Jimmy_041 wrote:I remember that discussion.
Problem is the non-district clubs are not predominantly from one area (ie) PAOCFC is inner north city but players come from everywhere
Lutherans are inner south - west but the same
The NW suburbs went through a metamorphosis when The POWER came in (did I get that right?)
The E suburbs have consolidated with the loss of Burnside Kensington and Campbelltown Magill and the PNU merger. Now there is PNU, Glenunga, Hectorville and to an extent: Athelstone
To me: that outer / inner N/NE is a problem with Fitzroy / Kilburn / Gaza / Broadview / Walkerville / Gepps Cross (maybe not to the same extent) all fighting for players / juniors in a demographic changed area
Can't speak on other areas, but it will be a long time (if ever again) before you see an old CDFA club (excl. Salisbury North) in Div 1 or 2, for two reasons. The sponsorship $$$ are just not out there compared to what you'd see in the Mitcham/Unley/NPSP etc council areas, and the amount of kids not playing football is staggering. I coached the Playford SAPSASA team for the last three years, and for a district of 14 schools stretching from Elizabeth East out to Blakeview/Craigmore and across to Angle Vale, we had an average of 27 kids pre year at trials. Soccer had around the 100 mark each year. Not one ex-CDFA could fill an Under 18 team in 2019, not one. There weren't even 20 seventeen/eighteen year olds from the north playing footy on a Sunday afternoon.
All of the refugee families moving into these areas are playing the round-ball game (similar to Kilburn's issue), and it won't be changing anytime soon.