Well batted Trav

Set himself up for big day tomorrow.

Having witnessed Test Cricket long enough this Test is 100% in NZ hands. We’re going to give plenty of chances tomorrow and if NZ take them they will win - no hope we’ll go chanceless. Still, NZ have beaten Australia only once at Test level since 1993 and they in my opinion don’t have that killer instinct (They’re too nice). When NZ were at their best they had the hard nosed and incredibly arrogant Richard Hadlee at their helm. Let’s see tomorrow how they fare.

Survive the first half an hour wicketless and Australia will win.

Key is to get as many of the runs before the new ball is due. It’s clearly a much more difficult pitch when the ball is new.

Not sure too many will be upset to see Sandy Creek knocked off South Gawler.

The Bedge wrote:Fight me

Lets do it on the footy field so we dont get punished by the law...Ingle Farm vs BSR.

Sadly it reconfirms there simply is too many teams in the northern burbs. Could be wrong but it feels there is always one of the clubs who just cant fill a side. Was Smithfield, now Elizabeth. EP appeared to really struggle with the b grade last year, that wont be a problem this year.
No, sadly it just reaffirms that the merry go round of players are to the detriment of the clubs. They pick and choose where they play, when they play based on how that side is looking. When the going is good, they're all keen, when it looks like there is work to be done they drive 5min down the road to the next hot club.

Wasn't long ago Smithfield went from D7 to D4 and were flying... Elizabeth won the flag onto 3 years ago from memory.. Eastern Park almost made the D5 Grand Final a few years back. Brahma Lodge won a stack of flags in D7 and last year could barely field a one team, now they're all back.

Every club has a core group of committed players and hard working volunteers - but are let down by players who choose to take the easy path on the hunt for premiership success.

Using too many clubs is a cop out and shit excuse - don't hear clubs south of the CBD saying the same - Mitchell Park, Kenilworth, Flinders Uni, Marion, SHOC would all be within a stones throw of each other.. or to the West - Portland, Pt Districts, Henley, Seaton, Rosewater, North Haven etc.

Not wrong but I will say having BL&G plus plains leagues right next door to the far Northern amateur teams adds a bit of difficulty too, problem is everyone thinks they are worth coin and some desperate teams are willing to pay it. Maybe time to merge a couple of teams.. .

What.............Elizabeth Park in the Crows colours. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Jokes. Dont take seriously please.

Elizabeth Dogs? Central United Eagles? Smithfield Eagles?

The CUES (Central United, Elizabeth, Smithfield) Could be known as the 8 Balls

If the SAAFL bring in clubs from the APFL in the next 5-10 years then I’ll walk to China. There’s absolutely no need to when the league already has 77 clubs. What is the logical point of bringing in another club North of Adelaide when a senior club has fallen over? If they did that then in 2-3 years at least one more will bite the bullet and another association would be under the pump with club numbers. No one wins in 4-5 years with that scenario…

I would highly doubt any APFL clubs would want to come to SAAFL. Clubs like Two Wells and Virginia would have roughly 70-100 females playing netball on the same day who would have to find inner city comps to then play in.

Never mind the lost income clubs would face from no entry fees, which would also include roughly no entries fees for 70-100 opposition netball players and XXXX amount of juniors for 8-9 games a year, lost canteen income from the much smaller crowds SAAFL generates. Then you would need to split your club volunteers at multiple grounds throughout the year.

Thats the business side of the club before you start to discuss the club losing the 'sense of country sport' etc which would be a huge discussion point.

Maybe clubs have approached the SAAFL but would be shocked and would think leagues such as the Barossa, NEFL or a merging of leagues would be the clubs first preference.

Pretty sure you have to pay to get in at barossa league games... Spectators do.
Players subs cover their admission costs, they get a pass to gain “free entry”

In the NEFL players get free entry to home game but pay to get into away games.

SFL is the same, plus cheaper entry if you're there for the junior grades

Ours is just a flat rate.....$8 entry for adults, $4 for a budget.

I personally dont mind paying, its a cheap days entertainment and if it helps keep the clubs alive then that's great for our communities and my 3 daughters growing up.

I bet the Playford Council is proud they spent all that money picket fencing Argana Park for it to have nothing more than junior football teams play there.

How good was that run down the wing by Reid!!!!

Not a great situation but surely a bye in the b grade is a much option than having a div 7 side come up last minute unless there is one really willing, which would be unlikely. Maybe if one came up you could give them immunity from relegation as an incentive.

Booney wrote:After much deliberation the SANFL has accepted the AFL’s new guidelines for a minimum 21 day return to play protocol.

AFL and AFLW listed players featuring in the SANFL will still abide by the 12 day protocols.

sAnFL.

Popcorn ready!!!

Any news on how trial matches have been going and what teams are looking like in them?

I know not a very good indication of how they will go during the year. North played Walkerville in a 6 quarter a and b trial match and had a lot of players unavailable and not sure how it went

Walkerville won by a couple of goals at the end of the 6.

BSR haven't played a trial yet but will have a couple before the season starts.

