You all should be thanking North. If we hadn't picked up our solitary win of the season against Adelaide Reserves they would be playing finals footy ;)

Hang on....... If it wasn't for the AFL in the SANFL North would have gone through an entire season without a win. An unenviable achievement in anyone's book.
So having AFL reserves in the SANFL is a good thing afterall. Yay

80% of those disgruntled fans will continue to follow the league and support their clubs regardless.
I think csbowes makes an excellent point here. The SANFL clubs know that dyed-in-the-wool SANFL supporters are, in the main, going to persevere despite severe modifications to the structure and integrity of the game. This is because their passion for their club runs deep, irrespective of what happens around it.

I think you see a comparable situation in English football (and I'll stand to be corrected by those who know more about the EPL than me). Fans of the 'less wealthy' teams (for want of a better term) will support their side year in year out even though they have no realistic chance of competing with the resource rich power sides who continually dominate the top of the table. Their only genuine opportunity to wrestle the title away from these power teams is to be bought out by a wealthy benefactor who is willing to splash the cash. Despite this, supporters can't and won't countenance the idea of ditching their team. It'd be a crime to do so. They may not even see the inequity as an issue. At any rate, they keep on supporting and hope in their heart of hearts their team will one day win the title.

My 2 boys used to love wearing their Bays jumpers...now have no interest. They have not only killed off their core supporter basis they have hurt future generations .
This is the bit I don't get. Irrespective of whether current fans drop off or continue to support, they're not going to be around forever.

Where will the next generation of SANFL supporters who will become paying members and active club participants come from? Surely relying on $50,000 a year from the Crows is not a sustainable solution.

Your pretty spot on, only point I would add in the EPL despite not winning the title fans see joy in other prizes like Europe, the cups etc but your are exactly right there is a massive element of tribal, blind loyalty
I don't agree. At least the league isn't compromised. A better analogy would be if Chelsea suddenly had their reserves playing in the championship and only for the benefit of their player development.
Despite only a few clubs having any real chance of the title, that can change, look at how Liverpool dominated, then Utd, then Chelsea, then City and then who knows who'll be next. And don't forget all the other clubs in all the other division have a chance of glory. And the Clarets away win at Chelsea a few years back will live with me forever.
It ain't perfect but it ain't compromised either.
And as the AFL clubs get stronger and the SANFL gets more and more diluted the two reserve teams will just end up dominating the league year after year.
The way it's going the top ammo clubs will end up stronger and wealthier to the point they could form a new league that replaces the SANFL as the top league in SA

Ok back on thread please.

No AFL in the WAFL
No AFL in the SANFL

Well done Centrals
Did the comp a favour today

Or better still change Ports rules to match Adelaide and get rid of the academy side altogether, no home games and a £50k contribution.
That would solve the issue of playing completely different teams.
As for limiting AFL listed players, that should be a given anyway. No more than 14 max, assuming we re going to be stuck with the AFL Reserves.
Your arrogance is that you think Port has the right model and Adelaide should get it too.

You still don't get it, do you?

If neither side has a team in the reserves competition then when Port v South takes place, who does South's two's play if Port has no SANFL reserves side? Who does West's two's play if the league is playing Adelaide, kapish?
I do get it. I just don't agree with you and that's the bit you don't get. The reserves would be 8 teams, 4 games a week.

Ports academy should be disbanded with those players moving to SANFL clubs
Creating an Adelaide academy will dilute the SANFL even further. How long before you start asking for an Academy Rerserve squad to provide top ups for the Academy side who are providing top ups for the Reserves side who are providing top ups for the AFL side.

At that point Port and Crows will be renting out whole suburbs so they can claim little Ricky is resident in their zone and the SANFL won't even be a feeder league anymore.

Kapish ;)

For the superstitious supporters out there... The morning of the Norwood Final, I found a black cat in my house.Then he came back last Saturday night. If he comes back this weekend then I predict Centrals win and if he doesn't West. I have no idea who's cat it is either.
You might not know who the cat is but I bet there is a saucer of milk by your back door on Saturday morning :D

Brodlach wrote:Why was he "enigmatic"?

