Aerie wrote:Another big win to the Power Reserves. After 9 Rounds they would have played every team once. I think the SANFL should make a move to weaken them via their top-up players system at this point. There would still be 3 weeks before the June 30 deadline for those players who need to move on to find another home. Otherwise, a Port Magpies premiership looks a certainty and under this system, would be a joke given the leg-up they have been given. They still have the likes of Jarrad Redden and the Irishman Flynn to come back, as well as another 5 injured Power players.
I still think Port should be allowed to have their junior structure and "academy team/SANFL reserves" if they want. This should be the only way they can produce top-up players, and all these top up players should not be older than 21 (perhaps allow one over-age as they do now). Once they are over-age, they can either stick with the Academy team or find another home at the end of the season.
Below is the list of this years top up players, their age and how many games they've played so far. Out of this list, come the end of Round 9, Biemans, Bruggemann, Gordon, Krakouer, Venter and one of Summerton or Slattery shouldn't be allowed to play for Port Magpies League team IMO.
I wonder if the SANFL clubs would have the balls to make this happen, because as it stands it is completely unfair. If Port are still good enough to win the premiership then at least they would have done so in the spirit of development - which is after all what these teams are about.
Biemans - age 24 (Interstate) - played all 4, in best once
Bruggemann - 23 (WWT Eagles Junior) - played all 4
Butcher - 21 (ex Power - Interstate) - not played (10 league games in 2013)
Gordon - 21 (Interstate) - not played
Haren - 21 (ex Swans - local) - played all 4, in best once
Hawkins - 19 (local) - played 1
Johansen - 17 (local) - not played (15 league games in 2013)
Krakouer - 25 (ex Power - Interstate) - not played
Raikiwasa - 21 (local) - not played (18 league games in 2013)
Sawford - 19 (local) - not played (2 league games in 2013)
Sharrad - 20 (local) - played 2, best once (8 league games in 2013)
Slattery - 28 (ex Essendon - West Adelaide/Port Magpies) - played 3 (8 league games in 2013)
Summerton - 26 (local) - played all 4, in best all 4 (played 20 league games in 2013)
Venter - 23 (interstate) - not played
Young - 19 (local) - played twice (played 4 league games in 2013)
Pretty sure they can't do anything mid season, they already stuffed it up. Personally keep the changes that where going to be made at season end, scrap there juniors and reserves side, if they want an academy side, fine but they can play somewhere else. As for the power reserves, further changes should be made to the ones already agreed upon, no player over 23, players can't have played in any state league for 3 years and no leadership player (this takes out the opportunity to bend the rules like they have now with Summerton). They will still be up the top imho but wont have the unfair advantage they have now.