Port Rezoning

[areaman]

I have asked the Eagles whether they consider we achieved this or not.

Tell us all if you get a reply; would be a little surprised if you did TBH.

I did get a reply from our CEO Peter Schwarz. He noted what I said and mentionde there would be a statement coming out shortly and sent me a copy.

This statement now appears on the website. here it is:

The recent SANFL club boundaries review has resulted in significant changes to the Eagles club zone from September 2014. These changes have been necessitated by the reallocation of the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club zone between the remaining eight SANFL clubs.

As part of the review process, club President, Kurt Slaven and myself presented to the review committee. The cornerstone of our presentation was to retain as much of our existing zone as possible, particularly those areas that could arguably be called our “heartland”. As a club we argued strongly for this. However, the review process dictated that the final decision on boundaries would be made by the SANFL Commission upon the recommendation of the Review Committee.

Over past boundary reviews there has been pressure placed on the southern border of our zone and over time, small sections have been allocated to other clubs. Due to the size of the area needed to be reallocated (Port Magpies metropolitan zone), and the fact that our zone borders Port’s zone to the north, it was inevitable that the Eagles would be allocated portions of Port’s zone and subsequently large portions of our southern and eastern zone would be reallocated to other clubs. Our country zone, which has produced large numbers of Eagles league footballers has remained unchanged.

As a club we are excited to be working with schools, clubs and communities in the “new” parts of our zone. The Lefevre Peninsula is a traditional football area with well-established clubs and football culture. This is a rich breeding ground for future Eagles league players. The pathway to playing league and AFL football for these young players will now be through the Eagles. We have an enviable record of developing talented footballers who go on to play SANFL league and AFL football and we will welcome them and their families into our club with open arms.

No doubt there are significant challenges facing us in building the “Eagles” brand in the new areas of our zone, but we embrace these challenges and the enormous opportunities that they present for our club into the future.

Eagles members and supporters who live in areas that are no longer in our promotional zone will still, and hopefully, always, remain Eagles members and supporters. A line on a map does not dictate which club you support. Clubs that were previously located in our zone, with which we have enjoyed a fruitful and tremendous relationship with, will still have young footballers that live in our revised zone playing for them. We will continue to work with them in developing those talented young footballers. New clubs to our zone will experience the distinctive Eagles approach to development and we look forward to working with them in providing the best possible pathway to success.

The future of our club is exciting and although the lines on a map may have changed we will continue to do what we do best, that is, be a dominant force in the SANFL competition. I urge all Eagles supporters to continue to support the gold, green and blue with pride and passion.

[bennymacca]

Seems fair enough. Good response by them I would have thought

[Aerie]

Honestly, what did we expect was going to happen?

For those that wanted Port not to have a zone anymore, this was always going to be the outcome. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that I'd be flabbergasted if the WWTFC weren't planning for this since the Magpies became the Power reserves.

Granted, I'm not from the Torrens part of our Club (living in Souths zone) but I see an opportunity. We get to keep all the existing members we have and promote to our existing database of people. Surely if people aren't already on board from a Torrens perspective, they're not likely to be on board in future?

And, we get to promote to a totally new set of people in an area which. Is historically quite rich in football talent. It'll be a challenge but by the looks, we have more 'new' metropolitan people than any other Club.

I have absolute faith in Phil Herden to be able to make an opportunity out of this.

I thought they could've had our southern border as the River Torrens, eastern border as either South Rd or Holbrooks Rd/East Ave/David Tce, northern border as Torrens Rd and a line through to the Port River adding the LeFevre Peninsula.

I guess this is an opportunity for the club to generate new support. There must be thousands of people living in the greater Port area just waiting to finally break the shackles and support the Eagles. They've only got an AFL club called Port Adelaide and an SANFL team called Port Adelaide to compete with. Not to mention all those local businesses who will support with sponsorship dollars!

The club can't play the line "we need you more now than ever" and expect everyone to hand over membership and season ticket dollars when without our consent they have changed the fabric of the competition and the homeland of our club.

[Aerie]

As part of the review process, club President, Kurt Slaven and myself presented to the review committee. The cornerstone of our presentation was to retain as much of our existing zone as possible, particularly those areas that could arguably be called our “heartland”. As a club we argued strongly for this. However, the review process dictated that the final decision on boundaries would be made by the SANFL Commission upon the recommendation of the Review Committee.

