Will northern academies want to spend the money developing kids now if we keep disincentivising them?
Academies are obviously there to help give kids a pathway into our sport that usually would not have the exposure and maybe lost to other sports.
I’m from an area where there is an academy for the AFL but also there are many kids who get signed to NRL clubs when they’re 14. Sometimes these kids are great at both and it’s a genuine choice.
Will clubs be willing to keep spending the money and time to develop kids in these areas if they aren’t advantaged in some way?
What happens if clubs just scrap the academies at some stage soon and the junior numbers in NSW and QLD decline?
If they’re going to scrap incentives for clubs to develop these kids then the AFL should actually come up with a plan and tell the fans of the game how they are going to develop and give opportunities to kids in these areas.