PDCA

[whufc]

I've also heard a whisper that ATCO have been asked along with NEK to return to Grade 1.

Curious.. how does a club whose A grade made the Grade 2 SF, and B grade consecutive GF's in Grade 3 avoid coming into consideration?

Would be interesting to see what Atco would say.....they would be well within their rights to tell PDCA to shove it.

They could have taken the easy option a few years ago and drop straight down the grades but chose to fight it out falling to div 3. They finally have a built a squad around a young captain and imo would be reluctant to go straight back into the deep end.

[whufc]

Would SW leave the comp if it became purely a one day comp.......they would definitely entertain the idea.

Where would they go? Without senior football, not sure they're in a position to install turf at the snap of a finger. Adel & Suburban wouldn't allow them entry. Would BLCA?

Does hard wicket cricket in SA need a complete restructure.

Yes. Has for years now. Let SACA run in, take the work and stress away from volunteers at community level and either run 3x metro comps (North, Central, South) or combine them all and run divisions like AdFL. Although not sure Dublin to Pt Noarlunga would be much fun.

If they felt travel would be to big an issue you could potentially have a North, South, Central competitions which have their own premiers and then somehow come up with the winners going into a state amateur's final to decide the best amateur hard wicket side in the state.

As you say Dublin to Pt Noarlunga would be no fun for a two dayer In saying that if a restructure meant you lost a couple of clubs to country leagues that wouldnt be the end of the world.

[Lightning McQueen]

I've also heard a whisper that ATCO have been asked along with NEK to return to Grade 1.

Curious.. how does a club whose A grade made the Grade 2 SF, and B grade consecutive GF's in Grade 3 avoid coming into consideration?

Would be interesting to see what Atco would say.....they would be well within their rights to tell PDCA to shove it.

They could have taken the easy option a few years ago and drop straight down the grades but chose to fight it out falling to div 3. They finally have a built a squad around a young captain and imo would be reluctant to go straight back into the deep end.

Showing your love for ATCO there with rose coloured glasses mate.

Kudos to those players that have stuck their hands up to play A's but they had a few players that were A Grade material that opted to play B's and bask in the glory while their A's struggled.

ATCO can only play in the Grade to which they are put, they were the deserved premiers of Grade 3 with a well balanced team and will feature in the top 3 of Grade 2 this season.

FWIW, from what I know and have heard around the traps, I would probably have ATCO ranked as the 8th best team in the PDCA atm.

One thing is for sure, Grade 1 simply can't go to an 8 team division. There are 4 clubs that will always be strong, Craigmore are probably a player or two off being consistently competitive, they have players capable of match-winning performances but their probably sitting on the 2nd shelf of the wine rack all by themselves.

[whufc]

Not going to deny there were individuals who could have played higher than they did......thats no different at any club.

My point was more as a club they decided to play some youth in the A Grade and take the loses without dropping down the grades in one go. Would they be willing to go up to div 1 and be a bottom 2-3 side when things are just starting to look good again........im not so sure.

I'm honestly not in the know though just my opinion.

[The Bedge]

Guess all will be revealed soon enough.

End of the day, no point worrying about it - play where you're allocated, and deal with it... even if you don't agree with it.

One thing that wont sit well with me however, is if North Pines are allowed to drop down at the expense of Enfield.. they were happy to strut around bullying and ridiculing sides for two years taking the absolute piss - now suddenly the wheel has turned and all their player$ left, and they don't like it.

[The Bedge]

Would they be willing to go up to div 1 and be a bottom 2-3 side when things are just starting to look good again........im not so sure..

They might be willing, but as a club it's not fair on them. Grade 3 premiers leap frog others to go to Grade 1 simply because clubs suck at managing themselves.

Why should clubs be forced to make sacrifices or impact their own chances of success each year so other clubs can drop in, out, down or whatever?!

If clubs threaten to leave if they don't get their way - then let them.

