PULLING the ol' switcheroo to have under 21s replace the under 18s as a feature Western league premiership - that's the concept being floated by Bathurst Panther Ben Gunn.
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In his mind it is a concept that will both better develop young league talents across the region and increase retention rates as they transition to senior football.
Given Gunn was the the man who not only coached the Bathurst Panthers under 21s in this year's 2022 Western-wide pre-season competition, but led the reserve grade men in black to a Group 10 premiership he knows about the path graduating juniors take too.
"I've been talking to people in our club and I think the concept of increasing the age group for 18s is worth trying, you can always go back to the old way," he said.
"I'd say pushing it to an under 20s or under 21s competition might strengthen up that leap into reggies [reserve grade] and first grade as well.
"Doing the reverse, instead of having an under 21s competition for six weeks in the pre-season, have an under 18s competition for six weeks to keep some of those guys involved that way, then make your premier comp for 20s or under 21s.
"I don't know what the powers that be think, but yeah that's my concept, reverse it."
The Western under 21s competition has run for the past two seasons, with Bathurst Panthers entering for the first time in 2022.
It was introduced as a way to retain graduating under 18s and prepare them for the senior football that followed.
It was worked with a number of Gunn's under 21s going on to play in reserve grade this year.
That's why Gunn would like to see a full season under 21s or under 20s premiership introduced.
"They're around the development age, blokes aren't playing under 18s if they don't want to be competitive. So they should be able to mix it with 20-year-olds and that should keep some of those guys around," Gunn said.
"You'll get a lot of young men hold onto that last year of 18s and they say that it's their last year and they won't be playing anymore.
"But if you give those guys a six-week, or eight-week comp at the start of the year then have a under 20s or under 21s comp they can go into and then develop for other grades.
"The concept would then be getting those young 21 to 25 aged guys to stick around in reserve grade, they'll be playing an additional two or three years of junior football before then going onto reserve grade."
As Gunn sees it, that extra-time to develop is two-fold. It will allow players to grow both physically and expand their skills base as well.
He thinks coaching an under 20s or under 21s side would be attractive to mentors within the Western region too.
"From a coaching point of view you sort of stop coaching guys after under 18s. Once they start reggies they just want to have a bit of fun and don't want to learn too much and in first grade a lot of the players are regular, seasoned players, you're not going to teach them too much," he said.
"I say if you're a first grade coach you're more of a people manager.
"Whereas if having it become 21s, you see blokes when they're 18 and they stop playing, then you see them when they're 21 and say 'Geeze you've done some growing'.
"So while they're developing, and there are some good coaches out there, it's an opportunity to teach them a bit more then."
The under 18s is currently run as a Western-wide premiership after the merger of the Group 10 and Group 11 competitions.
It is believed the first Group 10 under 18s premiership was staged in 1954, with St Pat's the victors that season.
Group 11s first recorded under 18s premiers were the Forbes Magpies, who claimed the honours in 1950.
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