2nds 2026 Adelaide Crows SANFL thread

[adelaidecrows]

WWT just got pillaged. Poor buggers.

The players themselves signed up for the MSD. They werent tied up and made to. The Sanfl needs to take a reality check. Yes its not great but amateur and country clubs gets pillaged all the time, losing players to Sanfl. The Sanfl aren't special, more amatuer league premierships have been decided because of Sanfl interference mid season than the AFL interrupting the Sanfl. Its the price you pay for being part of a tiered sports structure.

 

[Cromulant]

The players themselves signed up for the MSD. They werent tied up and made to. The Sanfl needs to take a reality check. Yes its not great but amateur and country clubs gets pillaged all the time, losing players to Sanfl. The Sanfl aren't special, more amatuer league premierships have been decided because of Sanfl interference mid season than the AFL interrupting the Sanfl. Its the price you pay for being part of a tiered sports structure.

The SANFL lose a lot of players to country leagues these days.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Absolute rubbish from the SANFL clubs imho

If you don't want players taken midseason then don't put AFL hopefuls on your list. Stick with guys whose ceiling is state league or who are happy just playing state league.

If you do list AFL hopefuls because they're good players, then this comes with the territory.

Guaranteed the Eagles will be using their track record for getting guys into AFL level as a selling point to their next batch of recruits, or locals overlooked in the 2026 national draft. As they should.

This is why the AFL need to bring back the multi level club format. Have an AFL, AFL Reserves and have an AFL u18s. It means players would be funnelled back into systems like the Sanfl with not a lot of movement in reverse. It woprked well for so long, the Sanfl still uses that structure themselves. The AFL make more than enough money. It would also add a lot of add ons on game day. Triple header with u18s, reserves then the league side. would be awesome.

 

[Cromulant]

This is why the AFL need to bring back the multi level club format. Have an AFL, AFL Reserves and have an AFL u18s. It means players would be funnelled back into systems like the Sanfl with not a lot of movement in reverse. It woprked well for so long, the Sanfl still uses that structure themselves. The AFL make more than enough money. It would also add a lot of add ons on game day. Triple header with u18s, reserves then the league side. would be awesome.

Where do the AFL clubs get those extra players from though ??

The 2nd tier clubs..... and where do those players come from ?? Ammo leagues.

There's enough of a struggle for country clubs in particular to field sides, imagine having that happen.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Where do the AFL clubs get those extra players from though ??

The 2nd tier clubs..... and where do those players come from ?? Ammo leagues.

There's enough of a struggle for country clubs in particular to field sides, imagine having that happen.

They already have a reserves side. Having a national comp just removes the Sanfl player restrictions. The u18s side would be easy to fill. If you have time caps. For example, players can only be eligible to be in a reserves squad for 2 seasons etc. Keeps the ball moving and stops clubs talent hoarding.

 

[Mutineer]

What a load of nonsense. If any SANFL club did as you suggest they’d have next to no young players on their list. There’s probably a dozen players in every club that have played senior footy who still have AFL aspirations and are unlikely to get drafted, someone like Tom Lewis is a glaring example, so what, cut him loose because of maybe, ifs and buts?
The issue is the timing of the MSD and total lack of adequate compensation.

Tom didn't even nominate for the MSD this year.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

What a load of nonsense. If any SANFL club did as you suggest they’d have next to no young players on their list. There’s probably a dozen players in every club that have played senior footy who still have AFL aspirations and are unlikely to get drafted, someone like Tom Lewis is a glaring example, so what, cut him loose because of maybe, ifs and buts?
The issue is the timing of the MSD and total lack of adequate compensation.

I don't suggest they do this

Because it would be stupid.

They know that the midseason draft exists. Yet they recruit players whose clear aim is to progress to AFL level.

If losing players midseason was so bad, they wouldn't recruit these players. They do, so it isn't.

 

[Cromulant]

I don't suggest they do this

Because it would be stupid.

They know that the midseason draft exists. Yet they recruit players whose clear aim is to progress to AFL level.

If losing players midseason was so bad, they wouldn't recruit these players. They do, so it isn't.

Its the balance between the desire to win flags and the risk that you might lose them in doing so.

The MSD was the idea of the AFL, the SANFL wasn't consulted. IMO a mid-season trade period is a much better solution.

 

[jackster83]

Its the balance between the desire to win flags and the risk that you might lose them in doing so.

The MSD was the idea of the AFL, the SANFL wasn't consulted. IMO a mid-season trade period is a much better solution.

The MSD concept is fine. If it keeps guys in the state league system instead of chasing the brown paper bags, then it's a good thing.

The issue is the compensation to state league clubs needs to be higher.

 

[Cromulant]

The MSD concept is fine. If it keeps guys in the state league system instead of chasing the brown paper bags, then it's a good thing.

The issue is the compensation to state league clubs needs to be higher.

Thing is it doesnt really do that.

Brett Turner for instance went straight from Adelaide to country footy.

 

[Syd Crow]

Thing is it doesnt really do that.

Brett Turner for instance went straight from Adelaide to country footy.

Played for Glenelg in 2023, then to country footy.

 

[LC40]

I don't suggest they do this

Because it would be stupid.

They know that the midseason draft exists. Yet they recruit players whose clear aim is to progress to AFL level.