If clubs do go down, then heavy restrictions / sanctions should be placed upon them.

[The Bedge]

Also feel like there should be incentive for clubs in Grade 1 or Grade 2 - or clubs to build a strong foundation.

Everything revolves around money these days, perhaps cash prize incentive for Grade 1 and Grade 2 premiers..

Or better still, have a club championship system that has cash prize and is weighted heavier towards those at the top of the tree. Encompass juniors and women's into the system as well. Reward clubs like Salis West or Angle Vale who year in year out play top flight Men's, field multiple junior sides and women's sides.

Maybe then clubs might make greater effort.

Adding restrictions on clubs that want to drop down will make it slower for them to make their way back to the top, and perhaps force them to put more energy into building a foundation.

[Tony Clifton]

Would they be willing to go up to div 1 and be a bottom 2-3 side when things are just starting to look good again........im not so sure..

They might be willing, but as a club it's not fair on them. Grade 3 premiers leap frog others to go to Grade 1 simply because clubs suck at managing themselves.

Why should clubs be forced to make sacrifices or impact their own chances of success each year so other clubs can drop in, out, down or whatever?!

If clubs threaten to leave if they don't get their way - then let them.

If clubs do go down, then heavy restrictions / sanctions should be placed upon them.

If a club chooses to go down a grade it should be granted only with a points penalty for the current season

[Lightning McQueen]

Not going to deny there were individuals who could have played higher than they did......thats no different at any club.

My point was more as a club they decided to play some youth in the A Grade and take the loses without dropping down the grades in one go. Would they be willing to go up to div 1 and be a bottom 2-3 side when things are just starting to look good again........im not so sure.

I'm honestly not in the know though just my opinion.

I actually think there is less sandbagging nowadays all round than what there used to be, there's the odd individual nowadays opposed to whole teams taking the piss, North Pines were always notorious for it.

Secondly, no one in their right mind would jump to 1's on the back of a Grade 3 flag, Wayne is a pretty vital player in their team and he's older than me, they have a solid bowling line up without a genuine quick and they have a solid batting line up for Grade 2 but lack a Davies, Barker, Meredith type where you know you're going to get runs from most innings'. I reckon they'd give Craigmore a decent run for their money though, I'd put my money on them in a one dayer.

At the end of the day clubs survive and excel with patronage at their clubrooms on a Thursday and Saturday night, players are more likely to go back for a drink after a win so why would you go to Grade 1 for moderate success?

[Lightning McQueen]

Not going to deny there were individuals who could have played higher than they did......thats no different at any club.

Oh, and BTW, Smithfield had some shocking sandbaggers.

Rounds 1-4: Can't play two dayers coz I have to work or have my kid every second weekend (they somehow have 8 games up their sleeve by then).

Round 5: Can't play A's, have my daughter (miraculously someone pulled out and they happened to find a babysitter as they rock up at the club afterwards in their whites half cut after scoring a 50).

Beyond: Can I just keep playing C's as I'm leading the runs in the association.

My favourite ones are those that you only ever seen on a Saturday night because they know they'll be getting an award and free piss.

We always got 5 schooners for 5 fa or a 50, 10 schooners for a 7 fa or a ton, that was besides MOTM etc.

[The Bedge]

We always got 5 schooners for 5 fa or a 50, 10 schooners for a 7 fa or a ton, that was besides MOTM etc.

I was going to say sign me up! .. Then I remembered I don't achieve any of those feats.

Can I have 3x schooners for a 3fa or 30?

[Lightning McQueen]

We always got 5 schooners for 5 fa or a 50, 10 schooners for a 7 fa or a ton, that was besides MOTM etc.

I was going to say sign me up! .. Then I remembered I don't achieve any of those feats.

Can I have 3x schooners for a 3fa or 30?

I disappointingly scored 49 one day, dude balancing the book to do the stats points out to me that my runs added up to 50, luckily it was about a minute before the presentation was about to begin.

