The never ending No AFL in the SANFL whinge thread

[The Dark Knight]

Some of the Magpie reserves players are too good to be playing reserves grade. What is keeping them at the club. Surely their not playing at reserves payments. I thought that this was meant to be a development team. Why is development team even playing.

Seconds score
Port Adelaide Magpies 16.14 (110)
Sturt 5.9 (39)

You will find those guys are pretty close with each other, played alot of footy together through the Port ranks and have become good mates. Yeah they might only being playing 2's but they play for the jumper and their mates. They are the last of the Magpies and they know eventually they will have to move on, either go to another SANFL club, go back to their local club or chase coin in the country. My brother gets asked all the time what he's going to do once he leaves Port and he has no idea, he's not one to look too far ahead. Just happy playing footy with his mates while it lasts.

[Pseudo]

You will find those guys are pretty close with each other, played alot of footy together through the Port ranks and have become good mates. Yeah they might only being playing 2's but they play for the jumper and their mates. They are the last of the Magpies and they know eventually they will have to move on, either go to another SANFL club, go back to their local club or chase coin in the country. My brother gets asked all the time what he's going to do once he leaves Port and he has no idea, he's not one to look too far ahead. Just happy playing footy with his mates while it lasts.

Sounds like they are living the football equivalent of Logan's Run. Live fast, have fun, but when you reach that critical age you have to jump on the carousel and take your chances.

[Magellan]

You will find those guys are pretty close with each other, played alot of footy together through the Port ranks and have become good mates. Yeah they might only being playing 2's but they play for the jumper and their mates. They are the last of the Magpies and they know eventually they will have to move on, either go to another SANFL club, go back to their local club or chase coin in the country. My brother gets asked all the time what he's going to do once he leaves Port and he has no idea, he's not one to look too far ahead. Just happy playing footy with his mates while it lasts.

Sounds like they are living the football equivalent of Bogan's Run.

Edited for socioeconomic accuracy.

[Booney]

So that's what $400 a match is worth in words.

Seems like Russell Ebert's also done a 180 degree turn - isn't he featured in the latest Port Power ads that include some Magpie footage of him (post 1977 GF, IIRC)?

Funny he had a go at Keith Thomas, suggesting only Port people should decide what's best for Port. On that basis Bob McLean, tainted with red and blue, would never have been let in play at Alberton let alone run the footy department for decades, and Fos Williams would've been left to coach a stack of flags at somewhere else like Westies.

Was a very emotional time for many of us, some made statements or comments at the time that they may now wish they hadn't. Summo being one, I'd imagine and he wouldn't be alone.

[Dutchy]

They take back the passion, emotion and feelings they had at that time?

[Booney]

Keep trolling. Not biting.

[Hazydog]

So that's what $400 a match is worth in words.

Seems like Russell Ebert's also done a 180 degree turn - isn't he featured in the latest Port Power ads that include some Magpie footage of him (post 1977 GF, IIRC)?

Funny he had a go at Keith Thomas, suggesting only Port people should decide what's best for Port. On that basis Bob McLean, tainted with red and blue, would never have been let in play at Alberton let alone run the footy department for decades, and Fos Williams would've been left to coach a stack of flags at somewhere else like Westies.

Was a very emotional time for many of us, some made statements or comments at the time that they may now wish they hadn't. Summo being one, I'd imagine and he wouldn't be alone.

And the back ended contract no doubt helped him overcome some of those emotional feelings...

[RB]

Some of the Magpie reserves players are too good to be playing reserves grade. What is keeping them at the club. Surely their not playing at reserves payments. I thought that this was meant to be a development team. Why is development team even playing.

Seconds score
Port Adelaide Magpies 16.14 (110)
Sturt 5.9 (39)

You will find those guys are pretty close with each other, played alot of footy together through the Port ranks and have become good mates. Yeah they might only being playing 2's but they play for the jumper and their mates. They are the last of the Magpies and they know eventually they will have to move on, either go to another SANFL club, go back to their local club or chase coin in the country. My brother gets asked all the time what he's going to do once he leaves Port and he has no idea, he's not one to look too far ahead. Just happy playing footy with his mates while it lasts.

You mean 3's.

[The Dark Knight]

Some of the Magpie reserves players are too good to be playing reserves grade. What is keeping them at the club. Surely their not playing at reserves payments. I thought that this was meant to be a development team. Why is development team even playing.

Seconds score
Port Adelaide Magpies 16.14 (110)
Sturt 5.9 (39)

You will find those guys are pretty close with each other, played alot of footy together through the Port ranks and have become good mates. Yeah they might only being playing 2's but they play for the jumper and their mates. They are the last of the Magpies and they know eventually they will have to move on, either go to another SANFL club, go back to their local club or chase coin in the country. My brother gets asked all the time what he's going to do once he leaves Port and he has no idea, he's not one to look too far ahead. Just happy playing footy with his mates while it lasts.

You mean 3's.

