SANFL - NTFL talks have re-commenced

[Dogsbody]

But they still may head to the West.

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NT will be in local league
2009 the year, says SANFL boss

Michael McGuire, Sunday Mail 14/10/07

The Northern Territory will have a team in either the South Australian or Western Australian state football leagues by 2009, according to SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker. The AFL-NT met with him and the SANFL last Monday to discuss a team joining the local competition and another meeting will be held next month.

At the same time AFL-NT officials are also meeting with the WAFL to consider which league would be the best option. "We have indicated thatour league and our clubs would be keen to explore the option for a Northern Territory team to join the SANFL as a 10th team," Whicker said. "It would bring a whole new level of excitement to our competition. The work they (the AFL-NT) have done over the last 12 months shows there is sufficient support from governments and the private sector that it could be a realistic proposition where it wasn't 10 years ago."

The SANFL has not had a 10-team league since Woodville and West Torrens merged in the 1991 season. A new team would simplify the league, get rid of the bye and reduce the season from 23 weeks to 18 weeks, with each team playing the other twice. The SANFL had been hoping to attract a Tasmanian team to SA but that plan collapsed when the Tasmanians elected to remain part of the Victorian Football League.

Carlton chairman and billionaire businessman Dick Pratt is believed to have committed funding to the NT project while the Federal Government and the AFL are also supportive. The AFL-NT has previously indicated it would need about $1.2 million a year to run a team in the SANFL. AFL-NT chief executive Tony Frawley said he was confident a team could be in the SA or WA league by 2009 and expected to have the funding bedded down over the next four-to-six weeks. "We are very positive, we have done a lot of in-depth investigation," he said.

Mr Whicker said that including a team from the NT, which would play games out of both Alice Springs and Darwin, would be more than just a football team. He said the team would help raise spirits and living standards in remote communities and also give young, talented footballers a chance to develop a career in the game without the need to leave their home. "It would also give our players a chance to play in a different part of Australia," he said.

Mr Whicker said one of the strongest considerations for the AFL-NT was how competitive it would be in either of hte State leagues. He said the SANFL was considered to be a much stronger competition than the WAFL and the NT officials were concerned that it would struggle in the Adelaide league. "It would not be helpful to bring in a new team to the competition and have them belted week-in, week-out," he said.

[Mr66]

Dick Pratt to fund it?
He better hope that we keep paying inflated prices for his cardboard.
ACCC might end up scuttling this entire venture.

[zipzap]

Whicker's last point was hammered home on 5AA tonight - it really does sound like the WAFL is the preferred option.

[therisingblues]

I have always been in favour of the NT coming in, if the research said it is viable. The SANFL seems pretty keen now, and I trust them, as they were never like the trigger happy VFL or old /AFL of today with their massive changes to the structure, rules, spirit and name of the game of Aussie Rules. The SANFL were always safety first so it seems, and they have even been criticised for moving too slow in the past, so if they say it is safe to jump into the water, I am jumping in.
I don't buy the "not up to standard" line. If they don't have the players they just need to recruit. I know Tassie made some observations regarding the professionalism of the people running the show up that way, and of a culture incompatible with the work ethic of the 2nd best league in Australia. If such things are set in stone then Sturt should have thrown in the towel in the early nineties. But they aren't, and individuals with the ability and desire to impose a winning attitude on a group of people can always reshape the way that group operates, as Carman did in creating the spirit that eventually won the day in 2002, even though he was no longer coaching the Blues by then. Not to mention what Mickan has done with the Bays.
Give the Territory a place in the SANFL and they'll win a premiership one day.

[Ian]

The SANFL were always safety first so it seems, and they have even been criticised for moving too slow in the past,

That has always seemed to be the SA way (not just footy either):roll:

[MightyEagles]

If they do join us, will they have U17 and u19 teams?

[Jar Man Out]

Whicker's last point was hammered home on 5AA tonight - it really does sound like the WAFL is the preferred option.

i think they will struggle for the first couple of years whether it be SANFL or WAFL they join. They would of beaten West and South last year.

Big attraction about the SANFL is alot footballer come to the SANFl simply to test themselves in the best comp outside AFL. If NTFL join the WAFl players may still want to come to the SANFl for that challenge.

But if you have a team in the SANFL however.

It should be our major selling point.

[MatteeG]

Can we give this up again already.

Keep the 9 teams. We dont need to be travelling to the NT for games FFS.

[darley16]

If the NT club (club as opposed to team) is in this for a minimum of 15 years and there is no cost or impost on any SANFL club then i can see little down side and would further project the SANFL into the greater football conscience.

[Pup]

Can we give this up again already.

