AFL Reserves - they haven't thought it through.

Gingernuts wrote:You don't feel like they'd live on through the Power?

I do wonder whether in retrospect it would've been better to rip that bandaid off in 1997.

Interesting way of looking at it.

For me, someone who loves the club and has strong AFL ties, the Power IS Port Adelaide. The Magpies ARE Port Adelaide. I'm not one who can sperate the two as for me they have always been "One"

redandblack wrote:I strongly suspect the Power don't give two hoots about the Maggies surviving.

They just don't want to be seen as the destroyers.

Booney, I've loathed Port for decades (justifiably), but totally sympathise with your position as a supporter.

These things evolve and whatever happens, there'll be a Port Adelaide in the SANFL.  Not sure if that helps or hurts you.

If there is a Magpies in the SANFL (which I truly believe, in some capacity, there will be) then not all is lost.

If Port and the Crows were successful in their bid in joining the 1st grade, would the reserves comp and U/18s go down to 8 teams?  I'm guessing that Port won't have the money or resources to keep 3 teams alive.  Would the zones be redistributed?  This would have to be the fairest system IMO.

Why would things be different to now HTWWW? Port currently, under the One Club, run all the sides and are in better financial shape than the last 3 years.

Just putting thoughts out there.  I just think if things were allowed to continue as they are, with the Magpies becoming the Power reserves, it might give them significant advantage still having a zone etc.  But then again, if they didn't have a zone or whatever in the future, where would these 'top-up' players come from?

I don't know whether this contradicts my arguments or not, but if this all happens, I just don't get why the Magpies cannot remain as is, albeit with an increase from all the power listed players.

Whether they are in Power colours or Magpie colours what is the difference? They are one club so I cannot see why it is such a problem in that respect.

I must be missing something.

Anyone hear Keith Thomas on AA ? Wow , is he not convincing . What an even playing field and thinks its unfair that the Crows have a greater market share with supoporters. Crazy . He doesn't exactly exude confidence when he speaks. Ums and ahs his way through.

Yes, not sure he really knew what he was talking about.

http://glenelgfc.com.au/component/conte ... -the-sanfl 

http://glenelgfc.com.au/component/conte ... -the-sanfl

how stupid do they think we are, every club is going to have the same statement

& from what i've read today on snouts, today is the first day in my life i'm embarrassed to say i'm a Glenelg man

hope it works the second time other wise go to the Glenelg site

7 to one vote at this stage not looking good but I guess one could anticipate this after being briefed with just one side of the argument.
Will be v. active with my club to see why they have changed their vote at this stage

At the risk of being included among the conspiracy theorists (Perhaps I already am ) I 'm starting to disbelieve everything I read from "Official" sources, whoever they may be. The overwhelming feeling among average supporters, including yours truly, whether online or in the street, seems to be utter confusion. Is that being intentionally fostered from the top? Meaningless platitudes from Olsen, contradictions from Chapman, identical statements from our own clubs, that have obviously all been written by the same person. Probably handouts on Wednesday. How does one make sense of it all?  No I don't think we're being visited by space aliens, nor that Elvis is still alive and living in Las Vegas.  But is it any wonder I come to the inescapable conclusion that this stuff has all been decided in advance by the power brokers and the rest of us are just being taken along for a little ride?

Its being reported on the Hands off the SANFL page that Sturts CEO has just stated that he is in favor of the idea, 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanfl/?fref=ts

Karen McCulloch

Well Sturts CEO is clearly for it. He just said so on tv. Reckons its the media doing scare mongering and misinforming that has people so opposed.


Like ·  · Unfollow Post · =483416171740348&profile_id=124532334295402&share_source_type=group]Share · 10 minutes ago near Modbury

Nothing new here -  Sturt were for it before the presentation Wednesday along with WWT

Perhaps sturt supporters need to call for a spill and test the resolve of the current committees feelings.  That way they will know if its mongering or not.  I suspect they they wouldn't like to be challenged by the membership on it.

Great post by Russell Ainsworth on the 'Hands off the SANFL' Facebook page.



I have been married to my club and the SANFL for over 40 years, I have been a loyal partner through the good times and the bad, but now the SANFL is smelling of another mans expensive perfume and I cant prove a thing.