Aha yes good call RB, my mistake. I'm usually the one to give shit to my brother about playing C grade lol.

[Dogs72]

So that's what $400 a match is worth in words.

Seems like Russell Ebert's also done a 180 degree turn - isn't he featured in the latest Port Power ads that include some Magpie footage of him (post 1977 GF, IIRC)?

Funny he had a go at Keith Thomas, suggesting only Port people should decide what's best for Port. On that basis Bob McLean, tainted with red and blue, would never have been let in play at Alberton let alone run the footy department for decades, and Fos Williams would've been left to coach a stack of flags at somewhere else like Westies.

Was a very emotional time for many of us, some made statements or comments at the time that they may now wish they hadn't. Summo being one, I'd imagine and he wouldn't be alone.

Please, anyone that follows the sanfl, knows his facebook posting was true. I'm sure probably (allegedly) being the highest paid sanfl footballer along with the experience to play in one gf with the chance of more (when stacked with afl players) has bought his cooperation, and softened the blow of watching most his mates being shown the door. Particularly after playing in the mediocre real magpie sides, this century when the playing field was more even.

[Jim05]

Of course it's just a coincidence that the Power reserves have a bye this week when their league side has to take extra players to China [emoji35]

[goddy11]

Of course it's just a coincidence that the Power reserves have a bye this week when their league side has to take extra players to China [emoji35]

Funny that also playing Sturt at Alberton last Sunday.

[johntheclaret]

Been mentioned by someone on another forum that Summerton will probably be the last Magpie player to get to 200 games. Under the current set-up 50 games maximum may be hard to achieve. It is sad in a way a once great SANFL club has been changed to a practice team status. The 1870 image the PAP has tried to transfer to its AFL side has really no basis. I wonder what die hard Magpie supporters think.

Its not sad at all. The PAFC decided that they wanted to play in the highest comp. When that happend they should have left SANFL all together. Die hard magpie fans should be proud that their club seeked higher honours.

Yes it is sad. Port are just as much part of the fabric of SANFL as the two separate entities of Woodville and Torrens once were. Because the decision makers of their club brought this to themselves does not make it anymore sad IMO. There are plenty of Magpie folk who do not attend anymore because they do not want to see these AFL body snatchers dancing around in the skin of the club that they have loved all their lives, and they really had no way to avoid the situation. A SANFL club can no more stand up to an AFL franchise than a tomato defeat a steam roller. Halbert proposed Sturt become the Crows reserves at one stage, now THAT would have been devastating from my perspective, which is sad multiplied by about 3,000. Fortunately I was in the majority on that occasion, probably because Sturt's identity is different enough from the Crow's that enough people realised it just didn't make any sense. I pity the poor Port folk who did not wish this, and pity the SANFL football landscape that has such an ugly welt running through it.

I'm more interested in how you came to the figure of exactly 3,000 times more devastated

[Ronnie]

I think John Halbert is a legend and if anybody was going to broach the subject of Sturt becoming a Crows Reserves side he was entitled to.
But he had a brain fade with that idea and to this day I'm still surprised he raised it. In context though he could see no way out of a dire situation. I don't believe the club itself ever seriously entertained the idea. I think the Crows discussed the idea internally of taking over a SANFL club, Rucci caught wind of the discussions, and linked Sturt into the idea as they were seen as the likely candidate. Somewhere along the line Halbert made his comments.

[therisingblues]

Been mentioned by someone on another forum that Summerton will probably be the last Magpie player to get to 200 games. Under the current set-up 50 games maximum may be hard to achieve. It is sad in a way a once great SANFL club has been changed to a practice team status. The 1870 image the PAP has tried to transfer to its AFL side has really no basis. I wonder what die hard Magpie supporters think.

Its not sad at all. The PAFC decided that they wanted to play in the highest comp. When that happend they should have left SANFL all together. Die hard magpie fans should be proud that their club seeked higher honours.

Yes it is sad. Port are just as much part of the fabric of SANFL as the two separate entities of Woodville and Torrens once were. Because the decision makers of their club brought this to themselves does not make it anymore sad IMO. There are plenty of Magpie folk who do not attend anymore because they do not want to see these AFL body snatchers dancing around in the skin of the club that they have loved all their lives, and they really had no way to avoid the situation. A SANFL club can no more stand up to an AFL franchise than a tomato defeat a steam roller. Halbert proposed Sturt become the Crows reserves at one stage, now THAT would have been devastating from my perspective, which is sad multiplied by about 3,000. Fortunately I was in the majority on that occasion, probably because Sturt's identity is different enough from the Crow's that enough people realised it just didn't make any sense. I pity the poor Port folk who did not wish this, and pity the SANFL football landscape that has such an ugly welt running through it.

I'm more interested in how you came to the figure of exactly 3,000 times more devastated

No I distinctly said "about" 3,000.

[morell]

Yes it is sad.

