Footy Smart wrote:Blacks130 wrote:Bulls forever wrote:
Blacks, if you think that some of your players are playing for the love of their mates, I think you must be delusional. Are they getting cash money, probably not, extend your thinking and imagine what your club could provide to these top end players to entice them to your club. Uni is a proud amateur league club and would not be happy with last couple of years in Div 2 instead of challenging for a Div 1 premiership. It required some action and obviously your administration had the tools required to entice some damn good players to your club, so as FS tried to say, well done and good luck, your club deserves the climb after the year they have had.
I know what the enticement is, I just want to know what peple like you and FS think it is. Your suggestions of what they are a little ambiguous but probably best reflect your understanding of what goes on outside of your own club.
Blacks stop being so precious, whatever the enticement/incentive is it really doesnt matter. The results will come for UNi and thats what matters isnt it?
And if we are all so ignorant and you say you know all, please inform us plebs of what the enticement is at Uni?
The enticements are several things -
- good standard football played with mates eg the McEntee boys are very close with the Kurzel brothers plus the challenge of lifting the club back into Div 1.
- the close proximity of the ground to workplaces in the city and to residential colleges in North Adelaide. This year saw several folk finish up in the country as travelling times were too long.
- the ability to access a large social network which can (but often doesn't) lead to networks within vocations just as networks within other clubs can lead to benefits (eg cheaper tradework, vocation networks, old school network with other college sides)
- people sometimes don't want the pressure of being one of the few paid players at a club. I've talked to many a player who enjoyed the money but didn't enjoy the often unreasonable expectations placed upon them. Several came back to playing for no money for this reason. This also is reflected in the ability to travel during the season without backlash.
- the knowledge that trimmers was coaching helped.
- the two jugs of beer that the best on ground wins for all grades.
- the ability to pretty much choose which grade they want to play. For example, if an a grade level player can only train once a week they can pretty much decide to play lower - this also allows the a and b grade coaches to pick those who train twice a week if this is going to be a criterion.
- often players' fathers, brothers etc have played at uni and talked it up. We've quite a few players who are second or third generation.
The ructions about hecs are nonsensical and available to all clubs - if a supporter or employer wishes to pay somebody's hecs they can with no problems. This has never happened in the 23 years I've been with the Blacks. The University scholarships cover living expenses and are aimed at the less represented end of people at University or at the elite athlete end such as Olympic rowers rather than what is a third tier State based footballing competition.
Cheers.