HFL Division 1 (Central)

[BALL BANGER]

Newman: All I'm saying regarding Juniors is in Central Div your juniors can develop their basic skills better, because not every week are they under extreme pressure from the Top sides. Take Meadows & Nairne for example, both their Senior Colt sides are highly skilled with hand & foot. Meadows have 4 Senior Colts playing in their A-Grade and they aren't disapointing. Not sure if Narine are doing the same, but again their Colts are highly skilled. Because the player aren't under this pressure all the time, it means they have just a little more time to make correct decisions & place the ball on the foot correctly. I've watched quite a few Bridgey Games over the past 10 yrs and most of the time Bridgey's kids are having to slam the ball on the foot quickly. The only chance they're getting to improve is at training.
Your Thoughts?

[Dashin]

Training is where you learn your skills Banger, playing matches is simply where you execute the skills you're already sound at. Juniors playing in a less competitive comp certainly isn't going equipe the kids with better skills.

Having said that, as already stated, there is no doubt that Bridgewater needs to drop back to the country Div. They've shown over the past decade that they can't sustain a squad to be competitive in the Central Div. All of these reasons have been mentioned previously. My personal opinion is that the problem is not so much the club and change rooms, but the oval itself. It's a poxy little oval which isn't conducive to good footy and therefore doesn't attract the quality of player required to be competitive, or not enough of them atleast. An uncompetitive club leads to a negative vibe around the club, which leads to further player losses and so on. It's a downward cycle which the bridgy boys have been on for far too long. Who's it going to take to realise this and make something happen for the good of the club?

[Newman]

Newman: All I'm saying regarding Juniors is in Central Div your juniors can develop their basic skills better, because not every week are they under extreme pressure from the Top sides. Take Meadows & Nairne for example, both their Senior Colt sides are highly skilled with hand & foot. Meadows have 4 Senior Colts playing in their A-Grade and they aren't disapointing. Not sure if Narine are doing the same, but again their Colts are highly skilled. Because the player aren't under this pressure all the time, it means they have just a little more time to make correct decisions & place the ball on the foot correctly. I've watched quite a few Bridgey Games over the past 10 yrs and most of the time Bridgey's kids are having to slam the ball on the foot quickly. The only chance they're getting to improve is at training.
Your Thoughts?

I can see your point but still think that to develope your youth at a quicker rate you need them to play against the better players in a better competition. That way they can develope their skills under pressure. Its all good to practice your skills at training but you cant simulate game like pressure at training.

[kick it to me]

Training is where you learn your skills Banger, playing matches is simply where you execute the skills you're already sound at. Juniors playing in a less competitive comp certainly isn't going equipe the kids with better skills.

Having said that, as already stated, there is no doubt that Bridgewater needs to drop back to the country Div. They've shown over the past decade that they can't sustain a squad to be competitive in the Central Div. All of these reasons have been mentioned previously. My personal opinion is that the problem is not so much the club and change rooms, but the oval itself. It's a poxy little oval which isn't conducive to good footy and therefore doesn't attract the quality of player required to be competitive, or not enough of them atleast. An uncompetitive club leads to a negative vibe around the club, which leads to further player losses and so on. It's a downward cycle which the bridgy boys have been on for far too long. Who's it going to take to realise this and make something happen for the good of the club?

Couldnt agree more. It would be brilliant if Bridgey could find themselves a new oval but surely that is just a dream. Where else could they set up, to my mind there are no ovals around the joint the arent being used which they would consider moving to and with land prices in the hills the way they are there is next to no chance of a new oval being built anywhere. The club really is up sh!t creek, which is dissapointing.

[Newman]

I donr really think you can say a club is not being successful due to their oval. I'll agree the changerooms arent the best, but I've seen worse.

[The Indian]

Good Luck to Young Benny Thomas, Making A Grade debut for the thuderers tomorrow. Persistance has paid off for the little goal sneak.

[kick it to me]

Good Luck to Young Benny Thomas, Making A Grade debut for the thuderers tomorrow. Persistance has paid off for the little goal sneak.

Good to see Benny up there in the A grade, nice work!

[kick it to me]

I donr really think you can say a club is not being successful due to their oval. I'll agree the changerooms arent the best, but I've seen worse.

Surely the state of the oval isnt helping attract quality and committed locals i wouldnt want to play for them knowing i had to play on that thing every second week

[The Big Shrek]

I donr really think you can say a club is not being successful due to their oval. I'll agree the changerooms arent the best, but I've seen worse.

