A FORMER Magpie and Docker wants to see the AFL introduce a national championships for under-23 prospects who were initially rejected.
The suggestion comes from Brodie Holland, who played 155 games, kicked 141 goals and was runner-up in Collingwood's 2005 best and fairest award.
Holland, 38, has played and coached extensively at community level since his last AFL game in 2008, winning back-to-back premierships with Maribyrnong Park in the two years after finishing.
One of his star players at the Lions four seasons ago was a then-18-year-old Luke Ryan, who for various reasons almost gave up on his AFL dream before Fremantle drafted him in 2016.
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Holland told AFL.com.au that a second-chance saloon could capture a forgotten generation.
The Caroline Springs and Western Region interleague coach's idea is for a similar championships to the annual under-18 version, with a percentage of players coming from community clubs rather than state leagues.
"Guys who don't get drafted; where do they go?" Holland said.
"They filter off to the SANFL, WAFL or VFL, and unless they're exceptional and have exceptional seasons, they kind of get left behind a bit in a lot of cases.
"Sometimes they're not even ready to play SANFL, WAFL or VFL – they're probably two years away from that, in terms of their body, maturity and experience.
"They get played in the twos for two years and next thing you know they're going, 'Oh, shit, I'm never going to make it. I'm 21 now; I'm going to go get some cash and play local footy'."
Holland's concept has more merit when you consider AFL Victoria removed the VFL's development league last year, leaving fewer opportunities for young footballers.
He believes there could be parallels to how interleague works, where a large squad is picked and trains once a week together for a period before being reduced as sessions increase.
"I know mature players have been picked up a little more than what they were even 10 years ago, but there's still a gap," Holland said.
"I've played with guys who are average players that have played 100-plus (AFL) games and even for myself, I was doing a lot of tagging and playing a role for Collingwood footy club.
"But I went straight back to local footy as a 28, 29-year-old and there were guys in and around me playing much better footy … that you've never even heard of."
One reason many footballers resist playing in state leagues, beyond the scars from being overlooked by AFL clubs, is the comparative riches available to them in the grassroots game.
But Holland argues those same players might hang in longer with a lure such as an AFL Under-23 Championships.
