Hands off the SANFL - In what way?

[Apachebulldog]

I guess most SANFL are worried that somehow the AFL will eventually destroy this great league they have destroyed the WAFL and VFL
The AFL could of been the best football in the land however with the yearly tampering of the rules it is turning a lot of people off sure they might have the best footballers in the land why the almighty dollar and anyhow these great players are now playing in an oversanitised product for the TV masses thats why a lot of people are returning to their grass roots SANFL.

Yes Whiteline fever i have seen the big picture the slow destruction of all state leagues by the AFL over the last 20 odd years.

SANFL = REAL FOOTY

[whufc]

That would be another one!

The AFL informing the SANFL its not in their best interest to market the comp as REAL FOOTY!

[once_were_warriors]

My biggest concern is the implementation of reserve sides for the power and crows into the SANFL competition.

Would simply cheapen the competition too have two teams running around whose priorities are not the SANFL premiership.

In regards to licence ownership and stadium revenue , I say let the power and crows have their licences and reap the benefits or non benefits of being independent.

I think the SANFL have played their cards extremely well over the last three years.

They will:

1. Have half ownership in the running of Adelaide Oval- at no cost.
2. Have an asset in football park land that can really set up the future for the SANFL.
3. Licences will be bought out at market value , or guaranteed funding from the AFL.

It really is time to cash the chips in. It can't get much better financially for the SANFL.
The down turn in attendances of our two AFL clubs will continue regardless of the relocation to Adelaide Oval.
The AFL competition lives on TV revenue and with that comes the live against the gate broadcasts for all games.
People will take the easy option of staying home and put further pressure on stadium revenues.
With the SANFL being co owners in Adelaide Oval which will have sporting and non sporting events all year round , the SANFL financial exposure is greatly reduced as it will not have to solely rely on 22 AFL events a year.

[Booney]

Why not have the Power and Crows reserves team play in the SANFL reserves comp and not the league?

Power align their reserves with the Magpies, Crows form their own and both sides use U18's as fillers.

[CUTTERMAN]

Crows have already ruled that out via Trigg. Re your comment about the U18's, so the SANFL clubs develop their zones and juniors and then Crows and Port pick who they want? Hmmmmm, let me think....NO

[Booney]

Yep, those two lines I wrote is the absolute total manner in which I would implement the system.

Let me think....NO.

[once_were_warriors]

It has to be a clean break.
If the power and crows want true independence then they will have to find other avenues for their reserves sides.
I would suggest the VFL would be the likely league.
Either form an alliance like other AFL sides or perhaps top up their lists with players from the Vic metro leagues.

Adelaide AFL clubs independent , SANFL clubs independent.

If you take the benefits of independence then you need to be truly independent.

[Country Cousin]

This is a summary of the way the league structures in Victoria (Which had stood for over a century) have been torn apart since the advent of the AFL in 1996. Football as a suburban game is effectively dead there now. Nothing else matters but what meets the immediate needs of the AFL and its multi billion dollar promotional deals. If you want this sort of thing to happen in South Australia, just let them have their way.

1996 - The VFA changes its name to Victorian Football League, VFL, now that the old VFL is now the AFL. The Preston Bullants become known as the Preston Knights, changing their colours from red and white to white, blue and black. North Ballarat Roosters and the Traralgon Maroons enter the VFL.

1998 - Bendigo Diggers enter the VFL. Traralgon Maroons leave the VFL.

1999 - Coburg Lions become Coburg-Fitzroy Lions.

2000 - The VFL becomes strongly aligned with the AFL, and reserve players from AFL teams were now able to play with the VFL if their team was aligned with an existing VFL team. The initial alignments were: Box Hill with Hawthorn, Port Melbourne with Sydney, Werribee with the Western Bulldogs, Sandringham with Melbourne. Carlton Blues, Collingwood Magpies, Essendon Bombers, Kangaroos, Geelong Cats, Richmond Tigers and St Kilda Saints all entered VFL 'Reserves' teams. Box Hill Mustangs become Box Hill Hawks, but retain the mustang image on their guernsey. The Preston Knights revert to the name Preston Bullants, and revert to their old colours.

2001 - Coburg align with Richmond, Springvale align with St Kilda, Williamstown align with Collingwood, all of whose reserve grade teams drop out. The Kangaroos align with a new team to form the Murray Kangaroos. Tasmania Devils enter the VFL. Coburg-Fitzroy Lions become Coburg Tigers

2003 - The Bullants align with Carlton and Bendigo align with Essendon, both of whose reserves teams drop out. Port Melbourne and Sydney dis-align and the Kangaroos align in Sydney's place, ending the short career of the Murray Kangaroos. Bendigo Diggers become Bendigo Bombers.

2006 - Port Melbourne end their affiliation with the Kangaroos. Port Melbourne exists as a stand alone team, while the Kangaroos become aligned with North Ballarat and Tasmania, with half of their reserve players fed into each club. The Scorpions move to Cranbourne and become the Casey Scorpions; the club retains the name "Springvale Football Club."

2008 - The Western Bulldogs and Collingwood end their affiliations with Werribee and Williamstown respectively. The Western Bulldogs align with Williamstown in Collingwood's place. North Melbourne ends its partial affiliation with Tasmania, and partially affiliates with Werribee, retaining its partial affiliation with North Ballarat. Collingwood re-enters its 'reserves' team into the VFL.

2009 - St Kilda ends its affiliation with Casey, and becomes affiliated with Sandringham, and Melbourne ends its affiliation with Sandringham and becomes affiliated with Casey. Tasmania Devils leave the league.