He wasn't. He was enimatic. That's like automatic but uses less enigy

Well done Westies.
Not sure how anyone could call WWT defensive. WWT and West have been consistently the best two teams in the comp this year and both deserve to be playing out the Grand Final.
Big crowd or small crowd next week I'm sure both sets of fans will have a great day watching a great game of true SANFL football.

Maybe the premiership count should always be based on the last 50 years... so a moving window...

So for 1965-2014 it would be :-

Port Adelaide 14
Central District 9
Sturt 8
Norwood 8
North Adelaide 4
West Torrens 3
Glenelg 3
West Adelaide 1
South Adelaide 0

Or maybe we just rule a line at the end of every century and start again ;)

You blokes think it's the case already.

Ha-Ha a Port fan talking about re-writing history ;)

Well done Westies

He went from the goal square to the coaches box and inherited a system and players following the robotic plan of Bassett.

Gets a chance to do it on his own terms and they struggle in the back half of the year.

So, does he have to run his movements/plans past Cotton before implementing them I wonder?

Obviously I haven't been watching the Legs this season but it could be a case of us not having the cattle to implement the game plan that was so successful. We appeared to rest on our laurels a bit over the off season in regards to recruiting and a few injuries hurt us at times*.

regards,

REB

*in b4 North 'what about our injuries mate' posts.
What about our injuries mate

Is there any other sport in the world that continually changes both major on-field and administrative (salary cap, free agency etc) rules as often as Aussies Rules does with the AFL and state leagues being the main culprits

Geez for a sport that aussies will tell you to your blue in the face is the greatest game in the world needs a lot of ******* changes apparently.

No wonder fans and players are slowly heading back to their amatuer clubs where the game still resembles what was once the great spectacle of an aussie rules game
It seems to be taking an awfully long time to get it right considering it's one of the oldest codes in sport.

Personally, if they are telling you the change will only affect about 4 occurrences in a match then they're clearly trying to sell a rule change that has no point.
It they want to open the game up, reduce the congestion around the ball and increase the scoring, all of which would increase the excitement and the spectacle of the game, then force teams to keep a minimum number of players in each half of the oval and a minimum number of players inside the forward 50.
That would encourage the one on one contests and the traditional Full Forward position. Never mind f%#king about with pointless OOB rule changes.

I like the limit to the number of interchanges. I always thought it was a bit unfair that losing a player early in the match probably meant you'd lose the game.

There are also some facility upgrades to things like the interchange benches, coaches boxes and desks for media. From a pure radio broadcast viewpoint City Mazda was a major improvement after their NAB cup game, will be interesting to see what media facilities are like at Unley next year .. can someone please get a game at Prospect?
No thanks, we'd prefer a brewery convention.
Would you guys be able to organise a piss up in a brewery convention?

Maintaining the theme of football coming second at Prospect. ;)
Unlike the men ;)

North almost had Aidan Riley but Stuart found him a job. Apparantley they're throwing huge money at Mitch Harvey too.
We have a lot of lost talent to cover. Coad, Kurtze, Duldig, Bruggeman.
I think we need to be throwing huge money at someone.
I agree, I hope my post was taken as being critical. Might head off to the Things that gives me the shits thread now and add my phones auto correct always changing Sturt into Stuart!
Mine always changes Sturt into Shite ;)

Speedy recovery Mickyj. The fish are waiting

Next year the Crows reserves will play 9 'home' games.
The year after they'll keep all the takings

No need to explain Micky. I'm pretty sure no one on here thinks you're lying.
You take it easy.

I'd just like to wish everyone in the No AFL whinge thread a very Happy Christmas and a Whingeful New Year, except for the two AFL reserve sides who can go and **** off.
Keep the faith.

Havnt read the article, just knew that the 1 player per club rule was announced by the club yesterday[/quote

I don't see why there should be only 1 player from each of the SANFL clubs? The SANFL clubs should be happy to promote their players to playing the highest level possible. The SANFL clubs should want their players to achieve the highest level they can personally play. It's about the players welfare and not about the SANFL club surely.
There shouldn't be any bloody players from any SANFL clubs.
Why should SANFL clubs suffer because of Essendon's drug cheats. **** em off, they have a reserves team, let them choose players from there.

