the 1st discussion brought great debate, and since has caused enhancements to the model
PROBLEM #1
"Clubs with C-Grade & D-Grade sides who have to play against A-Grade club are losing players rapidly, 4 Div 1 & 2 clubs in the last 14 months have forfeited their D-Grade sides" - TTG, Broadview, Flinders Park, SHOCS
# Next season faces a dilemma with the likeliness of these Div 7 C-Grade participants (Shocs, Smosh, Modbury, Flinders Parks and possibly henley) wanting to no longer playing agrade clubs and will be wanting to go to div 8. Here having their cgraders play cgraders only will means players will stick and wont be turned off from the game. clubs want to attract & keep players. a rising participation rate at any club is always the goal
# This means Div 7 next season may only have 5 teams - North Pines, Mitchell Park, Angle Vale, Flinders Uni & Adelaide Uni
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PROBLEM #2
# Clubs are on the brink having only 1 team and may not be capable of reforming a 2nd side next season. Kilburn, Mitchell Park, Flinders Uni, Wingfield, even Angle Vale?
(this problem, we will hold hope and believe theyll be fine next year)
PROBLEM #3
# Developing lower division A-Grade clubs are having premierships taken away from their club development, because C & D Grade sides are consistently winning grand finals in div 7. The 8 of the last 10 flags in the last 5 years have been won by thirds & fourths sides. These lower agrade clubs have missed out on glory halting their development & success
A SOLUTION
# 7 Pure A-Grade divisions...
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# Having byes moved into each division will cause an uproar by individuals. but the league is bigger than one poor club who may have to take a week off once in a while
# Having byes like this also offers opportunities to invite new fully established clubs to the SAAFL and allow them to fill the Div 3 bye. For example Brighton may consider the Div 3 invitation, where theres no way in the world it would join a vacancy in Div 7. MArion could join Div 4, or Morphettville or Blackwood etc. By 2016 these byes could be filled.
# The Super C-Grade divisions will see participation rates back to where they should be or even better - BECAUSE boys who just want a kick and catch in the C-Grade wont be turned off by having to get smashed by some supreme a-grader - it will be C-Grader vs C-Grader only and that is highly appetizing for a c-grader
# essentially the only consequence to most a-grade clubs is that theyll have to take a week off twice a year.
# also some clubs may go down a division. but maybe in the following season, the league could declare that 3 sides will be promoted & relegated just to return a clubs to their true standing across the divisions for the following 2016 season.
# a runner up in this years grand finals will not be able to be promoted, and the premier will be gifted a chance in the higher div
# please see the solution chart to see how many teams in each div needs to be relegated.
The league is also bigger than one club who above all others is insistent on having their own little competition. Or are Henley the Collingwood of the SAAFL. Get over it and let the league handle it as they have for the past x number of years.