Southern Football League

[jet-airport]

Very little talk of the Association Game on here and none whatsoever on the GSFL forum. We no longer have State of Origin and SANFL versus WAFL and VFL seems to have an interest and crowd consisting mainly of family and friends. I'm not against Association football but has it run its race?

The Hills Div 1 have pulled out of their game against the RMFL due to lack of interest from clubs and players. That league has given the SACFL all sorts of grief in recent years with tribunal appeals and relegation/promotion sagas so it will be interesting how that situation plays out.

Even at its prime, Association football for the players was still probably more about ego in making the team to prove to family and friends that you are a decent player rather than wanting to win at all costs for your Association. But the modern days of the internet that provide easily accessed scores, best players, medalists etc. and forums such as this gives us plenty of information about who are the stars of every competition and satisfying the ego of the players without needing to play Association footy to confirm it.

The training commitment and expectations on our better players these days has them and probably the club counting down the days to a weekend off in June. Leagues also have to realise that the mindset of todays "amateur" footballer is a lot different than 20/30 plus years ago, and when the higher levels no longer play meaningful representative football due to a club first mentality how do they expect that attitude to be any different at our level.

I hope the lads who represent the SFL this week enjoy it and play with some pride in the jumper. I'm sure several will be chuffed to be playing and good on them for accepting their invitation to play.

Good post DTH.... IMO - I tend to think it has indeed run its race in seniors, too many top end players not really interested in playing, and to be honest, that's their choice. What about a under 23 game instead?, would think this gives opportunity to the best 18-23 year olds in each comp. Then the day could run 15's, 17's, 23's??. That way numbers for players wanting to play would be high I would of thought. Just an opinion for discussion??

[spot on]

I thought under 23's was tried a few years ago.
Association football has never been the same since the Lovelock shield finished. Unless that format could be resurrected I think Association footy is doomed.
DTH the SANFL played WAFL a couple of weeks ago, not a lot of interest in that either.

[Down the Hill]

Lovelock Shield highlights the change in mindset of players. We hear many reasons why it ceased but surely the prospect of playing two full games in three days was the reason it stopped and any attempt to bring it back would cause mutany among clubs and players.

[dogsrbarkin]

Lovelock Shield highlights the change in mindset of players. We hear many reasons why it ceased but surely the prospect of playing two full games in three days was the reason it stopped and any attempt to bring it back would cause mutany among clubs and players.

Fair enough DTH but what about the country championships played in pt augusta this year. I thought that was a heap of mini games over a weekend !

[Luke15]

Absolutely embarrasing. Got it wrong Thursday night at selections and when downhill rapidly from there.

[HairyGiant]

Absolutely embarrasing. Got it wrong Thursday night at selections and when downhill rapidly from there.

Some of the guys that have made association over the past 5 or 6 years in an embarrassment to the league and all the players that have played in previous years! Maroon coats with there head in the sand again, but still no one actually steps up to do something about it!

[cracka]

Absolutely embarrasing. Got it wrong Thursday night at selections and when downhill rapidly from there.

Some of the guys that have made association over the past 5 or 6 years in an embarrassment to the league and all the players that have played in previous years! Maroon coats with there head in the sand again, but still no one actually steps up to do something about it!

At least you had a side

[Thumbs Up]

Absolutely embarrasing. Got it wrong Thursday night at selections and when downhill rapidly from there.

Some of the guys that have made association over the past 5 or 6 years in an embarrassment to the league and all the players that have played in previous years! Maroon coats with there head in the sand again, but still no one actually steps up to do something about it!

Im just interested "Luke 15" who would you have put in that team that did not play and who should not have been in that team?

[Peter Griffen]

Absolutely embarrasing. Got it wrong Thursday night at selections and when downhill rapidly from there.

Some of the guys that have made association over the past 5 or 6 years in an embarrassment to the league and all the players that have played in previous years! Maroon coats with there head in the sand again, but still no one actually steps up to do something about it!

Im just interested "Luke 15" who would you have put in that team that did not play and who should not have been in that team?

Reynella

[Luke15]

Absolutely embarrasing. Got it wrong Thursday night at selections and when downhill rapidly from there.

Some of the guys that have made association over the past 5 or 6 years in an embarrassment to the league and all the players that have played in previous years! Maroon coats with there head in the sand again, but still no one actually steps up to do something about it!

