AFL Reserves Discussion...

[tigers34738586]

Personally think the competition has been compromised since from day 1 of the crows and then with port going in ...just made everything twice as bad. players coming and going from sides, and with the AFL clubs saying how they wanted them played.
I have been able to put up with that along with many other things, but if they come into our competition.....even the reserves competition,that might just be the last straw

[stampy]

Yep, it's true. My mum grew up around Thebarton and both her brothers were Torrens boys. She doesn't like footy at all but she used to get excited when Torrens had a home game because the streets around the oval would become choked with cars and foot traffic. The stories I used to hear seemed out of place growing up in the footy atmosphere of the 80's which was all Port, Norwood, Glenelg and Sturt, but clearly there was a different rege back then and Torrens were a club of influence. I imagine there'd have been thousands of sleeper supporters who would've stormed back in droves if the Eagles success was actually solely Torrens's and not amalgamated with Woodville.

Insofar as it is possible to storm anywhere on a gopher or other mobility assistance device. Not having a go, just saying that most of Torrens' latent support would be of the age where gathering around the wireless in the day room would be preferred to actually attending a game.

True now, but 20 years ago if the 50-60 year olds (at the time) kept going, it may have kept the next generations going along too.
Out of the merger, the one disappointment is, given our reasonable on-field success and over the last 15 years what seems good off-field set-up, we haven't been able to keep even a middle-of-the-road supporter base.

That's right.
Torrens won their last flag in 1953, capping off a 30 year period in which they won 4 flags (1924, 1933, 1945, 1953) the era was also peppered with magarey medals for the Eagles and one of their players (Neil Hawke) captained the Australian cricket side. Their location in the burgeoning Adelaide inner western suburbs and their appreciable record through the era must have contributed to a massive following.
In 1962 a record attendance at Thebarton of 20,832 turned up to see Torrens and Norwood play out a draw. The timing of this attendance would suggest that quite a few younger baby boomers had joined the ranks of their parents and grandparents bonded to the club through the earlier decades of individual and team success. Their record attendance at Adelaide Oval was 48,755 in 1948, again vs Norwood. I think what they had by the early 60's was the desirable situation of families following the club through the generations, encouraged by their elders and the prospect of more success.
I'd imagine some of those more impressionable baby boomers were siphoned off by more successful clubs in the 70's and 80's but the majority would have been simply not attending. My uncles would have been in their 20's in the 60's, by the time of the 1993 Eagles premiership they were early to mid 50's. I'm guessing there'd have been a few thousand baby boomers in their early teens at the 1962 blockbuster vs Norwood, I'm estimating a few thousand nostalgia driven Torrens fans in their mid 30's getting their kids out to yell for Torrens, just like the good old days. Under other circumstances the 1993 Eagles flag could indeed have resurrected the massive sleeping population of Torrens fans throughout SA.
I think we have a situation comparable to the 1998 Sturt resurgence and the thousands of Sturt fans standing in the terraces in all their old gear.
But as was pointed out, Torrens amalgamated with Woodville in 1990, and the sheer impact that a Torrens only revival would've had was greatly reduced.

i recall the bays getting beaten by torrens anzac day 1980 at adelaide oval, reckon there was around 20,000 there, the eagles were flying under kerls and they won by a slender margin, the support was more torrens than glenelg that day what i can remember

[tigers34738586]

I remember that game....think there was 22,000 and it was pouring down all day, it was a low scoring game, had never seen so many West Torrens supporters before

[on the rails]

http://m.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/adelaide-crows-determined-to-have-second-team-in-2014/story-e6frecoc-1226654119195

This article as with all others previously still doesn't address how the Crows will top up their "Reserves" Team to make the required numbers!!! Either the journalists are idiots and don't ask the question or the article is done on the control of the Adelaide FC who are dodging the question?

Port are silent because they think that they can just turn the Magpies into a Reserves side by grabbing the rest of their AFL listed players currently not at the Magpies so that solves the "top up" question for them or so they think! You can see why the SANFL clubs are dead against that option.

[smac]

Which is why having them in the SANFL reserves looks more appealing to me now than it ever has.

If they nick off to the VFL, the SANFL clubs have no control over how they manage top up players - they'll do as they please regardless of consequences to SANFL. If they are in the SANFL reserves then a set of rules can be put in place to control where top up players come from. Keep you friends close...

[am Bays]

Shouldn't we have a banner for our 100th thread on the AFL reserves/future of the Magpies??

[TEX07]

http://m.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/adelaide-crows-determined-to-have-second-team-in-2014/story-e6frecoc-1226654119195

Phil Harper is a very ugly man.

ape-like?

A little, that pic looks like sloth from The Goonies with hair!

