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Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:35 pm
by Big Phil
This would be interesting?

From Localfootysa...

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 6493939498

Michaelangelo Rucci wrote:
Crows may buy Sturt as its reserves side

ADELAIDE'S determination to have a stand-alone reserves team has included the plan to buy cash-strapped SANFL club Sturt.

But the off-field complications - in particular smashing the Crows' image as the "Team for All South Australians" - has not allowed the thought of converting Sturt to the "Double Crows" beyond the Adelaide board room.

Adelaide is determined to create a reserves team next year, keeping every Crow in one jumper and playing to coach Brenton Sanderson's game plan.

But the "Sturt Crows" concept has now highlighted the major marketing nightmare the Adelaide Football Club faces by entering a team in the SANFL.

Every SANFL fan comes to hate the Crows as they become a weekly enemy.

Sturt's $2.2 million debt also turned off the Crows which could field a reserves team for $350,000 a season.

The "Crows reserves" in the SANFL is an uglier concept considering it demands Adelaide players with SANFL roots - such as Bernie Vince at Woodville-West Torrens and Luke Brown at Norwood - play against their original clubs.

As Port Adelaide pushes ahead with its moves to make the SANFL-based Magpies operate as the Power's reserves team, Adelaide's planning for a stand-alone reserves team is being held up by the protracted SANFL-AFL talks to release the Crows and Power licences to the AFL Commission.

Adelaide football operations chief Phil Harper says there is a 50-50 chance the Crows will continue to have their excess players spread across the nine SANFL clubs next year.

However, there will be a Crows reserves team in 2014.

Where this Crows reserves team plays - be it the SANFL, the VFL or a new competition - and how it is staffed with "top-up" players remains in the planning phases.

But there is now no turning back from Adelaide's mission to have all its players working to one coaching philosophy.

"Anyone watching the AFL and SANFL can see the game is very different between the two competitions - and most football supporters can see that," said Harper.

"We need our players working to the same style of football every week.

"And we need our players wearing one jumper from the day they are drafted to the Adelaide Football Club. We currently have (Woodville-West Torrens draftee) Cam Ellis-Yolmen spending two years at our club now and he has never worn the Crows jumper."

Sturt chief executive Matt Benson says he is unaware of how his club was considered for a partnership or takeover by the Crows.

"We have had no formal approach - and no informal approach," he said.

"The only time I have discussed the Crows' options (for a reserves team) was when I saw (Adelaide football department staffer and former Sturt executive) Graeme Dunstan at the under-18 final on Sunday.

"My personal view is there is nothing wrong with the Crows allocating coaching staff and training resources to SANFL clubs that are aligned to them. And the same goes for Port Adelaide.

"That can be done without undermining the quality of the SANFL."

Glenelg president Gary Metcalf has taken exception to Sanderson's call to remove AFL-drafted players from the SANFL.

"The image is the AFL clubs don't trust us to look after their players for two hours every weekend," he said.

Norwood president Joe Tripodi adds the debate on reserves teams for the AFL-based clubs has ignored the problems the SANFL clubs face by inheriting AFL draftees.

"We embrace the AFL players and in doing so upset the balance of what we are trying to achieve by developing our under-18s," he said.

"Then we face not having AFL players during the finals because they either are having surgery or don't want to play in the SANFL anymore.

"But do you hear us complaining?"

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:18 pm
by Mark_Beswick
The SANFL clubs must come up with an affiliated leagues agreement that any top-up player has a lease agreement for players over say 26 that have not played league SANFL.

Such players will leased from thier country/amatuer side with an agreed payment at 70% for the club that loses a player and 30% for the Zone that player belongs to for a league SANFL club. That way the crows or Port will finally contrinute to funding grass roots football.

No AFL side in the SANFL

Cant have players like Brown, Laird, Brodie Martin etc... playing against their junior sanfl clubs

If the Crows dont like it then tough....

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:23 am
by on the rails
Typical Rucci sensationalism! There is no way the Crows will buy / take over (or however you want to call it) the Sturt FC.

McDermott on 5AA this morning was commenting and supporting this stupid idea. He said, Align Crows with Sturt, Power and the Magpies, 10 team SANFL comp and play the AFL Reserves games at Thebarton. He said they would get 4 to 5K each week. He stated the Crows having a stand alone Reserves side in the VFL for example would cost between $300 and $500K per year so the idea of fielding sides in the SANFL was more appealing re $$$. He didn't answer the issue re top up players but conceded injuries to the AFL lists could leave the Reserves sides short.

The other question that needs answering is what sort of draw / issues are factored in around the SANFL Reserves Teams, which under the model / idea proposed in today's 'Tiser, would could remain either an 8 or 9 team comp?

