Why is it?

[takeaway]

Well done for starting this thread. It's quite brave, because it usually gets howled down.

But it's an issue that is very subtly undermining the competitive instincts of the competition.

The reason for the collegiality among footballers these days is quite simple. They're not rivals. They're colleagues.

Most of them actually have an identity that is tied to being an "professional athlete" rather than a "St Kilda footballer". You'll see many, in their Instagram profiles, as referring to themselves as "Nike Athlete".

This is how they see themselves, unless they become inexorably linked with a club (like Riewoldt, for example).

Footballers are mass produced in the TAC Cup; the biggest hurdle for these guys is not what happens at AFL level. It is simply getting drafted. That's where the bulk of their character is defined and their biggest life struggle. They have all shared this journey; this is where their bond is now forged.

"I just want to get onto a list/I don't care who I play for" has to usurped the dream of "I want to play for the club I grew up supporting". Who can blame them?

So when they get to a club, it doesn't matter if it's club XYZ, because all clubs are effectively the same now, at least structurally (quality of personnel differs, as we see with our club).

And when you're in the system, it takes care of you. You obtain fabulous financial rewards, you acquire a lucrative social status. Family and friends elevate your importance. You can acquire a higher-status partner than you would if you didn't play the sport. You're paid to train; you get amazing sports scientists to help you look and feel physically supreme. And the world tells you you're marvellous for it.

And so, when you come to the end of each game, you're not competing with a rival, you're testing yourself against somebody who has been on a similar journey. They've suffered (because it's not easy to reach the top) to get this far. They're almost like your brothers, be they on your club, or not. That's what the system has produced.

And so, we don't "own" our own players, we now rent them from the AFL Centralised Pool. For us, they're like temp workers. Their loyalty is to the contract they signed.

This is the system we've created. And if you're wondering why there's a camaraderie among players - from opposition clubs - this is the reason why.

Totally agree. Unfortunately that is modern team sports. I'm sure a lot of AFL youngsters would love to play with the team they supported, but most, with notable exceptions like Chad Wingard, are happy to play anywhere so they get drafted. Free Agency has reduced loyalty further. No going back either, it seems. Hawthorn, a very successful club, were much the same as the Saints after their bad loss yesterday - shook hands, had a bit of a chat, wandered off, no real signs of distress. On to next week.

[degruch]

I'm less concerned about the process of them leaving the ground after the game than I am with their efforts on it during the game.

[loris]

Well done for starting this thread. It's quite brave, because it usually gets howled down.

But it's an issue that is very subtly undermining the competitive instincts of the competition.

The reason for the collegiality among footballers these days is quite simple. They're not rivals. They're colleagues.

Most of them actually have an identity that is tied to being an "professional athlete" rather than a "St Kilda footballer". You'll see many, in their Instagram profiles, as referring to themselves as "Nike Athlete".

This is how they see themselves, unless they become inexorably linked with a club (like Riewoldt, for example).

Footballers are mass produced in the TAC Cup; the biggest hurdle for these guys is not what happens at AFL level. It is simply getting drafted. That's where the bulk of their character is defined and their biggest life struggle. They have all shared this journey; this is where their bond is now forged.

"I just want to get onto a list/I don't care who I play for" has to usurped the dream of "I want to play for the club I grew up supporting". Who can blame them?

So when they get to a club, it doesn't matter if it's club XYZ, because all clubs are effectively the same now, at least structurally (quality of personnel differs, as we see with our club).

And when you're in the system, it takes care of you. You obtain fabulous financial rewards, you acquire a lucrative social status. Family and friends elevate your importance. You can acquire a higher-status partner than you would if you didn't play the sport. You're paid to train; you get amazing sports scientists to help you look and feel physically supreme. And the world tells you you're marvellous for it.

And so, when you come to the end of each game, you're not competing with a rival, you're testing yourself against somebody who has been on a similar journey. They've suffered (because it's not easy to reach the top) to get this far. They're almost like your brothers, be they on your club, or not. That's what the system has produced.

And so, we don't "own" our own players, we now rent them from the AFL Centralised Pool. For us, they're like temp workers. Their loyalty is to the contract they signed.

This is the system we've created. And if you're wondering why there's a camaraderie among players - from opposition clubs - this is the reason why.

Very perceptive post Everton. Last season I was listening to Leigh Mathews after some match discussing the poor game a team had put in. He made a comment along the lines of ‘a few players in this team are just content being AFL footballers, it happens too often these, they’ve made it to an AFL team, goal achieved’. Possibly he was alluding to some of what is behind your sentiments.

[bigred]

Well done for starting this thread. It's quite brave, because it usually gets howled down.

But it's an issue that is very subtly undermining the competitive instincts of the competition.

The reason for the collegiality among footballers these days is quite simple. They're not rivals. They're colleagues.

Most of them actually have an identity that is tied to being an "professional athlete" rather than a "St Kilda footballer". You'll see many, in their Instagram profiles, as referring to themselves as "Nike Athlete".

This is how they see themselves, unless they become inexorably linked with a club (like Riewoldt, for example).

Footballers are mass produced in the TAC Cup; the biggest hurdle for these guys is not what happens at AFL level. It is simply getting drafted. That's where the bulk of their character is defined and their biggest life struggle. They have all shared this journey; this is where their bond is now forged.

"I just want to get onto a list/I don't care who I play for" has to usurped the dream of "I want to play for the club I grew up supporting". Who can blame them?

So when they get to a club, it doesn't matter if it's club XYZ, because all clubs are effectively the same now, at least structurally (quality of personnel differs, as we see with our club).

And when you're in the system, it takes care of you. You obtain fabulous financial rewards, you acquire a lucrative social status. Family and friends elevate your importance. You can acquire a higher-status partner than you would if you didn't play the sport. You're paid to train; you get amazing sports scientists to help you look and feel physically supreme. And the world tells you you're marvellous for it.

And so, when you come to the end of each game, you're not competing with a rival, you're testing yourself against somebody who has been on a similar journey. They've suffered (because it's not easy to reach the top) to get this far. They're almost like your brothers, be they on your club, or not. That's what the system has produced.

And so, we don't "own" our own players, we now rent them from the AFL Centralised Pool. For us, they're like temp workers. Their loyalty is to the contract they signed.

This is the system we've created. And if you're wondering why there's a camaraderie among players - from opposition clubs - this is the reason why.

Ding, ding, ding we have a winner.