SA Footy

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The AFL is trying to persuade the SANFL to adopt conformity around the nation by changing its name, state-wide structure and under-age competition – and it has found huge stumbling blocks on all three counts.
The AFL, the game's biggest and by far the most affluent and influential body, wants to remain at the top of the governing pyramid, with the state leagues underneath and each having the same structure.

In recent years there have been distinctive name changes to the state leagues – to the Victorian AFL, West Australian AFL, Queensland AFL, Northern Territory AFL, Tasmanian AFL, ACT/NSW AFL – but here it remains the SA National Football League.

The SANFL cannot change to the SAAFL because the acronym is already being used by the SA Amateur Football League. A senior representative from the SANFL recently unofficially asked the amateurs to change their name, but the response was a stern "no".

The SANFL is trying to implement a community league in place of the current affiliated leagues structure. Basically, the community league board would be made up of a general manager, with most of the representatives appointed by the SANFL, and would basically make every major decision.

The affiliated league comprises representatives appointed by each of the seven country zones, plus the SAAFL.

David Shipway, SANFL commissioner and chairman of the SANFL Affiliated Leagues Council, told The Independent Weekly early last month that he anticipated the new community board would be implemented by the end of the month. However, much angst continues to thwart the plan, and at least three country leagues are still threatening to disaffiliate with the SANFL – and, in turn, breakaway from the AFL structure.

The affiliated leagues are saying the SANFL has delivered a solution but hasn't identified the problem. The SANFL doesn't know how much it will cost to fund the new board but it wants the affiliated leagues to agree to meeting the cost by placing an additional $10 levy on each player aged over 14 throughout the state. The league also wants to change the country zones, but is having trouble convincing the affiliated leagues of its logic.

Some affiliated league officials have said they mistrust the SANFL and are convinced the league is following a direction by the AFL.

The issue of scrapping the SANFL's under-17s and under-19s competition and moving into line with the rest of Australia by having just one under-18 competition has been long debated, and four or five of the SANFL clubs strongly oppose any change. The overwhelming argument for change is SA's continued failure in the national under-18 competition, and SA providing fewer quality draft picks.

It is believed the AFL is pressuring the SANFL to enforce the changes to its name, structure and under-age competitions by offering a significant increase in finance for junior development. It is understood that while other states, which have conformed, receive $2.5 million for junior development, the SANFL receives just $1 million from the national competition.

AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou met SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker in Adelaide last Friday, but Demetriou denied the SANFL had asked for additional funding. "It was a general catch-up with Leigh," he said. "We had a general chat about the stadium."

When asked whether SA would receive additional funding, Demetriou responded: "We are going trough our budget process now. We normally complete our budget round by August-September."

Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?

Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.

I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?
Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.
I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The whole exercise is rebadging to suit the needs of Foxtel, and it major shareholder Telstra.
It has nothing to do with the good of the game, only making money out of it.

The problem is revenue for the SANFL, for way to long the SANFL management have stuck their head in the sand when it comes to reaching out and bringing other revenue streams into the SANFL outside of the current ones.

The SANFL no doubt see the offer from the AFL as the solution, yet it will very much be a poisioned challice for the SANFL as many many people specifically like the SANFL because it is seperate from the SANFL.

We need to look to the NRL for guidance, not the AFL in this situation.

Each SANFL club needs to pull their finger out and follow the lead of the NAFC and own or lease more than one venue to increase revenue streams into their club. The SANFL Admin also need to working in this area and having a neutral venue in the city that pumps money into junior development as a result.

If we become subserviant as a competition to the VFL/AFL it will denigrate our competition and we will soon be held back to the standard of other states - to make it fair across the board of course.

Hopefully though there are enough commited SANFL fans that will not allow it to happen, we can stop it if we are prepared to put in the work required to fight them all the way.

Psyber wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?
Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.
I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The whole exercise is rebadging to suit the needs of Foxtel, and it major shareholder Telstra.
It has nothing to do with the good of the game, only making money out of it.

agreed, hence I don't want it to happen.

However, the AFL could then hold us to ransom unfortunately, so I see it as a matter of time before we get forced to.

gadj1976 wrote:

Psyber wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?
Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.
I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The whole exercise is rebadging to suit the needs of Foxtel, and it major shareholder Telstra.
It has nothing to do with the good of the game, only making money out of it.

agreed, hence I don't want it to happen.

However, the AFL could then hold us to ransom unfortunately, so I see it as a matter of time before we get forced to.

Since North Melb didn't take the tens of millions offered by the AFL to go to the Gold Coast, give us that money instead and we'll change the name when the money runs out.

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?

Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.

I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The SANFL is NOT one of Demetriou's products.

The SANFL is NOT one of Demetriou's products.

