Player Regulations - Major Changes

From the SANFL






Thursday August 28, 2014

PLAYER REGULATION CHANGES

The SANFL has announced changes to the Adelaide and Port Adelaide Football Clubs’ player regulation rules in the State League competition for season 2015.

Among the changes, all non-AFL listed players must be aged under 23, cannot be contracted for more than one year or recruited from interstate.

Adelaide will not be permitted to use SANFL players from rival clubs as top-up players next year.

The changes, ratified by the SA Football Commission, have been finalised after the league’s ongoing review of the regulations for Adelaide’s SANFL team and the restructured Port Adelaide Magpies.

The aim of this year’s review was to bring the on-field regulations for both Adelaide and Port Adelaide into line.

All non-AFL aligned SANFL clubs were involved in the review process, with the eight teams provided with an opportunity to recommend changes throughout the consultation period.

Adelaide and Port Adelaide also provided feedback on the proposed regulations during the review.

2015 PLAYER REGULATION CHANGES
1. To be eligible for inclusion on the PAMFC or AFC Supplementary List, a person must be under the age of 23 before January 1 the year in which the player is included on the Supplementary List. A player may play as a top-up player past the age of 23 as long as he is first listed prior to the age of 23. Adelaide and Port Adelaide will be able to retain current contracted players already over the age of 23.

2. PAMFC & AFC cannot contract players for more than one year. This will not impact on current players contracted for more than one season.

3. Players included on the list of AFC or PAMFC cannot be recruited from outside of South Australia. This rule will not be retrospective, allowing those already contracted to Adelaide and Port to continue playing next year.

4. Remove the option for AFC to source top-up players from SANFL clubs. From 2015, Adelaide won’t include players from rival SANFL clubs, with all top-up players to be recruited from Community Football clubs.

Following the changes for 2015, the player regulations will continue to be reviewed by the SANFL, its clubs and AFC and PAFC on an annual basis.

Simply not enough in my mind. Doesn't address the problem of 23 AFL players playing in finals.
Pathetic, half arsed and myopic. If the club Directors think this will suffice and traditional supporters will buy it then they should all resign now.
I'm hanging in there but if this is the crap we're being fed then I won't cop it for long.

FWIW I didn't have a problem with SANFL clubs nominating a currently listed fringe player to have a try with Adelaide. Sturt nominated Jack Penfold, who'd played a full season in the reserves in 2013. I understand this was the lad's wish, to have a crack at it with Adelaide. As it turned out he never played for them. After good trial form, he made Sturt's league side in Round 1 and eventually played 7 league and 11 reserves games for us. I think if one or two fringe players want to have a go with the AFL reserves teams, they should have the chance, to perhaps come under notice. To be honest I'd be surprised if any eventually make it onto an AFL list by that road. But give them a go, if that's what they want.
Overall I think the changes already made to Port's structure, have satisfied most of the objections that I and many others had this year. Let's see how it plays out in 2015.

I seem to recall in the VFL, AFL aligned clubs could only have a maximum of 12 AFL listed players if their team made the VFL finals. Not sure if this is still the case,but surely the SANFL could adopt a similar system.

Is this the Steve Summerton new rules to keep redandblack happy.
so it doesnt happen again. Think Port have bought this on themselves a bit.
But is it enough.

EagleRock I dont think that rule is still in in the VFL.

Makes no difference to the likes of Summerton, he is over 23 but already signed, so no impact.

Hardly seems like "major changes".

For it to make any difference, the changes would have to be retrospective..

It doesn't affect Steve, but it ensures a similar situation can't happen again, I suppose.

It also stops any interstate recruits. I thought someone had come over from Melbourne this year, can't remember who?

Slattery? Kraquer?

I think it was Anthony Biemans if I recall correctly