Anon
Years ago

SA Country Disparity

I attended the SA Country State Team Trials on the weekend and am wondering what can be done about the disparity between those kids that are "TRUE" country based kids and those kids who live close enough to Adelaide to take part in the Metro competition. There seems to be a disparity in opportunities available for development and exposure to high level competition which is then reflected in state team selection. This is demonstrated by the high number of Eastern Maverick (SASI squad members) selected in the Girls U15 team to compete in Port Macquaire. Any ideas???

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undertheboardwalk  
Years ago

Some wonder what can be done to eliminate country kids taking Adelaide kid's places in district so it works both ways. Until they zone irregularities will continue. No one is interested in kids from beyond the black stump unless they are super stars or 215 cms so get used to that fact.
You also need to realise that what you don't know about the ways of basketball will remain a closed shop to you and only available to the 'in the knows'. Country basketball associations are very good at keeping just anyone from doing well by controlling the flow of information. Ever wondered why some families seem to flourish while equally talented youngsters are never considered, maybe it's just a coincidence but not everyone seems to know the ropes!
District players would rather play in the Adelaide district areas not travel at cost to the rural areas of Mt Barker and Gawler or Southern's shed where they play against kids who have their cake and eat it to by being at SASI,play district but play and get country perks including vastly superior trainings and events to go to.Of course this is only for the privileged country folk who are part of the network or so I have been told.

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Anon  
Years ago

Yes it would be nice to be part of the 'in the knows' crowd. I am located significantly beyond the black stump and I just have no idea how I am sposed to provide my kids with the opportunities that they need to develop to their full potential. Had previously considered travelling to Adelaide for the District competition, however, with games now being played on Fridays this is no longer an option...

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I know a family that started at their local club and then for the benefit of their child's game (at the request of a coach) travelled to Adelaide every week to play district (1000km round trip), this kid represents sa country at a national level and plays district and now attends school in Adelaide to take the pressure off the parents with the travel. It depends on how dedicated you are as a parent and how committed your child wants to be, but it can happen.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Accept it as a fact of life. There are advantages and disadvantages to living in the country.

You don't get the same choice of for example primary schools, restaurants, movies, theatre, exhibitions, etc either as in the city.

That may seem unfair, but then again, you'd have a lot more space around you, s closer knit community, most likely less criminality (unless you live in Snowtown) and more kangaroos!

If you are not happy about the way things weigh up for you and your kids, you have to either travel
more or move.

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Big Ads  
Years ago

It ain't cool to bag Snowtown. The crims just happen to stop by every once in a while to remind the rest of Australia it still exists.

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M0PPA  
Years ago

You're a Barrel of laughs, Big Ads.

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Big Ads  
Years ago

You can bank on it MOPPA. i think this thread can be put in the vault

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6ers Fan  
Years ago

Undertheboardwalk-since when is Morphett Vale country? I get extremely p'd off when this old chestnut rears its ugly and incorrect head. Sure with the peak hour traffic at 5 on a Friday night its a tad difficult to get to MV but surely 20 mins up the expressway from Darlington isnt a waterbag trip! Get a life and start to relaise the world doesnt begin and end within 20 mins from the CBD. In case you didnt notice Adelaide metro spreads a long way and I think if you were usuing Moana or Aldinga as an example then you are getting closer to rural than MV. And anyway the "SHED" as you call it will look great after the renos. I agree that there needs to be better zoning to see who the "real" country kids are.

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Anon  
Years ago

Here here 6ers Fan... It is hard to see how Gawler was kicked out of SA Country a number of years ago but those in the Hills remain... Zoning needs to occur so that those in "real" country areas can be given a fair chance. Why not look at something like cricket - with metro teams being given country areas as feeder - development areas?

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Just Interested  
Years ago

It appears not too many people who are posting here actually really know how the system works. Why don't people make informed comments?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Real simple solution - have teams representing the state not different parts of the state. Next we will have North South Australia and South South Australia. When I played state football I didn't represent the state of within 20kms of the CBD PO of Adelaide!!!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I find it amusing you city folk are so worried about the country kids. We drive for hours, not to mention the km's, the financial pressure it creates so our kids can have a slight chance of making somehting of their basketball. You guys have it at your doorstep and you grumble when a country kid gets given an opportunity or is recognised when they have worked their butts of for it. City kids play district but it doesn't take up almost three days like living in the country, these kids give up a whole lot to have a chance, friends, social life, friday afternoons at school, family time etc. Let them have a go without feeling like they are taking a city kids spot.

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Wow  
Years ago

The question is does someone who lives 15 minnutes up the freeway in Heathfield, who goes to school in the metro area, who's parents work in the metro area. Who also plays for a metro club. Should they get to play country in front of a kid from Bordertown or Pt. Agusta?

Easiest thing to do would be change the boundry to that of the State Census. Have Mt. Barker in as the metro area inline with the state governemtn opinion.

