There are some fundamental differences between the Nix and Auckland.
1. AFC have signed MOUs with most of the Northern Region clubs.
Auckland City/Central maybe the only prominent one they haven't??
Those MOUs will allow Auckland to have strong ties with those NR clubs, closely monitor promising talent coming through the local clubs, probably run age group trainaing camps etc. I wouldn't be surprised if AFC have development officers covering both Auckland and Waikato/BOP
2. Geography. Within 2-3 hours of the Auckland CBD are what about 2 million people. Just so much easier for Auckland to monitor a very large chunk of NZ's football talent pool, with a short drive. The Estonians may recruit NZ youngsters from outside the Northern Region club scene, but you suspect it will be fairly rare.
Very different to the Nix based in a smaller city, with the Central League going up to Napier, and even Taranaki (CL 2). Then you also have the faraway Southern League as a comp to scout from.
3. Winning over the local football community. They may have Bling owners but fair play to Auckland, they have made a concerted strong effort to win over the local NR football community. Keeping youngsters as long as possible at their local clubs, helps with that. It avoids having a stacked Auckland FC reserves team bossing the Northern League. Plus you have say a Jonty Bidois one year playing for Tauranga City, and the next is in Auckland's ALM squad. For sure most BOP folk will make Auckland their ALM team.
Tze-Xuan Loke leaves Green Island as a 14 yr old, then makes his senior Nix debut 5 years later. Otago football fans won't quite have the same sense of pride about one of their own. If you could criticise the Nix it's that they haven't done as well as they should have, with developing good ties with the local Central League clubs.
4. League strength. The Northern league is the strongest in the country. So why not leave promising talent to play in that league as long as possible. You have NR clubs in the Waikato, and now also Tauranga City (via Tauranga Boys High academy) has emerged as a strong outfit. So really is no need for non 09 kids to head to Auckland to play in that NR league.
You have more one sided results in the Central and especially Southern leagues. More mis matches, and so not so great for week in week out quality player development.
All in all the Phoenix has a greater need for an academy for quality player development and scouting. Plus yes the club's model of maximising transfer fees/solidarity payments by eventually onselling Academy graduates. The longer those kids are in the Academy the bigger the future valuable solidarity payments. If they now ever sell Piper for a fee, he'll generate alot less cash for the club, than if he had come in as yes a 14 yr old from the North Shore. Dome has mentioned that is clearly the club's business model.
1. AFC have signed MOUs with most of the Northern Region clubs.
Auckland City/Central maybe the only prominent one they haven't??
Those MOUs will allow Auckland to have strong ties with those NR clubs, closely monitor promising talent coming through the local clubs, probably run age group trainaing camps etc. I wouldn't be surprised if AFC have development officers covering both Auckland and Waikato/BOP
2. Geography. Within 2-3 hours of the Auckland CBD are what about 2 million people. Just so much easier for Auckland to monitor a very large chunk of NZ's football talent pool, with a short drive. The Estonians may recruit NZ youngsters from outside the Northern Region club scene, but you suspect it will be fairly rare.
Very different to the Nix based in a smaller city, with the Central League going up to Napier, and even Taranaki (CL 2). Then you also have the faraway Southern League as a comp to scout from.
3. Winning over the local football community. They may have Bling owners but fair play to Auckland, they have made a concerted strong effort to win over the local NR football community. Keeping youngsters as long as possible at their local clubs, helps with that. It avoids having a stacked Auckland FC reserves team bossing the Northern League. Plus you have say a Jonty Bidois one year playing for Tauranga City, and the next is in Auckland's ALM squad. For sure most BOP folk will make Auckland their ALM team.
Tze-Xuan Loke leaves Green Island as a 14 yr old, then makes his senior Nix debut 5 years later. Otago football fans won't quite have the same sense of pride about one of their own. If you could criticise the Nix it's that they haven't done as well as they should have, with developing good ties with the local Central League clubs.
4. League strength. The Northern league is the strongest in the country. So why not leave promising talent to play in that league as long as possible. You have NR clubs in the Waikato, and now also Tauranga City (via Tauranga Boys High academy) has emerged as a strong outfit. So really is no need for non 09 kids to head to Auckland to play in that NR league.
You have more one sided results in the Central and especially Southern leagues. More mis matches, and so not so great for week in week out quality player development.
All in all the Phoenix has a greater need for an academy for quality player development and scouting. Plus yes the club's model of maximising transfer fees/solidarity payments by eventually onselling Academy graduates. The longer those kids are in the Academy the bigger the future valuable solidarity payments. If they now ever sell Piper for a fee, he'll generate alot less cash for the club, than if he had come in as yes a 14 yr old from the North Shore. Dome has mentioned that is clearly the club's business model.