SANFL's 10th Team

[RustyCage]

So getting rid of anything AFL related in the SANFL world will be of benefit how?

[JK]

So getting rid of anything AFL related in the SANFL world will be of benefit how?

In terms of less disruption to SANFL clubs throughout the minor, but particularly the Major Round it would have benefit.

Not that I'm advocating a need to get drastic, some sort of middle ground can hopefully be found to appease both the AFL clubs and all SANFL clubs.

[Jim05]

They play in the reserves level at SANFL or go join the VFL. Should not be allowed to get top up players from any SANFL team

[mighty_tiger_79]

i think that if the AFL clubs continually refuse to let AFL listed players available during finals then clubs should be allowed to play them in the reserves.

IF this upsets the players development then perhaps the crows and power should go into the VFL or the AFL should set up a reserves competition. Other national comps have reserves comps - cricket, soccer, rugby etc

[RustyCage]

i think that if the AFL clubs continually refuse to let AFL listed players available during finals then clubs should be allowed to play them in the reserves.

IF this upsets the players development then perhaps the crows and power should go into the VFL or the AFL should set up a reserves competition. Other national comps have reserves comps - cricket, soccer, rugby etc

If that player is league standard then you'd be doing your own club a disservice by only playing them in the reserves.

[Dutchy]

if it is really that important to the Crows and Port, why not play each other every week at Max Basheer reserve?

Wont cost much and they can design the game time & number of players according to their injury lists.

[the joker]

Why don't we flip a coin out of Port and Sturt. And who ever win stays in. And we have 8 teams

[mighty_tiger_79]

i think that if the AFL clubs continually refuse to let AFL listed players available during finals then clubs should be allowed to play them in the reserves.

IF this upsets the players development then perhaps the crows and power should go into the VFL or the AFL should set up a reserves competition. Other national comps have reserves comps - cricket, soccer, rugby etc

If that player is league standard then you'd be doing your own club a disservice by only playing them in the reserves.

no I dont believe you are, because come finals time its a lottery as to what happens with those players.

[Champ]

Disappointingly some seemingly biased points.

Firstly no-one in their right mind is going to 'get rid of' a club such as Sturt or Port. Secondly the AFL is here to stay, the SANFL is NOT bigger or better than the AFL and IF we were stupid enough to let Adelaide and the Power play their entire list interstate then we'd simply be losing money to the Victorians for a range of reasons. Our brand of football will ultimately go backwards until the state league comp simply plays in the suburbs and at west lakes because once the AFL see there's no benefit to supporting the local comp you can bet your bottom dollar that Adelaide oval will magically become off limits for the SANFL or simply too expensive.

Bottom line the SANFL system has some flaws/holes in it that need to be addressed in an unbiased fashion for the betterment of football in this state. If the decision is for the AFL to go to a reserves league of there own then all AFL clubs must be forced into it. The flow on effect of this then must be for each state league to be heavily promoted above that of this new reserves league as the breeding ground for the afl. On reflection this might mean that kids who get drafted only play reserves for X amount of years and come back to state league footy no better without having actually played AFL..? But thats a side note..

[mighty_tiger_79]

I agree all AFL clubs should be in a reserves comp

[Dog_ger]

The "Cost of Living" has hit all SANFL clubs.

All clubs are in trouble.

Let's all hope we all get through this.

[RustyCage]

i think that if the AFL clubs continually refuse to let AFL listed players available during finals then clubs should be allowed to play them in the reserves.

IF this upsets the players development then perhaps the crows and power should go into the VFL or the AFL should set up a reserves competition. Other national comps have reserves comps - cricket, soccer, rugby etc

If that player is league standard then you'd be doing your own club a disservice by only playing them in the reserves.

no I dont believe you are, because come finals time its a lottery as to what happens with those players.

A few more experienced players at the bays or pies this year and they may have made the finals. Even if you didn't have those players in the finals, their benefits would have already been felt

[Psyber]

... Firstly no-one in their right mind is going to 'get rid of' a club such as Sturt or Port...

I'm tempted to do a "fish" and demand data and references to support that statement!

[Apachebulldog]

No AFL reserves teams in the SANFL thank you F#@% OFF to Victoria.

[Psyber]

I dont think that either club would put out second rate trial games, look at Geelong reserves, they take great pride in their games and playing in GF's...

When I read it I assumed the SANFL clubs may be the ones resting players for these games since they don't count for anything...

[Pseudo]

I will never - NEVER - attend an SANFL game featuring an AFL reserves team.

Keep AFL shytt out of Our League.

[southee]

The "Cost of Living" has hit all SANFL clubs.

All clubs are in trouble.

Let's all hope we all get through this.

Tell fish that!!!

[UK Fan]

Disappointingly some seemingly biased points.

Firstly no-one in their right mind is going to 'get rid of' a club such as Sturt or Port. Secondly the AFL is here to stay, the SANFL is NOT bigger or better than the AFL and IF we were stupid enough to let Adelaide and the Power play their entire list interstate then we'd simply be losing money to the Victorians for a range of reasons. Our brand of football will ultimately go backwards until the state league comp simply plays in the suburbs and at west lakes because once the AFL see there's no benefit to supporting the local comp you can bet your bottom dollar that Adelaide oval will magically become off limits for the SANFL or simply too expensive.

Bottom line the SANFL system has some flaws/holes in it that need to be addressed in an unbiased fashion for the betterment of football in this state. If the decision is for the AFL to go to a reserves league of there own then all AFL clubs must be forced into it. The flow on effect of this then must be for each state league to be heavily promoted above that of this new reserves league as the breeding ground for the afl. On reflection this might mean that kids who get drafted only play reserves for X amount of years and come back to state league footy no better without having actually played AFL..? But thats a side note..

Very well made irrelevant points you bring up!!

[Jimmy]

Pissing the AFL back across the border is the best option.

This.

[pipers]

What has occurred in Victoria is a disgrace - effectively pissing on about 140 years of history for some clubs.

The thing I don't understand is that we are constantly told that the AFL is a profitable, thriving powerhouse competition...

So why the **** can't they just run an 18-team seconds comp of their own and leave the state leagues be?

If each AFL list had say 54 players on it that should be sufficient (in fact, it may mean that some blokes don't get a game on a weekend - but that's fine - they are in the system, training 4 times a week, and surely the best approach would be to rotate your seconds players anyway if you have an excess). This gives every AFL team an equal footing in terms of reserve players, and does it without interfering with the integrity of the local competitions (other than obviously weakening them by cherry-picking more of the best talent).

As back up each AFL club could have a "rookie-list" of 4-5 state league based players aged between 17-18 (selected via a draft) who are effectively the cream of the up-and-coming talent across the country (ie, Teal Cup players) and most likely will be elevated to the senior list the following year anyway. An AFL club can call on this list if their senior/reserves player list is ravaged by injuries - but if they are required to call on them, then they pay the originating state-league club a fee - maybe a nominal $5k per game.

If a youngster from a state league is good enough at 17 or 18 to make it to AFL reserves via this method, then that's good for them, and the AFL club can then rightly have some influence over their development, as it's likely they will join that club the following year. If the kid doesn't quite make it, then he returns to his club of origin at season end and plays state league footy again.