On the eve of the Canadian Football League (CFL) draft, the Montreal Alouettes’ plan is clear: for equal talent, local talent will be preferred.
And for the general manager, Danny Maciocia, the Montreal organization should not be embarrassed to do so.
“People say we prioritize local players. We prioritize them because we believe they are very good, he said during a videoconference held last week. Since 2009, with the exception of two seasons, an RSEQ team [Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec] has always reached the Vanier Cup final. Our philosophy is always to pick the best player available. But with equal talent, we will favor “local purchasing”. »
“There are great talents here,” continued Maciocia. More and more players from Quebec are getting scholarships to study in the United States. For the past two or three years, several players have even left at the end of high school to join school prep Americans. »
Maciocia points out that the first evaluation criterion will obviously be talent. He will not leave aside a player from elsewhere in the country to make room for a less talented Quebecer. However, he said he was surprised that the Alouettes’ philosophy of betting on local players is not the norm in all markets on the Ambrosie circuit.
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be applicable in all markets to buy local. The pride of wearing your favorite team’s jersey is indescribable, he added. If I take our example here: everyone has seen Anthony Calvillo play. So once these players [locaux] have expired their first contract, our chances of keeping them here are higher than those of a player from the west of the country, for example. »
“And I hope that reality is the same for all markets in the league. So I think that needs to be taken into account. I repeat myself: for equal talent, we buy local, but when we draw up our lists for next Tuesday, talent and this aspect will be discussed, ”he recalled.
Maciocia also recounted a very specific case where the geographical aspect weighed in the balance for recruitment. “I won’t give a name, but there was a young player from the west of the country who we were very interested in. An engineer by training like his father, he dreamed of working with him. We asked ourselves: “Are we fishing this young man?” Why would he stay with us long term, when he could find a club in the West after his first contract and work as an engineer at the same time? You have to think about it when it comes time to choose this type of players,” explained Maciocia.
For equal talent, we buy local, but when we draw up our lists for next Tuesday, talent and this aspect will be discussed
Advantage
The general manager arrived at the head of football operations for the Alouettes after leading the Carabins program at the University of Montreal for many years, which he believes gives him an advantage over his CFL colleagues. when the time comes to evaluate players from the Quebec network.
“It’s quite an advantage, which I may still have for a few years,” he said. Even if they didn’t come to play at the University of Montreal, I found myself in their living room, around their dinner table, chatting with their parents, so I know them. It allows me to see how they have progressed. It was also an advantage during the pandemic, when we couldn’t see them play. I knew them. »
Of course, the objective of Maciocia and his group will be to select the best players available from 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The Alouettes hold fourth place in this first round. They will also select at row numbers 13, 24, 33, 42, 51, 60 and 69.
Three Quebecers are among the top 20 prospects listed by the CFL for this draft: defensive back Enock Makonzo (8and rank, Coastal Carolina University), wide receiver Samuel Émilius (11andLouisiana Tech University), as well as offensive lineman Cyrille Hogan-Saindon (18andLaval University).