Edwardstown still looking

[WHEELS&DEALS]

Heard more talk from a few edwardstown players that they are ready to make the move to the SFL, didn't matter what the result was last weekend it sounds like they are about to jump on board. Has anyone else heard anything

[efc]

Heard they have a board metting tonight. They will be discussing the year gone. There coaching positions and what the board thinks they should do next year. It will then be taken to the players again.

It is my belief that the players are now warming to the idea and may well have a change of heart fron there vote last year.

A decision is a long way off yet and there is no indication one way or the other.

The board IMO is doing the right thing by the club to explore all options.
That is all they have and are doing at the moment.

How do Southern league supporters feel about it??????????????/

[BJ Ernest]

Surely if Towns come into SFL its time to restructure the comp back into 2 divisions. Time to do this as the gulf between top and bottom is massive and there are too many teams for 1 competition.

Compulsory promotion/relegation has to come in, too bad if u were a powerhouse club back in the day its time for things to change. How it gets split up, whether it be 8 and 6/7 and next year is the year where they decide who goes where. Finish top 8 next year, start in Div 1.

Why would Edwardstown want out of the Amateur League? Whats the incentive to move the club into Southern?

[MR JUICY]

Think it would be good to see another strong club in the southern league - I guess the only issue is the amount of teams in the comp for fixtures. Would be good as they are a local team for the SFL and have good facilities.

[Esteban Vihaio]

Surely if Towns come into SFL its time to restructure the comp back into 2 divisions. Time to do this as the gulf between top and bottom is massive and there are too many teams for 1 competition.

Compulsory promotion/relegation has to come in, too bad if u were a powerhouse club back in the day its time for things to change. How it gets split up, whether it be 8 and 6/7 and next year is the year where they decide who goes where. Finish top 8 next year, start in Div 1.

Why would Edwardstown want out of the Amateur League? Whats the incentive to move the club into Southern?

In no particular order
- Affiliation fees are about 10k cheaper
- Atmosphere. I've driven past Gaza a number of times this year and the level of support is embarrasingly low
- Bigger crowds = Bigger bar takings
- Travel; Southern expressway is a godsend to town clubs
- Juniors can now play on sundays; matching South Metro
- Gate takings; hey a couple of hundred bucks per week never went astray

And on the plus for the SFL
- Another progressive club will tip[ the balance at the SFL board meetings; they might actually achieve something when Dr No loses his deciding vote.
- A new club after 7 or 8 departures in the last 10 to 15 years will breed new life into a league dangerously spiralling towards collaspe (Tell me which clubs haven't considered leaving in the last 5 years ???); Roughly 30 clubs lie between Morphy Parks, Blackwood (stupidly denied entry in the late 90's), and Willunga. Now that would be a decent league.

[Cheese Twisties]

Never seen them play, never been to the club, dont even know what guersey they wear but WHO CARES if they want in bring them in! The more stronger clubs the better IMHO.

[efc]

BJ there are a few reasons. The most important is to do with crowds. Over the last 5 years the supporters going to there games has declined every year and the crowds are minimal.Most games there would not be more than 150 people watch the A grade and that is including the B graders that stay and watch from both teams. This means not a lot of money goes thru the tills on a Saturday to keep the club a float.

A contributing factor to this is the juniors are run as a seperate club and play on Sundays. Juniors playing Saturdays in the southern league give your more chance of a ready made crowd and also give young players something to aspire to. To play for there club thru the grades and grow up playing for the jumper.

The promotion relegation system also works against building a rivalary against the clubs you play against. If you are moderately sucsesful you can yo yo between divisions and play rival clubs only every few years.

Hope this give a bit of an insight to it BJ

I could go on and on but i personally hope they are brave enough to make the decision and go and rebuild from there. I do think they will lose a few players maybe 10-20 over the A and B grade but they always have had a high turnover of players in the last few years anyway.

I think if they come for the first 2 to 3 years they will be around the 8 in both grades and it will take them time to build a junior base again as i dont think the current junior system there will follow as they are run as a seperate club totally and a lot of there juniors play college football on Saturdays. ( the SANFL decision may help in a small way )

[Dogwatcher]

If this move occurred, could it cause problems for the SAAFL?
Many people think the SAAFL is underachieving as an administration, while another thing I've noticed on this site are regular complaints from the southern Adelaide clubs complaining about traveling north.
As someone pointed out the Southern Expressway has made movement to that part of town quicker - so will this see more southern Adelaide based clubs moving to the SFL?
Would Edwardstown moving result in a second division forming in the SFL and thus encourage clubs in the lower grades of the SAAFL (for example: CLG, Mitchell Park (again) and even Flinders Uni) moving to the league?

[Dogwatcher]

Stuff it that's a thread in itself.
Might whack it up in the SAAFL board.

[Esteban Vihaio]

Never seen them play, never been to the club, dont even know what guersey they wear but WHO CARES if they want in bring them in! The more stronger clubs the better IMHO.

