Port, Crows, Eagles to put pressure on league during Gather Round to create national reserves competition

Port Adelaide is adamant it wants to exit the SANFL as soon as possible, with clubs to lobby the AFL to create a national reserves competition sooner rather than later.

Port Adelaide will ramp up its bid to exit the SANFL when the AFL’s chiefs descend on Adelaide for Gather Round this week.

The Power and Adelaide Crows want to join a new national second-tier competition or the VFL from next season in a bid to eliminate the development disadvantages the clubs believes are hampering it.

Adelaide and Port Adelaide play last-touch out of bounds rule in the SANFL, don’t have regular exposure against AFL-listed players from 14 AFL-aligned clubs in the VFL, and are subject to heavy top-up player restrictions.

There are also travel and scheduling headaches which affect their emergencies and holdover players.

West Coast is expected to fall in-line with the Power and Crows’ calls for a new national state-league competition as the AFL considers sweeping reform to the state leagues, draft system and trade mechanisms under a competitive balance review.

Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies said entry into a new second-tier comp would be the “fairest outcome”, while Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers said there was “no doubt” the Crows would want to be part of it.

But Adelaide and Port Adelaide’s exit remains a major bone of contention in South Australia due to contracts tying the clubs to the SANFL.

Power General Manager of Football Chris Davies with coach Ken Hinkley. Port Adelaide wants to end its 150-year affiliation with the SANFL and join a reserves competition. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Port Adelaide has more than 150 years history in the league after joining the SANFL in 1870.

The Power is confident the AFL will be able to override the deal as part of a decision to create a new national second-tier competition or permit its entry into the VFL.

Port Adelaide’s chiefs will push the move with league bosses as part of informal talks this week as well as more serious discussions at a meeting of football general managers in Melbourne this month.

Clubs are expecting an update on potential draft changes including the contentious academy player points system as well as father-son reform and the introduction of a mid-season trade period for next year.

The AFL’s competitive balance review is headed by highly-respected former club administrator Geoff Walsh, and includes football boss Laura Kane.

Port is adamant the fairest model for AFL clubs is to permit all 18 teams entry into the same reserves’ competition, allowing every club the same developmental opportunities.

Port Adelaide football manager Chris Davies said the club would not back down from its desire to join a new national second-tier competition while the AFL assesses the various advantages in the game.

“We have been really clear that we want to be part of a new national second-tier competition and if that is not possible for next year then we would prefer to participate in the VFL with the other AFL-aligned reserve sides,” Davies told the Herald Sun.

“If we are talking about the fairness across the game, we believe that (new second-tier league) is the fairest outcome.

“The AFL has said it is looking at the competitive balance across the competition and part of that will be looking at all the advantages and disadvantages for all the clubs and we agree it is an appropriate time to have a good look at these things.”

The AFL will discuss the matter with club chiefs at AFL headquarters later this month as part of an update on the competitive balance review.

Northern-states clubs have urged the league to protect the academy player system which helped deliver Gold Coast four star underage prospects in last year’s draft including gun key forward Jed Walter.

Originally published as Port, Crows, Eagles to put pressure on league during Gather Round to create national reserves competition