South and West Merger

[JK]

No mate, wasn't referring to you, just filling D4E in*

[heater31]

no probs then

[Leaping Lindner]

Everything old is new again.............

"South Adelaide and West Adelaide should almalgamate, and thus form one team within the four terraces. The advisableness of the course has been made more strikingly obvious this year. South Adelaide won only four of twelve matches played, and West Adelaide lost every one. As at present constitiuted neither club is able to produce an A1 team, but if they were to join forces - and it is to be hoped they will - they could put an eighteen into the arena which would be equal to any of the three leading teams."

From "The Register" September 1906.

[heater31]

Everything old is new again.............

"South Adelaide and West Adelaide should almalgamate, and thus form one team within the four terraces. The advisableness of the course has been made more strikingly obvious this year. South Adelaide won only four of twelve matches played, and West Adelaide lost every one. As at present constitiuted neither club is able to produce an A1 team, but if they were to join forces - and it is to be hoped they will - they could put an eighteen into the arena which would be equal to any of the three leading teams."

From "The Register" September 1906.

only difference is now that they are a bit further apart these days and this year they have won two games each at this stage

[firstblood]

Won't happen!!! end of topic.

[therisingblues]

The Register was pretty quick to jump on an opportunity to put that view forward I think. In the thirty odd years preceding that article South had quite a successful era. It was shortly after Sturt joined up that South began to suffer, if I remember rightly. Makes me wonder if this was a popular view among the football crowds of the time, or was it just one journalist putting forward an idea?
101 years on however,and what have the two clubs achieved between them? I think South have won 2 maybe 3 premierships in that time, and West have won possibly 4? 101 years of history and about 7 premierships between two clubs...perhaps the register was right all those years ago? The seperate identities and the idea of them having merged would be no more a sore point now as the old Adelaide footy club having folded, or Woodville having relocated and changing its name to Norwood (and going on to win 6 premierships straight in their first 6 years under the new identity). There is no way I'd like to see it happen now though.

[Sojourner]

People correctly are pointing out that South are well set up and have a secure financial future, I certainley dont dispute that point.

South Adelaides problems though do not relate to their funding to put a team on the field. The whole crux of the problem at South Adelaide is the culture that has built up inside and outside of the club that 'it's ok to lose".

Dont get me wrong, I am a paid up passionate member of the South Adelaide football club and have very much earnt my stripes as a Panthers supporters staying to the end of various games where South have been absolutley flogged. The whole topic of mergers is not to denigrate the South Adelaide football club, but to look openly at what it is that has to be done to change the culture from a losing culture to a winning culture.

The whole suggestion of mergers is one suggestion as a valid answer to that question. As I said before, South have tried various things and have failed to get a result. While there is no consequence for losing, I think that the club will still be facing the same difficulties in ten years time. The question is what really can South members do to change that scenario?

[doggies4eva]

Whatever happened to that proposal that Norf and the doggies merge?

[Wedgie]

Whatever happened to that proposal that Norf and the doggies merge?

Wasn't that as only a part of the cartel with the Eagles and West also? Pity it didn't go ahead, the cartel would have got 10k per game more than the Power do.

I was kept busy in the mid 90s when apart of a group called Roosters Against Merger but that was with Sturt. God forbid.

[eaglehaslanded]

I would have thought a South-Glenelg merger would be a better idea. Both clubs on the southern side of town. With both clubs under performing year in year out, like the merger of Torrens and Woodville this could be the catalyst to another top performing SANFL side. Maybe they could be known as the Southern Tigers with colours of Navy, White & Yellow. Just my idea but this would be more appropriate I think.

[blueandwhite]

The chance of South merging with anyone are zero. the club has never been as financially secure as it is today and is just about to commence construction on a multi million dolllar refit of its off field base at Hickinbotham Oval. South wouldnt ,couldnt and shouldnt ever merge with Glenelg- there is a fierce rivally between the 2 clubs that goes back decades.
A MERGER WITH WEST would be interesting in that we would get back all of the zone that we relinquished when forced by the sanfl to go down south in the 1980's. No never, despite all our critics, Noarlunga in time.... will have state of the art facilities for spectators,players and gamblers.

[Grahaml]

Mergers should only happen when 2 clubs are struggling to remain viable. There's only going to be 1 winner every year which leaves 8 losers. Some clubs win more than their share, and others lose more than their share. Trust me, I can understand what it's like to go through a few decades without success, but every club will go through these periods. And on the flip side every club will at one time or another be the envy of the rest because they seem to have a magical formula for success. You just have to keep trying new things until you get the right people or the right path and success will follow. I've always felt the first step is to sort out the off field situation. South are as good at that part as any club and in my opinion are ahead of clubs like Port, Norwood and Sturt who seem to be a bit behind in that regard. I'm not exactly keep to see the balance of power switch because I'm rather content with things as they are but I'd be stupid to think this will happen for much longer. As it is we have to create history to just make the GF this year. Just keep supporting your club and enjoy the good times when they come, and avoid admitting defeat until you really are beaten.

And just on Norwood, those millions they made are great as a one off, but anyone who things making millions in a few years on real estate is the path to financial security is on something pretty strong. This is a one off, massive bonus that Norwood have secured. This result may never happen again to any SANFL club and to think otherwise is foolish. However, if Norwood are wise with this money then they can and should become financially secure with a steady and reliable income from somewhere.

[brent]

glenelg won't be merging, the very idea is laughable.

[bosvit]

Oh come on its hard enough finishing bottom a few years in a row without having your face rubbed in a merger.

Anyway isn't the rumor that Tassie are joining the comp in 2009 or 2010???

[Mickyj]

No need to merge, just give South what should rightfully be theirs, ie all the area south of Taps.
If there's not enough kids in the Western area to accomodate the teams there then look at merging some of those.

Wedgie we who support a team in the western suburbs have already merged Woodville and west torrens .
There is no way as a payed up member of WWT would I support a second merger.Perhaps they could merge with that second port adelaide side .

[Psyber]

The obvious solution is to sack the Port Adelaide Magpies as should have been done when they tried to get themselves into the Alternative Football League via a the back door. Then the western area can be shared out between the remaining teams who were loyal to the SANFL!

8 good teams is good!

[southee]

Wont happen. End of story.
8 team comp would make the comp at laughing stock.
Do agree with the need to change the culture down south. The near enough is good enough has been there for years. I think they have tried many ways to change it but never seems to happen!!

[Hondo]

You don't fix a 'losing culture' by merging with someone else, that's called giving up IMO

Would you rather lose your club ...... or be proactive about fixing your problems yourself?

Look at Sturt - 1990 compared to 2002

Look at Centrals - won 1 final between 1971 and 1994 .... now going for 8th GF appearance in a row

[smac]

We consistently hear of mergers and new teams for the SANFL, but I am unsure that the comp is broken and don't understand why everyone wants to fix it. I am assuming this is nothing more than scurrilous rumour as both clubs are financially ok. Fixing things 'on the park is certainly not an impossible ask - Dogs 15 years ago, North over the past 3-4 years are perfect examples of this.

[Grahaml]

Drop Port out and Central's zone will get bigger as well, surely. Centrals would certainly pick up support from Salisbury even if the league didn't allocate those areas to the dogs. End result would be a stronger Centrals and status quo for the rest.

I think the comp if going fine. The Crows bring in a good steady income for the SANFL and the clubs all seem to be moving in the right direction. Soon all clubs will have a good grounding and then we can think about expanding the league somehow and increasing the salary cap. I think when the time is right the SANFL clubs will tell the AFL to go get stuffed and we'll position ourselves as clearly the number 2 comp in the country.