Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks agrees with Power’s SANFL grievances

It’s rare to see Adelaide and Port Adelaide agree on something, but the Crows are in full support of their rival’s complaint to the AFL.

Port Adelaide has aired it’s SANFL grievances with the AFL. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

An angry Port Adelaide has written to the AFL complaining of unfair treatment after the SANFL banned medical substitutes from playing in its competition.

Port says the State League’s decision “compromises” its ability to develop talent in the same way as interstate rivals.

Both Port and the Crows wanted the SANFL to align with other state leagues, including the VFL, to allow the 23rd men to play at state level in the same round.

The Adelaide clubs believe a lack of game time will hold back their younger players.

Port general manager of football Chris Davies – who used to be the chief executive of the SANFL – said it was yet another example of the state league “picking and choosing” parts of the AFL rules to suit them.

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Davies said the SANFL was putting Port at a disadvantage compared to other AFL clubs. Picture: Getty Images

“When the AFL announced the medical substitute rule it specifically stated that the substitute player would be permitted to participate at State League level regardless of whether they were activated during the AFL match,” Davies said.

“The SANFL have disregarded this position, putting them at odds with the AFL.

“This rule has been adopted by the VFL and the WAFL and the SANFL’s decision means there are now 16 clubs operating on one model and two on another.

“Unfortunately this issue is a microcosm of what we are facing with the SANFL on an increasingly regular basis.

“The AFL introduces rules and regulations to the state leagues under their auspices, designed to assist in the development of the game and the talent within it, with the SANFL picking and choosing the parts of the rules and regulations that they accept based on the position of the SANFL at the time.”

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said on Thursday he “100 per cent” supports Port Adelaide’s complaints about the SANFL banning medical substitutes from playing its competition.

“We support Port Adelaide with their view 100 per cent,” he said.

“There are 16 teams in the competition who we are playing who are able to play that sub (at state league level) after it has been activated.

“So we are at a disadvantage.”

Nicks said it would negatively affect the development not only of the player who was the medical sub in the AFL side, but also his teammates.

“Ultimately we are about the development of our players,” he said.

“For a player to play five minutes of an AFL game and then not be able to play in the state league that weekend it puts us on the back foot.

“It impinges the development of that player, and not only that player but his teammates by him not being able to play alongside those guys.

“We are looking at the bigger picture on a lot of this, how to we develop our younger group, how do we develop a squad that can play at AFL level

“This rule doesn’t help with that.”

Port Adelaide has aired it’s SANFL grievances with the AFL. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

Davies said other “differing rules and limitations” Port faced because of the SANFL included;

■ ACCESS to state league contracted players,

■ THE ability to play Next Generation Academy and father-son players in the Magpies side before they are drafted and the number of games that qualify prospects, and

■ DIFFERING RULES: such as the stand on the mark rule, third man up at ruck contests, last touch out of bounds and the medical substitute.

“We’re now at a point where we have written to the AFL to highlight that these issues, when grouped, see us competing under materially different conditions to those of our AFL competitors,” he said.

“There can be no denying that the current environment compromises our ability to develop the talent available to our playing list when compared to our competitors in the AFL competition.”

On Tuesday SANFL chief executive Darren Chandler said the ruling was made “in line with the current SANFL rules”.

“We appreciate their position and obviously they are looking after the best interests of their players and playing group, but we have to balance that with what we believe is right for the SANFL, the integrity of the competition, which is really important,” he said.