SANFL drops remaining Crows reserves games from Channel 7 broadcast schedule

POOR form on the SANFL field has forced the Crows off free-to-air television coverage with Channel 7 to protect the state league’s reputation as a competitive series.

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ADELAIDE’S winless — and concerning — form in the SANFL has forced the Crows off the league’s free-to-air television broadcasts.

The SANFL has ditched two of the Crows’ remaining four games on the Channel 7 schedule written at the start of the State league season.

The Round 15 television schedule on July 20 now has Seven’s cameras at Noarlunga for the South Adelaide-North Adelaide game rather than the Crows’ visit to Elizabeth to play Central District.

And in Round 16 on July 28, Seven will telecast the Port Adelaide-South Adelaide game at Alberton Oval rather than be at Prospect for the Crows’ clash with league leader North Adelaide.

Injury-ravaged Adelaide facing an SANFL record of the unwanted kind

The Crows will remain on Channel 7 on July 7 with their game against Norwood at The Parade and on July 15 in the SANFL Showdown with Port Adelaide.

SANFL football boss Adam Kelly explained to The Advertiser the “reputation of the league’s broadcast product” needed to protected with telecasts of highly competitive games.

Adelaide’s competitive capabilities in the state league have been wrecked by the Crows’ high injury count at AFL level.

The Crows fell to a record 112-point defeat to South Adelaide in their last SANFL game a fortnight ago. It is most likely the Adelaide AFL reserves team — that is topped up by players from community leagues when needing to cover the loss of AFL talent — could become the first SANFL team to complete a season without a win since Sturt in 1995.

Patrick Wilson flies over the pack for the Crows against South Adelaide. Picture Deb Curtis

Adelaide’s fall from the Channel 7 broadcast schedule follows a solid fall in television ratings in Crows reserves telecasts.

“The ratings were much stronger last year (when the Crows were more competitive as the AFL team worked to few injuries),” noted Kelly. “They (the ratings) are still marginally better than some other SANFL clubs, but the quality of the games we present for telecast on Channel 7 needs to be considered.”

Adelaide is fielding its AFL reserves unit in the SANFL for the fifth season. The fall in television ratings again brings into question the relevance of the Crows in the SANFL where the Adelaide Football Club had promised to deliver crowds of 3000 while playing games at its opponents’ home grounds.

At their last start, against the Panthers, there were just 1087 at Noarlunga to watch the Crows. At the previous game, at Woodville Oval, there was a crowd of only 1735 for the Crows’ reserves clash with Woodville-West Torrens.

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