Clubs in strife

Adelaide Footy League Talk

Clubs in strife

Postby Footy Chick » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:40 am

The amount of clubs struggling this year is absolutely unprecedented and quite honestly, bizarre.

Upon looking at the face of these clubs troubles, there doesn't even seem to be a common theme throughout as to why it's happening:

As we know it:

Angle Vale: A club that's on a 3 way border with APFL, BLG and SAAFL. Therefore if the country leagues aren't offering them $$, there's also the opportunity for them to go to one of another 5 odd clubs within a drop punt away (Smiffies, Units, EP, Lizbeff, even Salisbury North I guess) Great junior program but still a way from producing enough seniors out of it, if they don't end up at any of the above first.

Flinders Uni -Now with current students consisting of an increasing number of international students who have no interest in footy. Well within SFL boundaries and not far from GSFL, and which student is going to say no to a few $$? so most are going to go and play with mates in other leagues, especially if they never actually went to the Uni.

Mitchell Park – again, border SFL but they did have a lot of older blokes playing – again, juniors not established enough to provide any new blood yet and squished between a number of clubs in higher grades (Plympton, Kenilworth etc) Couldn't pinpoint to bad management, Some Div 1 clubs aren't run as professionally as this joint.

Kilburn – Now in an area essentially full of refugees as opposed to the hardened railway workers of years past. no juniors, and having to essentially buy teams, only for players to go back to their old clubs for the same/more money, despite having one of the best training/clubroom set ups in the league.

Brahma Lodge – only 2 or 3 junior teams that wont produce any seniors for at least 5 years and have had to fight for players with Salisbury, barely a Km away, then SW, Para Hills and the Mozzies all within sneezing distance. Stripped of their A grade side with chunks of players being offered more $$ in other leagues and the majority of EP blokes going back to EP.

Then there are normally strong clubs like TTG, Broadview and Flinders Park, Athelstone who have reduced their number of teams.

If anyone from the above clubs would like to add their take, please do - it's easy for the keyboard warriors to take a crack but clearly we have a problem here.

Are people just not playing footy anymore?
I'm not familiar with the country leagues - are they getting stronger because of their ability to pull in players with $$? or are they simply offering the big $$ to one better player and pulling their mates in with them?
Are some areas over-saturated with clubs?

Let the mass debate* begin 8)
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Q. » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:44 am

I wrote in another thread that people tend to bail at the first sign of adversity and it creates an avalanche of sorts. Blokes don't want to rally around each other anymore, a lot of them just seem to desert their club.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Phantom Gossiper » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:44 am

Footy Chick wrote:Let the mass debate* begin 8)

aaaaand i'm done.. 8)
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Phantom Gossiper » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:46 am

I think what is most concerning is considering what may happen in the future when you look at some other clubs who although may be having some success, at this stage could go downhill rapidly
Last edited by Phantom Gossiper on Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby jo172 » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:48 am

What I would be really interested to know is the overall number of players in the Amateur League in 2014 relative to 2010-13.

I don't think it's clear whether we're seeing a migration from:
a) struggling clubs to other/successful clubs
b) struggling clubs to other leagues
c) struggling clubs to not playing football.

Based on a quick scan of the SAAFL clearances page i would venture a guess that the SAAFL as a whole has gained more players than it lost over the off season? Obviously it seems these players are going to clubs which are not the one's mentioned in OP.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Phantom Gossiper » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:49 am

I would be interested to see some data from the SAAFL outlining participation numbers over the past half a dozen seasons.
Interested to see the player movements over that time as well.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Q. » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:49 am

Phantom Gossiper wrote:I think what is most concerning is considering what may happen in the future when you look at some other clubs who although may be having some success, at this stage could go downhill rapidly:

Houghton
Mawson Lakes
Wingfield
Smithifeld
North Pines


What the ****? Why would you lump us into that boat?

Our club is extremely well managed off the field.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Phantom Gossiper » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:52 am

Q. wrote:What the ****? Why would you lump us into that boat?

Our club is extremely well managed off the field.

Only given where the club is located, and not far from clubs like TTG & Modbury.
Do you have juniors out at Houghton? How do you attract your players?

