2026 Adelaide Footy League - Division 7

[Beachboy]

Is it just a case of too many clubs for too few players?

Not having the greatest knowledge of clubs north of the bogan proof fence, it just seems as though once one or two teams decide they want to go on a recruiting spree, it means there's a club that's facing shutting down.

Think there are plenty of reasons:

1. Lot of clubs in the area makes it very competitive.
2. Lack of juniors is also difficult.
3. Players want easy, instant success - they aren't willing to spend 2+ years working towards it.
4. Players seem to be like sheep these days, they just follow the herd... few blokes leave or go to a club, they wanna join em.
5. Money plays a factor, some clubs have a bigger budget than others.
6. Lure of playing in a higher div also occurs.
7. Attitude of players stinks - they expect the world - perfect club conditions, perfect coaches, perfect trainers, perfect training sessions.

Which is why im shocked that people arent lining up for Ingle Farm. You are the dream coach. Or so I have heard.

[The Bedge]

Honestly, after 3 winning seasons and being 2 kicks from a GF and D5 this year - I'm still trying to get my head around why everyone is on the move.

Hard not to take it personally to be honest.

[wenchbarwer]

Honestly, after 3 winning seasons and being 2 kicks from a GF and D5 this year - I'm still trying to get my head around why everyone is on the move.

Hard not to take it personally to be honest.

Maybe your workmate has told everyone you're a workaholic and have unreasonable expectations

[Beachboy]

So top 3 assuming ML fold:

WC
BL
CU

[Footy Chick]

Honestly, after 3 winning seasons and being 2 kicks from a GF and D5 this year - I'm still trying to get my head around why everyone is on the move.

Hard not to take it personally to be honest.

I get that.

Swings and roundabouts.

No such thing as loyalty anymore.

It sucks when people shit on you, especially after putting a hell of a lot of time and effort into them.

[The Bedge]

So top 3 assuming ML fold:

WC
BL
CU

**** WC - Maybe IF will drop to D7 and they can go back up to D6

[Beachboy]

So top 3 assuming ML fold:

WC
BL
CU

**** WC - Maybe IF will drop to D7 and they can go back up to D6

Plenty of farmers going to WC anyway.

[Hack]

How does Mawson Lakes (allegedly) folding work from a points perspective?

Despite being div 7 their A graders would be 3 points each elsewhere still right? Some of the clubs surrounding have already recruited several by the looks so how many can they really take on even if the 3 player rule was waived - assuming they would play A grade in a higher div which may not be the case.

[wenchbarwer]

How does Mawson Lakes (allegedly) folding work from a points perspective?

Despite being div 7 their A graders would be 3 points each elsewhere still right? Some of the clubs surrounding have already recruited several by the looks so how many can they really take on even if the 3 player rule was waived - assuming they would play A grade in a higher div which may not be the case.

Is this doc still relevant? Meaning D4 clubs and below are 2 pointers, not 3?

https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=1189139

[Down the Hill]

No it's not. No such thing as Category Leagues for several years. The most recent APPS document is always available on the Community Footy section of the SANFL website under Resources. Never trust any earlier version that might be found using Google. The same goes for most current Salary Cap rules.

[Beachboy]

So with this merger potentially happening, do CU sit in wait or would their expectation regardless be Mawson Lakes are done, lets run back D7 again.

[whufc]

So with this merger potentially happening, do CU sit in wait or would their expectation regardless be Mawson Lakes are done, lets run back D7 again.

Would think the cautious move would be to presume you're in division 7.

Would many of the recruits care if they were playing division 7 over division 6 if the money stays the same and the chances of success increase....probably not.

[The Bedge]

Would many of the recruits care if they were playing division 7 over division 6 if the money stays the same and the chances of success increase....probably not.

This is the saddest bit for the CU situation - you only get a small window of opportunity to have that success, and also get out of a division - theirs was last years.. they got out of D7, they did what they needed to.

Now they potentially are in the same division with Adel Luth coming down who are historically strong, West Croydon who have recruited heavily and Brahma Lodge who also are going hard.

Add in Hackham who have been around the mark, and there is a serious risk they aren't even top 2 in 2026.

[morell]

Bring in Henley Cs and Ds

I miss marbles incoherent ramblings in here

[Beachboy]

Hackham starting to announce some new signings. WC still surely the front runner along with BL.

[Footy Chick]

apparently theres a story about it on Code Sports if you can get passed the paywall

[wenchbarwer]

apparently theres a story about it on Code Sports if you can get passed the paywall

In the Tiser, too:

Central United set to move down to division seven for Adelaide Footy League season 2026
An Adelaide Footy League outfit is set to be moved down a division to accommodate a potential amalgamation between two clubs ahead of the 2026 season.

An Adelaide Footy League club faces a major possibility of moving down a division ahead of season 2026 to accommodate a merger between two opposition outfits.

New division six club Central United, which made last year’s division seven grand final alongside Elizabeth, will be bumped back down to the competition’s lowest div if a proposed merger between struggling D7 club Mawson Lakes and D5 outfit Greenacres was to eventuate.

It is understood the merged club would compete in division six, meaning Units, the second team promoted to the division after losing last year’s D7 grand final by 51 points, would be sent back down.

“To be fair to Central United and indeed the league in general, no one has a say in that it is enshrined in the Approved Rules and Regulations that the seventh division cannot have less than eight teams in the competition,” AdFL chief John Kernahan said.

“A seven-team competition is not fair on those clubs given it in effect means a bye every fourth week.

“Hypothetically speaking, if a team in division six wanted to take Central United’s place, we would consider that but Central United is the last one in div six and in these circumstances, they’re the first ones out.

“This isn’t something we enjoy but at the same time we can’t avoid the processes.

“We’ve had conversations with Units president Nathan Fenwick and it was an opportunity for him to express his position, which he took, but he also acknowledged I had a job to do.”

Central United was relegated from division six at the end of the 2024 season but hit the ground running in 2025 by winning five of their first six games to ultimately set up a top three finish and eventual grand final appearance.

Fenwick admitted he was initially disappointed by the news his club would potentially be moving back down to D7.

“We were initially disappointed and I expressed that to John (Kernahan) but we’ve accepted it and we’ll do whatever the league needs us to do,” he said.

“We’ve worked hard as a club on and off the field in a number of areas … we’re a small club and we understand the plight of others.

“Volunteers especially can be very hard to come by now because the time and commitment required to run a club is a lot but we’re lucky to have a few really good volunteers who take the pressure off.

“We’ve still got an exciting young group and we’ve worked to build our juniors back up so I’m confident we can compete and not just next year but for the long term as well.”

[beef]

So lets take the team that finished 3rd in div 5 and give them all of Mawson Lakes players but put them down a div. Makes sense
Then force Central United Down who have done nothing wrong
Only 9 teams in Div 5 now or is someone going up (assume Gaza or Trinity)
What a shit show

[The Bedge]

It is understood the merged club would compete in division six, meaning Units, the second team promoted to the division after losing last year’s D7 grand final by 51 points, would be sent back down.

Well that's incorrect. The merged side would compete in D5, and D6 would be a 9 team comp.

Geez old mate just dribbles shit.

[wenchbarwer]

It is understood the merged club would compete in division six, meaning Units, the second team promoted to the division after losing last year’s D7 grand final by 51 points, would be sent back down.

Well that's incorrect. The merged side would compete in D5, and D6 would be a 9 team comp.

Geez old mate just dribbles shit.

Yeah, I know, much like his articles about delisted AFL players and the "rumour file" of them returning to local clubs.

All he does is list the players junior clubs, it's a terrible article...