Are AFL footballers too SOFT?

[sydney-dog]

Time and Time again we see potential AFL players drafted to an interstate club, few years down the track express a desire to return home to Mummy and Daddy.

My question is, are AFL players too soft?

Lets we put this in perspective of other professional sports or even other professions, young Aussie kids move abroad to try an make it big in Soccer, Lucal Neil, Tim Cahill, the V Bomber and Harry Kewell are only the tip of the ice-berg, now we are seeing more Aussies, move to America for basketball sholarships

Most importantly, their is the Military, these folks get posted every 3-4 years, spend most of their working lives away from their families

Personally, I have 2 brothers and a sister, all born in Adelaide, from a very tight family, however but all have followed our professions outside of Adelaide....

Personally, I get sick and tired of hearing the desire to return home excuse, it's a bit soft for me, Australia is a small country, living in sydney, it's very easy for me to stay in contact and be close to my family

In my opinion, in in regards to this Thread, AFL players are too soft, my message is

Dry your eyes PRINCESSES.......

[magpie in the 80's]

SD wait for this years draft.

i can here it now: "don't care where i go, as long as i get drafted by a club and play AFL."

1 to 2 years down the track: "i'm homesick can you organize a trade so i can go home."

time and money spent to develop a player only to leave because he's HOMESICK

[sydney-dog]

magpie in the 80's

mate, absolutely spot on

the common comment, "I don't care where I go" and I am sure when they are interviewed by the club "I want to be a one club player"

[dinglinga]

Time and Time again we see potential AFL players drafted to an interstate club, few years down the track express a desire to return home to Mummy and Daddy.

My question is, are AFL players too soft?

Lets we put this in perspective of other professional sports or even other professions, young Aussie kids move abroad to try an make it big in Soccer, Lucal Neil, Tim Cahill, the V Bomber and Harry Kewell are only the tip of the ice-berg, now we are seeing more Aussies, move to America for basketball sholarships

Most importantly, their is the Military, these folks get posted every 3-4 years, spend most of their working lives away from their families

Personally, I have 2 brothers and a sister, all born in Adelaide, from a very tight family, however but all have followed our professions outside of Adelaide....

Personally, I get sick and tired of hearing the desire to return home excuse, it's a bit soft for me, Australia is a small country, living in sydney, it's very easy for me to stay in contact and be close to my family

In my opinion, in in regards to this Thread, AFL players are too soft, my message is

Dry your eyes PRINCESSES.......

and just to think at the age of 16-17 u go to england to ply ur trade in soccer ...

imagine working for a company and u get a promotion which invovles a transfer to melbourne then in 3 years u say i want to go home cos i miss my mummy

[Mr66]

More parochial than soft.
If anyone follows North American sport, they would realise that many players go to high school
in one state, college in another and end up in the pros in a third state.
They don't have the mindless parochialism that we Australians have which makes it easier
for them to live and play in different areas.
Australians still have a lot of growing up to do.

[brent]

I have followed my profession interstate because of greater opportunities but at some point i may decide that i'd rather be closer to family/friends and my home state, even if that means leaving behind greater opportunities abroad.

To suggest that life changing decisions like this should depend only on one parameter, i.e. career/money, is underestimating the complexity of the decision

[Dutchy]

great post SD....one of my pet hates

These guys get paid mega $$$ for playing a sport they love, quite a dream job really, but they cant spend a few years away from their home state?

[GWW]

I disagree. They live in a state where there are AFL clubs, why should they move to another state to play footy where there are already heaps of players that can play for clubs in that state!!

[Hondo]

If they have the opportunity to play in their home state after they participate in a draft system where all choices are taken from them - then I don't have a problem with it.

Most other professions have opportunities for you to work in the state you choose - it's not always the case but at least in most cases we have a choice which AFL players don't have up front.

Besides, often these are very young guys and even Judd is about 25 (??) which is still young by my standards!

I know they get paid a lot which takes some of the sympathy away but still why not take an opportunity to go home for the same $$$.

Sometimes too there's personal reasons such as with Scott Welsh with his brother passing away. Not sure if we can judge without knowing the full facts of each case. As someone said, there's more to it than just money when decisions like this are made and lots of people elect to forgo extra $$$ to be closer to their families.