SANFL 2024

[nwdfanparade]

Channel 7 have just reported that Norwood “would like to be the 20th AFL club commencing in 2028.

I would like to date Megan Gale.

Same chance.

Hope not in 2028
I want Norwood win 6 more SANFL flags before they play in an AFL competition

Make that 7 more flags

[Panther Pack]

Feel like South Adelaide should be the next club to join the AFL. We have become bored with the SANFL since the 60's and need a new challenge.

[dedja]

100%

[smac]

Norwood know they can't cheat there?

[Jim05]

Norwood know they can't cheat there?

Ah yes, the AFL is such a bastion of integrity

[wenchbarwer]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

[Booney]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.

[wenchbarwer]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.

Equity is spot on. Look at the South and Crows game last week. Blind Freddy could see that South will barely get a win this season, yet the Cows dished up a side chockas with top ups and the Panfs nearly fluked a win.

It's a league of apples and oranges

[am Bays]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.

My argument would be whilst the VFL may allow a more controlled environment where you can develop players the strength of the SANFL competition and it ahs been for the last 30 years compared to the VFL is it is where you learn to compete. It is tough contested footy that mirrors the AFL with respect to the contested midfield pressure to create turnover and get yardage into the the 50. Play the game in your half. its what Richmond and and Collingwood h built their game plans on

It's my opinion that in the last 10 years both the Port and Crows have lacked the competitive edge when push comes to shove they haven't stood up in big matches due to not embracing the competitive advantages of learning to compete in the SANFL.

The SANFL if treated right by both port and the Crows could be their competitive edge.

Lorenz and Anastopoulos would have never played in such a competitive contested match in all their lives and you could see Anastapolulos adjusting to the s demands of the game towards the end.

I dont think he'll get that last week if he was playing in the VFL against another 3rd rounder of the Casey demons

Just my opinion

[Spargo]

^This
I have regular conversations with a couple of Port members, one’s a workmate, the other a customer. They argue this line of thought too. Both are far from happy with Koch’s ego seemingly playing a part in the move.

[another grub]

well said AM

[Jim05]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.

Having seen a lot of VFL it’s not that simplistic. The VFL also has standalone clubs and operates under different salary cap rules and rules over top up players and there is often complaints from AFL clubs about how player development is stalled in that comp. The AFL reserves comp is the only way things will even out but I can’t see that being a priority in the immediate future

[whybother]

Port are desperate to win another tarnished silverish cup of some sort

[UK Fan]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.

Couldn't give a monkeys what's best for Port/C&^%s development, my issue with the VFl which is an inferior league to the SANFL in virtually every measurement being touted in the media as a superior league.

I have no issue with Port giving up on 37 flags and 150 years worth of history to play in an inferior league.

Knock yourselves out.

[Booney]

I love that now that Port are leaving the vfl is apparently a better league than SANFL.

Vfl Grand final crowd last season : 7000
SANFL Gf crowd : 33000

VFL is an entire league of kids and top-ups, no wonder no-one watches it.

Given he's clueless I'm not surprised he's taken this simplistic view it's not about what league "is best", it's what league "is best for our development" and, equity with the 14 clubs on the eastern seaboard.

My argument would be whilst the VFL may allow a more controlled environment where you can develop players the strength of the SANFL competition and it ahs been for the last 30 years compared to the VFL is it is where you learn to compete. It is tough contested footy that mirrors the AFL with respect to the contested midfield pressure to create turnover and get yardage into the the 50. Play the game in your half. its what Richmond and and Collingwood h built their game plans on

It's my opinion that in the last 10 years both the Port and Crows have lacked the competitive edge when push comes to shove they haven't stood up in big matches due to not embracing the competitive advantages of learning to compete in the SANFL.

The SANFL if treated right by both port and the Crows could be their competitive edge.

Lorenz and Anastopoulos would have never played in such a competitive contested match in all their lives and you could see Anastapolulos adjusting to the s demands of the game towards the end.

I dont think he'll get that last week if he was playing in the VFL against another 3rd rounder of the Casey demons

Just my opinion

The counter argument would be that round in 2 2023, pick 59 from the 2022 draft Kyle Marshall at 18, 201cm and 84kg walks from the South Adelaide U18's to full back at Glenelg Oval standing Liam McBean, the week after at Unley he gets Lachlan Burrows.....you would agree that for many kids this isn't the ideal development path. I agree, in some respect, with the sink or swim approach but that doesn't work for all.

Consider the 14 sides in Vic, NSW and Qld are all developing their players against players of a similar ilk and you might say they have an advantage.

We also have the scheduling issues that often means two or more players on the verge of AFL selection spend the weekend in their training shorts not able to play at the next level down and are held out of any meaningful match for the weekend hindering that form progress or return from injury match fitness.

I can see arguments for and against our move that will happen in 2025.