Keep the 9 teams. We dont need to be travelling to the NT for games FFS.

1 game a year, Big Deal.

If it is found to be viable i would be all for it, i think it would be great.

It needs to be for the long term though. I am with TRB and i hate the throw away line "Not up to the standard" so we will join the WAFL. They are going to find it hard to adjust in either comp for the first 2 or 3 years with the travelling and the standards.

I would rather them join the SANFL than the WAFL. I think it would enhance the comp even further in the long run.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

What concerns me is the reduction of the season to 18 rounds. Does that mean that the SANFL season starts 5 weeks after the AFL? Will a pre-season comp be re-introduced to make up for it and allow AFL listed players match practice, or do clubs have to play 5 or 6 trial games?

An 18 round SANFL could be disastrous.

[once_were_warriors]

What concerns me is the reduction of the season to 18 rounds. Does that mean that the SANFL season starts 5 weeks after the AFL? Will a pre-season comp be re-introduced to make up for it and allow AFL listed players match practice, or do clubs have to play 5 or 6 trial games?

An 18 round SANFL could be disastrous.

18 rounds is perfect in my opinion , no quibbing about playing one side 3 times and one side twice. Fairest way of going about it.
Leadup games WAFL premier V SANFL Premier - 1 week
Preseason Cup 3-10 play first round ,1st & 2nd have bye - Then knockout games to decide grandfinalists , play at Thebby,Norwood or Eliz under lights, make prize money 20K that goes to the club with no implication on Salary Cap

Competion starts with Anzac Day match round1 - Perfect Start

[whufc]

If the NTFL get a team in please SANFL make them play all there games in Darwin after seeing what happened in the Alice Springs GF, there is no way ill be going to watch the Dogs in Alice and i lived there for a year.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

What concerns me is the reduction of the season to 18 rounds. Does that mean that the SANFL season starts 5 weeks after the AFL? Will a pre-season comp be re-introduced to make up for it and allow AFL listed players match practice, or do clubs have to play 5 or 6 trial games?

An 18 round SANFL could be disastrous.

18 rounds is perfect in my opinion , no quibbing about playing one side 3 times and one side twice. Fairest way of going about it.
Leadup games WAFL premier V SANFL Premier - 1 week
Preseason Cup 3-10 play first round ,1st & 2nd have bye - Then knockout games to decide grandfinalists , play at Thebby,Norwood or Eliz under lights, make prize money 20K that goes to the club with no implication on Salary Cap

Competion starts with Anzac Day match round1 - Perfect Start

Would need 4 or 5 matches played each week during pre-season. Crows and Power players not selected but fit in AFL rounds 1 to 5 will need somewhere to play.
Another thing to think about, and hypothetical, Matt Thomas is on the verge of making the Power side but not selected, Norwood is playing NT in Darwin, will the Power let him travel with the legs up to Darwin, when possibly he could be suiting up the Power the following week against Freo at Subiaco??

We F'N had 22 rounds with 10 teams before, and a pre-season comp of 6 weeks, which were not knock out.

[once_were_warriors]

Well its only two less league games than they play now, so no big deal.

As for Adelaide/Port players not making their respective teams and having no where to play, Im sure they could utilise their multi million dollar facilities to maintain their fitness and maybe AFL 2007 on playstation to improve their footy skills.

[HeartBeatsTrue]

Well, a return of the old Escort/Foundation Cup where there were 5 full rounds of footy followed by a 1st v 2nd playoff to decide winner would suffice, to make up for 3 less games for the average SANFL supporter. (Dont think many will travel to NT to watch their team)
Will also mean less games at Adel Oval, with only Sturt perhaps moving a few home games there.

I like the comp the way it is.

[Apachebulldog]

What a lot of hocus pocus, pie in the sky, bullshit, crap, rubbish paper selling tripe.

Who the hell is gonna pay for local teams to got to the NT or the NT coming down to SA every second week ???

Is every one willing to pay $20 to go see a local game of footy, i for one will not.

I might take up lawn bowls or badminton if this appens !!!

What a load of tripe !!!!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zipzap]

Funny thing is, I've grown to like the bye. Good to have a week off sometimes, or even to go down the Bay and watch the Tiges. Be weird not having a bye

[Rushby Hinds]

Funny thing is, I've grown to like the bye. Good to have a week off sometimes, or even to go down the Bay and watch the Tiges. Be weird not having a bye

aah, is that why you looked so pleased after the elimination final?

[zipzap]

Funny thing is, I've grown to like the bye. Good to have a week off sometimes, or even to go down the Bay and watch the Tiges. Be weird not having a bye

aah, is that why you looked so pleased after the elimination final?

What elimination final?