[Lynwood]

Which is why having them in the SANFL reserves looks more appealing to me now than it ever has.

If they nick off to the VFL, the SANFL clubs have no control over how they manage top up players - they'll do as they please regardless of consequences to SANFL. If they are in the SANFL reserves then a set of rules can be put in place to control where top up players come from. Keep you friends close...

Agree hosting them in our reserves is the best option for the league. I would like to see U18s moved to before the league though if this happens

[Reddeer]

When the merge occurred, as far as I was concerned, West Torrens (the club I supported & played for) ceased to exist.

Woodville-West Torrens was a 'new' (newly formed @ least) Club.
Yes, it had ties with the 2 former clubs, but it was an entirely new entity as far as I was concerned.
I bought a Crows Season Ticket (which I gave up after the 1997 Season) & a WWT Scarf (still wear it actually).

The Leader of our Cheer Squad, I believe became one of the Leaders of the Crows Cheer Squad - please correct me if I'm wrong.
Like so many in 1991, many old West Torrens supporters (& others too) moved from SANFL to AFL - following the 'hype' that surrounded the Crows.

I don't think it was the merge necessarily that caused many of our supporters to disappear, more the advent of the 'New Boys in Town' - I still contend that had it not been for the advent of the AFC, West Torrens & Woodville may well have stayed on their own.
Anyone who was around then & remembers the 'panic & fear' for our SANFL competition surviving will acknowledge that - ultimately that's why PAFC were forced to stay in our competition & a 'corporate' team hastily assembled.

We are constantly 'bagged' as "quitters", "hybrids", "soft option takers" etc. etc. - that's fine, that is the nature of The Forum, but...

I now support 1 club - WWTFC.
If this club (that I am a paid up member of & have been for over a decade) vote to support AFL Reserves in he SANFL - I will 'wash my hands' of them.

My son (incidentally a Member since 2004 - 1st game was the 2003 Prelim Final vs Sturt as a 4 yr old) has known nothing but Woodville - West Torrens FC.
He, like all the other '2nd Generation' supporters of our club, knows only "The Eagles".
To him, what went on before means very little - he too will NOT support his club allowing the competition to become compromised.

We will take our patronage & our money & go somewhere else - probably the A-League.

This is not "giving up" or being "fair whether supporters" - it is simply because we love supporting the SANFL as a whole.
We will continue to go to the Grand Final - that is OUR Day together EVERY year, regardless of who's playing.
But we will not otherwise support a competition (& a club for that matter) that is considered a 'Mickey Mouse' "feeder" competition for the AFL Clubs in this state.
We have a competition that has been going for 136 years - it would be a travesty if that tradition were removed to simply pander to the Victorian Dominated so-called National Competition.

Right On
The powers that be had better get this decision right or it is good night nurse.
No AFL in SANFL there ends the lesson

[beenreal]

Which is why having them in the SANFL reserves looks more appealing to me now than it ever has.

If they nick off to the VFL, the SANFL clubs have no control over how they manage top up players - they'll do as they please regardless of consequences to SANFL. If they are in the SANFL reserves then a set of rules can be put in place to control where top up players come from. Keep you friends close...

Agree hosting them in our reserves is the best option for the league. I would like to see U18s moved to before the league though if this happens

So by your continued disdain for the Port Adelaide Football Club, you are willing to inconvenience all supporters who want to watch their Reserves team play prior to the League?

[UK Fan]

Which is why having them in the SANFL reserves looks more appealing to me now than it ever has.

If they nick off to the VFL, the SANFL clubs have no control over how they manage top up players - they'll do as they please regardless of consequences to SANFL. If they are in the SANFL reserves then a set of rules can be put in place to control where top up players come from. Keep you friends close...

Agree hosting them in our reserves is the best option for the league. I would like to see U18s moved to before the league though if this happens

So by your continued disdain for the Port Adelaide Football Club, you are willing to inconvenience all supporters who want to watch their Reserves team play prior to the League?

Is prefer them in reserves(dessy). We could make even more money out of afl fans without compromising our league.

The Crows Dessy game would be when the league had the bye. You'd get a good home crowd when the club would be earning no match day funds. Even if its $2-$5 entry. Plus an away game at AAMI.

Port Magpie home/away crowds should increase with the prematch being power reserves.

win win.

[Apachebulldog]

Just read some posts on the Adelaide Now site the gall of some AFL supporters who now want reserves side in the SANFL WHERE have you been for the last TWENTY ODD YEARS ??????? SO P#$s OFF and go and find another league .

NO AFL IN THE SANFL

[CENTURION]

Just read some posts on the Adelaide Now site the gall of some AFL supporters who now want reserves side in the SANFL WHERE have you been for the last TWENTY ODD YEARS ??????? SO P#$s OFF and go and find another league .

