Country Rep Footy

Talk on any country footy league or club from the SA Country area

Country Rep Footy

Postby RooShootOhh » Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:11 pm

Plenty of debate on different boards regarding selection, purpose, format, suspensions etc, so be good to get everyones thoughts on the matter and what each league has in place in comparison to other leagues.

For what it's worth, I'm a fan of rep footy but I look at it with the following questions:

1. What is your league trying to get out of it?
Is it bragging rights against another league/s. Is it development of young to middle aged players, getting them exposed to higher levels of footy and perhaps opening the door play SANFL etc. Is it to prance around and show off to other leagues

2. Selection?
Some leagues have compulsary selection with suspensions for no-shows, others are not. Can a team be sucessful if they don't want to be there? It also raises the question of age. Leagues usually have a minimum number of U21/23's etc in the team, so whay dont you change the format. Rep footy to be totallly U25's OR compulsary for U25's but optional for older players. if it's open aged and meant to show the best comp then why is there the need to have a certain amount of U21/23's, if they are not good enough they don't make the cut

3. Format?
Some have a one off game, some play a mini carnival. what exactly are you playing for, can that be achieved with the format you are using. Take the Landmark Cup, 2x20 halves, can that seriously tell you who is the better team, does it allow you to play like a normal game. What does a single game achieve, if there is nothing on the line either?

4. Zone Footy?
One of my pet hates, if you struggle to get blokes to buy in and represent their association, how do you expect them to do that with a mix of different associations from around the state. And are Rep games / weekends meant to help with selecting zone squads? I am led to belive blokes who were available and happy to play rep footy on the weekend weren't selected, yet still get selected in the zones squad?!? If you had to play association footy to get selected for Zone footy (& therefor State footy) i bet a few more blokes would put their hand up, not blokes picked on names/friendships/club bias etc.


At the end of the day there are many opions on this and mine is as follows:
Rep footy is great, enjoyed by those who want to be there and enjoy playing at a higher level for whatever reason. If a bloke doesn't want to be there, don't force him, your league will suffer in the long run anyway.
Have something meaniful to play for, whether that be individual rewards like zone and state footy or just pride and passion in your association. To achieve this, you need to look at how Rep footy is presented, and I hateto say this, but potentially look at the netball carnival on the weekend, maybe footy should take a leaf out of their book. (i understand its a little harder to play multiple games of footy on one day, but perhaps a 3 day concept is worth it.) If you weant down this path, why not have divisions, to show who is strong and who isnt. Use promotion and relegation to reward teams striving for association success etc. I nearly think you either go all out to make it worthwhile, or scrap it all together.

Love to hear some feedback!
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Re: Country Rep Footy

Postby heater31 » Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:32 pm

Perhaps the Other leagues should take a trip to Port Lincoln next June and see how the Mortlock Shield Carnival is done.......


They are the only thread that is not bitching about players being soft cocks by not playing for their respective league.
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Re: Country Rep Footy

Postby 7-Dog » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:30 pm

I love my rep Footy, but would love to see a change to the whole format and have an incentive to want to play.

This year my league SGL and Whyalla didn't renew the rivalry for the 5 straight year.
This is obviously a one off game, with U/18's and U/15's filling the day with footy.
We are apart of the Northern Zone, and I have always wondered why SGL (or Port Augusta & Port Pirie, seperate side each) play in there zone carnival and include Far North (Roxby league). NAFA are apart of our zone, but play in the Landmark cup.

I much rather prefer the single SGL vs Whyalla game, but after 4 straight wins, would love to see a different challenger. SGL did look at playing Broken Hill (also in Northern Zone), but that never eventuated.

I know the Mortlock Shield is certainly special, and I think is a very similar format to the Country Championships, with a day off Sunday to recover from the games and a big night. I think the prestige helps get the players want to play.

I never liked the Championships formula, and I don't think some leagues within Southern are 'Country' leagues.

I would rather see over the long weekend a mixture of individual leagues playing each other in a full game. SGL vs Whyalla, NAFA vs NEFL, APFL vs YPFL, HFL vs RMFL, the Mortlock Shield, BLGFA vs GSFL etc. roughly 7/8 games and the fixture mixed up every year.
The winner of the June long weekend, would advance to the week the Championships are held.
There could be a carnival held on the June long weekend at several country venues, or all go to Adelaide. For full matches, game on Saturday, rest day Sunday, winner on monday advance to July. Could have 2 divisions, finish top div 2, go up, bottom div 1 go down.
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Re: Country Rep Footy

Postby LuvsFooty » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:42 pm

Victorian country footy model is brilliant. It's a ranking system where winning or losing dictates what you are seeded and who you play the following year. It's big and there is plenty to play for. Adds variety because you could be playing anyone in the state and works out once and for all who is the best
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Re: Country Rep Footy

Postby Lightning McQueen » Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:11 am

They could play a one off match with a neighbouring zone as a curtain raiser to an AFL match, the chance to play on AAMI stadium would be decent incentive. Or the Foxtel Cup matches could be a curtain raiser to the zone matches.
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