Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers says the Crows would leave the SANFL for a national reserves competition

Adelaide has largely kept its powder dry on the prospect of a national reserves competition, but Crows chief executive Tim Silvers reveals if they’d back it and what they would do if the AFL decided to make it happen.

Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers says there is “no doubt” that the Crows would join a national reserves competition if the AFL establishes one.

But he says it would be a tall order for the league to establish it for next year.

While fierce rival Port Adelaide has been vocal in its push to quit the SANFL and join a nationwide AFL reserves competition, the Crows have largely held their cards close to their chest on the increasingly likely second-tier league.

But in an exclusive interview with this masthead, Silvers said the Crows would go across to a national reserves competition because of the “performance advantages” it would offer.

“If we talk about national reserves in isolation what we have got is this VFL competition that expands over 21 teams, 14 AFL teams who basically have a reserves team within that and we only have four teams outside of that which are ourselves, Port, West Coast and Freo,” he said. “And there is no equality among the second-tier.

James Borlase of the Adelaide Crows and Ollie Lord of Port Adelaide in the SANFL showdown. Picture: Sarah Reed

“We feel - and the SANFL is what we came from, we were born from the competition and it has been a great competition for us as a footy club - that we need to explore what the national reserves will be like for equality across the AFL.”

The AFL has appointed veteran administrator Geoff Walsh as a consultant to review second-tier competitions as part of a reshaping of the league’s football department.

Silvers said a national reserves competition would address some of the inequalities among clubs.

“Well, if a national reserves competition is established there is no doubt we would go across to be a part of that because we think there are some performance advantages,” he said.

Adelaide Crows chief executive Tim Silvers says the Crows would join a National Reserves comptition. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“The advantages that the 14 other clubs get at the moment from being part of the VFL through list management and access to top-up players is a lot better compared to Port and ourselves.

“We would be an advocate for national reserves.”

Both the Crows and Port Adelaide have commitments to play in the SANFL until 2028, but there are get-out clauses within the respective contracts of the two clubs if a national reserves competition is established.

The push for a national reserves competition has gathered steam recently, but Silvers said he was unsure if the AFL could establish this for 2025.

“It is probably a question best for Andrew Dillon and Laura Kane,” he said.

“They were out at our club and we had a lot of discussions about it. It is certainly on the agenda for next year but I am not sure if they are able to deliver it in that time frame.”