Why should a player miss out on an opportunity because an SANFL club can't cope with replacing 1 player? Would hate to tell a young kid I was trying to deny his chance at a dream job.
That's what the draft's are for.
Not to bail out Essendon's shit. Never mind "miss out on an opportunity" garbage. These players all have the opportunity to put their hands up at Draft time. And why should any SANFL club have to "cope" with losing one or any other number of players. These same players have all signed up to their respective clubs. If Essendon are so short of players let them take players from other AFL clubs. After all there would only be one from each club so surely they could all cope.

It makes me laugh, this typical AFL self-Centred attitude. Dismissive of the SANFL and lacking any understanding of why it should matter.

clanger wrote:Trial 1 Sunday, February 21


Port Adelaide 1
Port Adelaide 2
Alb TBC

Is that the final score

I think there is a difference though. Soccer seems to accept that boring 0-0 draws are a small, but inevitable occurrence. They dont try to legislate them out of the game.

If the AFL were running soccer they would have zones to stop people parking the bus, etc
They did change the rules to try and cut out the goalless games and teams parking the bus as you say. They changed the back pass rule stopping the keeper from picking the ball up.
And they changed the off side rule to make it easier for the attacking team
They created the play off system to encourage teams that had no chance of promotion (as it was) to play out the season.

Soccer is no different than any other sport
And like every other sport, the powers (no pun intended) that be will always look to counteract some game style that acts to degenerate the value and spirit of the game.

I'm just surprised the governors of Aussie Rules haven't changed the rules to counteract the ultra-boring flooding style.

JK wrote:Would be more about the data they capture

Who do you think you are? Merlin ?

Good Friday's a winner but I'd been preaching that it would be for 20+ years. I took 4 people along today who wouldn't normally go and my son went to Noarlung also, he stopped going years ago. Nothing else to do on Good Friday so it's good to see the SANFL finally reaping the rewards that were there all along to be reaped.

Unlike the dickheads in the FA & EPL who sacrifice a double bank holiday weekend so they could stage a totally pointless England friendly.
**** All to do for most on Friday and Monday but go to the footy, if they'd had any that is.

So good move by the SANFL.

But just shows that most sporting authorities have NFI about what is in the best interest of their own sport

Pftt......
I thought this was a thread about a foot problem

I don't think the rule goes far enough. Not only should it be a free kick but the offending player should get tasered.

Panther Pack wrote:I was gonna start a have North Imploded thread after round 1 but then realised North are playing Norwood & Johnston this week so hope Norwood smash the cocks so we can start the implosion thread

Ha...... This coming from a South fan.

carman.png
Footage from an SANFL game in 1974... love watching stuff like this, it is (and should always be), a big part of what football is all about, rivalry and passion, both from players and fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5Q_CKkMGE

..."Graham Cornes upsets Phil Carman by raising an elbow, gives the Norwood crowd the bird, kicks into the man on the mark and then gets his face pushed into the Parade turf"...
Classic Stuff
And everyone got on with it after

Cue; a dusty, windswept western oval. A shutter rattles as a tumbleweed rolls aimlessly across the outer.
Two tribes appear through the haze to face each other in a life and death struggle.
Roared on by their 4,000 strong army, there will be no fairytale ending to this David and Goliath battle.
The echoing chant through the Port heartland spells out the victors, Ravens, Ravens, RAVENS !!!
David is dead. Like Sanfull, his father before him, he lays slain, lifeless and crushed by the weight of a 100 point loss and the might of the AFL

Crows reserves by 100-105

No offence to anyone have you guys been to Woodville oval when the crows play .
Eagles put on a junior carnival the terraces are full of kids their families huge numbers bump up the crowd
The way this poster is writing it is like prospect oval when north have one win a year .
Oh wait they can actually beat the crows
I'll defend the Eagles but I can't see them winning against the AFl
Sorry Micky. ;)
Picture this instead: The posts at each end shimmer as the heat rises from the floor of the collosus provincial amphitheatre. 30,000 voices raise in approval as the two foes appear. The Plebian Slaves, led on by the mighty Eagle at their head, come face to face with their mortal enema the Centurians of the AFL with their Crow faced Raven deity.
The proud Slaves of the once mighty Eagle, like their seven brothers of Sanfull, were thrown to the Lyons. The 4,000 strong Crow faced Raven stood, thumbs pointing downward, chanting death, Death, DEATH. Moments later it was all over, the Eagle Slaves, like their father Sanfull, lay still and lifeless as the mighty AFL Centurians of the Crow faced Raven marched on conquering all before them.