That's because you used to play for Seaton.

[Howard]

Any ideas from people having a crack at Bridgy how they would fix the current situation ?

No its not easy but, is it fair to say they would have wasted 40-50 grand (maybe more) on players in past 4-5 years, i say wasted because it got them NO WHERE up the ladder. Just arent going about recruiting the right way i spose.. (hence my last post) But big money has been paid for no return. If that money was spent on - Facilities, junior development, new oval, or just leave the money in the club for a big spend on something valuable for the club. But what they have been doing is NOT working, big money, big names, stay 5 mins take money with no results... And loosing locals cause not happy!! I think this may be a good way to start.
As much as people bag Birdwood, least there doing it the right way!! They have really taken steps off field to get things right on field. They are taking small steps to try and get there!! Its not costing them heaps of money!

Couldn't you argue that EVERY club that hasn't won a flag in the last few years, since the big money has hit the competition, have pretty much wasted it, and I bet most clubs have lost more then Bridgy. The fact that everybody needs to spend a poltus of cash to be competitive is crap and unsustainable.
I've seen on previous posts here that Bridgy are at least paying something to their locals, and have plenty of their kids playing in 'A' grade.

[night raver]

I donr really think you can say a club is not being successful due to their oval. I'll agree the changerooms arent the best, but I've seen worse.

That's because you used to play for Seaton.

nothing wrong with the home rooms at Seaton, just the visitors that need expanding, seen bigger bathrooms than the visitors rooms

[ftandsq]

Any ideas from people having a crack at Bridgy how they would fix the current situation ?

No its not easy but, is it fair to say they would have wasted 40-50 grand (maybe more) on players in past 4-5 years, i say wasted because it got them NO WHERE up the ladder. Just arent going about recruiting the right way i spose.. (hence my last post) But big money has been paid for no return. If that money was spent on - Facilities, junior development, new oval, or just leave the money in the club for a big spend on something valuable for the club. But what they have been doing is NOT working, big money, big names, stay 5 mins take money with no results... And loosing locals cause not happy!! I think this may be a good way to start.
As much as people bag Birdwood, least there doing it the right way!! They have really taken steps off field to get things right on field. They are taking small steps to try and get there!! Its not costing them heaps of money!

Couldn't you argue that EVERY club that hasn't won a flag in the last few years, since the big money has hit the competition, have pretty much wasted it, and I bet most clubs have lost more then Bridgy. The fact that everybody needs to spend a poltus of cash to be competitive is crap and unsustainable.
I've seen on previous posts here that Bridgy are at least paying something to their locals, and have plenty of their kids playing in 'A' grade.

Couldnt agree more, everyone is doing it, and its not great! But Bridgy would be in the top 3-5 spenders in comp, for results around 7-9! Poor return! And the conditions of bridgy's club, facilities, oval, everything is in the worse 1-2 in comp. Surely they are better off spending money on the club, and not keep sending cheques down the creek with the balls they lose every
home game!

[stan]

Any ideas from people having a crack at Bridgy how they would fix the current situation ?

No its not easy but, is it fair to say they would have wasted 40-50 grand (maybe more) on players in past 4-5 years, i say wasted because it got them NO WHERE up the ladder. Just arent going about recruiting the right way i spose.. (hence my last post) But big money has been paid for no return. If that money was spent on - Facilities, junior development, new oval, or just leave the money in the club for a big spend on something valuable for the club. But what they have been doing is NOT working, big money, big names, stay 5 mins take money with no results... And loosing locals cause not happy!! I think this may be a good way to start.
As much as people bag Birdwood, least there doing it the right way!! They have really taken steps off field to get things right on field. They are taking small steps to try and get there!! Its not costing them heaps of money!

Couldn't you argue that EVERY club that hasn't won a flag in the last few years, since the big money has hit the competition, have pretty much wasted it, and I bet most clubs have lost more then Bridgy. The fact that everybody needs to spend a poltus of cash to be competitive is crap and unsustainable.
I've seen on previous posts here that Bridgy are at least paying something to their locals, and have plenty of their kids playing in 'A' grade.

You are right about the sustainable part. Long term im not sure it is. And I guess we will see clubs fall over in the long run.

[Howard]

Any ideas from people having a crack at Bridgy how they would fix the current situation ?