So we argued strongly to keep those areas that could arguably be called our "heartland".

What a load of wank.

[RB]

I guess this is an opportunity for the club to generate new support. There must be thousands of people living in the greater Port area just waiting to finally break the shackles and support the Eagles. They've only got an AFL club called Port Adelaide and an SANFL team called Port Adelaide to compete with. Not to mention all those local businesses who will support with sponsorship dollars!

Not to mention players from the Port Adelaide area dying to play for Woodville West Torrens.

[areaman]

Seems fair enough. Good response by them I would have thought

I assume you are joking.

[bennymacca]

Seems fair enough. Good response by them I would have thought

I assume you are joking.

I wasn't actually.

I Meant that their position is clearly explained.

Whether or not the members agree is a completely different matter and one I can't comment on because I don't have a specific interest.

[Rising Power]

So will some of these PAFC supporters finally now admit the Magpies are finally KAPUT DEAD NADA ??????

A 143 years of Magpie teamS history and zones destroyed !!!

Well done SANFL you really have excelled in destroying a once great competition.

RIP Magpies.

Get stuffed SANFL !!!!!!!!!!!

As far as I know there will still be a Port Adelaide 'Magpies' in the SANFL next year. My team

I'm looking forward to the effect of reducing the junior system by one team will have on the overall competition. Should strengthen the U18s, reserves and potentially the amateur/country leagues too. Keep those junior titles coming to SA!

I do not how long you have been following the SANFL ????

I have been a die hard supporter of SANFL for around 45 years and have enjoyed my club competing against the real Magpies.

Look you can call them the Magpies if you like if it makes feel nice warm and fuzzy.

But i would suggest that in reality most supporters in their hearts realise they are now just a AFL Reserves team.

My gist of the post was to highlight the SANFL comp is stuffed without the real SANFL Magpies they were a INTEGRAL part and cornerstone of the SANFL.

Should the AFL Power Reserves take out the 2014 SANFL Premiership then next year we will see thousands more turn away from the SANFL.

So sad !

RIP Magpies 1870 - 2013

RIP SANFL !

Hence the quotation marks...'Magpies'. I'll still be going to SANFL games next year to support my team. To answer your question my earliest 'clear' memory of SANFL is watching the 1989 grand final on TV as an 8 year old, and my earliest memory of attending a game is watching Scott Hodges kick a truck load (possibly his 100th) against South at Alberton in 1990 so that's 24-25 years worth. Unfortunately I only manage to get to a handful of games each year due to my own sporting and family commitments.

But do you not agree that the standard of the game should improve with more footballers competing for fewer places in the SANFL system? The crowd attendance is a separate issue to a certain extent.

[areaman]

Seems fair enough. Good response by them I would have thought

I assume you are joking.

I wasn't actually.

I Meant that their position is clearly explained.

Whether or not the members agree is a completely different matter and one I can't comment on because I don't have a specific interest.

It's good PR spin but no substance behind it.

It doesn't properly address the fact that the Eagles heartland has been lost.

My email to the club said the following which sums up how I feel:
At the heart of the matter is that the boundary changes now means the club's name of Woodville-West Torrens is now a historical reference to its past rather than an accurate reflection of the area it will represent. It appears to me that the club could be more accurately called the Port Adelaide Eagles or Woodville-Port Adelaide at best.

Kind of like how Centrals fans would feel if large chunks of Elizabeth were lost to North Adelaide etc.

[whufc]

U wouldn't expect an Predominatly AFL fan to understand though, heartlands and home grown are dying words in the AFL. A franchise can be picked up and moved at any stage.

No disrespect to u Benny but at a guess I'm going guess that your under the age of 23 and have just been saturated by the AFL from birth.

[Booney]

Central Districts isn't really Central to anything. Sturt isn't really in Sturt.

Would you like to be called the Woodville-Port Adelaide-Le Fevre-North West Suburbs Eagles?

[whufc]

Central Districts isn't really Central to anything. Sturt isn't really in Sturt.

Would you like to be called the Woodville-Port Adelaide-Le Fevre-North West Suburbs Eagles?

