Port Adelaide reserves saga ends in compromise
PORT Adelaide's push to have an AFL reserves team in the SANFL is finally over.
PORT Adelaide's push to have an AFL reserves team in the SANFL is finally over.
Port's board - after an unexpected postponement on Tuesday afternoon - on Tuesday night approved a plan to set up the "Power" reserves in the SANFL league series under the "Magpies" image.
Starting next year, Port will be represented by the:
POWER in the national league working to AFL rules and the AFL salary cap of $9 million.
MAGPIES in the SANFL league competition. This team will be made up of Power-listed players not chosen to play in the AFL. There will be 15 "top-up" players. They will be paid a maximum $400 a game and can be any age.
AN ACADEMY team in the SANFL reserves competition from 2015. These scholarship holders - who will include Magpies father-son picks, indigenous hopefuls from the NT and international recruits - will be aged 18-22. They can earn no more than $100 a game.
The academy team will replace the Magpies reserves and under-age teams from 2015 when Port will lose its SANFL recruiting zones in the city and on the Eyre Peninsula.
Port's board delayed its vote yesterday because one director was travelling overseas. But until SANFL executive invention yesterday afternoon it seemed the boardroom vote was redundant amid confusion from SANFL clubs on the "top-up" players.
The 15 "extras" Port has to sign for its Magpies' league list were originally to be held to an age limit of 22 and under.
Port chief executive Keith Thomas informed the Magpies players of this on Thursday.
He then told his club's members on Monday night that he had removed this age restriction in meetings with the SANFL executive on Monday - a backflip that shocked some SANFL league directors on Tuesday.
One league director told The Advertiser he had voted on the basis the Magpies "top-up" players would include one "leadership" player aged 28 or older and 14 players who were no older than 22.
But the SANFL executive insists the directors rescinded the age limit on August 29.
The SANFL executive last night declared the reserves debate closed.
Adelaide will have a stand-alone Crows reserves team in the SANFL next year.
Thomas last night praised the compromise with the SANFL executive.
"We are now, finally, one club, and all of Port Adelaide's players will exclusively play for Port Adelaide," he said.
"This important decision allows us to field teams committed to excellence in the AFL and SANFL as a united club."
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