Quote Originally Posted by Bremsstrahlung View Post
My comment isn't directed at the positive experiences.
My comment is directed at people whinging here, who know enough about the local football scene to know the "power clubs" and get their kid a spot at these clubs. You don't know who the "power clubs" are without hearing a few home truths.

If you go to a mechanic and have a dodgy experience, you warn you friends and family and anybody who brings up needing a mechanic.
If somebody who has heard that they are dodgy, goes there regardless, then the dodgy outcome isn't really a surprise is it? Maybe you'll have a good outcome.

My point is, clubs have developed reputations, it's not hard to ask and find out. If people avoided clubs with dodgy practices, maybe they will be forced to reconsider their practices.
However, people seem all too quick to forget those rumours and poor reputations surrounding retention/treatment when you get to tell anyone who will listen little Johnny is playing for locally renowned Club X.
There is a very very simple way to solve all this BS.
When clubs pick their squads in U9’s those players can be let go until the 4 yrs are up. Kids can leave during that time if they like and then the club can replace them. But a kid can’t be cut to fit in the kid from another club who is the gun. This means it falls in the lap of the TD to identify talent initially not just go to a few games and when their team gets a touched up approach the kids that do it. This will seperate the good TD from the poor ones. Also for the clubs like Lakes if they unearth a gun they have 4 years to have the kid in their club and are more chance of keeping the kids cause they feel part of the club and haven’t had Magic/Olympic etc trying to poach them as a 10 yr old. Stops the rich big clubs pillaging the other clubs and may even level out other age groups. Happy to hear people’s opinion