AFL.....their official stance on the reserves debate

i sent an email to the AFL on 12/8/2013 & got a reply back on the 15/8/2013 & below was the reply

THIS IS NOT TO BE COPY & PASTED TO OTHER SITES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION


Dear Bayman & family

I write in response to your email below and I understand fully your deep commitment to the SANFL competition, and your local club Glenelg. The SANFL has more than 125 years of wonderful history from the competition’s inauguration in 1877, and its various incarnations before that as the SAFA and the Adelaide Football Competition.

Our staff here includes a number of South Australians in long-term positions within the AFL and I fully understand the importance of all the current nine clubs – Central Districts, the Eagles, Glenelg, North Adelaide, Norwood, the Port Mapgies, South Adelaide, Sturt and West Adelaide.

At the AFL, it is our view that any decision for state-based football – be that SA, WA, Victoria or our northern markets – must be made by the people within that state as the key basis for football’s future. We do not believe any decision should be imposed from Victoria on what South Australia should do, and this matter needs to be resolved by the two AFL clubs, the SANFL and the nine SANFL clubs.

As the parent body for the overall game in Australia, the AFL provides grant money to every state body to run the affairs of the domestic leagues in their states, while we cater for the needs of the national competition and the 18 AFL clubs. Our grant money to each state, includes the SANFL, is used for both junior development of the next generation of young fans and players and facility development for spectators at matches, as well as assisting community and country leagues with funding support.

For the AFL to institute a national reserves competition, we would be investing a minimum of $2.5 million as a start-up for the administration of the competition as well as costs of around $600-700k per club, for extra players on their lists and the flight / accommodation costs required to travel and play matches around the country in a second-tier competition, that would not draw spectator support. That money, which conservatively starts at a $10-12 million cost to football, must come from somewhere – be that funds provided to other leagues / sponsorship drawn from other levels of the game etc – and we believe that it is NOT a cost worth spending, when compared to our current initiatives such as Auskick, lower fan prices etc. It is also our view that any introduction of a national reserves competition automatically relegates further the current media / fan interest in both the SANFL and the WAFL, as well as the VFL in Victoria.

As an organisation, we believe that strong football leagues exist in each of our heartland states – Victoria, SA and WA – and the various key decision-makers in each of those states need to determine what is best for their state league, their state clubs and their AFL clubs, for football in that state.

I accept that is probably the answer you do not wish to hear, but I urge you to make your voice heard loudly at both Glenelg and the SANFL, as a decision for football in South Australia needs to be made by South Australians, not imposed from here in Victoria.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Demetriou

I am impressed that you got a response, and from King Andy no less.
What was your opinion of it Bayman?

while i wasn't happy with the answer as he acknowledged, i was very impressed that i got a reply & a reply that was at least thought out & had reasons to my questions & queries & i was treated with respect & not just 'a number' so to speak

Well done bayman. That was the exact message that was passed through via Eagles info night so hopefully the AFL stick by that. The SANFL will need some stability for some time after all this to prosper.