PANTHERS ASK FOR THEIR ZONE TO BE RE-CONSIDERED

[85 WAS A GOOD YEAR]

I read Jai Bednall's Monday Morning Centreman article each Sunday night via AdelaideNow.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 5876211009

This weeks article includes information to come out of the SANFL's Benchmarking document released this month in relation to South Adelaide Football Club, and numbers of junior participants within it's zone. I felt it may be of interest to many SFL Supporters

"South is so far behind the eight ball in terms of junior participation numbers, coach Ron Fuller has described the situation as "scary''.
Last year the Panthers had 756 Auskick participants in their zone. That's about 500 less than the next worst club (Central District) and almost 2000 behind North Adelaide, which had the most (2622).

Interesting conversation more specific for clubs within the SFL is:
"So the fact that South has had just four draftees in the past 10 years (Justin Bollenhagen, Tom McNamara, Griffen and Alwyn Davey) suggests its zone is weak.
The other factor hurting the Panthers is the overall weakness of the clubs within the Southern Football League aligned to it. Of the 30 junior premierships won across the SFL's under-14, under-16 and under-18 competitions from 2000-09 only eight were won by South-affiliated clubs.

And of the nine SFL players drafted to the AFL only Bollenhagen and McNamara were South players.

The Panthers met with the SANFL to discuss the problem earlier this month and are calling for their zone to be extended to include sections of Happy Valley, Aberfoyle Park and Flagstaff Hill currently zoned to West Adelaide and sections of Reynella aligned to Glenelg.

This would appear to be a long shot. Both those clubs aren't going to give up territory without compensation (can't see the Bloods handing over the clubs that produced Adam Cooney, Jason Porplyzia, Ben Rutten and Beau Waters) and the SANFL doesn't review its zones again until the end of the 2012 season anyway.

Bloods president Paul Sperling said his club had invested 20 years of time and resources into the area since picking up the zone in 1990 and didn't want to lose it.

``They're going to have to fight pretty hard because we're not going to give up those areas we fought so hard for,'' Sperling said.
``I understand their concern and their plight but they can't just chop those bits back from us.''

So the Panthers will instead have to find a way to increase participation levels down south.

They also need to find a way to ensure the talented juniors that do make it to Noarlunga stay there and have long League careers.

But the club can't do this on its own.
It needs players who are high achievers, who are prepared to do the work and are dedicated to the game.
Not - like is so often the case - players who will quit at the earliest signs of hardship, to return to the familiarity and comfort of their local clubs, or chase coin in the country.

It also needs players with parents and families who are committed to helping their kids play at the highest level possible.

It is a massive challenge and one the SANFL must do all it can to help the Panthers with.

Because there's another line that I hear just as regularly as the one I mentioned above and that's ``The SANFL needs a strong South Adelaide''. "

[heater31]

Bloods president Paul Sperling said his club had invested 20 years of time and resources into the area since picking up the zone in 1990 and didn't want to lose it.

Yet West Adelaide were happy to take Blackwood off Sturt in the last re zone. Hypocrites

[The Panther]

Yeah Westies should be happy with Blackwood a club which currently has over 50 registered under 17's on their books.

[Down the Hill]

South can't complain about their area. Its creating a culture that wants the lads to play for South. Greenbank and Daniel May are 2 lads who played State Under 16 and yet hardly played much footy for South thereafter. Greenbank is playing A grade for Morphett Vale and May is at Happy Valley. There's a stack of others running around in A grade SFL who could be playing SANFL if South had kept them in their system through Under 17, Under 19 and now Under 18. Even a local product like Boyd they couldn't even keep after a B & F and runner-up Magarey. I'm not sure if Westies can take too much credit for working the Flaggy, HV and Aber Park area. The local clubs in Flaggy and HV have done most the work in getting those lads into a good junior set up and sheer weight of numbers has meant the very best have filtered through to West and then onto AFL if good enough. The numbers of kids coming through those areas must be reducing due to naturally changing demographics so even if South get it, the talent pool may be reducing in years to come anyway.

[White Line Fever]

What is the current zoning for each of the SFL clubs?