Im just interested "Luke 15" who would you have put in that team that did not play and who should not have been in that team?

Well i can only answer that question based on the squad and who was left out but I would 100% have had Patrick Jolly from Christies Beach in ahead of Carlin or Hedger. Jolly can play tall.or small has great closing speed and is a great shut down defender.

Ryan Mahony from Reynella should also have been in there, in form midfielder from the top side who no-one has got within 7 goals of and he cannot get a game........

[Front & Centre]

Great to see Jonny Eagleton BOG yesterday
Jonny's had a great season so far despite the rough start to the season by HV and the thrashing he was given with no interchange
There was some talk that he might not react positively to a tougher coach but his game against Brighton disproved that and I now hear his brother has been asked to help out with new coach so those rumblings are clearly wrong

[sweendog]

the SFL has gone from a league admired by all to an irrelevant backwater!

[HairyGiant]

Have only heard positive things about Steve Wallace. Big job ahead of him, but good to hear of big numbers out at training and hopefully this revitalises the group. I'm looking forward to the games this week and see if the positive feel flows on to the field.

Wouldn't think it is a big Job, to get a job with that much depth and amount of numbers Valley have would more be a dream job! Add the fact the lower expectations because of the tough draw at the start of the year! Win Win really!!

[Luke15]

So after the Downer that was Association Footy, let's get back to the real thing and generate some conversation on this page again.

My tips this week:

Aldinga Vs Flaggies - Flaggies by 15 goals

Brighton Vs Edwardstown - Cracking match this one, i am a fan of the Bombers so i tip them by 4 goals

M/Vale Vs Cove - Emus to bounce back here but Cove will put up a fight. Emus by 9 goals

Noarlunga Vs Happy Valley - Vikings have improved a lot recently but The Shoes will be too strong and win by 6 goals.

Christies Vs OSB/Lonsdale - The Beach Cup. Well Lions have shown improvement this year and the Saints have gone way backwards but i still tip the Saints by 10 goals.

Porties Vs Hackham - Young Hawks will have a crack but Porties by 12 goals is my tip.

Reynella Vs Morphy Parks - Another solid game i reckon with the Twisties going well and have a very very good top 6 but Wineflies depth will win out by 6 goals.

[Animus]

Aldinga Vs Flaggies - Is Sarge still playing?

Brighton Vs Edwardstown - close game, both teams inconsistent?

M/Vale Vs Cove - close game

Noarlunga Vs Happy Valley - Shoes by plenty, although the Valley have the best looking runner in the league

Christies Vs OSB/Lonsdale - Christies by plenty

Porties Vs Hackham - Guessing Porties by a fair bit

Reynella Vs Morphy Parks - Wineflys by a fair bit

[Mister Footy]

My tips for this round
Flaggies
Emus
Brighton
Christies
Shoes (heart says Vikings but reckon it will be a cracker game)
Porties
Wineflies

[shoe boy]

MF
Not good news on the lad with the ankle injury.
BUT it could of been worse .

[oneuponedown]

Very quiet on here of late.

Would like peoples opinion on Reynella 2015, having seen them only 3 times this year, it appears they seem to be using a short kick/ chipping game, especially across half back, and they hold the footy till space opens up through the middle of the ground where they hit up a on-baller type.

Seems from a spectators view that this ball movement cuts oppositions up this year- Certainly pulled our pants down when we played them.

Any thought on combating this for the second half of the year? Would suggest a pretty disciplined Noarlunga or Flaggies side will need to guard the middle of the ground in September to shut them down.

Wouldn't mind some other posters thoughts on why they are currently so far in front of most sides after 10 rounds.

[Dutchy]

Looks like to me their defence is extremely strong, not conceding more than 9 goals this season so far, that said its fair to say their draw in the 2nd half of the year looks harder that the first half.

2 games in a month against Flaggies is going to be really interesting, in all grades, pity we have to wait another 5 weeks for it.

[Down the Hill]

The Premiership is Reynella's to lose and anything less will be an abject failure. Game plans and game styles count for little come finals in the SFL. The spring winds in the South means that finals conditions generally make it hard to play any sort of possession based game. It won't be game plan or style that will win a flag for Reynella. It will be whether their best available 21 is better than the rest come September and recent performances suggest they are daylight ahead of the rest - with due respect to the also undefeated Falcons . This Saturday is close to the shortest day of the year so hopefully the daylight isn't too much for the Bombers.