by Dutchy » Fri Jul 05, 2013 12:09 pm
PORT Adelaide has to decide whether it wants an AFL reserves team or an SANFL club badged as the "Magpies".
The SANFL league directors are within a month of calling the critical vote on introducing Crows and Power reserves team to the state league.
But the directors and the SA Football Commission have re-affirmed they will not endorse the Power placing all of its AFL players in the Magpies SANFL league team AND continuing to run the Magpies with reserves, under-age teams and recruiting zones.
SANFL and SACA agree on AFL at the Oval
They are favouring the Crows model which has:
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- ADELAIDE play all its SANFL games as "away" games at an SANFL venue.
- FIND top-up players on a six-week basis.
- SPENDING the week leading up to an SANFL game in their SANFL rival's zone with clinics promoting SANFL
football.
- COMMITTING to the SANFL for a 15-year period - to coincide with the time the Crows and Power will spend
buying back their AFL licences from the SANFL.
- REBADGING their SANFL teams - such as "Ravens" rather than "Crows" for Adelaide and "Magpies" rather than
"Power" for Port Adelaide.
The Power model that allows the Magpies to continue in their present form as a full-scale SANFL club is not being supported.
North Adelaide president and league director Bohdan Jaworskyj today maintained there must be "equality" with the AFL reserves model in the SANFL.
"Our concern with the Port Adelaide presentation is we can't see how the Power can sustain the Magpies with a reserves team and under-age teams in the long run," he said.
Trigg focused on getting Oval job done
Neither the Crows nor Power have offered to pay a licence fee to join the SANFL.
But the Crows are promising they will add $40,000 through gate receipts and catering to the SANFL club hosting the Adelaide reserves. Adelaide expects to draw 2000-4000 fans to its SANFL games.
The league directors meeting at AAMI Stadium on Thursday night ended with:
THE SANFL to spend the next seven days to come up with the preferred model for AFL reserves team. This will determine finances, recruiting rules for top-up players and terms for the new SANFL teams.
THE COMMISSION has determined there must be "equality" for the AFL clubs. This means the Crows and Power will get stand-alone reserves teams - but not the full SANFL club as preferred by the Power.
NORWOOD'S motion for AFL reserves teams in the SANFL reserves competition on a two-year trial period being rejected.
SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker told The Advertiser this morning the challenge for the commission and the league directors is to close the debate on the reserves issue within a month.
"The key principles remain the integrity of the SANFL competition and securing a commitment from the AFL clubs to be part of the SANFL as a genuine competition rather than a training ground for its AFL clubs," he said.