Southern Football League

[Surgeon]

Great question as to where it went wrong.

I don't know if anyone really can answer that or if it has gone so wrong.
Has it changed that significantly apart from a loss of clubs.

As I mentioned previously we left (ROOS) not because of the league but because we could not fit the leagues model of Saturday juniors.

What does the past tell us about dominating periods
- 35 years ago Plympton dominated the league - new to league and amazingly strong (Potts Coaching)
- 20-30 years ago it was the Valley - south influence and strong juniors
- 15-20 years ago the Emus - result of massive junior program
- Noarlunga (excellent recruitment and talented pods of junior players), Reynella (strong juniors), Brighton (massive juniors) also had some periods
And now it is Flaggies

The domination by Flagstaff Hill was a long time coming given their amazing juniors of the last 20 years.

Is what we are seeing with clubs struggling a result of the following:
- lopsided juniors,
- aging demographic in the catchment of some clubs
- restrictions the points system imposes on clubs to recruit pivotal top up players.
- what else????

There is lots to consider.

I do however believe that the cycle will change and that the clubs will catch up with Flaggies and the league can prosper.

The SFL as a league is good but not great at the moment given the current issues.
Time to spend some time unpacking what the real issues are and once these are understood then you can develop informed strategies/solutions.

Still miss that amazing Saturday of 5 games.

[shoe boy]

Pains me to admit it but its bye bye SFL if Flaggies do go. And i wouldn't blame them if they did.

What has happened to our once great competition??

25 years ago many considered our league as arguably the premier league in the state or very close to it.

Where did it go so wrong? 2 Divs into 1 Era

IF WINTER COMES CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND

[LaughingKookaburra]

The late 90’s to the 2000’s the SFL was easily the best comp in SA outside of SAAFL D1. It’s been on the decline overall slowly since the first 3-4 years of the merging of 2 divisions - Even at the early stages it showed cracks after a year or 2 towards the bottom end. What reasons from there causing the overall decline is up for debate and each club will have their own take on it no doubt. From an outsider looking in, when multiple senior football clubs go on for more than a decade and at best are 10 goals off the teams playing in a prelim (let alone a GF) for at least a large majority of that time then at some stage blokes are going to lose interest. You need to dangle a carrot at some stage for a sustained period within reach. Arguing the point that clubs need to get better isn’t obviously helping the overall outcome.

Top end SFL sides are to this day still bloody good and well run football clubs, some clubs will find it hard to continually challenge them and that’s why the appeal of the SAAFL is lucrative to some clubs as finding your ground is easier and closer to being within reach. Some clubs still continue to fluctuate however. Also, for the average metropolitan family there are a lot more cases now where spending the entire day at the footy and then going to presos is not as appealing as it once was.

[scottroo]

I think the strong sanfl junior competition is a huge carrot dangling for large junior clubs like flaggies. Playing competitive teams week in week out is beneficial for young footballers development.

The SFL junior comp is very weak IMO

[Divers]

Jee whiz. What a weekend of results. Serious problems at Christies Beach. Hearing rumours of some unrest. Some players. Some committee members. Watch this space.

"unrest" seems a bit like you are trying to stir the pot.

A few challenges with injuries, Mazey (2020 Mail Medallist) & Crate (2020 Best and Fairest) out at the moment, along with Hoey (injured during trial game) and Powell (season - knee) has currently weakened the midfield. Also having Jolly and Carter out is a loss at each end, with a few more scattered around also injured is testing depth.

Positive of all that is that a number of young lads are getting games who may have been a bit further back in the queue, which will hopefully set us up for the coming years, especially with the talent coming through the juniors at the moment. Less experience in the side will cause more inconsistency, and as such results are not up to what we would hope.

All credit to Morphett Vale and Cove over the past two weeks, both have been great against us and deserved their wins. From the results this week, the competition looks very healthy with no clear pecking order at the moment.

very healthy

[shoe boy]

I think the strong sanfl junior competition is a huge carrot dangling for large junior clubs like flaggies. Playing competitive teams week in week out is beneficial for young footballers development.

The SFL junior comp is very weak IMO

A very good South Adelaide just won the under 16 premiership

[scottroo]

Top end may be quality but the junior comp lacks depth

[shoe boy]

Top end may be quality but the junior comp lacks depth

Have you read the scores in SANFL juniors.

[Dutchy]

I think the strong sanfl junior competition is a huge carrot dangling for large junior clubs like flaggies. Playing competitive teams week in week out is beneficial for young footballers development.

The SFL junior comp is very weak IMO

Ive coached in both, both have their positives and negatives.