Come on Booney as a Port supporter you are the first to know 'its about mate than just a name'

[Booney]

U wouldn't expect an Predominatly AFL fan to understand though, heartlands and home grown are dying words in the AFL. A franchise can be picked up and moved at any stage.

No disrespect to u Benny but at a guess I'm going guess that your under the age of 23 and have just been saturated by the AFL from birth.

Why wouldn't you?

"...you're an idiot, but no disrespect..."

[Dogwatcher]

Central Districts isn't really Central to anything. Sturt isn't really in Sturt.

Would you like to be called the Woodville-Port Adelaide-Le Fevre-North West Suburbs Eagles?

Don't include us in this, our name represents a carnival from which the club's representative area was derived, not the region in which we're located.

[areaman]

Central Districts isn't really Central to anything. Sturt isn't really in Sturt.

Would you like to be called the Woodville-Port Adelaide-Le Fevre-North West Suburbs Eagles?

It's probably an accurate reflection of our new area so why not.

[Mr Beefy]

They should move their base to Alberton, be a bit more central than Woodville.

[whufc]

U wouldn't expect an Predominatly AFL fan to understand though, heartlands and home grown are dying words in the AFL. A franchise can be picked up and moved at any stage.

No disrespect to u Benny but at a guess I'm going guess that your under the age of 23 and have just been saturated by the AFL from birth.

Why wouldn't you?

"...you're an idiot, but no disrespect..."

Because the AFL (especially the created franchises Adelaide, West Coast) isn't about heartland supporters, it's about capturing a wider audience

How many players on Adelaides list are from it's 'heartland', how many players/supporters even live its heartland of 'Adelaide'.

For me growing up I had no choice but to support Centrals, my family did, I lived in spitting distance of the ground, my school teacher was Richard Cochrane snr, who i also lived next door to and use to smash the cochrane brothers with my mates in backyard footy, and grew up at various stages having Matty Slade, Justin Casserly, Daniel Healy, Nathan Steinberner as our school teachers

We grew up at Wilbur Wilson house as our best mate was his son Adrian, Gilbert McAdam was the bar fly who use to come out and have a kick with us on Monday night at Eastern Park. And while we all played cdfa football against each other on weekends, we all came together to support the Dogs on Saturdays while dreaming we would wear the red, white and blue swearing we would never wear the black and white even if we got paid to.

These days the only time a Port Power player would venture into Port Adelaide would be for a promo photo shoot

[Booney]

It's a good story indeed, but our generation ( I'm assuming you're in your 30's ) might be about the last to experience that.

I grew up in Brooklyn Park, followed Port, my best mate from Lockleys was Glenelg, the third of our group was Norwood. All living in the Westies area.

With families more inclined to move for work and economic reasons ( where they can afford to buy / rent ) and kids likely to follow their Dad/Grand Dad's team the days of living in the area of the team you support is less likely to occur.

Couple that with SANFL clubs spending less time in schools than they did in our day ( remember pie and pasty nights? ) and where your zone is will become less and less relevant to who supports you.

I don't expect kids from North Haven to become Woodville-Port Adelaide-Le Fevre-North West Suburbs Eagles supporters over night.

[whufc]

It's a good story indeed, but our generation ( I'm assuming you're in your 30's ) might be about the last to experience that.

I grew up in Brooklyn Park, followed Port, my best mate from Lockleys was Glenelg, the third of our group was Norwood. All living in the Westies area.

With families more inclined to move for work and economic reasons ( where they can afford to buy / rent ) and kids likely to follow their Dad/Grand Dad's team the days of living in the area of the team you support is less likely to occur.

Couple that with SANFL clubs spending less time in schools than they did in our day ( remember pie and pasty nights? ) and where your zone is will become less and less relevant to who supports you.

Exactly that's my point, I think we are the last to experience that and that's why I was saying someone who I am presuming has grown up on nothing but AFL isn't understanding why an older SANFL fan is so passionate about losing its clubs 'heartland'

The culture of heartlands in AFL especially outside of the Victorian clubs is non exsistant

I'm all for change but this another small piece of our game which I'm sad to see disappear.

[Booney]

I don't think you're giving Benny enough credit.

Anyone who follows football understands the theory of heartland and zones. That's my point.

All good.