My Two Cents: Standalone SANFL clubs wary of Crows, Port concessions | Andrew Capel
Adelaide and Port Adelaide’s continuation in the SANFL is not without controversy, writes Andrew Capel.
Opinion
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The SANFL’s stand-alone clubs want Adelaide and Port Adelaide to focus on recruiting interstate talent – rather than plunder their backyards – as negotiations ramp up over improved concessions the AFL clubs will be granted to continue to field teams in the local league.
With the AFL putting a potential AFL reserves competition on hold indefinitely, the Crows and Port will again have their reserves sides play in the SANFL next season provided there is a rule tweak allowing them to access better top-up talent.
South Australia’s two AFL clubs have long threatened to pull their seconds teams out of the SANFL and play in either a national reserves competition or the VFL if they can’t improve their top-up lists, claiming the lack of supplementary talent is hindering the development of their young AFL players.
It is understood Adelaide and Port want greater access to promising SANFL talent, including under the SANFL Rookie Program, which this season netted Port former Norwood defender Logan Evans, who it later selected in the AFL mid-season rookie draft.
The Crows signed father-son prospect Tyler Welsh – the son of four-times Adelaide leading goalkicker Scott Welsh – from Woodville-West Torrens under the same program and are expected to take him in this year’s national draft.
A SANFL subcommittee working through the concessions that Port and the Crows will be offered to continue in the 10-club state league competition met with club chief executives on Monday afternoon.
Norwood chief executive James Fantasia, who spent many years in the AFL system as recruiting manager at Adelaide, general manager of football for the Western Bulldogs and football manager at Hawthorn, said the two AFL clubs should not be allowed to rob SANFL clubs of talented kids they had developed just to top up their sides.
He said the Crows and Port should instead recruit non AFL-listed players from interstate clubs, which would in turn bolster the standard of the SANFL.
“My biggest concern is that if you are going to keep giving them concessions, don’t make rules which would allow them to have an easy pick off our list,’’ Fantasia said.
“They should be encouraged to bring players into our competition and who might ultimately stay here, rather than draw on players from other SANFL clubs.’’
Examples include Port signing Jed Hagan from the WAFL last year and Adelaide recruiting former St Kilda and Collingwood-listed midfielder Nathan Freeman in 2022.
The Crows also signed Tasmanian midfielder Oliver Davis to their SANFL squad in 2021 before he later joined South Adelaide.
It is understood that in early negotiations, SA’s two AFL clubs have asked to tap further into the SANFL Rookie Program in a bid to have more draftable SA talent at their disposal while also wanting access to two under-22 players and one over 23 player from local rivals.
One rival SANFL CEO, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Crows and Port should be forced to pay transfer fees to secure other SANFL talent.
A transfer system is in place among the eight stand-alone clubs.
The stand-alone clubs understand the SANFL’s desire to keep the state’s two AFL clubs’ reserves teams in the local competition but fear improved concessions, which will include fixture equality, will give them a massive leg up on their state league rivals.
The AFL-aligned clubs have between them won only four of the 22 games they have played this season, with eighth-placed Adelaide boasting a 3-8 win-loss record and Port sitting bottom with a 1-10 record.
They have struggled mightily because of long injury lists but the Crows last Saturday showed just how powerful they can be with a fit list by thumping premier Glenelg at the Bay by 39 points when they fielded 15 AFL-listed players, including returning young gun Riley Thilthorpe, who played his first game for the season following a bad knee injury, and star veteran Brodie Smith.
While long-suffering South hasn’t won a SANFL premiership since 1964 or played in a grand final since 1979, Port has played in three SANFL grand finals in the past 10 years and the Crows have featured in the past two preliminary finals.
The SANFL wants SA’s two AFL clubs to continue to have a presence in its competition and, following the AFL Competitive Balance Review, it presented a detailed submission to the AFL, highlighting that it does not support a national reserves competition and that the best structure for SA football is to have the Crows and Port play in its league.
This prompted a review of the conditions that apply to the two AFL clubs.
“In reviewing these rules, the league remains committed to ensuring we continue to have the best competition outside of the AFL and one in which every club can be competitive and have every chance of winning a premiership,’’ SANFL chief executive Darren Chandler said.
A 12-person SANFL working group, which includes key league personnel including Chandler and executive general manager football Matthew Duldig, SA Football Commissioners and three club CEO’s – Sturt’s Sue Dewing, North Adelaide’s Craig Burton and Central District’s Greg Edwards – will thrash out potential concessions for the two AFL clubs over the next six-to-eight weeks before making a recommendation, which the SA Football Commission must sign off on.
“The SANFL will complete its review over the coming months, which will involve discussions with SANFL clubs, the AFL, Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs and other state leagues and clubs around the nation to determine what is best for the SANFL competition and football in South Australia,’’ Chandler said.
There is certain to be some very heated debate.
NUMBERS GAME
124
Consecutive games played by Croweater and former North Adelaide defender Callum Wilkie for St Kilda – a club record.
24
Jason Horne-Francis kicks for Port Adelaide against St Kilda – a career high.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“It’s been a tough week. I’m so proud of the boys. Great boys. There’s a fair bit of relief. Emotionally sometimes it’s hard to control when you get put in those instant moments and for me, I’m an emotional person and I’m an emotional coach. That’s just who I am.’’ – Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley after the two-point win against St Kilda.
“It’s a great sign of where we’re trying to go for the second half of the season.’’ – Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks after the 16-point win against GWS.
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