Aerie wrote:I wasn't clear - I meant more so the AFL Reserves sides will leave. The SANFL will always be at the beck and call of the AFL. We saw how desperate the SANFL were to keep the Crows and Port in the SANFL competition last year and Port have no issue indicating their desire to split from the SANFL - even after the concessions. Maybe the SANFL were buying time?
Mate the AFL dont want a reserves competition, they've got to find money for an AFL club in Tassie - will take similar money to other expansion clubs, expand the AFLW competition and fund development programs. A reserves competition is low on their list of priorities. Far cheaper for the AFL to buy off the SANFL to get the concessions our two VFL franchises want than fund a reserves comp.
A 20th AFL club is more likely and than a reserves comp and based on current budgets that's $30 Mill from AFL coffers a year based on what they spend on the Gold Coast and GWS.
The two franchises dont want to spend the $$$ to join the VFL, they want the AFL to do it but the AFL have shown their hand saying it's far cheaper for us to give SANFL $$$ despite the AFL supporting some of the existing VFL teams in travel. The AFL has never been about transparency, equity and fairness...
Aerie wrote:
Is this the first year the money from West Lakes has stopped filtering through to the clubs? As Wolf Pack says, there isn't enough revenue coming in. I'm sure Westies wouldn't be alone in the struggle - even if in a worse position at the moment.
Yep after 10 years that money has cease, SANFL clubs got their last distribution in 2023 I understand happy to be corrected.
Let that be a lesson to you Port, no one beats the Bays five times in a row in a GF and gets away with it!!!