SANFL to grant Port Adelaide, Adelaide list concessions after threats to quit the competition

The SANFL has bowed to pressure from Port Adelaide and Adelaide to introduce list concessions. Here’s how they will work and what they mean for other clubs.

Could the Power and Crows still leave the SANFL? Picture: Sarah Reed

South Australia’s AFL clubs still want to join a national reserves competition despite the SANFL improving concessions in the hope of keeping them in the state league long-term.

Port Adelaide and the Crows’ push for fewer recruiting restrictions was granted on Thursday when the SA Football Commission endorsed more flexibility for them to sign players from other SANFL sides.

While the SANFL trumpeted the changes as helping to enhance the best structure for the competition, the Power and Adelaide viewed them as merely a short-term measure.

Port and the Crows reiterated that a national reserves competition would be the most equitable model for AFL clubs, believing they were disadvantaged from being one of only four – along with the two West Australian sides – not playing in the VFL.

Port Adelaide and the Crows have been granted concessions by the SANFL.

The Power and Adelaide have threatened for months to leave the SANFL, where both are contracted to play until 2028.

Power chief executive Matthew Richardson described the changes as a positive step and thanked the AFL and the SANFL for their support.

But Port maintained the AFL had a responsibility to provide all top-tier players with the “same opportunities to develop and the only way to achieve this is through a national reserves or second-tier structure that all clubs participate in.”

“Ensuring our players have some more experienced and accomplished players around them is critical to their development, and this rule change does provide that opportunity,” Richardson said.

“The strength and competitiveness of the two South Australian based AFL clubs at AFL level is a critical factor in the success of football in this state.”

Adelaide’s response was similar, acknowledging the SANFL’s efforts to deliver more favourable conditions but saying “a national second-tier competition needs to remain on the AFL agenda in the interest of competitive balance”.

Under the tweaks, Port and the Crows were now each allowed to recruit:

■ Six players under 21 from other SANFL teams (only one per state-league side), as well as two from interstate to be part of a “talent development list”, in an expansion of the state league’s rookie program

■ Up to four players aged 21 or older (only one per SANFL club at any time across both AFL clubs) to be on an “open-age list”.

The changes followed a six-month assessment of the structure of South Australian football that was accelerated by the AFL’s competitive balance review.

Both clubs have threatened to leave the SANFL. Picture: Sarah Reed

This year, Port Adelaide claimed its first wooden spoon since 1900, while the Crows also missed the finals, finishing sixth.

Port has lost three grand finals since becoming the Power’s reserves side in 2014.

Power chairman David Koch said on FIVEaa in August: “It means the SANFL have got what they wanted. They wanted Port to be last, they rigged the (AFL club concession) rules and we can’t wait to be out of there’’.

SANFL chief executive Darren Chandler believed the changes had addressed many of the Power and Crows’ concerns.

“We’re delighted with the outcome and feel that it’s a balanced result that will give all 10 teams competing in the competition an opportunity to play finals footy,” said Chandler, who reached out to the Power after Koch’s comments.

“We feel eight really strong stand-alone clubs and the two AFL clubs is the best structure for footy in this state and we made that really clear to the AFL.

“Our mission will be to make sure that structure remains for a very long period.”

Chandler said the SANFL would start talks with the two AFL clubs to extend its state-league tenure beyond 2028 in the next 12 to 18 months.

He said the state league had stressed to the AFL that it did not support a national reserves competition.

“It’s not the highest priority for the AFL at the moment and their focus for us was to find a South Australian solution and we feel we’ve come up with that,” he said.

Talks on whether they will stay in the SANFL are expected to begin soon. Picture: Sarah Reed

A working group, featuring representatives from the SA Football Commission, SANFL management and SANFL clubs, thrashed out the concessions.

Other outcomes of the review included increased AFL investment into male and female talent, umpiring, under-18 SANFL club coaching and community coaching in SA.

The state league spruiked the changes as enhancing the development of local players, providing greater opportunity for young footballers to develop in an AFL environment and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the SANFL competition and clubs.

Logan Evans’ rise from missing out on being drafted at Norwood last year to joining the Power via the SANFL rookie program and impressing at AFL level this season was highlighted.

Glenelg chief executive Justin Scripps told this masthead the integrity of the competition had been at the forefront of the review.

“All key stakeholders have had input … so we’re in a position we’re hopefully there’s a bit of balance for everybody,” Scripps said.

“The proof will be in the pudding.”

Scripps said there was risk his side, which won its second straight league flag this year, would lose top players to the AFL clubs “but I think we’re pretty comfortable culturally with where our group’s at”.

Port and the Crows will have to pay SANFL clubs a $2500 loan fee if they sign an under-21 player and a standard sum for older recruits.

The AFL sides will be under a salary cap proportionate to SANFL teams.