Kevin Sheedy weighs into state academy debate after AFL announces it may overhaul rules

UPDATE: THE AFL is set to overhaul rules for northern state academies after protestations from Victorian clubs. But Kevin Sheedy is among those to fire back.

Collingwood training Eddie McGuire Picture:Wayne Ludbey

KEVIN Sheedy and Gerard Healy are among critics of an AFL plan to overhaul rules relating to football academies designed to foster junior talent for northern-based clubs.

The Herald Sun today revealed the AFL is set to overhaul rules for the academies, which Victorian clubs say allows rivals to quarantine young stars at cut-price rates.

Collingwood is leading the charge as Sydney prepares to promote a star academy pupil onto its list. Pies president Eddie McGuire is an outspoken critic on what he perceives an inequality in access to talent.

But Sheedy, the former Essendon and Greater Western Sydney coach who is now in an ambassadorial role at the Giants, took to Twitter on Thursday to shoot down concerns about the academies.

He suggested McGuire shouldn’t worry about any gains the Pies’ northern rivals may receive — especially when Collingwood has enjoyed benefits such as father-son selections for years.

“Eddie McGuire concerned about too much talent in NSW/QLD. Would be a nice problem for game,” Sheedy said.

“Eddie might also explain how hard they had to work to find a couple of roughies in Travis Cloke at pick 39 and Heath Shaw at pick 48. And (likely father-son selection) Darcy Moore this year.”

Sheedy then had a dig at the Pies, suggesting McGuire’s club could have been more adventurous in recent years by trading for some of the competition’s elite talent when they had the chance.

“Imagine if they had taken (Jaeger) O’Meara, (Jack) Martin, (Brad) Crouch or (Jesse) Hogan. Why didn’t they? Lacked courage?”

Eddie might also explain how hard they had to work to find a couple of roughies in Travis Cloke at pick 39 and Heath Shaw at pick 48.

— Kevin Sheedy (@Kevin_Sheedy) June 26, 2014

And Darcy Moore this year. Imagine if they had taken O'Meara, Martin, Crouch or Hogan. Why didn't they? Lacked courage?

— Kevin Sheedy (@Kevin_Sheedy) June 26, 2014

Under the current regime the Swans will snare top-three draft prospect Isaac Heeney from Newcastle with a pick currently at No. 16.

The AFL review will take in academy selections plus father-son selections at all clubs. It is expected clubs will be required to pay fairer rates for exclusive-access talent.

AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon yesterday confirmed to the Herald Sun a review of the bidding system was well advanced.

The Magpies are one of a number of clubs lobbying the league, believing they will soon pay millions in equalisation fees while access to talent remains far from equal.

EDDIE SLAMS PLANS TO REWRITE FOOTY HISTORY

“I am red hot on this — this is going to impact on every Victorian and South Australian and West Australian club,’’ Pies president Eddie McGuire said this week.

“We have given NSW and Queensland four academies where they can go and get players and hide them away and train them from 12 years of age.

“We have to get back to giving the game back to the supporter base and back to Victorian football which has been drained right through the last period of time.”

Fox Footy expert and former Sydney Swans champ Gerard Healy believes the academies are “fantastic for footy”.

“If we had have had an academy in Sydney six or seven years ago we might have had a Patty Mills playing in the AFL,” Healy said.

“Each club has an ability to compete by nominating for the players in the academy just like they can nominate for a (father-son) Darcy Moore — who’s probably a top five or 6 pick — but will end up at Collingwood with a pick probably in the vicinity of pick 14 or 15.

“If the success of the programs are determined by giving them a link with the local team, then I think it’s a very small price to pay for what may be a slight advantage for these clubs (GWS, Sydney) every one year in 10. It’s just like Geelong had a great run with father-sons over the last decade.”

Rivals are angered Sydney was able to recruit Kurt Tippett in the preseason draft and Lance Franklin as a free agent with help from the cost-of-living allowance and now have a steady stream of elite kids effectively locked away.

But several rival clubs pointed out that Collingwood was about to snare a draft bargain in Peter Moore’s son Darcy, had lured special interstate rookies Jarrod Witts and Lachie Keeffe and won a bidding war for international rookie Mason Cox.

The AFL strongly supports the academy concept as it attracts talent from other codes and increases football’s talent pool.

McGuire’s wish on northern state academies is set to come true. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Collingwood has been joined in its anger by other clubs who say the Swans will draft two top-three picks from their Sydney player academy in successive years for cut-price rates.

Heeney’s fellow Sydney scholarship holder Callum Mills is arguably a better player and under current rules would be available at a similar pick to Heeney in the 2015 draft.

That would allow former star defender Andrew Dunkley’s son Josh to move from Sale as a second-round, father-son selection next year.

The Swans could also take scholarship holder Abe Davis with a second-round pick this year after selecting Heeney.

Rugged midfielder Heeney is burning up the charts and in an open draft would be a top-three selection, while Mills could be the 2015 draft’s No. 1 player.

Sydney chief executive Andrew Ireland defended the academies afforded to the Swans, GWS, Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Players like Heeney were only in the talent pool because they were developed through the player academy, he said.

“Any player gained through the academy is involved in the bidding system so any club getting a player will give up a selection commensurate with his ability.”

Under the current academy/father-son system a club must give up a pick in the same round if another club bids for the player, but with 18 clubs the fairness of the system hinges on where a club finishes.

Sydney recruited father-son Tom Mitchell with pick 21, Essendon took Joe Daniher at No. 10, and Tom Liberatore went at pick 40 after the Dogs used their first father-son pick on Mitch Wallis.