[Bag The Points]

agree with you one hundred percent, DTH ----- one top post
How can South blame the system when they make decisions like sending the Baylys home because they were too small

[ddonkey]

It wouldn't matter what zone south had, they have no idea how to work what they've got!
Once again a new coach comes in and all the feeder clubs get told that south will keep in touch on a regular basis.
Once again many months have passed without further contact from them. NFI

[Dirko]

What is the current zoning for each of the SFL clubs?

IIRC Brighton, Cove, Morphy Parks, Marion, are with the Bays.
Reynella, Morphy Vale, Noarlunga, Port Noarlunga, Christies, OSB, Aldinga & Hackam = South
Edwardstown, Happy Valley, Flaggies = West

[wycbloods]

Bloods president Paul Sperling said his club had invested 20 years of time and resources into the area since picking up the zone in 1990 and didn't want to lose it.

Yet West Adelaide were happy to take Blackwood off Sturt in the last re zone. Hypocrites

How does this make him a hypocrite?

[85 WAS A GOOD YEAR]

What is the current zoning for each of the SFL clubs?

IIRC Brighton, Cove, Morphy Parks, Marion, are with the Bays.
Reynella, Morphy Vale, Noarlunga, Port Noarlunga, Christies, OSB, Aldinga & Hackam = South
Edwardstown, Happy Valley, Flaggies = West

This list shows the SANFL Club each SFL Club is linked to. However players are zoned to the SANFL Club by their actual home address residential status set by SANFL Club boundaries.
At Flagstaff most of our kids are zoned to Westies, but we also have some at South Adelaide, and some at Glenelg.

This link from SANFL Website shows the SANFL Club boundaries by residential addresses:

http://www.sanfl.com.au/the_sanfl/sanfl ... oundaries/

[85 WAS A GOOD YEAR]

It wouldn't matter what zone south had, they have no idea how to work what they've got!
Once again a new coach comes in and all the feeder clubs get told that south will keep in touch on a regular basis.
Once again many months have passed without further contact from them. NFI

Can't comment on all SFL Clubs dd, but Flaggies get emails weekly, and sometimes twice a week from SAFC Devlopment Manager with details of player selection and injury statuses, and contact is made regularly with our U18s and A Grade Coaches.
These Coaches and Secretary are also on the members emailing list for their normal members e-newsletters, plus all players and supporters were invited to a couple of home matches on Sundays with free entrance and drinks tickets.

This is far better than we receive from Westies

[heater31]

Bloods president Paul Sperling said his club had invested 20 years of time and resources into the area since picking up the zone in 1990 and didn't want to lose it.

Yet West Adelaide were happy to take Blackwood off Sturt in the last re zone. Hypocrites

How does this make him a hypocrite?

You were willing to accept Blackwood from Sturt claiming you have being squeezed out of current areas but are not happy in giving up other areas to other clubs.....its a two way street. Do you think Sturt wanted to hand Blackwood to you on a platter? Think not!

[1983]

The southern suburbs are growing faster than any other area in South Australia, South should have no problem finding enough decent players. The town of Aldinga is one of the largest growing areas within the southern suburbs so we too should have no problem yet we seem to struggle getting enough juniors interested in playing footy aswell. We've found we need to change the culture of the club and the town's perception of the club before we started getting more juniors in, could this be the same case with South?

[THE MOLE]

South can't complain about their area. Its creating a culture that wants the lads to play for South. Greenbank and Daniel May are 2 lads who played State Under 16 and yet hardly played much footy for South thereafter. Greenbank is playing A grade for Morphett Vale and May is at Happy Valley. There's a stack of others running around in A grade SFL who could be playing SANFL if South had kept them in their system through Under 17, Under 19 and now Under 18. Even a local product like Boyd they couldn't even keep after a B & F and runner-up Magarey. I'm not sure if Westies can take too much credit for working the Flaggy, HV and Aber Park area. The local clubs in Flaggy and HV have done most the work in getting those lads into a good junior set up and sheer weight of numbers has meant the very best have filtered through to West and then onto AFL if good enough. The numbers of kids coming through those areas must be reducing due to naturally changing demographics so even if South get it, the talent pool may be reducing in years to come anyway.

This is something i have thought about for a long time, with morphett vales weight of numbers going through juniors over the years, they have brought through an amazing amount of good local footballers, but none to the top level and hardly any at sanfl level. Surelt something they would be looking at as junior development should be getting the best out of your players at the highest level.

