Norwood to lead review of AFL reserves in SANFL

NORWOOD is preparing to lead the critical review in the SANFL-AFL reserves debate with the Redlegs seeking major changes to protect the league.

Norwood played Port Adelaide in the opening round of the SANFL and is the only team to be

NORWOOD is preparing to lead the critical review in the SANFL-AFL reserves debate with the Redlegs seeking major changes that protect the State league and its eight non-AFL-aligned clubs.

A year after controversially shifting its stand from no AFL reserves teams in the SANFL to be a vital vote for the Crows and Power, Norwood wants “correction” for the 2015 SANFL season.

“And change for the good of the SANFL’s long-term future,” new Norwood president Paul Di Iulio told The Advertiser on Friday.

Amid frustration in how the AFL reserves debate ended last year - when only two SANFL clubs (Central District and South Adelaide) objected to the State league’s restructure with AFL line-ups — Norwood wants the Crows and Power working to exactly the same rules.

Under Norwood’s concept, SANFL football in 2015 would have:

TEN SANFL teams - the eight traditional clubs and two AFL reserves teams from Adelaide and Port Adelaide.

EIGHT SANFL reserves teams - without the Crows and Port.

TOP-UP players for the Crows and Port SANFL league teams to be signed under strict restrictions such as an age limit of 18-22 and match payments that are scaled back from the current $400.

Norwood wants the top-up players to be current SANFL-listed players who are sent to the Crows and Power “on loan” for 12 months. But the Redlegs are not opposed to Adelaide and Port having to find their own top-up players in an alliance with an SA Amateur League club.

ANNUAL SANFL licence fees from the Crows and Power of $400,000 a year. Adelaide currently pays this fee. Port has had the $400,000 deducted from the annual $550,000 dividend assigned by the SANFL to the Magpies.

NO “HOME” games for the Crows and Power reserves teams. This would take the Port Adelaide Magpies away from their traditional home at Alberton, except for the SANFL Showdown with the Crows.

This contentious call from Norwood would have the Crows and Power reserves each play two games at their SANFL rivals’ grounds.

Each game would generate $30,000 for the SANFL club - and a total of $120,000 each season.

“That is a lot of money for SANFL clubs - and it would enhance their viability,” Di Iulio said.

“Our prime objective at Norwood is to resolve this SANFL-AFL debate with a solution that protects the SANFL — that stops there being just six traditional SANFL clubs in the competition in eight years’ time.

“We do not want SANFL fans walking away from the competition out of fear it is to be dominated by the Crows and Power reserves.

“And at the same time we are not frightened of competition - or rising to the strengths of an AFL-loaded Port Adelaide team as we did in the SANFL season opener.

“What we do fear is the SANFL being destroyed.

“To stop that, we want to be on a level playing field with the AFL teams in our competition.

“We want the Crows and Power to be working to the same rules and systems in the SANFL — something we were promised but not delivered when this debate ended last year.

“It is very clear that the extremely friendly concessions that have been given to Port Adelaide provide them with an unfair advantage.

“For the betterment of the SANFL these extremely favourable conditions (for Port) have to stop.”

Port next year is to lose its city and country recruiting zone on the West Coast.

This high-cost recruiting zone that includes Port Lincoln and Ceduna has been assigned to Norwood.

But the Redlegs are concerned Port will again argue to keep more than an AFL reserves team in the SANFL and push for its academy team to be part of the SANFL reserves competition.