No, the MORE clubs the better; We can all poke fun and pontificate on the woes of Hackham and Lonsdale, but their survival will assist the SFL survival more than you think! Only a quick look at the history books will tell you that every club has spent a few years on struggle street in the past 20; just look at the vikings (late 80's), emu's (early to mid 90's), winies (early 90's), and cobra's (up until 5 - 6 years ago)

[Real McCoy]

Was at the SHOC v Edwardstown Prelim on saturday and let me tell for Div 2 comp the crowd was terrible.

Spoke with a Edwardstown player after the game and he said that as far as he was aware that Townies were real keen to move to the SFL.

[WHEELS&DEALS]

I hope they do jump on board, would be a step closer to going back to 2 divisions , i still think they need 16 teams before they split into 2 and i think even if they lose a few players they will still be very competative. It also give the sfl another team down the hill, so its not to far to travel from Morphie parks

[Mr Magoo]

Is there any Football Association that Edwardstown hasn't been in???
Always been successful, professional and pretty financial

Glenelg South Association
SAFA
Amateurs
YCW on Sundays for years

Add The Southern Footy League to their CV.

get them into the SFL quick smart

BJ is correct need 2 divisions ...but how is the dilemma
A lot of stigma with being Div 2

Cove and McLaren are the exceptions who were both Div 2 SFL
Wouldn't say Kangy and Meadows have progressed

THEN BRING ON THE ULTIMATE FINAL
GSFL grand final winner V SFL grand final winner

[rodney fox]

I 110% support them coming into the SFL. I think it would be crazy of them not to. All above points are spot on and speaking to a few mates that play there they are all keen as to join the SFL. I know the SFL are doing all they can to get them in. I also heard that they are pushing for Mitchell Park again but doubt they will get them. Maybe they are aiming for 2 Divs in 2010 I think 09 would be to close for the Old Codgers to russle this much organisation.

I honestly do not think the travel is anything to do with it as mentioned with the Expressway, and also the Urban Growth Boundary always extending, everythings getting closer, not further. Travel should defintiley not be a put off.

I just hope we improve enough to stay in Div 1 if it does happen.

[Zelezny Chucks]

Can definitely see this working if they can get a few more clubs interested. An 8 team 2 Division system would work well, if enough interest a 10 team 2 div would be best.

Everyone gets the home and away game against each team nothing fairer than that!

[Down the Hill]

What some are forgetting about going back to 2 divisions is how it will affect juniors. Lets say we get to 16 clubs in 2010.

If some clubs are still struggling to field junior teams then the Div 2 junior grades may only consist of 5 or 6 teams and if you were playing juniors at Noarlunga or Christies in Div 2 and were any good, you will nick off to Emus or Porties. This will make the gap between Div 1 and Div 2 huge which is what it had become just before the merge of Divs in 2002.

Whats wrong with staying with one division and a final 8 even if we get up to 17 or 18 clubs. It will make the draw fairer and give the junior grades enough sides to have a legitimate top 8. The AFL look set to have 18 sides by 2011 so whats the diff. If we were then to lose the odd club then won't have to panic and go back to 1 div like in 2002. Having more than 1 division and promotion / relegation only works in Amateurs because they don't have the progression of kids coming through. Yes many have juniors, but as someone has already said, many are run as separate clubs.

Look at Cove. Back in 2003 and 2004 we knew they were going to become a force due to the strength of their Juniors.

[Esteban Vihaio]

What some are forgetting about going back to 2 divisions is how it will affect juniors. Lets say we get to 16 clubs in 2010.

If some clubs are still struggling to field junior teams then the Div 2 junior grades may only consist of 5 or 6 teams and if you were playing juniors at Noarlunga or Christies in Div 2 and were any good, you will nick off to Emus or Porties. This will make the gap between Div 1 and Div 2 huge which is what it had become just before the merge of Divs in 2002.
.......................

DTH, are you suggesting this doesn't happen now?!??!?!

Aldinga -> Willunga, Hackham -> MV, Noarlunga <-> Port Noarlunga, Marion <-> MVP, Marion | MVP -> Brighton, Mitchell Park -> everywhere, Lonsdale -> Hallett Cove | MV.

This is happening now and has happened since jesus played fullback for jerusalem. Have a chat to a few old wineflies, vikings, emu's, and cobra's about what happened to their gun juniors in the late 80's and 90's

[King Kernas]

Would be great to see a few new clubs back in SFL and go back to a Div1,Div2 scenario to let a few of the struggling clubs get back on their feet. But, as BJ said, the old relegation rule has to be enforced to make it a very exciting concept. IMO if this was the case in the dying stages of the old Div1, 2, Comp. some teams would not be struggling the way they are now.

[efc]

Is there any more news out there on this subject, its gone pretty quiet as the whole southern league site has.

[KEYDEFENDER]

Is there any more news out there on this subject, its gone pretty quiet as the whole southern league site has.

It is a bit Quiet your right, but then we dont have WFOTW making personal remarks.. gone quiet since last week for some reason?