Port Adelaide applies to enter its reserve side in the VFL from 2025

Port Adelaide has formally taken the next step in its plan to leave the SANFL and enter its reserve side in the VFL from the 2025 season.

Port Adelaide has applied to join the VFL. Picture: SANFL Image

Port Adelaide has formally applied to enter its reserve side in the VFL.

The Herald Sun can reveal the AFL has received a formal request from the Power to join the VFL from 2025 as part of a potential major shake-up to the state league competitions.

The Power’s written submission was lodged in recent days on the back of a league-wide meeting of club and AFL football bosses last week about the competitive balance review and pending overhaul of the draft system.

AFL officials suggested there was potential scope to introduce changes to the draft system – pending feedback from clubs over the next two months – in time for next year’s draft.

New football boss Laura Kane also expressed support for more females in club recruiting divisions.

While clubs are pushing for considerable change to specific list mechanisms, including academy and father-son selections, the second-tier competition is also one of the most contentious and important issues.

Currently, Port Adelaide and Adelaide (SANFL), and West Coast and Fremantle (WAFL) are the only four AFL clubs which do not have reserve sides in the VFL.

Port Adelaide has applied to join the VFL. Picture: SANFL Image

Port wants to join the VFL to be part of the premier second-tier football league in the country and eliminate any disadvantage for its developing players.

It is believed Port’s move has broad support across the league as part of a step towards a national second-tier competition involving all 18 AFL clubs.

The Power’s formal application will prompt serious talks about the state league competitions, with the Crows, Dockers and Eagles all set to strongly consider following in Port’s footsteps.

It comes as the AFL looks set to introduce a more weighted fixture into the VFL for next season so there are less lopsided games between top and bottom sides, including the standalone clubs.

There is significant support to create a national second-tier competition involving reserve sides from all 18 AFL clubs, but it remains unclear what that could mean for the future of the VFL and its standalone clubs Werribee, Williamstown, Port Melbourne, Frankston, Northern Bullants and Coburg.

Port Adelaide, which was founded in 1870 and joined the AFL in 1997, has a long and proud history in the SANFL, making a move to the VFL a difficult one for some of its South Australian supporters.

But Port is adamant a move to the VFL is optimal for the AFL team’s development and performance.

The AFL received the formal request from Port Adelaide for a 2025 switch. Picture: Getty Images

There is a considerable push to address the equity in the AFL and obvious imbalances relating to reserve sides, academy and father-son picks, and travel, in particular for Fremantle and West Coast.

It is the hottest topic in the game as the league prepares to welcome a new Tasmanian side in 2028.

AFL officials including Kane, Geoff Walsh, Josh Mahoney and Ned Guy will lead the review into the competitive balance of the league, including the contentious northern academy discount and next generation academy boundaries and operations.

The draft value index is also in line for an overhaul, while there are calls to streamline and protect the first round of the draft.

There were 29 picks in the first round of last month’s draft and 64 picks in total.

The league will assess the feedback from clubs before completing its own analysis which is expected to include considering trade period changes including trading future picks two years out and potential pick purchasing.

Pick purchasing is where clubs could trade salary cap space for draft picks.