another grub wrote:The perfect standard for the 2 local AFL reserves sides is the SANFL. As you can see with a full list they are strong sides (almost unbeatable ie ravens at present) and a real test for the SANFL sides. But with a few injuries they are average sides (ie Power at the moment).
Joining the Amo's would be a joke standard wise and it wouldn't be viable to join the VFL $$$ wise.
We just have to put up with it as I think it is here to stay unless there is a national reserves comp set up with all AFL reserves.
you make the mistake of thinking that the sanfl should care about the best place for the afl reserves sides. the sanfl should only be concerned with what is best for the sanfl, and ive got news for you, it isnt having afl reserves sides in the competition...
memberships are down, crowds are down, it now costs the sanfl 1 million dollars a year to televise the two reserves sides more than the traditional clubs, instead of the few hundred thousand it cost to do it on the abc (and as already noted, channel 7 are pulling out anyway so there will soon be no coverage at all) reportedly sponsorship of traditional clubs is down, we now have more bye's per team than ever before, and less games per season (when one of the "advantages" of bringing in the reserves was to eliminate the bye...) media interest is down, when i lower myself to look a the tizer, the sanfl dont even normally get a whole page, and dont start me on moving the grand final, the sanfl used to get a whole week to themselves leading up to it, now its lost in the circus that is the afl....
the only winners i can see out of the arrangement, is the afl clubs, and that shouldnt be the sanfl's problem. cutting their own throat to help out the big brother? why would you?
meanwhile, i also agree that returning to the previous arrangement shouldnt be considered. it was a crap system, although it was better than the current schemozzle, surely we can do better with mark 3.