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:27 am
by Wedgie
on the rails wrote:McDermott on 5AA this morning was commenting and supporting this stupid idea. He said, Align Crows with Sturt, Power and the Magpies, 10 team SANFL comp and play the AFL Reserves games at Thebarton.

I know I'm not a genius but if the Crows took over Sturt and the Power already have taken over the Magpies doesn't that leave us with the same amount of clubs we have now, ie 9? :?

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:30 am
by on the rails
Wedgie wrote:
on the rails wrote:McDermott on 5AA this morning was commenting and supporting this stupid idea. He said, Align Crows with Sturt, Power and the Magpies, 10 team SANFL comp and play the AFL Reserves games at Thebarton.


I know I'm not a genius but if the Crows took over Sturt and the Power already have taken over the Magpies doesn't that leave us with the same amount of clubs we have now, ie 9? :?


Whoops, it was 6.25 am when I was listening to it, a little early for my brain to be at full capacity! But he did mention an 18 round comp so that suggests 10 sides which would be impossible of course as you point out!

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:34 am
by Jimmy_041
It came from Rucci so he probably heard it in a pub with 2 blokes wearing Crows colours

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:40 am
by dedja
or he heard it one night in the South parklands ...

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:53 am
by CUTTERMAN
I just think its an insult to other clubs to have the players they have developed from juniors play against them in the SANFL. As I've said before, I'd be really angry if Chad Wingard was playing for Port against Sturt. I'd be embarrassed if Sturt was affiliated with Adelaide and had Jacobs playing against WWT.
I'd rather have both SA & WA AFL clubs play each others reserves teams each week until the AFL get their shit together and start up a reserves comp. Sorts out the problem for the SANFL & WAFL.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:34 am
by holden78
Thin edge of the wedge my friends :twisted:
Let them into our reserves comp with conditions of no poaching our clubs players!
That will shut them up or they can piss off to the VFL

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:44 am
by Bluedemon
I for one would be against this. I grew up supporting and barracking for the Sturt football club. I didnt barrack for the Crows when they came into the AFL and wont start supporting them now if this happened. I know that supporters of the other clubs wouldnt want to see their players playing for another club. How would a Norwood supporter feel knowing that this year a league player who played in their premiership side and is a Norwood junior gets drafted from the Crows but then next year he has to play in the Sturt Crows team to earn his spot.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:45 am
by Dogwatcher
Next rumour, Crows approach SAAFL to run its reserves side in A1.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:47 am
by Booney
Dogwatcher wrote:Next rumour, Crows approach SAAFL to run its reserves side in A1.


And hold trials against A5 teams to work out who is better.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:47 am
by daysofourlives
Mark_Beswick wrote:The SANFL clubs must come up with an affiliated leagues agreement that any top-up player has a lease agreement for players over say 26 that have not played league SANFL.

Such players will leased from thier country/amatuer side with an agreed payment at 70% for the club that loses a player and 30% for the Zone that player belongs to for a league SANFL club. That way the crows or Port will finally contrinute to funding grass roots football.

No AFL side in the SANFL

Cant have players like Brown, Laird, Brodie Martin etc... playing against their junior sanfl clubs

If the Crows dont like it then tough....


Presumably these guys would be paid players at their respective country/amateur clubs, some getting up to $1500/game, will the crows/port pay them as well?
Maybe top up players could come from the BL&G, Adelaide Plains and any other close competition that has an uneven number of teams where there is a bye each week. The AFL clubs just ask the team with the bye who wants to have a kick and a catch. Im sure there would be young country lads willing to have a game with an AFL club

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:53 am
by Dogwatcher
Presuming that the club will let their players, some of whom are paid and contracted, be involved.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:54 am
by Booney
How would Sturt be with McKernan, Jenkins, Crouch, Johnston, Brown, Otten etc etc added to the mix?

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:58 am
by passionatelegsfan
it is a ridicolous proposal. having a crows and power reserves would damage the credibility of the comp beyond repair. There would be no point in having the SANFL anymore

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 9:55 am
by Reddeer
passionatelegsfan wrote:it is a ridicolous proposal. having a crows and power reserves would damage the credibility of the comp beyond repair. There would be no point in having the SANFL anymore

Totally agree

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:01 am
by Booney
Once again, we can speculate for another 80 odd pages, but nobody has the answer to suit all parties and when push comes to shove the AFL or in fact the two SA based AFL clubs will get what they want first.

Inevitable, sad, but inevitable IMO.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:08 am
by Dogwatcher
That's my thought as well, Booney.

Re: Adelaide Crows to buy Sturt?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:18 am
by MightyEagles
I'm against it, Don't want players from the Eagles play against our club.