SANFL clubs want to keep players picked by Crows or Power in mid-season draft

The controversial mid-season AFL draft has SANFL clubs concerned with the impact losing key players would have on the season and finances.

• SANFL clubs demand no mid-season draftee play for Crows or Power

The SANFL clubs are united in their passionate plea to keep any player picked up by Adelaide or Port Adelaide in the controversial mid-season draft for the rest of the season.

While the clubs understand the players would be required to train with the Crows or Power, they want them to return to their state league outfit for games if not selected for AFL action.

It is the system which operated until 2014 when the Crows entered a team in the state league and the Magpies became the Power reserves and has been adopted by West Coast after being granted a stand-alone side in the WAFL this year following the collapse of its alignment with East Perth.

The clubs are nervous of the potential damage losing a key player mid-season and claim it would be a “double whammy” with the player significantly boosting the AFL’s state league side.

If a player is lost to the Crows or Power, they will not face their state league club.

Sturt Football Club chief executive Sue Dewing at Unley Oval. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Martin

Sturt chief executive Sue Dewing is adamant it is a “fair and reasonable” request and if it works for West Coast, why not for the Crows and Power.

“We are fully supportive of our players being drafted, but this could derail a club’s season,” she said. “If the player retains their spot on the AFL list then we would lose them the next season, we understand that.”

Woodville-West Torrens CEO Luke Powell said it was not a good look for the competition to have a player front for the Eagles for half the season and then another club for the second.

He said the Eagles put a tremendous amount of time into players, especially recruits and the relationships they have to build at a new club.

“We don’t want to knock anyone from the opportunity to play AFL football and if there is a need to have someone play AFL straight away we understand that,” he said. “But if they are drafted essentially for back up, the player should be able to drop back to their SANFL club.

“Obviously if the player is drafted interstate we can’t control that. Surely the AFL teams have lists big enough to cover injuries. They invest so much in their resources, it is about list management.”

Sturt coach Nathan Grima. Picture: Mark Wilson

Central District CEO Kris Grant is afraid the impact losing a leading player in the mid-season draft will have on the club.

He said the Bulldogs had no chance to replace the player and he believes it will have an adverse effect on fans, sponsors, teammates and officials.

“It will hurt fans and they will be so bewildered and confused to think a player goes to another club which could help that team into the finals at our expense,” he said.

New Double Blues coach Nathan Grima, drafted by North Melbourne after one season and a premiership with the Bulldogs in 2007, told SEN radio a mid-season draft could damage sponsorship and memberships.

“The AFL has all the resources in the world, if you can’t go 22 weeks with 44 blokes on your list, what are you doing wrong?” he said.

The Power said there would be no comment on the situation until the football strategic committee meets. The Crows were unavailable for comment.

Norwood coach Jarrod Cotton. Picture: Sarah Reed

Dewing noted the club would not have been so accommodating to rule changes on players for the state league sides of the Crows and Power had they known a mid-season draft was to be introduced.

The Power pursued the changes after claiming to have been embarrassed by last year’s performance when ninth in the state league after the AFL list was hit by injury worries.

Port lost the 2017 grand final by just one point to Sturt, having been beaten by only four points in the 2014 premiership decider when Norwood secured a third successive title.

Since 2014 the Magpies have won 57.8 per cent of their games, the fourth best record behind the Double Blues (61.7), South Adelaide (58.4) and the Redlegs (58). They have played in three finals series, behind only the Eagles, Double Blues and Redlegs.

Glenelg has not appeared in the finals in the past seven years.

Tigers CEO Glenn Elliott said it was harrowing to hear a club with rich resources, and unlimited resources in lots of ways, crying poor because of some misfortune with injury when his club had been devoid of on-field success.

“I was not very vocal at the meeting, but I found it somewhat confronting,” he said.