SA Footy

Guys,

Ii has come to my attention in the past 24 hours that the Athelstone Footy Club has made a decision to can the D grade. not because of a lack of numbers or financial issues, but to help strengthen the A grade and build to future success. Now, for someone who spent some time in this team years ago, I find the decision to be quite astounding.

More details can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Raggies-D-Grade/134311320006181?sk=wall&filter=1

What are people's thoughts on this? I can't see how reducing a club's playing stocks by 25% can possibly strengthen the club's A grade, but maybe i am missing something...

Either way, I wanted to get the wider footy community's opinion on this, as it doesn't sit well with this old Raggie!

If the majority of the D grade blokes are paying their fees and you aren't running around with 14/15 players each week (which i know from personal experience your not) this seems, on the surface, an insane idea. There well may be a logical reason for this decision that we dont know about, but it does seem strange on face value

Now the Great Matthew Bowman can return to Salisbury

bringbackthebiff wrote:Guys,

Ii has come to my attention in the past 24 hours that the Athelstone Footy Club has made a decision to can the D grade. not because of a lack of numbers or financial issues, but to help strengthen the A grade and build to future success. Now, for someone who spent some time in this team years ago, I find the decision to be quite astounding.

More details can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Raggies-D-Grade/134311320006181?sk=wall&filter=1

What are people's thoughts on this? I can't see how reducing a club's playing stocks by 25% can possibly strengthen the club's A grade, but maybe i am missing something...

Either way, I wanted to get the wider footy community's opinion on this, as it doesn't sit well with this old Raggie!

I can't see this having a positive impact on the club either. I have played a bit of footy v Athelstone D grade n they were always pretty strong n organised. Very strange decision in my opinion.

Gee i'd love to be in thier position if they are willing to basically tell 22+ blokes "thanks but no thanks, your money is no good here"

Jabber wrote:Gee i'd love to be in thier position if they are willing to basically tell 22+ blokes "thanks but no thanks, your money is no good here"

x2 plus losing families and partners, friends etc etc...

it just makes no sense. especially reading all the stuff on the facebook page.... Dumb move by the club...

bringbackthebiff wrote:Guys,

Ii has come to my attention in the past 24 hours that the Athelstone Footy Club has made a decision to can the D grade. not because of a lack of numbers or financial issues, but to help strengthen the A grade and build to future success. Now, for someone who spent some time in this team years ago, I find the decision to be quite astounding.

More details can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Raggies-D-Grade/134311320006181?sk=wall&filter=1

What are people's thoughts on this? I can't see how reducing a club's playing stocks by 25% can possibly strengthen the club's A grade, but maybe i am missing something...

Either way, I wanted to get the wider footy community's opinion on this, as it doesn't sit well with this old Raggie!

Why was the C grade always ringing around for players this season at the last minute yet the D's filled a team with ease every week?
You blokes probably didn't help your cause a couple years ago when the now B grade coach coached your C grade and had all his mates playing who were capable of playing higher just sitting in the C grade. Always been internal politics at Raggies, you won't get any sympathy from me!

I guess this is one of the reasons which has not been highlighted and am not aware of; I am not involved as much as I once was but still keep an eye on the teams/results etc

However, should this then be a matter of the club taking action and appointing coaches who pick the best available and if people don't wish to play in the grade they are picked then they can find another club?

If that is the issue at hand, then possibly it is flawed logic to remove a side completely, as it will be detrimental to the club as a whole, I would have thought.

What happens when juniors start missing out on games in front of the veteran who is playing with his mates? Surely it is better to give that junior a game, whether that be in the Cs or Ds, rather than lose him to another club?

Hope Valley is looking at fielding a 4th side this year if everything falls into place. They're welcome to come and join us if they're looking at playing in a D Grade side that's close by...

S Demon wrote:Hope Valley is looking at fielding a 4th side this year if everything falls into place. They're welcome to come and join us if they're looking at playing in a D Grade side that's close by...

There would prob be a few that could play higher than your D's

lutz wrote:

S Demon wrote:Hope Valley is looking at fielding a 4th side this year if everything falls into place. They're welcome to come and join us if they're looking at playing in a D Grade side that's close by...

There would prob be a few that could play higher than your D's

All the more reason to welcome them across...

bringbackthebiff wrote:I guess this is one of the reasons which has not been highlighted and am not aware of; I am not involved as much as I once was but still keep an eye on the teams/results etc

However, should this then be a matter of the club taking action and appointing coaches who pick the best available and if people don't wish to play in the grade they are picked then they can find another club?

If that is the issue at hand, then possibly it is flawed logic to remove a side completely, as it will be detrimental to the club as a whole, I would have thought.

What happens when juniors start missing out on games in front of the veteran who is playing with his mates? Surely it is better to give that junior a game, whether that be in the Cs or Ds, rather than lose him to another club?

Athelstone have not had under U/18's for a couple years now. so there will not be a influx of juniors coming into senior ranks for a few years.

The C grade last year got flogged every week because they were playing Div 7 and clearly didn't have the depth to. so now playing C3 and triple headers with the A's and B's could be a positive thing.

Double P wrote:

bringbackthebiff wrote:I guess this is one of the reasons which has not been highlighted and am not aware of; I am not involved as much as I once was but still keep an eye on the teams/results etc

However, should this then be a matter of the club taking action and appointing coaches who pick the best available and if people don't wish to play in the grade they are picked then they can find another club?

If that is the issue at hand, then possibly it is flawed logic to remove a side completely, as it will be detrimental to the club as a whole, I would have thought.

What happens when juniors start missing out on games in front of the veteran who is playing with his mates? Surely it is better to give that junior a game, whether that be in the Cs or Ds, rather than lose him to another club?

Athelstone have not had under U/18's for a couple years now. so there will not be a influx of juniors coming into senior ranks for a few years.

The C grade last year got flogged every week because they were playing Div 7 and clearly didn't have the depth to. so now playing C3 and triple headers with the A's and B's could be a positive thing.

What happened? They played in a GF in 2009.

They turned 19........

One of my best mates plays for Athelstone and he said that the whole reason was that their D-Grade was picked before their C-Grade and that their C-Grade was always short of numbers. So really they never had 4 healthy teams in 2011 and that is why the club made the decision to field only 3 teams in 2012.