[Booney]

Having seen a lot of VFL it’s not that simplistic. The VFL also has standalone clubs and operates under different salary cap rules and rules over top up players and there is often complaints from AFL clubs about how player development is stalled in that comp. The AFL reserves comp is the only way things will even out but I can’t see that being a priority in the immediate future

That's exactly what will happen, a dedicated second tier AFL reserves and it's not just Port pushing for it.

The stand alone clubs will end up in a stand alone VFL and " AFL2" or whatever it's called will be in place by the time Tassie join I'd say.

[whufc]

Wasn't sure where to put this but interesting that there looks like some genuine interest for Norwood to join the AFL. If that did happen 100% end of the SANFL.

Norwood would obviously be the next inline SANFL side to join the AFL if that was an option but not sure it actually would be the best option.

Obviously biased but i think business wise Centrals would make far more sense if there was to be a third AFL side. Proven to be able to get 20-25k to a GF. A massively growing region of the state with the redevelopments in Gawler, Two Wells, Roseworthy etc, would give the club region to establish a fan base. This is would be unique compared to Norwood who would be incompetition for the inner city suburb support along with the other clubs. Fremantle has shown a team that is 35-40 minutes from the base city can still work.

If they were on the national stage you would think there would be some big wine sponsors from the Barossa that would potentially line up to get on board. An oval to base themselves from that is suitable at the moment but has huge space for redevelopment if money was granted.

Adelaide United already based out that way so somehow could be linked in for sponsors etc.

Obviously Centrals were a massive NO AFL in the SANFL so likely both parties arent interested in one another but if there was no emotion, history etc and the AFL had to map where a third SANFL side was to come from i reckon Centrals would tick most of the AFL's boxes.

[dedja]

Regardless of the seriousness or likelihood of any opportunity, whether it be a 20th team or whatever, South Australia is already somewhat struggling to support 2 AFL teams.

Remember that the State Government invested approx $600M to upgrade Adelaide Oval and gift the management and revenue to the SACA and SANFL in the form of the SMA.

The Adelaide Oval financial model that the SMA manages Is the funding lifeline for the SACA and SANFL, and is marginal at best. Remember that they had to build an onsite hotel to shore up revenue. Any further drop in weekly attendances will only further deteriorate financial returns. This will be a lose-lose-lose for the SACA, SANFL and Port & Adelaide.

Port is not financially viable without AFL and government handouts, whilst Adelaide currently is, but another team will jeopardise this.

South Australia can only sustain a max (and this is the absolute top water mark) of 50K attendance per week (yes, Gather Round will exceed this but that’s basically a one-off exception) This is what the weekly attendances max’ed out at during the halcyon times of the ‘60s, 70s and 80s in the SANFL, and has shown to be the same during the AFL era since.

I understand the romantic notion of having another team, whether it be Norwood or someone else, but the numbers just don’t stack up. There isn’t enough revenue, attendances or critical mass to sustain it here.

Add in the fact the there are already way too many teams in the AFL, with the introduction of the 19th team in TAS (if it actually happens) bordering on ridiculous. Adding a 20th team would be insane. Also the AFL doesn’t need to grow the game any further here, so there’s no financial upside for them in increased TV or subscription media share.

[Jim05]

Having seen a lot of VFL it’s not that simplistic. The VFL also has standalone clubs and operates under different salary cap rules and rules over top up players and there is often complaints from AFL clubs about how player development is stalled in that comp. The AFL reserves comp is the only way things will even out but I can’t see that being a priority in the immediate future

That's exactly what will happen, a dedicated second tier AFL reserves and it's not just Port pushing for it.

The stand alone clubs will end up in a stand alone VFL and " AFL2" or whatever it's called will be in place by the time Tassie join I'd say.

I do think it will eventually happen but I just don’t think the appetite is there from AFL HQ. It’s going to take a hell of a lot of money to set up and I think their main priorities at the moment are getting the AFLW to a sustainable level, getting the Suns and Giants to not bleed money and then facilitate the entry of a Tasmanian side. I just get the feeling that a AFL Reserves comp is minimum 5-6 years away

[am Bays]

I do think it will eventually happen but I just don’t think the appetite is there from AFL HQ. It’s going to take a hell of a lot of money to set up and I think their main priorities at the moment are getting the AFLW to a sustainable level, getting the Suns and Giants to not bleed money and then facilitate the entry of a Tasmanian side. I just get the feeling that a AFL Reserves comp is minimum 5-6 years away

Thats my sense too it's going to happen but the AFL have other priorities.

Why should they fund a separate reserves competition when there are three perfectly good leagues below the AFL level.

The Victorian clubs dont want to give up their perceived advantages, especially when they look at Adelaide and Port and say look you blokes are getting 13/23 home games a year

As Jim said elsewhere on this site, there's inequities everywhere you look in the AFL.

If Adelaide, West Coast and Port want to join the VFL in 2025 it will be coming out of their own footy ops budgets. West Coast have got the money, Adelaide somewhat, Port well I'm not privy to their intricate financial liquidity.

Just my personal opinion as someone standing on the outside of the AFL looking in.