Crow Reserves by 100-105 points

Irra runs from Elizabeth to Noarlunga and kicks the goal
Panthers by 33

20 mins

Wedgie wrote:Eagles by 12 points.

Good call

therisingblues wrote:

johntheclaret wrote:Fight, fight, fight

No not looking to fight at all. But if Fester did get on the radio I reckon he'd possibly be faced with tougher questions than the one I just asked.

You West Ham fans are all the same

Good opportunity for an In-Form Glenelg to inflict a first defeat on the Adelaide Crows Reserves.
Tigers by 5-10 points

Hail Panthers

Fantastic result and effort

I was refused by Welso security (who had his arms held out wide stopping supporters entering) I explained I am just going in the South change rooms. Welso security explained that he has been instructed not to let anyone enter. I explained I go in every week but got told the Crows coaching staff instructed no people to come though at all. What a bloody disgrace......and you have to wonder why we seen 2 rules made. One for AFL sides and the other for the 8 SANFL sides. Absolute joke!!!!

Since when did the Crows Reserves coaching staff decide who can and can't go into the South rooms and celebrate with their team?
Did the South officials agree to this or did Adelaide Reserves staff just make the decision for them ?? Either way, why would South allow that to happen to their own fans, especially against a team they they voted against joining the league in the first place.

I think it took the South officials by surprise to be honest mate.

It was at the start of the players race. So neither sides supporters could go through. Surely Welso could of stood at the Crows change room door ??
Typical AFL, full of their own self importance

darley16 wrote:I decided to go to the game at the last minute........then...MY HEAD EXPLODED!!!!!!

You picked the right time to go

Up the Clarets

The real story behind this scarier than a complete breakaway fomp

The champions league is looking at revamping its format due to dropping tv audiences

The big 5 clubs are looking to secure their future by arranging a deal that guardnteed them a spot in the 'champions' league regardless of PL ladder positions

That would suck for the middle road clubs looking to break into the champions league such as Leicester Tottenham west ham Southampton etc

Not sure what place Liverpool have in those big five discussions
That stinks. Just when the Clarets are back, they go and change the rules. They'll do anything to stop us reaching the Champions league final

Villa have always reminded me as a bigger, more supported version of the old VFL Fitzroy. Until the 1940s, Fitzroy were the most successful VFL club up to that stage, who by the 1960s couldn't win a game, up until the 1950s Villa were the most successful English Football team, who by 1970 had plummeted to the third division.
Does anyone else remember the old corny, schoolboy joke of the late 1960s when Tommy Docherty managed them. The joke went "What do you get when you cross Tommy Docherty with an ice cream". Answer "Aston Vanilla - everyone licks them!". I did say it was corny.
They then had a resurgence but generally have only flirted with success in the decades since.
Given their huge supporter base they should be doing better, but I guess that goes for many of the clubs based around Birmingham
That flirting with success did bring them a European Title when it actually mattered. Them days you had to win the league to qualify for the European Cup, not finish in the top 4. I think they did a bit more than flirt with success. I think they took it out and plowed it :D

Coach Bombay wrote:How's that number 2 spud for central telling the crowd on snouts hill to shhh after he kicked a fairly irrelevant goal

Shhh, let it go

Jim05 wrote:Adam Johnson has completed his Transfer to HMP Durham from Sunderland on a 6 year deal

On a good deal too.
No away games and a get out clause after 3 years.

How many clubs actually posted a profit last year.
Now it's a requirement to have a $100,000 surplus?
Bit hard to achieve when each club has to play 4 games per year against teams that don't take winning as seriously as say, resting players during games so they'll be fit for the demands of a completely different league.
North did, I think South did, not sure about the rest. Pretty sure the Bay's didn't.