[Zelezny Chucks]

South can't complain about their area. Its creating a culture that wants the lads to play for South. Greenbank and Daniel May are 2 lads who played State Under 16 and yet hardly played much footy for South thereafter. Greenbank is playing A grade for Morphett Vale and May is at Happy Valley. There's a stack of others running around in A grade SFL who could be playing SANFL if South had kept them in their system through Under 17, Under 19 and now Under 18. Even a local product like Boyd they couldn't even keep after a B & F and runner-up Magarey. I'm not sure if Westies can take too much credit for working the Flaggy, HV and Aber Park area. The local clubs in Flaggy and HV have done most the work in getting those lads into a good junior set up and sheer weight of numbers has meant the very best have filtered through to West and then onto AFL if good enough. The numbers of kids coming through those areas must be reducing due to naturally changing demographics so even if South get it, the talent pool may be reducing in years to come anyway.

This is something i have thought about for a long time, with morphett vales weight of numbers going through juniors over the years, they have brought through an amazing amount of good local footballers, but none to the top level and hardly any at sanfl level. Surelt something they would be looking at as junior development should be getting the best out of your players at the highest level.

I can say with confidence that all juniors are encouraged to better themselves at league clubs and are fully supported in this. However, most of them seem to come away from South disillusioned as to where their football is headed, read into that what you will but it's a common theme of good junior players leaving South. It's been going on for years and doesn't seem to be changing at all.

[spat]

A perfect example once again from south more recently,how can they possibly send u16 players straight into reserves footy without playing u18 footy first.what kind of message is this sending to the lads slugging it out week after week getting flogged in the u18.

[spanner]

A perfect example once again from south more recently,how can they possibly send u16 players straight into reserves footy without playing u18 footy first.what kind of message is this sending to the lads slugging it out week after week getting flogged in the u18.

Is your memory a bit GREEN.
It also did not hurt Brighton when they TUCKED a young player up from 16s
I Know its a different level but if the kids good enough.
Thats football

[qwerty]

as far as i was aware it was due to a ruling by the SANFL that u/18's could not play ressies/league footy until after the u/18 national championships.

[Down the Hill]

Almost correct Qwerty. Before the Under 18 Championships all Under 18 players must play in the Under 18 comp unless considered good enough by their club for the League Team. This is done on the assumption that anyone playing League is almost an automatic selection for the State Under 18 team but trying to compare the performances of an Under 18 lad playing Reserves versus one playing Under 18 is considered difficult and one of the reasons why SA have felt they have struggled a bit in recent years at Under 18 level. This concept semed to work last year with an improved Under 18 performance and appears to also be the case so far this year. Once the Under 18 team is selected many of the Under 18 lads (not just those who make the State team) end up getting promoted to the Ressies for clubs to have a look at to see if they are worth keeping the next year.

[Bunton]

South can't complain about their area. Its creating a culture that wants the lads to play for South. Greenbank and Daniel May are 2 lads who played State Under 16 and yet hardly played much footy for South thereafter. Greenbank is playing A grade for Morphett Vale and May is at Happy Valley. There's a stack of others running around in A grade SFL who could be playing SANFL if South had kept them in their system through Under 17, Under 19 and now Under 18. Even a local product like Boyd they couldn't even keep after a B & F and runner-up Magarey. I'm not sure if Westies can take too much credit for working the Flaggy, HV and Aber Park area. The local clubs in Flaggy and HV have done most the work in getting those lads into a good junior set up and sheer weight of numbers has meant the very best have filtered through to West and then onto AFL if good enough. The numbers of kids coming through those areas must be reducing due to naturally changing demographics so even if South get it, the talent pool may be reducing in years to come anyway.

This is something i have thought about for a long time, with morphett vales weight of numbers going through juniors over the years, they have brought through an amazing amount of good local footballers, but none to the top level and hardly any at sanfl level. Surelt something they would be looking at as junior development should be getting the best out of your players at the highest level.

I can say with confidence that all juniors are encouraged to better themselves at league clubs and are fully supported in this. However, most of them seem to come away from South disillusioned as to where their football is headed, read into that what you will but it's a common theme of good junior players leaving South. It's been going on for years and doesn't seem to be changing at all.

can you advise of these "guns" running around in local football that have been at South, but have moved away becuase they are disillusioned? Suggest most left because they were not good enough, but happy to hear some specific examples.