SANFL club Norwood shuts down speculation it is preparing a bid to enter the AFL
With all eyes on AFL expansion, speculation was rife a SANFL club was looking at a possible 20th licence. Now the Redlegs have responded.
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SANFL club Norwood has emphatically shut down speculation that it is preparing a bid to enter the AFL.
“It’s just an annoying rumour,’’ Redlegs chief executive James Fantasia told News Corp.
“There has certainly been no consortiums or discussions of anything of that nature. There is absolutely no substance there, 100 per cent there isn’t.
“We are totally committed to the SANFL competition and starting our season on a good note on Friday night.’’
It had been speculated that SANFL powerhouse Norwood, which has won 31 premierships including last year’s flag, had started discussions behind closed doors about following a likely Tasmania team into the AFL and becoming the league’s 20th club.
The Redlegs had tried to enter the AFL prior to the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide being handed licenses.
Fantasia said Norwood would be derelict in its duties not to pursue an AFL license if one became available but at this stage there was “absolutely nothing planned from our end’’.
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“No doubt all clubs would look at their options if a license became available at any given time,’’ he said.
“I think it would be derelict for any board not to consider it but right now there is certainly nothing coming from our end.’’
The Redlegs will host AFL football this season, with their home ground Norwood Oval staging two games during round five’s Gather Round in South Australia next month.
They will be between Fremantle and Gold Coast on Friday, April 14, and Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn on Sunday, April 16.
Norwood will unfurl its 2022 premiership flag prior to its 2023 SANFL premiership season opener against Woodville-West Torrens at The Parade at 7.40pm on Friday.
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