No its not. The vast majority of Port fans are pretty happy where the club is at. Playing on the national stage. Tens of thousands of members, tens of thousands attend game days, multi million dollar sponsorships etc

There are plenty of Magpie folk who do not attend anymore because they do not want to see these AFL body snatchers dancing around in the skin of the club that they have loved all their lives, and they really had no way to avoid the situation.

No there isn't. Very few of these types remain.

[amber_fluid]

Yes it is sad.

No its not. The vast majority of Port fans are pretty happy where the club is at. Playing on the national stage. Tens of thousands of members, tens of thousands attend game days, multi million dollar sponsorships etc

There are plenty of Magpie folk who do not attend anymore because they do not want to see these AFL body snatchers dancing around in the skin of the club that they have loved all their lives, and they really had no way to avoid the situation.

No there isn't. Very few of these types remain.

Yeah there is!
I know plenty of people who no longer support Port Adelaide in any form due to the 'one club' setup.
I'm one of them and I know plenty others.

[Spargo]

Yes it is sad.

No its not. The vast majority of Port fans are pretty happy where the club is at. Playing on the national stage. Tens of thousands of members, tens of thousands attend game days, multi million dollar sponsorships etc

There are plenty of Magpie folk who do not attend anymore because they do not want to see these AFL body snatchers dancing around in the skin of the club that they have loved all their lives, and they really had no way to avoid the situation.

No there isn't. Very few of these types remain.

Bwahahahaha!!!

[therisingblues]

Yes it is sad.

No its not. The vast majority of Port fans are pretty happy where the club is at. Playing on the national stage. Tens of thousands of members, tens of thousands attend game days, multi million dollar sponsorships etc

There are plenty of Magpie folk who do not attend anymore because they do not want to see these AFL body snatchers dancing around in the skin of the club that they have loved all their lives, and they really had no way to avoid the situation.

No there isn't. Very few of these types remain.

Even if what you say is true, the SANFL once held the emotions, dreams, imagination and vivacity of tens if not hundreds of thousands of people. That the most successful member, the Magpies, is now nothing more than a reserves side, is a sad development regardless of how you view it personally, there is a bigger picture here.
If you think the circumstances are okay I would question just how invested you are in the AFL? If it is not sad when that competition is thrown away for the next flavour of the masses, then I seriously question if that competition is devoid of the afore mentioned qualities that attracted people like myself to the SANFL.

Just out of curiosity, do you enjoy watching the Magpies just as much now that they are a reserves outfit, as opposed to when they were a stand alone team?
Without knowing what answer you are going to give to the above question, when did your attendance at Magpie games drop off? Was it when they became a clone or when the Power joined the AFL, or are you one of the young people who were more or less raised a Power supporter?

[morell]

Even if what you say is true, the SANFL once held the emotions, dreams, imagination and vivacity of tens if not hundreds of thousands of people. That the most successful member, the Magpies, is now nothing more than a reserves side, is a sad development regardless of how you view it personally, there is a bigger picture here.

It might be a sad picture for the people left clinging onto nostalgia, but I would say to those people, stop looking at the cocoon the grub left and focus on the Morpho Didius that emerged. When I see 50k Port supporters at Adelaide Oval, I am not thinking how sad it is that we're not singing Cheer Cheer the Black and the White, I am thinking how awesome it is that we're singing Never Tear Us Apart.

Yes, as a Port fan, I am lucky (or vindicated?) and I understand the difficulty that must come with supporting a traditional side in the SANFL. Its just that it does not apply to Port. For obvious reasons.

If you think the circumstances are okay I would question just how invested you are in the AFL? If it is not sad when that competition is thrown away for the next flavour of the masses, then I seriously question if that competition is devoid of the afore mentioned qualities that attracted people like myself to the SANFL.

I've been a member and go to as many games as I can. Not sure how more invested I can be. I wear a scarf and beanie, does that count?

Those qualities are still there. They're just in a different competition. I was never an "SANFL fan" I am a Port fan. I am not an "AFL fan" I am a Port fan. Perhaps a different mindset Port fans have opposed to others.

Just out of curiosity, do you enjoy watching the Magpies just as much now that they are a reserves outfit, as opposed to when they were a stand alone team?

Without knowing what answer you are going to give to the above question, when did your attendance at Magpie games drop off? Was it when they became a clone or when the Power joined the AFL, or are you one of the young people who were more or less raised a Power supporter?

I had next to no interest in the Magpies post 1997. I mean, I was glad if they won, but I wasn't an active supporter. I started supporting Port in the late 80s as a wee tacker. The club had moved to the AFL and the Magpies were just a historical placeholder/SANFL cash cow forced upon us. I am now much more interested thanks to the One Club merger and all the Power players being there - but I would never go to a game such is my loathing of the SANFL and the clubs therein. If they no longer existed and we had an AFL reserves Comp instead I probably wouldn't lose much sleep.

That the thing, The Port Adelaide Football Club are surviving, thriving and playing in the AFL. We've moved on. I feel for those that haven't.