Saints to improve.
North Clare to improve.
South to improve
Blyth to improve
Min Man to fall back a tad
BBH to drop down
RSMU who knows

Yeah I think saints and North improve on last year, let’s be honest Blyth and south couldn’t get any worse so they’ll get better.

BBH, RSMU and Min Man to drop a bit.

BSR clearly still the team to beat and will be all season whether they lose a few games or not, 6 from 7 flags will get you favourite status for the year whether you’re top or not I think.

Agree with all of that.

BSR will be an interesting watch. Still plenty of quality which should see them pushing the top couple of spots but wouldn’t think we would see an undefeated season again.

Any news on how trial matches have been going and what teams are looking like in them?

I know not a very good indication of how they will go during the year. North played Walkerville in a 6 quarter a and b trial match and had a lot of players unavailable and not sure how it went

Walkerville won by a couple of goals at the end of the 6.

BSR haven't played a trial yet but will have a couple before the season starts.

Saints to improve.
North Clare to improve.
South to improve
Blyth to improve
Min Man to fall back a tad
BBH to drop down
RSMU who knows

Solid win to the Dogs.

Endevour and attack on the contest looked. Some real nice ball movement at times and some of the new blokes looking outstanding. In particular Gasper, Barry and Dittmer look ready to go at this level.

Pleasing to win as well give imo Grant, McCormack and Illes (got plenty of it but disposal wasnt to his usual high standards) werent at their best today.

Dudley, Lange and Grace all had purple patches throughout. Not sure as individuals they will always be consistent but as long as they take their chances then that will be fine.

Only critism for mine was in the back half, at times they really struggled under pressure, dropping easy marks, fumbling at ground level and often to many up no one day.

Good day for the Dogs though an no reason to think they wont make the top 5.

There it is……Ports big forwards miss the crucial shots. Melbournes Gawn, Brown, Fritsch kick there.

Other simple mistakes hurt, Butters bursting through the middle and hospital handball to Rozee. Allir drops a dolly mark on the centre wing.

Didn’t handle the pressure as well as Melbourne.

Ben Brown has a future in media undoubtedly.

Wasn't sure where to put this but interesting that there looks like some genuine interest for Norwood to join the AFL. If that did happen 100% end of the SANFL.

Norwood would obviously be the next inline SANFL side to join the AFL if that was an option but not sure it actually would be the best option.

Obviously biased but i think business wise Centrals would make far more sense if there was to be a third AFL side. Proven to be able to get 20-25k to a GF. A massively growing region of the state with the redevelopments in Gawler, Two Wells, Roseworthy etc, would give the club region to establish a fan base. This is would be unique compared to Norwood who would be incompetition for the inner city suburb support along with the other clubs. Fremantle has shown a team that is 35-40 minutes from the base city can still work.

If they were on the national stage you would think there would be some big wine sponsors from the Barossa that would potentially line up to get on board. An oval to base themselves from that is suitable at the moment but has huge space for redevelopment if money was granted.

Adelaide United already based out that way so somehow could be linked in for sponsors etc.

Obviously Centrals were a massive NO AFL in the SANFL so likely both parties arent interested in one another but if there was no emotion, history etc and the AFL had to map where a third SANFL side was to come from i reckon Centrals would tick most of the AFL's boxes.

Yeah 100% Miers is a bloody gun!!!

Great last few days for all involved, well done.

Pity the AFL is hellbent on destroying the game we once loved. Far be it from me to backup umpires, but they’ve been made to look stupid by the directive of the AFL to review anything that moves. It’s bordering on unwatchable for me .

Yet we still got the howler in the Freo/Carlton game.

The sooner professional sports gets back to accepting an umpires decision for good or for bad the better sports will be to watch. Tennis where it is 100% IN/OUT is one of the few sports where technology works.

Would we all agree the mid to late 90's would be the era would want to see return if that was possible.

Surely its not the 70's/80's where blokes were getting coward punched on a regular basis. Hip and Shoulder was more hip and elbow raised than actual shoulder.

For mine it has to be the 90's where the bump was still alive and well but the beginning of serious professionalism meant we saw the footballers become amazing athletes as well.

By the early 2000's we saw the game maybe becoming too professional with coaches and coaching teams having far to much time on their hands creating the super floods etc.

Great to see Patty Weckert play well in the league. Was a thought he was going to quit footy and concentrate on cricket after the AFL snub last year but great to see him start well.
In the bits I watched he was a stand out. Has a great future!

Yep very talented. Won an A Grade flag for us at 16 years old.

Scary to face on hard wicket with a cricket ball in his hands.

How did Draper not get a free kick for in the back right at the end there.

Got a chance to watch this one.

Thommo would be happy with the win but not overly happy with how the lads played.

Thought the guys over possessed the footy at times, and the defensive work rate of the forwards was pretty ordinary. As some Eagles fans have said Pudney can get the ball but boy he can turn it over as well.

Like others have said we have had our struggles at Noarlunga and in recent years probably would have dropped that game, especially with Grace, Dudley and Pearce being quiet for the majority of the game. Sign of a good team though to be able to get the ugly wins.

UDogs.

Worst half of football this season. Haven’t seen so many rubbish kicks in a long time