norwood singing the club song after winning a trial game earler this year!