CARLTON has been forced to end its alignment with its VFL affiliate the Northern Blues as the ongoing financial implications of the League's COVID-19 shutdown continues to wreak havoc.
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The club has also parted ways with VFL coach Josh Fraser as a result of the situation, with the former Collingwood and Gold Coast ruckman holding a dual role with the club for the last five years.
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Did you see the recent pic of the great Spider?
Would not have picked him in that photo. Looks far different to his playing days.
he's 54yo now, finished up with Preston at the end of 1993
He had a pub in High St Northcote not long after he finished playing. It was on the left as you were heading north. Cant remember the name of it but he was a really affable guy.
Recruited from keon park. After Preston ended up with north Heidelberg and kicked quite a few goals there.
The last Northern Blues side that played against Frankston at Ikon Park on March 12 2020
22. Zachary Hudson, 27. John Roumeliotis, 37. Archie Manton, 50. Nick Kitchell, 51. Tom Mills, 53. Jack Cattanach, 54. Ryan Gardney, 55. Brody Bell, 56. Willy Monahan, 57. Mitchell Kemp, 61. Kieran Collins, 62. Dino Karamoshos, 63. Joe Richards, 64. Tim Jones, 65. Dylan Clarke, 66. Glenn Strachan, 67. Benjamin Hurley, 68. Oskar Manton, 69. Harry Kennedy, 70. Kye Quirk, 71. Jarrod Walters, 72. Lachlan Gawel, 73. Jeremy Goddard, 77. Mason Blakey, 78. Fin Brown, 79. Zac Molloy, 80. Jack Boyd.
In reply to He had a pub in High St by Bearsman
I'll bet VFA would know the name of that pub !!
He ended up playing for Corowa-Rutherglen, according to Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Shaw_(footballer)
VFA/VFL great fears generation of players will be lost if VFL ‘set adrift’
VFA/VFL legend Phil Cleary fears elite talent could be lost from the AFL system if the VFL is “set adrift” by the AFL, calling for the future of the standalone clubs to be guaranteed.
VFA/VFL legend Phil Cleary has called on the AFL to guarantee the future of the state league competition and its clubs or risk losing a generation of players.
The Coburg premiership captain and coach and long-time commentator said a strong VFL was integral to the game’s future.
The VFL has provided a lifeline to players who missed out at the draft as 18-year-olds.
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In the past six years 47 players have graduated to AFL lists, including 19 from standalone clubs, and Cleary feared those players would otherwise have been lost to the game.
“Where are the emerging players going to go? Where are the boys that come out of the NAB League going to go?” Cleary said.
“The AFL can’t simply turn a blind eye to those kids that miss out at the draft because if it does it will skewer football in the state.
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Adam Saady and Phil Cleary at Coburg City Oval. Picture: Angie Basdekis
“If the AFL were to cut lists to 30 in the aftermath of this financial crisis, which would mean those players have to go play somewhere.
“The stand-alone clubs give young players hope, they hold on to their (AFL) aspirations, and if all you’ve got is a quasi AFL reserves comp, you will lose players en masse from the game.”
Carlton severed ties with the Northern Blues last month, with the 138-year-old club closing its doors.
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Melbourne has moved to guarantee its link with Casey but there are fears Hawthorn and St Kilda could permanently withdraw from affiliates Box Hill and Sandringham.
Dual Richmond premiership player Kane Lambert, Carlton’s Michael Gibbons and Western Bulldog Ben Cavarra were plucked from Williamstown, Adam Saad (Essendon, Gold Coast) and Luke Ryan (Fremantle) both graduated from Coburg and Collingwood forward Brody Mihocek was drafted from Port Melbourne.
Cleary remembers having to convince Saad to return to football with Coburg after missing out in 2013 with Calder Cannons.
Kane Lambert celebrates a Williamstown win. Picture: Michael Klein
Brody Mihocek in action for Port Melbourne. Picture: Sarah Matray
“I counselled Adam Saad for a long time when he missed out at the draft because he was disconsolate,” Cleary said.
“I guaranteed him if he played for Coburg and stuck with it, he would get drafted, and he did, but he could have been lost to the game.”
The 14-team competition is currently made up of six AFL reserves teams, three AFL-VFL affiliations and five standalone clubs.
If the AFL decided to go it alone with a reserves competition, Cleary hoped the old VFA could be reborn.
“You might be left with five stand-alone clubs, so can they create a new competition in Victoria while the AFL clubs find another way to manage their reserves,” he said.
The VFL has been postponed until at least May 31 amid the coronavirus crisis.