NO AFL IN THE SANFL

SOLIDARITY BROTHER!!

[FOURTH ESTATE]

I remember that game....think there was 22,000 and it was pouring down all day, it was a low scoring game, had never seen so many West Torrens supporters before

Was there that day as a 16y.o. under my duffle coat avoiding the rain on the fence at the southern end behind the goals. From memory ex Essendon player Wayne Primmer was playing for the Eagles. Great atmosphere couldn't believe the size of the crowd that day biggest crowd I had been in at that stage.

West Torrens 9.18 (72) defeated Glenelg 8.14 (62)

Mean while at Football Park in the Grand Final rematch of 1979 Port Adelaide 11.17 (83) defeated South Adelaide 8.11 (59) before a much smaller crowd.

[Reddeer]

If the Crows are so intent on having their own reserves team they can buzz off to the VFL with it.
They seem to have no interest in the system that has served them so well since 1991 with their players being looked after in SANFL teams go get them back into form. I have been a supporter of the Crows but if it insists on ruining the fabric of the SANFL they have lost me

[Sojourner]

I propose that the AFL begin a Reserves competition and to cut costs divides it into two conferences.

Conference 1,

West Coast
Fremantle
Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Geelong
Western Bulldogs
North Melbourne
Essendon
Melbourne

Conference 2,

Brisbane
Gold Coast
Sydney
GWS
Carlton
Hawthorn
Richmond
St Kilda
Collingwood

If they don't want to play with a Bye, add a side from Tasmania to Conference 1 and the Fitzroy Reds to Conference 2

[beenreal]

Which is why having them in the SANFL reserves looks more appealing to me now than it ever has.

If they nick off to the VFL, the SANFL clubs have no control over how they manage top up players - they'll do as they please regardless of consequences to SANFL. If they are in the SANFL reserves then a set of rules can be put in place to control where top up players come from. Keep you friends close...

Agree hosting them in our reserves is the best option for the league. I would like to see U18s moved to before the league though if this happens

So by your continued disdain for the Port Adelaide Football Club, you are willing to inconvenience all supporters who want to watch their Reserves team play prior to the League?

Is prefer them in reserves(dessy). We could make even more money out of afl fans without compromising our league.

The Crows Dessy game would be when the league had the bye. You'd get a good home crowd when the club would be earning no match day funds. Even if its $2-$5 entry. Plus an away game at AAMI.

Port Magpie home/away crowds should increase with the prematch being power reserves.

win win.

Nice editing UK.

I find talk of compromising the league highly ironic from a supporter of a club so keen to gain the second AFL License, they actually tabled withdrawing from the SANFL and relaunching themselves as a standalone AFL club.

[Macca19]

If the Crows and Power were in the SANFL league, then I'd still attend Eagles v SANFL club games, but seeing as I can only get to a few minor round games a year, it probably doesn't mean much one way or the other.

Still think a viable compromise would be SANFL reserves, with top-up players coming from undrafted u/18's who become a Crow or Power player for that year, but if undrafted after that, are still tied to their SANFL club. Power and Crows get the advantage of looking at players without having to take a gamble eg Nick Joyce, SANFL clubs aren't unduly affected by losing one or two fringe players for a year.

This is the best option, young kids get to play alongside full time players and also SANFL reserves players get some experience playing against AFL players would be a huge benefit to the comp. I am actually all for them entering the Reserves League but only if the top up players are young kids. I would want to see the Power get their own side though not take the Magpies reserves.

Do people honestly think the afl clubs will accept playing in the reserves comp?

Ludicrous.

[on the rails]

Do people honestly think the afl clubs will accept playing in the reserves comp? Ludicrous.

Who cares if they don't accept it. If that is the only offer they (you) get then take it or leave it!

What you and many others forget is any decision has impact on 8 clubs in the SANFL and not just about the 2 selfish AFL clubs. That attitude just goes to show that both AFL Clubs don't give a sh#t about the history and integrity of the SANFL League Comp and that is being driven by selfish morons like you!

As per the 'Tiser this morning - the SAAFL are happy to you!

[Macca19]

Do people honestly think the afl clubs will accept playing in the reserves comp? Ludicrous.

Who cares if they don't accept it. If that is the only offer they (you) get then take it or leave it!

What you and many others forget is any decision has impact on 8 clubs in the SANFL and not just about the 2 selfish AFL clubs. That attitude just goes to show that both AFL Clubs don't give a sh#t about the history and integrity of the SANFL League Comp and that is being driven by selfish morons like you!

As per the 'Tiser this morning - the SAAFL are happy to you!

Is the abuse really needed?