It would help if the true SANFL clubs were adequately compensated for the loss of revenue having the AFL Reserves in the league. $50k p.a. Is a joke
The promised additional media exposure, ergo more sponsorship revenue hasn't materialised, and neither has the promised increase in attendances, ergo more revenue through the gates and in the grounds.

All of this makes the $50k look a paltry sum, and even more so as media exposure and attendances are actually down since the AFL Reserves joined the league. Clubs are having to rely more and more on gaming revenue to sustain them and though this at least keeps some of the clubs viable as a business, it detracts from the true essence of what they are and why they exist, to be football clubs.

I think SANFL and the Clubs have sold themselves short by not realising their own value when it came to the deal with the two AFL Clubs. They needed the SANFL far more than SANFL and the league needed them, and they should have demanded a much better deal than the one they got. This is possibly the biggest travesty of the whole affair.

Perhpaps the SANFL clubs should have asked the WAFL to negotiate on their behalf instead.

For SANFL to now make this $100k surplus demand on the back of falling media and attendance revenues and a poorly negotiated incentive deal, all of which they themselves are responsible for, just shows how far removed from reality they actually are and how badly run the SANFL is.

VALE PARK wrote:Could be premierships points.
No point in a $ fine.

Well that would at least explain West's form this season

Joey Barton off to Rangers.

Shame really as he did ok at Burnley last year. I suspect you might see a more volatile Barton from now on. The old firm games might get a bit interesting.

Ok then

woodublieve12 wrote:HULL!!

Yay 6 points for the Clarets

Apparantly Ibra has agreed to a 1 year contract at United and will sign in the next few days.
Also have made an official bid of £60m for Pogba although I feel it's just another tyre kicking exercise

And to think you let him go for free :lol:
Not much we could do at the time, was young and not getting a game at the time. Probably a dozen kids from every club leave each year and 90% don't go on to have a decent career. Every now and then one goes on to become a gun and we have to wear it. I don't think he is coming back though

Yep that's true enough.
Steve Bruce told he wasn't good enough and released by Burnley
Lee Dixon told he could leave after being released by Burnley

On the other hand, Jay Rod through the ranks cost us nothing, Stephen Flether to Sunderland, Charlie Austin bought from Swindon for buttons, Danny Ings from Bournemouth for buttons. Trever Stevens to Everton for a record fee, Ralph Coates to Spus for record fee, Martin Dobson to Everton........... It's swings and roundabouts and you win some and lose some. For clubs like Burnley as long as we win more than we let slip through.

The truth is they are no more the original Wimbledon than Accrington is the original Stanley or Chester is the original Chester.
I'm not sure but I'd argue that MK Dons are still the original Wimbledon. Just a new location and a name change.

Anyhow, good luck to them, wanting to revive the name and doing it successfully.

Bastards were the 1st non league side to beat a 1st Division side in the FA Cup when they came to Turf Moor in the early/mid 70's and won by a single goal. A shitty up and under effort. I was there that day and couldn't believe what had happened, as it was in a time when the FA Cup actually mattered and all clubs played their best sides and none of this disrespectful 10 changes crap we have today.

The only thing I'd say about them was they were a dirty undisciplined side that played a real crappy style of football which was probably one of the reasons for their success as team just didn't like playing against them. The nearest analogy I could draw now is comparing them to the Stoke City team under Pulis.

Propping up a dead horse.
Who remembers Woodville / West Torrens / Fitzroy / South Melbourne .
With a team named Woodville West Torrens playing in the SANFL it think there's a chance that one or two on the list won't be forgotten ;)
Seriously, I hope the Bay's survive. It's bad enough losing Port Adelaide, and Woodville merging with West Torrens, without losing Glenelg too.

Fck me MT79
How many times do you need to tell us you didn't here LPH's call. We get it ok !!
Some people just go on and on and on !

That's actually a fair point Wedgie.

I'm just not sure I could sit and watch North go to the wall and not raise a finger to help because of who is president.
But I do understand where you are coming from and agree 99%. The fact is, like players, coaches and the board, the president will move on, but North is my club, period. And if they are gone, they are gone for good and I wouldn't like to think that could happen and I hadn't tried to help.