No its not easy but, is it fair to say they would have wasted 40-50 grand (maybe more) on players in past 4-5 years, i say wasted because it got them NO WHERE up the ladder. Just arent going about recruiting the right way i spose.. (hence my last post) But big money has been paid for no return. If that money was spent on - Facilities, junior development, new oval, or just leave the money in the club for a big spend on something valuable for the club. But what they have been doing is NOT working, big money, big names, stay 5 mins take money with no results... And loosing locals cause not happy!! I think this may be a good way to start.
As much as people bag Birdwood, least there doing it the right way!! They have really taken steps off field to get things right on field. They are taking small steps to try and get there!! Its not costing them heaps of money!

Couldn't you argue that EVERY club that hasn't won a flag in the last few years, since the big money has hit the competition, have pretty much wasted it, and I bet most clubs have lost more then Bridgy. The fact that everybody needs to spend a poltus of cash to be competitive is crap and unsustainable.
I've seen on previous posts here that Bridgy are at least paying something to their locals, and have plenty of their kids playing in 'A' grade.

Couldnt agree more, everyone is doing it, and its not great! But Bridgy would be in the top 3-5 spenders in comp, for results around 7-9! Poor return! And the conditions of bridgy's club, facilities, oval, everything is in the worse 1-2 in comp. Surely they are better off spending money on the club, and not keep sending cheques down the creek with the balls they lose every
home game!

Obviously it's a combination of reasons why Bridgy, or any club for that matter, struggle form time to time. I don't think you can pin it on the club itself or facilities, some clubs are worse some are better eg. Ironbank oval and changerooms as an example of worse, yet they are doing ok, and Lobethal an example of, probably the best facilities, yet they are doing poorly this season. Surely you don't dump on a club for struggling.

I'd love to check out the balance sheets of a few other Hills clubs, I'd bet that Bridgy would be nowhere near more then half the other Central clubs when it comes to paying recruits.

[FlyingHigh]

How did the Lobey/Birdwood game go today?

[MIRACLE MAN]

who said $ dont bring results

TValley premiership last yr= $80k

Hahndorf this year $??

Uir,devs..the list goes on..

The HFL points system is a joke..

[Howard]

who said $ dont bring results

TValley premiership last yr= $80k

Hahndorf this year $??

Uir,devs..the list goes on..

The HFL points system is a joke..

Hey MIRACLE the points system, as it currently operates is a joke, but so was the so called salary cap. The points system has not been set up properly, at the end of 07 clubs were asked to calculate their totals, as a comparison and to be used as a guideline for 08. Not one club was over the 35pts, with all players reducing by one going into 08 totals would be even further reduced. When the HFL decided to leave the max total as 35 (for 08) it opened the door to full on slather to the richer clubs. Clearly the HFL board did not have a full grasp of what that decision was going to do. There is more money then ever in the league, clubs will have to spend even more to be competitive, and so the vicious cirlce continues. I hate to think what might happen to clubs like TV when the cash leaves that club.

You can't just fob it off with statements like "clubs will just have to work harder" the HFL has a responsibility to the competition, to endeavour that clubs can compete on a relatively even playing field. If you disagree then don't waste your time with salary caps or points systems.

[NO-MERCY]

I donr really think you can say a club is not being successful due to their oval. I'll agree the changerooms arent the best, but I've seen worse.

That's because you used to play for Seaton.

We'd all have big rooms like your beloved kilburn if we got big grants too from our council.
Are you getting a kick at Kilburn **** or are you the runner these days?
Does O'Connor know you've changed your name?

[The Big Shrek]

I donr really think you can say a club is not being successful due to their oval. I'll agree the changerooms arent the best, but I've seen worse.

That's because you used to play for Seaton.

We'd all have big rooms like your beloved kilburn if we got big grants too from our council.
Are you getting a kick at Kilburn Andy or are you the runner these days?
Does O'Connor know you've changed your name?

I was wondering how long that would take to come out Scott. Did Luke tell you or did you used all your brainpower to figure it out yourself?

I've been relegated to the BBQ mate, just like you all predicted. Do you honestly think Ocker would trust me to be the runner?

[The Panther]

I don't think strugggling clubs should rely on the association to even up the competition. Clubs need to assess their own situations and look at making improvements and long term survival plans.
A big problem is wasted money , by knowingly paying players more than they are worth just to get their signature. If your club has less cash than others then maybe a more shrewd approach to recruiting is required. There are players out their who move to other clubs for low figures and for what they see are greater opportunites, you just need to find them.