Roy Laird says Central District won’t play in “gimmick” SANFL Fast Footy competition

A PREMIERSHIP coach has labelled the SANFL’s Fast Footy pre-season competition as pointless after his side rejected an invitation to take part.

Central District coach Roy Laird. Picture: Dean Martin.

• SANFL launches 12-a-side pre-season Fast Footy tournament
• Speed the key for AFLX
• AFLX fixtures revealed
• SANFLW teams get a shake-up with expanded competition

CENTRAL District coach Roy Laird has labelled the SANFL’s new “Fast Footy” pre-season competition a pointless “gimmick” after his club rejected an invite to participate.

The Bulldogs will be the only team to miss next weekend’s tournament at Norwood Oval – which will feature 12 players on the field for 10-minute quarters – and are instead focusing on their pre-season.

The SANFL is offering $20,000 as prizemoney, including $10,000 to the winner, $5,000 to the runner-up and $2,500 each for third and fourth place.

Seven-time premiership coach Laird did not see the benefit of his side playing in it and said the money spent on the competition would be better spent on promoting the home-and-away season.

“Between players, medical staff, officials, to cut into people’s time – the sport is already demanding enough,” Laird said.

“We just thought with that, the fact that it’s a gimmick product and teams aren’t going to play their best players at this time of year because of injury, what’s the point?

“It’s 12-a-side, from a footy game plan point of view there is little to be gained.

Laird believes the money could be better spent elsewhere by the SANFL. Picture: Mark Brake.

“Then you run the risk of injury and in a controlled environment in training we think we can control that better, so it (Fast Footy) is of little interest to us.

“My concern is the main season and I don’t think there’s good enough marketing being put towards it in favour of gimmick products.

“The International Rules with the best players in the country could only attract half a stadium so I don’t see this doing anything to attract new supporters and that is what our competition has got to be about at this stage.”

Norwood's Ed Smart lays a tackle on Central's Travis Schiller during last season’s elimination final. Picture: Tom Huntley

Fast Footy will feature unlimited interchanges, a last-touch out-of-bounds rule and kick-ins after every score, including goals.

Teams will play two games each – on Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10 – before winners advance to semi-finals and then a grand final.

Central chief executive Kris Grant said when the SANFL informed him about Fast Footy in December, the club had already committed to a pre-season program, but he would not elaborate on what those plans were.

“This Fast Footy thing was a rather quick decision by the SANFL and we had already committed to some preseason plans, which we had to commit money to,” Grant said.

“There’s mixed views (about Fast Footy) but we would look at it on an annual basis.”

The SANFL has been contacted for comment.