SFL being a regional comp is always going to have teams of different strengths, the advantage of the SANFLJ is the re-grading and divisional process means you get a good game of footy every week after the re-grading occurs. The knock is the travel, but parents don't mind if the they can see their kid developing.

SFL Junior comp at the top end is very good and compares to any of the Div 1 SANFLJ teams, there is a different feel to it as a lot of the boys know each other and enjoy the rivalry around the schools and southern areas, something you don't get in SANFLJ. Playing before the Seniors on a Saturday creates a fantastic whole club connection and again something that can't be replicated down in town. Check out South's/West's and even Glenelg's juniors teams and you will see plenty of kids that have come thru the SFL system. The possible #1 draft pick this year came thru it.

There are now 5 SFL clubs with teams in the SANFLJ in 2021.

[minibusakahalfacoach]

flaggies joining blackwood in adelaide footy league ?

Hope so but will believe it after it happens
Would love to go through this thread & find the post where Blackwood were 100% leaving the HFL. It was about 6 or 7 years ago

The mail is Blackwood having a club vote this week to determine if the playing group/ club support a move of seniors to SAAFL and juniors to Sanfl j.

Flaggy as stated previously on here by someone else, have a committee working on same process.

Trevor Potts coaching Association side Jobs for the boys SFL!!

[mots02]

flaggies joining blackwood in adelaide footy league ?

Hope so but will believe it after it happens
Would love to go through this thread & find the post where Blackwood were 100% leaving the HFL. It was about 6 or 7 years ago

The mail is Blackwood having a club vote this week to determine if the playing group/ club support a move of seniors to SAAFL and juniors to Sanfl j.

Flaggy as stated previously on here by someone else, have a committee working on same process.

Trevor Potts coaching Association side Jobs for the boys SFL!!

Who's better qualified to do the job?

[tigerpie]

If the a grade premiership coach wants it, then it should be him.
But if he's unavailable then the next best candidate.
I think Potts is that person.

[minibusakahalfacoach]

flaggies joining blackwood in adelaide footy league ?

Hope so but will believe it after it happens
Would love to go through this thread & find the post where Blackwood were 100% leaving the HFL. It was about 6 or 7 years ago

The mail is Blackwood having a club vote this week to determine if the playing group/ club support a move of seniors to SAAFL and juniors to Sanfl j.

Flaggy as stated previously on here by someone else, have a committee working on same process.

Trevor Potts coaching Association side Jobs for the boys SFL!!

Who's better qualified to do the job?

Yes Potts Is certainly qualified and also awaiting a letter from the queen very soon !!!! (he will be ok with me saying that). For 2 to 3 x training runs and a game I agree with Tiger pie, premiership coach gig first, then hopefully current A grade coaches were approached / given opportunity.

[cracka]

flaggies joining blackwood in adelaide footy league ?

Hope so but will believe it after it happens
Would love to go through this thread & find the post where Blackwood were 100% leaving the HFL. It was about 6 or 7 years ago

The mail is Blackwood having a club vote this week to determine if the playing group/ club support a move of seniors to SAAFL and juniors to Sanfl j.

Flaggy as stated previously on here by someone else, have a committee working on same process.

Trevor Potts coaching Association side Jobs for the boys SFL!!

We're playing them tomorrow, might have to ask someone what the outcome is

[reppoh_eht]

Jee whiz. What a weekend of results. Serious problems at Christies Beach. Hearing rumours of some unrest. Some players. Some committee members. Watch this space.

"unrest" seems a bit like you are trying to stir the pot.

A few challenges with injuries, Mazey (2020 Mail Medallist) & Crate (2020 Best and Fairest) out at the moment, along with Hoey (injured during trial game) and Powell (season - knee) has currently weakened the midfield. Also having Jolly and Carter out is a loss at each end, with a few more scattered around also injured is testing depth.

Positive of all that is that a number of young lads are getting games who may have been a bit further back in the queue, which will hopefully set us up for the coming years, especially with the talent coming through the juniors at the moment. Less experience in the side will cause more inconsistency, and as such results are not up to what we would hope.

All credit to Morphett Vale and Cove over the past two weeks, both have been great against us and deserved their wins. From the results this week, the competition looks very healthy with no clear pecking order at the moment.

Seems the unrest got too much...

[tigerpie]

Should be a cracker at flaggies today.
Both unbeaten and reynella going well enough to win.
Haven't got a great record at bush pig park but this could be the day.

[stampy]

mason gone at cbfc

[stampy]

mason gone at cbfc

[tigerpie]

mason gone at cbfc

Massive fall from grace.
Bloody good team last year.
What happened?

[KegLeg]

So turns out my mail at Christies was right. What a fall from grace and to be sitting bottom at the moment. I really thought they were going to contend this year. Care to elaborate at all LGIL?