Every year we have these same discussions about money in football. The simple fact is there are clubs out there such as Tailem Bend, Jervois, & Meningie Just in the RMFL who would be on the verge of folding if they could not lure players to their club with $$$ offers. Karoonda, Peake, Lameroo, Murrayville in the Mallee are in the same situation. Are you going to be the people who give these clubs the push over the edge
I agree some clubs go over board, and that is why the points system is such a great idea. It will take time to even itself out, but once it does it should work.
Some clubs HAVE TO IMPORT purely for their own exsistance. It is for some clubs their last lifeline if u will. Talking to Llyod Downs the President of Tailem Bend, & he said there were only 5 players in their A grade who actually lived in Tailem Bend. So recruiting was an absolute necessity.
Rural Towns are dying, Farms are getting bigger & bigger, with less families working them. It all equates to a smaller population in these areas. Lets face it, if you were a lad who has shifted to Adelaide & has mates 5 minutes down the road playing for a club in town, would you travel 2 hours to Lameroo/Peake/Jervois etc to play footy at your own expense now probably around $45 just to get there. You may do it for 1 maybe even 2 or 3 years. But eventually it will get the better of you.
Sorry for the rant guys, but there is always two sides to every story.
$$$ in football is a way of life now. Yes we would all love to go back to the good ole days, but with whats going on socially in rural area's its just not possible.