Did take a 7 fa, 6 fa and scored a half century in the same game once, that was a decent night.

[whufc]

Would they be willing to go up to div 1 and be a bottom 2-3 side when things are just starting to look good again........im not so sure..

They might be willing, but as a club it's not fair on them. Grade 3 premiers leap frog others to go to Grade 1 simply because clubs suck at managing themselves.

Why should clubs be forced to make sacrifices or impact their own chances of success each year so other clubs can drop in, out, down or whatever?!

If clubs threaten to leave if they don't get their way - then let them.

If clubs do go down, then heavy restrictions / sanctions should be placed upon them.

100% agree with you and loved your comment about North Pines.

That's why i agree if there was another comp in the North PDCA could have been in trouble.

From the outside there seems to be a lot of unresolved tensions amongst clubs and the gradings. Especially when the likes of North Pines seem to take the piss out of the relegation/promotion system.

[The Bedge]

I've moved on from senior cricket now.

Great to hear the women's comp looks like increase in numbers - Craigmore adding another side, Fitzroy coming in, Two Wells and Dublin returning.. Eyre Royals probably adding two more sides (joking)

Hopefully can build a strong junior competition and pathway to seniors.

Make PDCA great again

[whufc]

Not going to deny there were individuals who could have played higher than they did......thats no different at any club.

Oh, and BTW, Smithfield had some shocking sandbaggers.

Rounds 1-4: Can't play two dayers coz I have to work or have my kid every second weekend (they somehow have 8 games up their sleeve by then).

Round 5: Can't play A's, have my daughter (miraculously someone pulled out and they happened to find a babysitter as they rock up at the club afterwards in their whites half cut after scoring a 50).

Beyond: Can I just keep playing C's as I'm leading the runs in the association.

My favourite ones are those that you only ever seen on a Saturday night because they know they'll be getting an award and free piss.

We always got 5 schooners for 5 fa or a 50, 10 schooners for a 7 fa or a ton, that was besides MOTM etc.

Every club is the same with different badges.

Yeah we had some blokes who were notorious for only coming back to the club if they had personally performed well.

At one point it was a running joke and you would greet them with 'how did ya go today' and then walk off so the rest of the group had to listen to the ball by ball commentary.

[GarrytheGOAT]

Poor form from a lot of the clubs not wanting to stay in grade 1 or 2 and asking to play lower grade stuff.....Cant wait to see North Melbourne ask the AFL to only play in the VFL so they can be competitive.....

[Barkeroo]

Poor form from a lot of the clubs not wanting to stay in grade 1 or 2 and asking to play lower grade stuff.....Cant wait to see North Melbourne ask the AFL to only play in the VFL so they can be competitive.....

Definitely agree there.
I can understand in certain circumstances where you lose a lot of players in an off-season sure but if nothing major is happening and you are not trying to play at the highest level possible then it's a bit shit.

[Tony Clifton]

I feel a bit for the clubs themselves

I imagine that it's player driven. "If we're in Division X I'm not going to play" and clubs face an exodus of mates.

It shouldn't be an option. Clubs/players ask because there's a chance the answer is yes. The door has been opened.

[Observer55]

Any truth to one of the Grade 1 teams looking very likely to pull their A Grade?

If true, PDCA is no long dying a slow death, Rigormortis setting in… someone needs to do something to lead the association to a new dawn

[GarrytheGOAT]

Any truth to one of the Grade 1 teams looking very likely to pull their A Grade?

If true, PDCA is no long dying a slow death, Rigormortis setting in… someone needs to do something to lead the association to a new dawn

The question needs to be asked...how long until we see the regular grade 1 clubs leave the association (Westies to adel turf, Virginia to Barossa, A/vale to barossa)

With all the lower ranked sides dictating terms, probably wont be far away until we see a few of these stronger sides pull out of the competition.