NO-MERCY wrote:
With impending changes to both the salary cap and number of imports, those clubs that develop their juniors will be in the box seat. Port Adelaide is doing that better than most and more importantly has a head start on most other clubs.
I'm not to sure about that beenreal, i'd like to know what Port spend on the Claytons, Micklejons, Elstones, Pasqualies & you can put Waterhouse in that as he was a listed player for 2009 & only came back after bidding his way with North & Port, its not as though they havn't recruited imports to the club, what about the Bowes, Youngs, Bechmanns & a couple of others that don't cut it at this level, what a waste of money.
As far as the juniors North Adelaide have alot of their U\18s playing reserves & League footy thats why they are bottom in the 18s, West must be doing something right climbing the ladder at League level & their 18s beating Port on saturday.
Sturts right up there in the League, Reserves & 18s, same with Glenelg & both their U\18s will be getting their college kids back by finals which will make them stronger so i can't see how you can say with such confidence Port are ahead of the field in the junior development programs.
By those calculations i believe 4 other clubs are ahead of them & your forgetting where Ports League side is currently positioned compared to those clubs.

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Those first names are now the creme of the recruiting crop, and no doubt are on good and well deserved coin. The salary cap is only dropping by 10K and none of them will be listed as imports.
The other "recruits" approached the club to play and probably only Young and Barham has shown any talent to be persevered with.
Overall I wouldn't hold North up as an example, as their league side is about as good as their U18s at the moment.
I'm only interested in Port. The U18s have had a couple of down weeks but are still sitting 2nd. The Reserves are 3rd and made up of 80% juniors. And I'd love to see the League side making an impact, but with 13 on the park with an average of 10 games or less, all I (and Tim) want to see, is getting some games under their collective belts this year.