SANFL clubs have set up well-designed pathways for young players, helping SA’s state junior teams to flourish
TRIUMPHANT state under-18 coach Tony Bamford knows only too well the tireless efforts driving junior development in the SANFL after building terrific systems at South Adelaide.
STATE under 18 coach Tony Bamford laughs when asked to recall his memories of his early days as talent manager and centre of excellence under-18 coach at South Adelaide.
“Nightmare” was his description while still laughing.
Bamford was a product of the Port Adelaide Football Club system where he earned a premiership medallion, worked as a talent manager and in development, as well as coached the league side.
In his words, it was different worlds comparing Alberton and Noarlunga. At Port Adelaide, kids had to be tapped on the shoulder, thanked for trying out for the under-18 squad and told they were not quite ready for that level.
There were so many kids wanting to use the Magpies pathway, Bamford said the doors had to be closed.
“It was the exact opposite at South Adelaide, I was a salesman for the first year trying to get people to come to the club,” Bamford said. “It really tested me out because it was something I had not experienced before.
“I had to build relationships with the community clubs. I was identifying talent in the zone because the clubs were not telling us the best players. They were almost trying to protect their talent from SANFL exposure.
“At Port Adelaide, every week clubs would ring up to tell us about a kid who we should be watching. In my first year at South, I watched that much junior footy to find players.
“I’d be saying, ‘why is this player not involved in our pathway’ and then try and convince them it was in their best interest to be involved in the South Adelaide programs.”
In his first season in the role six years ago, Bamford had only 25 players turn up for under-18 squad training.
The situation was even more dire in the under-13s when SANFL development becomes relevant. There were less than 10 players at the first training session.
Driven by the enthusiasm and dedication of Bamford in his five years in the role before accepting the role of state under-18 coach and academy manager with the SANFL this year, times have changed significantly at the Panthers.
These days the club has to cap the numbers wanting to be involved in the under 18 program. And last year, there were 70 players at the first under-13 training session and selection trials were necessary.
“It took ages to get the communication going and build relationships with the clubs, but it started to turn,” Bamford said. “The players who became involved could see the merits of the program and they became our best salespeople.
“Credit to the Great Southern and Southern Leagues, once they got comfortable with me, (Panthers chief executive) Neill Sharpe, (former league coach) Brad Gotch they were happier to work with us.”
Social media became a valuable ally for Bamford, using such mediums as Facebook to connect with the zone. Players and their parents could watch vision of the Panthers’ work, and it proved a highly successful initiative.
Bamford admits he gets a thrill when the Panthers name their league and reserves teams each week and the number of players coming out of the club’s zone continues to grow. He mentions Liam Fitt, Nathan Kreuger, Cody Szust and Ben Heaslip as evidence of the commitment to development.
What has also been evident is Bamford’s nouse for development.
The biggest trick he says, is changing with the generation. Today’s football environment is a world’s apart from the days when he was coached by Jack Cahill and Stephen Williams.
“If the coach was not communicating with me, that meant I was doing the right thing,” Bamford said. “These days, if the coach does not communicate with the player, the player thinks he is not liked and won’t have trust.
“So much these days is spending time getting to know the kid and building a relationship as a person before coaching them as a player. Brad Gotch was one of the guys who convinced me of that about five years ago, it is worth the investment.”
Bamford is adamant the SANFL clubs do not get the praise they deserve for their development and believes the state is lucky to have the pathways they have established.
The clubs’ talent managers are overworked and underpaid, especially with the growth of women’s football, in his opinion. He believes the AFL needs to inject more resources and funding into the SANFL pathways.
Among those talent managers is David Oatey, Sturt’s high performance manager and under-18 coach who has established himself as a terrific mentor of young talent.
“Kids come to a club because they want to learn about footy and they enjoy the training programs,” Oatey said. “We provide a positive environment for them.
“There is no question the SANFL does a great job and we have well designed pathways, they are well run. There is a lot of great work done by the clubs.”
Encouraged by Double Blues coach Marty Mattner, members of the under 18 squad work with the senior squad in the pre-season to provide an insight into the requirements of league training.
It is not just in the city where the SANFL clubs are dedicated to development.
For the past 10 years, Glenelg has established academies in Bordertown, Naracoorte, Millicent and Mt Gambier where the youngsters train over the summer. Tigers head coach Mark Stone has travelled to the South East this season to work with the young talent.
And there was no more glaring evidence of the value of the initiative than the under 16 grand final in May when Glenelg beat Norwood with nine South East products in the Tigers’ side.
On Sunday, Central District’s line-up in the win over Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval contained Jackson Hately, Jez McLennan and Aaron Nietschke. All three have enormous potential and expected to be drafted this season.
Hately started playing with the Bulldogs as an 11-year old in the under-13 side before progressing through junior ranks, including time in the club’s Robert Zerella Academy, to cement his spot in the league side.
Among his coaches at junior level were Trent Goodrem and Luke Habel, now teammates in the senior side. Hately also recalls senior coach Roy Laird being at training for the under 15 squad.
“The pathways are definitely there and I feel I am well prepared for the next level, for sure,” Hately said.