Re: AFLW - Bombers poaching Velcro - Maddy P and Georgia G set to flee
Reply #84 –
I'd argue the opposite, the prevalence of poaching older established talent hasn't accelerated the development of youth at clubs like GWS or GC, it's delayed them because the bulk of the list are continually subordinate to an imported culture. In other words they have made the bulk of the list have a dependency rather than the new players becoming a scaffold for improvement. Mumford at GWS is the prime example, they have struggled to replace him despite getting the cream of the crop to choose from!
I think part of the problem is the lack of a Reserves competition, the natural way to introduce new club's would have been to have them in the Reserves level for a season or two while they built a list, then promote them instead of just throwing them in the deep end at the highest level. Satellite comps like suburban or state are not the same as Reserves, as players disperse rather than form a single competitive unit.
Coaches like Cameron had little chance, they were given a jigsaw puzzle with some gilded pieces that didn't really fit the finished product.
How players like Prespakis fair at a new club will be interesting, but she has youth on her side and time to adjust, and she will have to adjust because while fans look at her with rose coloured glasses in reality she carries little weight amongst her new set of peers. Peers only judge you based on what you have done, not what you promise. It took on-field performance from players like Judd and Cripps to win over team-mates, not a promise of a performance.