I'm not doubting for one moment it isn't well managed, but that's not to say other circumstances might not hurt the club.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Footy Chick » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:54 am

I don't think he means off field Q, but the ability to maintain 2 teams from year to year, given your location and perhaps being in D7 when you're closest clubs are in divs 4, 2 and 1 respectively.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Lightning McQueen » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:55 am

Angle Vale were always going to be on the knife's edge for the first 6 to 10 years of existence until the exodus of Smithfield players had passed and they had established their own nucleus of players.
I'm pretty sure it was something like 28 players that made the move with big Steve down Curtis Rd which somewhat crippled Smithfield at the time. Steve has moved on and there are players making their way back up Curtis Rd, I hope for Angle Vale's sake that they can recruit bordering locals to maintain their existence.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Q. » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:56 am

Phantom Gossiper wrote:
Q. wrote:What the ****? Why would you lump us into that boat?

Our club is extremely well managed off the field.

Only given where the club is located, and not far from clubs like TTG & Modbury.
Do you have juniors out at Houghton? How do you attract your players?

I'm not doubting for one moment it isn't well managed, but that's not to say other circumstances might not hurt the club.


I think it's stupid naming clubs clubs like you've done.

As FC has pointed out, there isn't a common theme.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Lightning McQueen » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:57 am

Phantom Gossiper wrote:
Q. wrote:What the ****? Why would you lump us into that boat?

Our club is extremely well managed off the field.

Only given where the club is located, and not far from clubs like TTG & Modbury.
Do you have juniors out at Houghton? How do you attract your players?

I'm not doubting for one moment it isn't well managed, but that's not to say other circumstances might not hurt the club.


They have a big person magnet!
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Phantom Gossiper » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:58 am

.
Last edited by Phantom Gossiper on Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby X Runna » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:03 am

Phantom Gossiper wrote:
Footy Chick wrote:Let the mass debate* begin 8)

aaaaand i'm done.. 8)


4 minutes from post to post PG, longevity not your forte? ;)
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Phantom Gossiper » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:04 am

X Runna wrote:
Phantom Gossiper wrote:
Footy Chick wrote:Let the mass debate* begin 8)

aaaaand i'm done.. 8)


4 minutes from post to post PG, longevity not your forte? ;)

I was quite proud of the effort! Thought I had improved :lol:
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Arch44 » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:06 am

I personally would like to see the amateur league live up to its name have no clubs pay any players. Will never happen I know.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Haynzy » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:18 am

Phantom Gossiper wrote:
Q. wrote:What the ****? Why would you lump us into that boat?

Our club is extremely well managed off the field.

Only given where the club is located, and not far from clubs like TTG & Modbury.
Do you have juniors out at Houghton? How do you attract your players?

I'm not doubting for one moment it isn't well managed, but that's not to say other circumstances might not hurt the club.


I would say that Houghton would have an easier time of attracting players, as there are plenty of blokes around the North Eastern suburbs happy to have a kick and a laugh with mates in a lower division. Plus there are a large amount of high schools in the area with kids still playing Aussie Rules rather than soccer.

The challenge more sits with the higher division clubs attracting enough quality players that want to take it serious, so need to look outside of the local areas.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Footy Smart » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:22 am

Haynzy wrote:
Phantom Gossiper wrote:
Q. wrote:What the ****? Why would you lump us into that boat?

Our club is extremely well managed off the field.

Only given where the club is located, and not far from clubs like TTG & Modbury.
Do you have juniors out at Houghton? How do you attract your players?

I'm not doubting for one moment it isn't well managed, but that's not to say other circumstances might not hurt the club.


I would say that Houghton would have an easier time of attracting players, as there are plenty of blokes around the North Eastern suburbs happy to have a kick and a laugh with mates in a lower division. Plus there are a large amount of high schools in the area with kids still playing Aussie Rules rather than soccer.

The challenge more sits with the higher division clubs attracting enough quality players that want to take it serious, so need to look outside of the local areas.


Agreed Haynzy, Houghton seem compfortable (while im sure always looking to play as high as possible) with where they play. They dont 'sell their soul' to be something they arent. I know a few of the houghton boys and they just love the club culture and playing with mates so it serves their purpose.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby The Cows » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:25 am

I think it just goes in cycles. I remeber when we could hardly fill a C grade team and then 5 years later we have a D grade. One thing we have seen is a lot of lower clubs targeting our fringe B/C grade players and offering them money/opportunity to play A grade. Also the younger blokes are different these days, they want to travel etc. I know we have lost over 30 players this year.
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Re: Clubs in strife

Postby Footy Chick » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:32 am

The Cows wrote:I Also the younger blokes are different these days, they want to travel etc. I know we have lost over 30 players this year.


Would you regard this as the main reason for the exodus at Flinders Park Cows?
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