Why SA Football Commission must take lead on settling AFL-SANFL dispute on access to young talent
AFL and SANFL rules on young talent are in conflict. The SA Football Commission must take the lead to sort out the parameters for the best interest of the state’s rising stars.
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PAUL Keating said it best: “In the race of life, always back self-interest — at least you know it’s trying.”
And so it is with the SANFL clubs in a developing storm with SA’s two AFL clubs, Port Adelaide and the Crows, on access to this state’s young football talent.
Both the Power and the Crows want to develop homegrown players, increasing the draft pool in SA — and the AFL, with its “Next Generation Academy” rules, allow for this. But, as is noted by recent SANFL rulings, the State League clubs do not.
In between two sets of conflicting rules are the Crows and Power developing greater frustration in being foiled by an SANFL system that should be a friend rather than a foe.
And something has to give soon, preferably at the SA Football Commission table that was established in 1990 as the independent forum where self-interest was to be overcome by sage visionaries looking after the best interests of Australian football.
There is the chance to roll over two issues — developing more SA draftees and resolving the recruiting rules for the Crows and Power SANFL reserves teams — with one grand decision.
Crows football manager Phil Harper has long proposed the 50-player SANFL under-18 squad become the basis of the top-up players for the Adelaide and Power reserves in the State league.
Those under-18s — such as Izak Rankine and Jack Lukosius — who are good enough to play SANFL league football today would remain with their SANFL clubs. Usually, this group amounts to 10.
The other 40 would be directed to the Crows and Power, based on the AFL “NGA” rules that have assigned four SANFL clubs to each of the AFL teams (Crows: Sturt, Glenelg, North Adelaide and Central District; Power: Woodville-West Torrens, West Adelaide, Norwood and South Adelaide).
These 40 teenagers would be immersed in the AFL programs at West Lakes and Alberton and play SANFL league games for the Crows and Power reserves. Harper is prepared to concede not playing these teenagers against the original SANFL clubs — a sweetener in the debate. Although, if an 18-year-old can decide an SANFL game, he must be some talent.
Harper notes SANFL clubs have “limited” resources to develop the 100 AFL draft hopefuls who emerge each season. The Crows, by contrast, have “extra” resources, such as full-time coaches: Ryan O’Keefe, Brent Reilly and Magarey Medallist Paul Thomas.
“And if we can help lift the number of players drafted from SA from eight to 12 or 14 each year, is this not in the best interests of SA football?” Harper asks. “From Day 1 (when the SANFL accepted AFL reserves teams in 2014) my solution for the ‘top-up’ players was the SA under-18s squad.
“It was about helping to advance AFL prospects … playing under-18s kids was not about making us stronger in the SANFL,” Harper adds.
Topping up the Crows with players who are capable of standing up as genuine SANFL league and AFL players — rather than “development footballers” from SA community football who have delivered their best for Adelaide but are unlikely to rise to the AFL — would be in the State League’s best interests too.
It just needs the SA Football Commission to knock off that SANFL club horse known as “self interest”.
REALITY BITES
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
My grandma raised me not to tell fibs. I think it hit the post.
CROWS forward JOSH JENKINS on the kick that decided Showdown 45 at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
NO SHADE OF GRAY
HALL of Fame Legend MALCOLM BLIGHT was holding back from another of his notable sprays when he launched on the fans who jeered Port Adelaide midfielder-forward ROBBIE GRAY as he was announced the winner of the Showdown Medal on Saturday.
It was yet another poor moment from the Adelaide Oval crowd that has come to create too many horrible sidenotes after Crows and Power players deliver great value for money on the cost of a derby ticket.
A couple of notes come for the Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs on this unfortunate moment. First, the home club - that is responsible for collecting the votes on the Showdown Medal - must stop pressing the judges for their 3-2-1 ballot before the final siren.
Second, the master of ceremonies for all Showdowns must be MARK SODERSTROM. No other presenter in Adelaide has the ability to give the on-field presentations of the Showdown Shield and Medal the class it deserves - and there would be no doubt that Soderstrom would have the Medal winner make an acceptance speech, a moment that was lost after Showdown 45 ... and not because of Gray’s reluctance to speak.
HIT OF THE WEEK
From the West Australian chief football writer MARK DUFFIELD towards West Coast as the Andrew Gaff-Andrew Brayshaw moment brought new questions on the attitude of the Eagles: “The mistake West Coast make at times is confusing being big and popular with being right. It was the mistake they and some of their players made more than a decade ago at the height of their illicit drug scandal and we know how that ended up.
“It was the mistake they made three weeks ago when they made an absolute hash of steering an injured Nic Naitanui through Perth Airport and integrity officer Peter Staples ended up manhandling cameramen who were simply doing their job.
“The club’s messaging in that case was slow and sloppy. It was bad initially and worse when (coach Adam) Simpson went on radio and appeared to blame the media who were there under agreement with a club official. In doing so he further offended people who already felt wronged.”
STAT OF THE WEEK
PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley’s record with Port Adelaide after Showdowns: 6-5 (past six 5-1); West Coast mentor Adam Simpson’s count after Western Derbies: 7-2.
CALLS OF THE WEEK
SHOWDOWN 45 - with its controversial score review of Adelaide key forward Josh Jenkins’ match-winning goal with 158 seconds to play - has added to the legend of the SA derby ... and the debate on a goalpost that for more than 60 years has created great angst, both in SANFL grand finals and now Showdowns at Adelaide Oval.
Some interesting quotes linger:
I had front row seats as the kick went over my head, but I think the ball hit the post.
JACK HOMBSCH (Port Adelaide defender):
I asked the field umpire, as I was in the middle of the ground when ‘JJ’ kicked the goal, and he told me it was a point.
MATT CROUCH (Crows midfielder)
TIP OF THE WEEK
CROWS assistant coach (defence) BEN HART is more likely to return to Victoria - where he worked at Collingwood from 2012-16 - than stay at Adelaide to become the Crows reserves coach in the SANFL.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
If you’re going to be critical of getting the facts right, you’d want to be sure that your’s are accurate also. Particularly if they’ve never actually met....
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