I don’t have the answers to the ‘imbalance’ in the junior boys squads. My comments and questions were posted after I had a look at the composition of both the boys and girls 2007 State squads. I have no direct involvement with juniors or junior bodies. The people who should be discussing these issues are FFT administration and State coaching personnel. You will notice that I have never suggested that the regional numbers should be “evened up” and I pointed out in my original posts why that doesn’t usually happen. I was surprised, and still am, by the lack of northern boys reps in the State squads.

Sj,

I hope you are right. The bottom line should always be to get the best possible squads from the available players. I will point out however that many junior State players have come through the ranks of the NTJSA and the North West junior bodies over the last 5 - 10 years and that the top northern clubs at the moment have many players who have been through that system over that period.

Ril,

You may not consider it a “simplistic shot” but I still can’t figure out how you can extrapolate watching a few minutes of a hard fought Northern Premier League match between two traditionally hard at it sides into a reason why ( and I quote your words ) “Well I would think that might explain the current shortage of North/North west participants in the state youth squads.” Pretty long bow to draw ?

Ah well, back to the pipe and slippers.

Give the pipe away. Shortens your life and makes you smell really bad!!! BJ

I did notice your possible ‘explanation” under the Video Highlights section but didn’t bother with a reply. Many of the comments in the subsequent posts probably summed up my thoughts.

Rather than people taking simplistic ’shots’ at Northern football perhaps of more importance to the development of football in the whole State may be that the ‘authorities’, be it FFT or the ‘institute’ coaches, take note of the huge regional imbalance in this years junior boys State squads and have a look at the reasons for the marked change in recent years ? And, hopefully, take steps to rectify it for the coming years.

Exprez, what would you like to see happen?? How should it be evened up?? BJ

And nobody has given me any reason why all 16 players in the State Under 15 boys squad come from the South. Not one from the North or North West. Didn’t anyone from up this way try out for the squad ?

Is the “institute” referred to actually the TIS which is administered from Lonny anyway ?

Exprez, I can’t give you any definitive answers to your questions as to why there are only Southern based players in the u/15 state squad. I would suggest the answer lies in one of the suggestions that has already been put forward (finance. commitment, travel, etc.) or any combination of all of these. FFT can’t/won’t post here so you may need to ring David Abela at FFT and ask.

I am lead to believe the TIS is Hobart based but not exclusive to Hobart. Satellites have been established in the North & North-West too. BJ

Whose shoes would you rather be in ?. Huon Valley , why Well they have a lower league or leagues into which they may be relegated . There they will either rest permanently or recover and mount a fresh challenge in years to come .

However Launceston have no such luxury, the league into which they may descend is comparable to Southern Social leagues . Due to amalgamations , desertions or just getting to tired the Northern League is a mirror image of AFL competitions where one is tied to the comp for ever and a day with no where to rest . What do we do , I don’t know.

At least the Southern Premier sides when relegated have a comp of sorts where they can rest and recover assuming they retain their player base .

One more comment . Huon Valley , Nelson , Christian Utd, Kingston Cannons gained entry to Div 1 South by application not by merit, Cannons presence is to recent to track their record however apart from Christian’s brief brush with fame the other three have usually been cellar dwellers .

I believe this proves the shortcomings of artificially created competitions .

The clubs are not to blame but the administrators of years gone by who condoned the practice .

Instead of trying to make the best better we should be seeking to improve the underbelly of our competitions.

Nobody would disagree with that would they ?

And don’t forget Steve that Tassie has a much more decentralised population than any other State where the large majority of their populations actually reside in or near their capital cities. Not so in Tasmania ! Logic may suggest that any such “institute” should perhaps be based in Launceston ?

By the way, what is the “institute” that is being referred to in the above posts. Is there much/any info about it on the FFT website ?

Over the years I have known quite a few parents from the North and North-West who have been happy to take their kids to State training, usually in Hobart, over a period of many months but, obviously, the training/selection system must have changed in the last couple of years.

In those days, some kids made the final squad, some didn’t. That’s the way it was but the current figures seem to indicate that we are not getting a reasonable number of the best kids to represent the State. If that’s the case then the current system need to change ?