The correct answer. Say no more !

he will kill the AFL very quickly because he has no idea on what he is doing. All he seems to want to do is flood the market and kill off nrl and a league. we might see a WCW situation happening here if Andrew isn't careful

Strawb07 wrote:he will kill the AFL very quickly because he has no idea on what he is doing. All he seems to want to do is flood the market and kill off nrl and a league. we might see a WCW situation happening here if Andrew isn't careful

Don't think there's any chance he'll kill the AFL mate ... It's a juggernaut that keeps increasing in value.

I don't agree with a lot that he says or does, mainly because I think he follows a different mandate to what grassroots supporters want, but the AFL won't be going anywhere in a hurry, of that you can be assured.

Pseudo wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?

Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.

I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The SANFL is NOT one of Demetriou's products.

Ahh, yeh, again, I'm agreeing with you guys. I was playing devil's advocate (not very well I suggest).

I think it is possible that once Foxtel get control of the market, and they are the dominant route by which AFL is accessible to the public, they will turn on the AFL administration and start offering less money, pointing out that they are sure Soccer [aka "football" in some funny places] or NRL would take the lesser deal now being offered instead. Then, having abandoned all other options in favour of the Telstra dollar in the past, the AFL will find it hard to recreate an alternative strategy.

There is precedent - Medibank, and later Medicare, seduced general practitioners into bulk-billing in the 1970s with generous rates then put the squeeze on. Medicare rebates have risen by about 64% of CPI since 1973, apart from some "incentive" payments tied to providing and rationing medical care the way the bureaucracy dictates - e.g. accusations of "overservicing" if you do "too many" long consultations and bill accordingly. [10 mintes per patient, or less, is the standard set by Medicare.]

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?

Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.

I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

Well how about because we (Australians in and from each state and region) are not all exactly the same. The great thing about state based competition is just that. It's state based has its own soul/charecter/idiosyncracies etc etc. It is exactly these things which give us the special relationship we have with our league.

Any person taking control of a national product who does not want to recognise regional diferences is a fool who is not doing a good job. Sorry to rant but the fact words such as branding and product are being used is indicative of the problem itself.

Cheers

Pseudo wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?

Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.

I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The SANFL is NOT one of Demetriou's products.

Neither was the WAFL, VFL, and other leagues.

Pseudo wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:Don't get me wrong. I don't want the SAAFL to change, and I don't want the SANFL to change, but if you were Demetriou, why wouldn't you want National branding to be standard across the nation?

Any person in any organisation who's taken control of a National product would want identical branding across all their products.

I can't see the problem with his ideaology in principal, I just hope it doesn't happen for historical matters.

The SANFL is NOT one of Demetriou's products.

Not yet. But he is paying the salary of an ever increasing number of the SANFL employees, one day the threat of having the rug pulled out from underneath will convince the SANFL that AFLSA is their new name (Admin only - I am still convinced they will leave the competition as SANFL).

Demented Demetriou say no mre !!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psyber wrote:I think it is possible that once Foxtel get control of the market, and they are the dominant route by which AFL is accessible to the public, they will turn on the AFL administration and start offering less money, pointing out that they are sure Soccer [aka "football" in some funny places] or NRL would take the lesser deal now being offered instead. Then, having abandoned all other options in favour of the Telstra dollar in the past, the AFL will find it hard to recreate an alternative strategy.

I don't think so Tim er I mean Psyber.

They (the AFL) have shown no loyalty what so ever to any network, yet they keep stepping up to the plate and offering more and more to secure the rights for 3 years or so at a time.

Telstra/Foxtel would only get shafted quicker than quick if they tried to reduce payment for said product. 10, 9, 7 would pounce in a nano second.

bosvit wrote:

Psyber wrote:I think it is possible that once Foxtel get control of the market, and they are the dominant route by which AFL is accessible to the public, they will turn on the AFL administration and start offering less money, pointing out that they are sure Soccer [aka "football" in some funny places] or NRL would take the lesser deal now being offered instead. Then, having abandoned all other options in favour of the Telstra dollar in the past, the AFL will find it hard to recreate an alternative strategy.

I don't think so Tim er I mean Psyber.

They (the AFL) have shown no loyalty what so ever to any network, yet they keep stepping up to the plate and offering more and more to secure the rights for 3 years or so at a time.

Telstra/Foxtel would only get shafted quicker than quick if they tried to reduce payment for said product. 10, 9, 7 would pounce in a nano second.

Except none of the free to air networks would be likely to offer much more then than the reduced deal Foxtel had put up at that stage, and they may have already made commitments elsewhere.

Isn't AFL currently protected in part by anti-siphoning legislation?

Since when have the VFL and WAFL changed their names?

Cant find anything anywhere on the internet about Victorian AFL or Western Austalian AFL. Its VFL and WAFL.