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Important SN update for Southland"Dud players": The growing concerns over errant player development
Jaiden Sciberras • July 1st, 2025 5:14 pm
Is there enough footballing talent in Australia to field 19 AFL teams?
As the league prepares to extend its talent pool as the introduction of the Tasmania Devils fast approaches, questions have circulated surrounding the depth of players seeking an AFL berth.
With 19 teams to suit up in 2028, a further 40 players are set to receive an opportunity at AFL level on top of the near 700 players already featuring at the top level, although according to former Eagles coach Adam Simpson, the already-diluted talent pool may not equate to AFL standard.
“There’s going to be a lot of dud players running around,” Simpson told SEN Crunch Time.
“There’s already a few now.”
Looking into the potential depth of talent, Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson expressed his concern for the game’s development, scrutinising the skills – or lack of – within today’s game.
“I want to talk about the skill level in the game,” Johnson told SEN Sportsday.
“I start thinking towards Tasmania coming in and another 40 players entering the AFL world, and what we're actually going to do over the next three years to increase the skill level of what we currently have.
“I'm just about over the fact that I'm watching guys handball with the wrong hands or not being able to hit from (two metres) away and the ball hits the ground.
“Development is part of our game, and I know clubs put time into it, but do we need to push aside in some ways process and standards and have a full drill down on development?
“I heard Adam Simpson talk about this last week as well and say that already the competition has players that aren't at AFL standard, and we can all witness that week in, week out.
“What are we doing in this space to make sure that when another 40 enter our competition, that we're not diluting it any more than what it is.
“Our product's pretty good, it could be a lot better with the skill level, but I think a full assessment of where your club sits in developing players to make sure that the basics are executed brilliantly week in, week out, especially from the more struggling teams in the competition, then that will have a positive bearing on when the next team enters our competition in two or three years’ time.
“It's honestly the most basic skills and open play handballs. I'm not talking about in contest and pressure and all of that.
“I'm talking in open play when I'm running and you're running next to me, I'm going to handball to you, and I hit the deck with the ball.
“I hope that's pulled up internally and I hope it's pulled up with strength internally. So much is based around the fact of wanting to do this and play this way and move the ball this way.
“If you can't execute a basic open play skill, then that becomes a real issue in the process of trying to execute effectively.
“I've been watching it all year, I've been sitting on it, and it's just got to the point where I think that the development side of things has to become a really strong point within clubs.”
