I think generally speaking there are two aspects to the 'surname', one which gives the 'son' an advantage and the other disadvantage. This relates more to the surname rather than the father/son rule per se (which I think is a great thing to have).
I firmly believe that players with a famous and well credentialled father get opportunities that may not be afforded to others who might not have had that name. This is the advantage that famous sons get. There are lots of examples of sons who have been nowhere near the grade but have played senior footy (why does Bourke always come to mind). I think if you are playing the percentages then yes there is a higher chance that a son of a famous name will be a good player (simply due to the gene pool and the environment they might grow up in - access to the right teachers and so on).
The disadvantage of course is that expectations are often way over the top, and quite often a player will not in the end be afforded the time another player without the famous name might. This is the metality aspect of the player, some just are never able to handle that expectation, but for those who do, they become even better players because of their ability to handle that expectation (which is a very important trait for a footballer at the top level to have).
Roachy may sit in this 'expectation' category but I seriously think if not for his name, he probably wouldnt have had a shot at AFL anyway, and I do think that the number of improving smalls in the Tigers list has transpired against him. Maybe he can be rookied at Richmond or another club.
I firmly believe that players with a famous and well credentialled father get opportunities that may not be afforded to others who might not have had that name. This is the advantage that famous sons get. There are lots of examples of sons who have been nowhere near the grade but have played senior footy (why does Bourke always come to mind). I think if you are playing the percentages then yes there is a higher chance that a son of a famous name will be a good player (simply due to the gene pool and the environment they might grow up in - access to the right teachers and so on).
The disadvantage of course is that expectations are often way over the top, and quite often a player will not in the end be afforded the time another player without the famous name might. This is the metality aspect of the player, some just are never able to handle that expectation, but for those who do, they become even better players because of their ability to handle that expectation (which is a very important trait for a footballer at the top level to have).
Roachy may sit in this 'expectation' category but I seriously think if not for his name, he probably wouldnt have had a shot at AFL anyway, and I do think that the number of improving smalls in the Tigers list has transpired against him. Maybe he can be rookied at Richmond or another club.
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