2010 - The Gold Coast Football Club, who became known as the Gold Coast Suns during mid-season join the VFL. This was planned as a one-year stint in the VFL before the club played its inaugural season in the AFL in 2011.

2011 - The Gold Coast Suns leave the VFL to join the AFL.

[Harry the Horse]

Had forgotten some of those teams. What an absolute circus. Reminds you of footy leagues in the 1870s ... Bankers, Victorian, Medindie etc.
Breaks your heart.
2012 - Having been deflowered for more than a decade, the empty carcass that is the VFL finally disappears up its own ar*e when the last two remaining stand alone clubs, Port Melbourne and Frankston, declare they've had a gutful and go and join the amateurs.

[saintal]

A good history lesson there. A shambles and mockery of a comp with the traditions/histories of all clubs being forever stymied.

I seem to recall that when Richmond aligned with Coburg they made the club ditch the recently established Fitzroy connection.

[CUTTERMAN]

What an utter utter joke! This corporate madness is just what we need to avoid. There's no care for anyones history, traditions, nothing! It's all about which AFL club can get what, from who, when they need it. Buyer be ware!
Thanks CC, great info!

[Dissident]

I would argue that the Victorian "suburban" game turned into the AFL, rather than the AFL being created from nothing. The VFL was torn apart and turned into the AFL - the VFA wasn't the VFL.

In saying that, I'm not downplaying the carnage.

[sjt]

Great post CC, it contains a heavy dose of perspective. Whose on first? It's definitely how to make a joke of a competition (in an unfunny way). It reveals, the AFL concern that must be present for "second tier" competitions.

[redandblack]

I think Dissident's post sums it up.

This thread seems to be going the same way as most similar ones, so it would be nice to have some more facts about what the AFL is doing/has done to the SANFL.

[Mr Beefy]

My apologies R&B but I didn't want to waste this message I just spent 5 minutes typing...

There was more carnage than just that, clubs like Prahran, Oakleigh, Mordialloc, and others fell be the wayside or joined lesser leagues. Yarraville ? might be another one but there were 2 divisions of the VFA. Similar to some SAFA clubs, a lot of them were going broke and some also had no juniors coming through due to urban sprawl, etc.

[Pseudo]

... it would be nice to have some more facts about what the AFL is doing/has done to the SANFL.

Better to have some idea about what the AFL is likely to do to the SANFL. Looking forwards instead of backwards, except insofar as one might extrapolate forwards from what has already come to pass. Just sayin'.

[redandblack]

No worries, Mr Beefy, I wasn't referring to the VFA discussion.

Pseudo, that tells us nothing. Here's yet another opportunity for you to say exactly how the AFL have dudded the SANFL.

For such a powerful body, which IMO could do some real damage to the SANFL if they really wanted to, they seem to have done bugger-all except for a bit of tinkering around the edges.

Tell me what they've actually done, instead of 'just sayin'".

I'm interested.

[Booney]

... it would be nice to have some more facts about what the AFL is doing/has done to the SANFL.

Better to have some idea about what the AFL is likely to do to the SANFL.

Forecasting, predicting if you will, the future actions of others?

Fame, fortune and instant admiration will flood your way if succesful.

[Go Legs]

Cutterman, what evidence do you have that the AFL is undermining the SANFL?

My distrust of the AFL goes back to when the AFL were very happy to accept Port Adelaide for the initial licence
and were VERY supportive behind the scenes to get it across the line, basically in order to undermine the horse
trading going on with the SANFL and to guarantee National TV rights to the winner of the tender.

The AFL have always been supportative of the Power, who is driving the Adelaide Oval issue not the SANFL or the Crows

The AFL have done nothing over the years to ease my mind about trust, therefore Hands off our SANFL

Cheers,.

[JK]

No worries, Mr Beefy, I wasn't referring to the VFA discussion.

Pseudo, that tells us nothing. Here's yet another opportunity for you to say exactly how the AFL have dudded the SANFL.

For such a powerful body, which IMO could do some real damage to the SANFL if they really wanted to, they seem to have done bugger-all except for a bit of tinkering around the edges.

Tell me what they've actually done, instead of 'just sayin'".

I'm interested.

As far as I can make out, this whole "Hands Off" campaign came about initially as a result of Port becoming an unviable option as of today and going forward.

The SANFL then claimed they had no further borrowing power, and effectively lobbied the AFL to financially back them until such time as they could get back on their feet.

The old sayings "Noone does nothing for nothing" and "business is business" are probably never truer than when it comes to the AFL .. Therefore, naturally lovers of the SANFL became quite fearful of what "conditions" the AFL would look to impose on the SANFL and it's league.

Around the same time, the push for AFL Reserves teams in the SANFL and WAFL were becoming well publicised.

I think this "Hands Off" campaign was established and has grown, not necessarily as a result of what the AFL has done, but for fear of what it might try to impose and thus it's intention was to make it clear to the SANFL trustees that people do care about our competition and don't want it further bastardised that it has been.

I don't always agree with methods, thoughts or comments, but I love the passion people show toward our competition and clubs, regardless of which club they support.

Previously, I think we have seen the AFL influence result in cut funding for grassroots development, reduction in transfer fee's to feeder clubs and increases in the base transfer rate among non-AFL clubs.

There is a reason people fear the AFL .. As with any corporation they are always looking to increase their market share and turnover, regardless of who they may be taking it from.