SANFL to launch 12-a-side pre-season tournament at Norwood next year

THE SANFL will get the jump on the AFL in rolling out a hybrid version of the game at a pre-season carnival under lights at Norwood Oval next year.

Norwood’s Anthony Wilson and Glenelg’s Josh Scott are two players expected to excel in the SANFL’s new ‘Fast Forward’ pre-season competition to be held at Norwood Oval in February. Picture: Keryn Stevens (AAP).

THE SANFL will get the jump on the AFL in rolling out a hybrid version of the game at a pre-season carnival under lights at Norwood Oval next year.

The state league will launch its inaugural 12-a-side competition with revolutionary rules a week before ‘AFLX’ comes to Hindmarsh Stadium.

Dubbed ‘Australian Unity Fast Footy’, every team will play a minium of two games over two nights on February 9-10 with the top-four progressing to semi-finals and a final where the winner receives $10,000.

Matches will consist of 10-minute quarters or will be called off when a team reaches 50 points.

The SANFL’s last possession out-of-bounds rule will be changed to last-touch like basketball and the ball will be kicked in after every score. Drawn games will result in a soccer-style penalty shootout from 30m.

While the AFL’s new concept will debut on a rectangle pitch in Adelaide on February 15, the SANFL’s Fast Footy will be played on a full-sized oval meaning country or amateur leagues can also introduce the game on existing infrastructure.

West Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens were behind the concept about 18 months ago and the SANFL held a secret trial with the state under-18 team at Football Park in June.

Entry to the pre-season tournament will be free and there will be music and children’s entertainment as the SANFL targets as many families as possible.

SANFL general manager Adam Kelly said clubs would still play trial games as per normal later in the month but ‘Fast Footy’ was something new and exciting.

“We were looking for an alternative in pre-season that would generate interest in the lead-up to the main season,” Kelly said.

“This gives fans, clubs and participants an opportunity to look at something different.

“Through AFLX it’s been demonstrated that we need to consider all different forms of the game.

“We’re trying to create a carnival atmosphere akin to a rugby sevens tournament so it will be fast paced, and some fans will come in and out throughout the games.

“That’s why we chose The Parade as the venue, so fans can watch some footy, have a bite to eat or do some shopping and come back.”

The tournament will be the first time SANFL fans will get to see their club’s recruits in their new colours and there will be club zones allocated around the ground.

Kelly said the SANFL had been working on Fast Footy before talk of AFLX had emerged and it was only coincidental that it was being rolled out a week before.

AFLX will be launched in Adelaide and feature a round-robin competition including the Crows, Power, West Coast, Fremantle, Geelong and Collingwood.

Its version is 10-a-side on a rectangle pitch but only seven players from either side can be on the field at the one time.