Mark The Illegitimate,
Thanks for response mate... good to see someone is thinking about solutions rather than problems.
I'm not suggesting for a moment that new players figure highly in Salary Cap calculations. The point that I was trying to make is that it is the club's responsibility to maintain a connection to junior football and to offer a program of development and training (and hopefully mentoring) to young players coming through.
Club loyalty is incredibly important to me. And it used to be important to players. I know it doesn't fit soundly the way the game is going, but it kills me to see players swap club to club from year to year... or what is worse... mid season!!!
"Player Managers" hawk their wares from club to club seeking the best dollar on offer and in so doing reinforce to players that they are just fodder and a commodity.
I can't imagine Dane Sorenson, ET or Docko playing for any other club but the Sharks. And at the same time I admire and respect players like Luke Ricketson, Nathan Hindmarsh and Steve Menzies for holding true and pure to their roots and remaining loyal to their clubs.
In those cases, the honour of playing for their club and the honour of wearing their jersey meant everything. Nowadays, I reckon the players out there on the paddock are just disposable heroes.
When I was playing I would have killed to play for "my" club... and in my cae that was the Sharks... but I just wasn't good enough... and I'm the first to admit that.
It seems to me that a lot of the players don't understand how blessed they are to be wearing their jersey.
Thanks for response mate... good to see someone is thinking about solutions rather than problems.
I'm not suggesting for a moment that new players figure highly in Salary Cap calculations. The point that I was trying to make is that it is the club's responsibility to maintain a connection to junior football and to offer a program of development and training (and hopefully mentoring) to young players coming through.
Club loyalty is incredibly important to me. And it used to be important to players. I know it doesn't fit soundly the way the game is going, but it kills me to see players swap club to club from year to year... or what is worse... mid season!!!
"Player Managers" hawk their wares from club to club seeking the best dollar on offer and in so doing reinforce to players that they are just fodder and a commodity.
I can't imagine Dane Sorenson, ET or Docko playing for any other club but the Sharks. And at the same time I admire and respect players like Luke Ricketson, Nathan Hindmarsh and Steve Menzies for holding true and pure to their roots and remaining loyal to their clubs.
In those cases, the honour of playing for their club and the honour of wearing their jersey meant everything. Nowadays, I reckon the players out there on the paddock are just disposable heroes.
When I was playing I would have killed to play for "my" club... and in my cae that was the Sharks... but I just wasn't good enough... and I'm the first to admit that.
It seems to me that a lot of the players don't understand how blessed they are to be wearing their jersey.