I gave my loyalty to a working mans game, now I feel like I am being royally shafted by my own family, who have forgotten there roots.

I signed up for a game called Australian Rules Football the peoples game, Not something now known as the AFL, My lover has had her head turned by a flash harry in a suit. It was a game not a brand and for me my club was branded only in my heart. I gave my love and got love back in return simple as that, now there is a scramble to get on the gravy train, football was never a job it was something to escape from your job.

I like many am hurting so bad deep in my guts and nobody has the manners to ask or tell me the truth. Big business never asks a question it doesn't know the answer to.

Breaking up is hard to do......

Link to the site:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanfl/483417755073523/?comment_id=483424378406194¬if_t=like

I'd just like to make a couple of points here. Firstly while the CEO has a lot of influence in all clubs, under the current structure at Sturt, Matt Benson is not a member of the board. It's the 10 member board that will ultimately make the decision on behalf of the Sturt Football Club. I wouldn't presume to guess what that may be. Secondly I suspect Matt has come to the same conclusion as I have. Namely that the entry of AFL reserves teams is inevitable. Because he's the one who's responsible for fighting the daily battle to keep the club afloat financially and if it is inevitable, his main concern is bound to be how much money is on the table. Thirdly, we've been eying this affair with suspicion from two angles. Because we were touted early in the debate as likely to be "taken over" by the Crows, our main concern has been ensuring that won't happen. The clear feeling throughout the club was summed up recently by a friend, who is also a board member, who said to me "Over my dead body." It's really only now that we've begun to focus on the issue of reserves teams in the competition as such. As with other clubs, we have no clear consensus on this within the club, right now. And frankly I can't guess how it will play out.

I am with you R&B.

I am very unhappy with what appears to be my club's stance and (at least officially) nobody has heard what the proposal will actually be yet.
It is very hard to believe if Matt Benson has done a complete backflip on his stance. He has been so vocal in opposition to this.
It sounds like legalised prostitution the way this is all unfolding.

I have said that I would walk away from them if they vote for this and we get a compromised sanfl. Whether that be an individual Crows or Crows taking over another side like Sturt. This isn't what I signed up for.

If it was all good and justifiable, you would have thought the Crows and Power would have had their proposal out there and in bright lights long before now.

And I reiterate if they do this thinking it to be in the best interest of the sanfl, then I think there will be a lot of other members from clubs walk away.

It is going to be terribly sad if that happens.

I greatly respect Chambo's stand and I think the differences between his approach and mine, emphasize the problem confronting all clubs and I doubt there is clear consensus anywhere right now. I'd like some time alone in a locked room with the bastards who dumped us in this mess. Well perhaps I would if I was 50years younger.

countrycousin wrote:I greatly respect Chambo's stand and I think the differences between his approach and mine, emphasize the problem confronting all clubs and I doubt there is clear consensus anywhere right now. I'd like some time alone in a locked room with the bastards who dumped us in this mess. Well perhaps I would if I was 50years younger.

it was the Victorians who dumped this on us, because if those VFL clubs weren't going broke 20 odd years ago do you think they would have invented a national competition ? they ruined their own suburban comp & now their ruining ours

I heard that the vote is now 6-2 in favour and the only ones holding out were Norwood and South!!!!

Now, I take that with a pinch of salt, because by days end and some discussions much further up the food chain, I can't see either Norwood or South saying no either.

Now, that disappoints me greatly, but the universal problem is money currently working its way through the SANFL supplied by the AFL is threatened to be withdrawn.

This would mean in the case of Norwood, no coach like Bass or, much in the way of support staff and certainly no real influence to get players of high caliber to come to Norwood much less stay.

I think we have been feed bullshit right from the start, with everyone from the top of the SANFL to our own clubs trying very hard not to be seen as pulling the trigger on what is inevitable.

I also heard the stance verbally broadcast by the Power of saving the Port Magpies is so that they don't take the blame for it's demise when the clubs agree to the Power/Crows proposal of entering the SANFL League sides as of 2014.

The Magpies will die along with their recruiting territory in SA and the Power are just putting up a demand now, knowing full well they will never get their "false request" of saving them, nor want to.

