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Academies to develop youngsters

From the Herald-Sun

Reported by Michael Horan
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THE creation of two AFL academies to develop elite players - one in country Victoria and the other in Melbourne - is one of five recommendations approved by the AFL Commission.

The other four measures, which are aimed at bolstering the VFL and the feeder system by which players progress to AFL clubs, are:

THE alignment between AFL and VFL clubs continues to be a key component of elite football in Victoria;

VFL and TAC Cup clubs be fully integrated to form one, regionally based, entity;

INVESTMENT to improve the quality and effectiveness of each entity; and

THE VFL evolves to play a more substantial role in Victorian football.

AFL Victoria chief executive Peter Schwab said while his organisation preferred there be no changes, club-wise, to the VFL next season, the recommendations did not rule out the possibility of AFL clubs fielding stand-alone teams in the future.

VFL links set to continue

From The Age

Reported by Chris Walker
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MOST Victorian-based AFL clubs are expected to retain their affiliation with the VFL, AFL Victoria chief executive Peter Schwab said yesterday.

After meetings with key stakeholders, including Victorian-based AFL clubs, VFL clubs, the AFL Commission and AFL Victoria, the AFL second-tier review committee provided recommendations on the direction of the VFL that were agreed to in principle by the AFL.

The AFL Commission's support of the review committee's findings will be finalised next month, with its recommendations forming the basis for continued investigation and discussion expected to be complete by mid-2008.

The primary recommendation was that alignment between AFL and VFL clubs would continue to play a big role in elite Victorian football.

Cats set for Coburg visitors

From The Age
Reported by Chris Walker

WITH four rounds to play in the VFL home-and-away season, round 17 could prove pivotal to the make-up of the top eight come finals time.

The Coburg Tigers travel down the Princes Freeway today to play the rampant Geelong Cats at Skilled Stadium in the morning AFL curtain-raiser.

The Cats boast the most potent forward line in the competition, kicking an average of 116 points a game. They also have the most miserly defence with an average of only 79 points kicked against them each week.

The Tigers, who have not lost a game since round 11, will rely on their athleticism to out-run the Cats. They will be missing suspended midfielder Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, who has enjoyed a wonderful month of football, but will regain Andrew Krakouer, who was omitted from the Richmond side.

Tigers coach Andy Collins is a supporter of the AFL curtain-raiser concept, believing it provides the crowds with added value.

"It's great for the fans to be able to see their club's players run around in the VFL. I would travel down to Skilled Stadium every week if it meant we could play a curtain-raiser."

Coburg Tigers flag intentions

From Herald Sun
Reported by Geoff Poulter

SECOND-placed Coburg Tigers are keen to test themselves against the two main flag contenders in the final four rounds.

They clash with Geelong (third) this morning at Skilled Stadium and then face an away game against ladder-leader Sandringham in Round 20 on August 25.

"They are clearly the class sides of the competition this year," Coburg coach Andrew Collins said this week.

"It is an exciting challenge to play at Geelong this week and then we've got Sandringham in a couple of weeks."

Collins is also chuffed about playing the curtain-raiser to the Geelong-Richmond game.

"I would encourage the VFL to do that bit more," he said.

"There are some special games played as curtain-raisers to an AFL game when it could easily have been VFL games.

"We have that opportunity with the alignments.

"It would be great to have the Coburg Tigers playing on the MCG before the Richmond Tigers (Coburg's affiliate)."

From Bendigo Advertiser

THE Metricon Bendigo Bombers' future appears safe with the AFL Commission yesterday approving in principle to a review that supports the continued alignment between AFL and VFL clubs.

The AFL second-tier review committee has presented five recommendations on the status and direction of the VFL.

Among the recommendations, approved by the AFL Commission and supported by AFL Victoria – the governing body of the VFL – are "alignments between AFL and

VFL clubs will continue to be a key component of elite football in the state".

There had been some exploration earlier this year of a national reserves competition that would replace the various-state based competitions, including the VFL, which would have put grave doubt over the future of the Bendigo Bombers.

However, a national reserves competition has now been ruled out, and the review committee recommendations support Bendigo's alignment with Essendon.

"We were never worried because we thought it was heading this way from all the feedback we've been getting along the way," Bendigo

Bombers' acting general manager Peter Lodewijks said yesterday.

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