VFL - better than the SANFL?

[nickname]

is a bit more open and flowing, but if that's what you enjoy most about football you might as well just watch training.

Let me get this straight, if you'd prefer Footy that "is a BIT more open and flowing" you might as well as just watch training?
So all of us that enjoyed watching the SANFL in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s that don't enjoy zone football, backwards and sideways football, poorer skills and zones/floods wasted our time in those eras going to games and should have just watched training?
You'd go watch West play 2 seasons ago but think you might as well as just watched training in 1983 instead of going to the Grand Final?
lol rightyio!
Back on topic you're always going to get a SANFL biased point of view on this site just like you'd get a VFL biased point of view except for a minority that can take emotion out of the discussion.
Here's something to think about though, in the last 3 state matches played between the 2 comps, 2 of which SA have had the home ground advantage there has been 13 points difference between the sides.
Of those teams the VFL couldn't select 50 to 100 of their better players (AFL listed players) where the SANFL couldn't select 10 to 20 of theirs.

Ever heard of hyperbole? The point I'm trying to make is that "open and flowing" footy isn't all that impressive to me if it's done under a lack of physical pressure. I don't agree with your premise that the SANFL footy of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s lacked that element. Zoning and flooding are not what I'm talking about, clearly they're blights on the game.
On the point about which players the VFL and SANFL couldn't chose, the SANFL also had the self-imposed ban on choosing interstate players who were in their first year in the SANFL. And anyway, wouldn't the best way to find out which is the best competition OUTSIDE the AFL be to preclude AFL players from the state game?

[Hazydog]

Beenreal - you are correct. Lockwood, injury free could have been anything. The point is he generally played under duress and clearly without the positive mindset needed. He once kicked 10 for us (against the Roosters from memory), but in the main, his performances for us were lacklustre.

Wedgie - Maybe the truth is that the playing standards of both comps are similar? I'd love to see the top 4 SANFL clubs play the Top 4 VFL clubs at full strength, thats probably the only way the debate could be validated. But we all know that won't happen.

Andy Collins is one bloke who's opinion should be listened to - having said that he probably isn't going to arrive in SA & then put everyone offside by saying that the VFL is superior.

[whatever]

Wedgie just because they are AFL listed players it doesn't make them good.

The test of a good competition is its depth not its star quality (that is all state games show up) Give me players 80 to 100 from each league against each other and I would put my house on the sanfl.

How many AFL rejects come over here and absolutely suck. OK some make it but most struggle

OK if we had to send all the victorians back home they would probably have the stronger competition but the best from the VFL generally come over here to play.

You cant tell me that players like Mitch Banner, Jarryn Jacky are stars in either the vfl or the sanfl.

[whufc]

The SANFL's non AFL listed players are of a much better standard overall but having up to 15 AFL listed players on one team in the VFL probably make it of a better standard.

[Psyber]

Perhaps the main point of the rookie draft is the bolster the VFL and make Victoria's state league look better than others...
Certainly, with so many Melbourne based teams and the rookie draft in place the numbers of promising young players in the VFL would inevitably be higher.

[supercoach]

Good call psyber. Some one finally sees that the majority of all the good kids drafted from the TAC end up initially in the VFL and that only will make that the 2nd best league. It is always about the Vic teams and they don't give a hoot abot SA or our kids. # drafted from our 18 comp what a joke !!!! Heard 1 interstate scout say our kids are better off in the next 3 years staying home with family and their SANFL league clubs - get to league level and then get drafted mature age rather than get stuck in NSW or Qld in a second rate comp. - homesick and probably won't get the development they would here - makes sense. His club are starting to look at older players.

[Tassie Blues]

i have seen a bit of both SANFL and VFL and the SANFL is a better game to watch more flowing and i think they player have better skills