Brodie Smith and Tom Rockliff say players outside of senior sides need a way of staying match fit and to press their case for selection after SANFL ban by AFL

Adelaide Crow Brodie Smith and Port’s Tom Rockliff say players outside of senior sides must have access to some form of matches, after the directive by not allow AFL-listed players in the state leagues.

The Crows and Port will not field SANFL teams in 2020. Raising questions where Willem Drew (left) and Shane McAdam (right) can play this year if they aren’t in the senior side. Picture: Sarah Reed.

• No Crows, Port in SANFL this season
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Brodie Smith and Tom Rockliff say there has to be matches of some sort for players outside of the Crows and Port senior sides after the AFL barred the two clubs from fielding players in the SANFL.

The move, which means the Crows’ reserves and in its 150th anniversary year the Port Adelaide Magpies will sit out of the 2020 SANFL, because the part-time nature of the state league would not allow for the AFL-listed players to adhere to the strict medical protocols that will be in place for the national competition.

On The Lowdown Podcast, both Smith and Rockliff said it would be a challenging situation for players outside of the Crows and Power’s senior sides to navigate.

Adelaide Crows’ Brodie Smith and Port Adelaide’s Tom Rockliff said the players outside of their senior sides needed games to play in now that they won’t play in the SANFL. Picture Simon Cross

“It will make it very tough, obviously for the young guys the best way to develop is to play footy and it will be a pretty long year for them mentally (if they didn’t have games),” Smith said.

“If those guys who aren’t in the best 22, you train all week, and I’d imagine without a game their Saturday would be a pretty solid session of footy and conditioning to sort of replicate a game to keep them prepared.”

Smith said this would be taxing mentally.

“If you are going to do that for an extended period it’s going to wear pretty thin for those guys,” he said.

“We are there to play footy and if that is taken away from you where is that platform to push your case.”

The AFL is contemplating alternative playing arrangements for the players who are outside of the senior teams.

Port Adelaide and Adelaide will not participate in the SANFL in 2020. Picture: Sarah Reed.

One arrangement is for scratch matches for the players outside of the senior sides.

Rockliff said this would be the best way.

“They would have to make an exemption for the guys who aren’t playing,” he said.

“Whether the Crows and Port can get together and play 15 a side on a Saturday or something like that at Alberton or West Lakes or something like that just so they can get a hitout and be match hardened and ready to go when they get the opportunity to play.

“So they still get the opportunity to play some sort of footy.”

Port Adelaide general manager of football Chris Davies said when the Power head interstate this season there could also be the opportunity for their extra players to play against another AFL club’s extra players.

The SANFL considering what to do with the Crows and Magpies’ top-up players.