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Jack Toft  
Years ago

WOW, there is no clear boundary from a census. The state government has a "flexible boundary" when it comes to defining city/country.

For example, police at Stirling, Gawler, McLaren Vale are Metro, police at Willunga, Nuriootpa and Mt Barker are Country. Nuri High School, Willunga HS and Mt Barker are all country, Nuri primary school is metro as is Willunga and Stirling PS. To show how much of a joke it is, Tanunda primary school is classified by the government as a metro school, but the Tanunda Unit (special kids) located on the same campus is classified by the government as a country school.

Roseworthy is classified as country for car registration, but Roseworthy primary school is a metro school.

No wonder people are confused as to the metro/country line.

894,
People living in Adelaide in a suburb like St Peters would be unlikely to understand the travel associated with country life. It is difficult and wanting the best for your kids can mean sacrfices. It is not unusual for someone in Roxby to finish work at 4 pm on a Friday and drive straight down to Adelaide that night arriving around 9 pm for a function, only to drive back the next day.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Sorry Jack you are wrong. Schools mentioned above are all classified as metro, as well as Murray Bridge, Strathalbyn, Victor Harbor etc. Its just the way the Government deals with staffing. The catchment of SA country is about 100 000, where the Metro program is 1 million. If SA country was based on teams of far country only they would get killed, and resemble teams like the Northern Territory.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

#257898 - without getting into a
"You're wrong"
"NO! You're wrong"
debate.

Jack is actually correct.
It's not just staffing, as high school students get 'bonus points' if they come from schools in those areas as they are classified as 'country'.

Which is a whole different kettle of fish anyway. Two kids from the same household, one going to school at Mt Barker High (for example) and the other travelling to town to go to school at Glenunga (again, example only) who get the same TER will ultimately have different entry points. In the situation i mentioned, the kid who has to travel on the bus for 30-60 mins each day each way gets no special treatment, whereas his/her sibling who attends the local school get's "bonus points" for being from the country.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

They are classified metro schools you are talking about a scheme for entry to formerly, adelaide uni, now uni sa. I actually know this is my work.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

They are classified metro schools you are talking about a scheme for entry to formerly, adelaide uni, now uni sa. I actually know this is my work.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

257910 you are incorrect.

'Bonus points' for entry to higher education such as the Fairways program are based on participation in Higher Education of students from the schools in question. 257910 you could not have chosen a more disparate two schools if you tried.

The other one at Flinders University uses an SES calculation based on school enrolments.

UniSA does not have a comparative system, unless it has introduced something this year.

Equally staffing bonus points are based on distance (a long distance) from the GPO and the Category of Disadvantage of the school.

But you are missing the point. SAC disparity is really in the eye of the beholder. Who SAC choose to regard as 'Country' is their prerogative. As it stands join a Basketball Association affiliated and with SAC and play there and qualify to play for SAC.

I have no argument with zoning in theory. But do it for the Metropolitan area as well. An exercise in futility unles you want zones like dumbells as occured in electorates in gerymanders like Qlds until recently and SA until the late 60s. Zoning of secondary schools is a nightmare. What the consequenses would be with our precious Basketball players (parents) which of course is far more serious and important than a students education.

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Wow  
Years ago

The schools system use a different system than the actual government census used for infrastructure planning.

Similar to the current method, use address as a boundry for country players, not school, not club, because school and club are not necesarily an indicator of address.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

"As it stands join a Basketball Association affiliated and with SAC and play there and qualify to play for SAC." - this is incorrect.

the relevant factor for determining SAC/SAM qualification is the home address of the player.

There are boundry lines drawn, it's not a simple matter of 'joining' an assoc affiliated with SAC.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

quite right #927, and like all rules flexibilty comes into it. Country kids board in Adelaide, play district and attend SASI and then play country and I have no issue with that other than it keeps a 'real' country kids (those who actually live in the country) out of the team when the boarder should really play metro if good enough.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

To add to the argument, Victor Harbor, Murray Bridge, and Strathalbyn Schools are classified metro. I know I work in them. All you are refering to is a points system allocated by the unis to help students that is specific to Adelaide Uni. 257910 you are not correct.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

My child boards at school in Adelaide, plays district, attends sasi and represents sa country. The reason for boarding in adelaide is to get a better education than on offer where we live but to also get better coaching opportunities and play competitive basketball. My child also would be good enough to play metro but doesn't qualify because we are a country famnily who chooses an adelaide education, thats all.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

258018
If those Country Kids that go to SASI and play district were not playing in SAC teams they would be totally uncompetitive. In picking just kids that play in the country comps to play at Nationals etc. would be a disaster. You only have to watch some games to realise they are not able to make that sort of step in intensity very easy.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

can someone say where the actual borders are for metro and country ...i heard it was gawler in the north and aldinga in the south

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Anonymous  
Years ago

there is no actual border

case by case

Reply #476578 | Report this post




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