I give you case in point (please do not crucify me as I say this out of great respect for him and his achievements) but Chris Grant from the Bulldogs has been the senior statesman of all SANFL Clubs for sometime now, and not a word from him on this issue, the same can be said for most club presidents including my own Joe Tripodi, who is also our club Director on the SANFL Clubs voting pool.

Yes, we can take it as fate accompli. Appears not a jot anyone can or want to do about it, (except the SANFL fans) fearing the quick demise of our SANFL competition for lack of funding.

Everyone has seen my comments and my grinding out that I want "No AFL in the SANFL"

Having heard the compelling case yesterday "For" from many in the firing line I am left shattered that I too have no option but to agree, but it doesn't mean I like the idea one iota.

Give me a double Scotch, no ice, no water. I have a very bitter pill to swallow.

Cheers.

Kris Grant likes the idea, I'd guess.

You raise a lot of good points, Go Legs.  West haven't made a decision, as far as I'm aware, but I'd say most clubs will work towards a 'best' model and vote for it.

There has to be restrictions on recruiting top- up players, certainly.

I'm very much against this idea, for a lot of reasons, but unlike many, I'll continue to support Westies no matter what.

One potential notion put to me by a SANFL official was that top-up players come from the pool of SANFL clubs overage under-18 players.

If the Crows are successful in fielding their reserves in a standalone side, will their team play for Premiership points?  Or will they just have a 'trial' against the team who has the 'bye'?  What happens if one of our players in our SANFL club gets injured?  Will the Crows compensate?

Enough of the cloak and dagger stuff.  I want to see everything in this proposal.

No members for clubs in 20 years time.  Kids at schools will just support Crows or Port in the SANFL

Short sighted if we vote YES and a slow but inevitable death for ALL SANFL clubs.  I wont bother renewing my membership

R&B, I have said in the past my respect for your balanced judgement when all around you have hot heads (Which at times includes myself).

But I heard yesterday on available information delivered within the SANFL last Wednesday that if a vote was taken then it would have been approved "Yes" with no exemptions.

It was deemed prudent by the SANFL and the Club Directors to go back and think about the situation and the true effect of allowing the Crows/Power into our league competition so that no unforeseen effects of AFL inclusion (as best as possible) could be seen to affect or compramise our competition such as AFL club top ups in creating a decent player lists, player payments etc, etc.

The next step is to officially hear out the Crows and Power proposals, which I believe is this coming Wednesday.

Basically, taken from talk within the SANFL and the AFL Clubs;

The Crows want no part of taking over an existing club, and its true meaning of supporting that club through all grades, its a financial killer.

The Power want full extension of the existing Port Magpies (But not really, as mentioned in an earlier post) they also know the true costs of all the auxiliary grades and that it is a financial burden they cannot nor want for future budgeting purposes, afford.

That means the Magpies become the Power, the Crows enter a team, with only the one SANFL league team from each, leaving a 10 team SANFL League Comp.

How the rest of the SANFL grades shake out in terms of programing is of no concern to them.

I believe the SANFL via it's Club Directors will confirm they will take on board the proposals at the completion of the next meeting with a firm positive view of allowing entry as per above starting 2014, then, go on sorting out the details of how it all works structurally and who pays what. This will appease the AFL and continue negotiations for the sale of the licenses back to them.

Meantime, it's spin from everyone directly involved to keep the existing sponsors (forget the members and supporters) with more sensational headlines from the media to make a buck.

Forget the members and supporters because the money they bring in doesn't make a viable strong competition, the money the AFL currently contribute and promise to add to in the future will keep our comp alive.

Lets face it the comp and our clubs will always have the support of the likes of everyone on this and every other SA forum going. Do you really want to see your club fold like the members and supporters of our friends the "Port Magpies" will endure before long.

At least I will be able to see my team I have known since I was born continue to play for the immediate future, they wont.

Sincerely; I am saddened, my heart goes out to them, those few who have stayed loyally to their club. Please support them on these occasions and remember that whenever your side plays the Port Magpies with what's left to the end of this season.

Funny, only yesterday morning I was convinced it would be otherwise and the SANFL would tell the AFL clubs to **** off.