am Bays wrote:Booney wrote:wenchbarwer wrote:UK Fan wrote:I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.
Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000
VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.
Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.
My argument would be whilst the VFL may allow a more controlled environment where you can develop players the strength of the SANFL competition and it ahs been for the last 30 years compared to the VFL is it is where you learn to compete. It is tough contested footy that mirrors the AFL with respect to the contested midfield pressure to create turnover and get yardage into the the 50. Play the game in your half. its what Richmond and and Collingwood h built their game plans on
It's my opinion that in the last 10 years both the Port and Crows have lacked the competitive edge when push comes to shove they haven't stood up in big matches due to not embracing the competitive advantages of learning to compete in the SANFL.
The SANFL if treated right by both port and the Crows could be their competitive edge.
Lorenz and Anastopoulos would have never played in such a competitive contested match in all their lives and you could see Anastapolulos adjusting to the s demands of the game towards the end.
I dont think he'll get that last week if he was playing in the VFL against another 3rd rounder of the Casey demons
Just my opinion
The counter argument would be that round in 2 2023, pick 59 from the 2022 draft Kyle Marshall at 18, 201cm and 84kg walks from the South Adelaide U18's to full back at Glenelg Oval standing Liam McBean, the week after at Unley he gets Lachlan Burrows.....you would agree that for many kids this isn't the ideal development path. I agree, in some respect, with the sink or swim approach but that doesn't work for all.
Consider the 14 sides in Vic, NSW and Qld are all developing their players against players of a similar ilk and you might say they have an advantage.
We also have the scheduling issues that often means two or more players on the verge of AFL selection spend the weekend in their training shorts not able to play at the next level down and are held out of any meaningful match for the weekend hindering that form progress or return from injury match fitness.
I can see arguments for and against our move that will happen in 2025.