If losing players midseason was so bad, they wouldn't recruit these players. They do, so it isn't.

They recruit the players that will help their list and try and win a premiership. Don't blame SANFL clubs for recruiting the best players they can. It's the system that sucks because half way during the season you suddenly lose in reality your most influential players.
Mid season drafts reward poor AFL list managers who don't have enough foresight to have back ups in multiple positions. The compensation is also extremely poor to clubs. It needs to be increased three fold.
Good luck to all the players picked it's their dream but I can't stand the present system having witnessed how it cut the legs out of a teams success mid season with little chance of recovery.

 

[Soggy2112]

They recruit the players that will help their list and try and win a premiership. Don't blame SANFL clubs for recruiting the best players they can. It's the system that sucks because half way during the season you suddenly lose in reality your most influential players.
Mid season drafts reward poor AFL list managers who don't have enough foresight to have back ups in multiple positions. The compensation is also extremely poor to clubs. It needs to be increased three fold.
Good luck to all the players picked it's their dream but I can't stand the present system having witnessed how it cut the legs out of a teams success mid season with little chance of recovery.

This isn’t really true. In some instances clubs are recruiting for positions where they should have had cover. However that only accounts for a portion of the draftees.

AFL lists are not actually that big. A portion of that list needs to be players who aren’t AFL ready but are developing. It doesn’t take poor management for injuries to create a need, it’s also possible that the need for a specific skill set might not present until mid season.

The mid season draft increases the quality of the AFL competition and offers another avenue for potential high level players to find their way to the league. Those are two massive pros.

The con is the impact on the state leagues. However, the VFL is largely a reserves comp anyway, which means we’re talking about the SANFL and WAFL only. In the end, the pros massively outweigh the cons.

 

[Cromulant]

This isn’t really true. In some instances clubs are recruiting for positions where they should have had cover. However that only accounts for a portion of the draftees.

AFL lists are not actually that big. A portion of that list needs to be players who aren’t AFL ready but are developing. It doesn’t take poor management for injuries to create a need, it’s also possible that the need for a specific skill set might not present until mid season.

The mid season draft increases the quality of the AFL competition and offers another avenue for potential high level players to find their way to the league. Those are two massive pros.

The con is the impact on the state leagues. However, the VFL is largely a reserves comp anyway, which means we’re talking about the SANFL and WAFL only. In the end, the pros massively outweigh the cons.

AFL lists are too big

 

[Soggy2112]

AFL lists are too big

What makes you say that?

 

[Syd Crow]

What makes you say that?

Just look at the stats. The average height of AFL players has increased by roughly 4 to 6 cm since the 1990s. In the 1990s players averaged around 184 cm, modern AFL lists are leaning closer to 188–190 cm. That's way too big!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

They recruit the players that will help their list and try and win a premiership. Don't blame SANFL clubs for recruiting the best players they can. It's the system that sucks because half way during the season you suddenly lose in reality your most influential players.
Mid season drafts reward poor AFL list managers who don't have enough foresight to have back ups in multiple positions. The compensation is also extremely poor to clubs. It needs to be increased three fold.
Good luck to all the players picked it's their dream but I can't stand the present system having witnessed how it cut the legs out of a teams success mid season with little chance of recovery.

The players aren't there for you

They are there because it's a pathway into the AFL

It just so happens that them being at your club helps you too while they're there, that's why you have them on your list.

 

[Cromulant]

What makes you say that?

There's 2 or 3 guys on every list, sometimes more, who have no business being on an AFL list.

Did you see the Dreamtime game last week ?? Or Richmond or Essendon this week ??

 

[crows dude]

AFL lists are too big

Need to be bigger. Lists of 80. With 30 being 16-18 year olds to fill an under 18's side. The other 50 to fill AFL and AFL Reserves sides.

 

[Cromulant]

Need to be bigger. Lists of 80. With 30 being 16-18 year olds to fill an under 18's side. The other 50 to fill AFL and AFL Reserves sides.

I'll have some of what you're smoking

 

[Soggy2112]

There's 2 or 3 guys on every list, sometimes more, who have no business being on an AFL list.

Did you see the Dreamtime game last week ?? Or Richmond or Essendon this week ??

Absolutely, but that’s not actually a bad thing IMO. AFL players are primarily recruited at 18, while some are good to go then, a lot of those players are speculative picks that may or may not work out. We want clubs to have the ability to take the risk and select those players.

If you shrunk list sizes I don’t think they’d be able to.

I’d argue the issue is too many clubs, not too many players on lists.

 

[Cromulant]

Absolutely, but that’s not actually a bad thing IMO. AFL players are primarily recruited at 18, while some are good to go then, a lot of those players are speculative picks that may or may not work out. We want clubs to have the ability to take the risk and select those players.

If you shrunk list sizes I don’t think they’d be able to.

I’d argue the issue is too many clubs, not too many players on lists.

We all know the AFL arent going to shut a club down though.

 

[Soggy2112]

We all know the AFL arent going to shut a club down though.

I know, but I think shrinking list sizes would do more harm than good.

 

[Cromulant]

I know, but I think shrinking list sizes would do more harm than good.

Im thinking holistically, rather than just AFL focused though.

Increasing AFL list sizes doesnt necessarily improve the AFL competition, it just gives more places to guys who aren't AFL standard footballers, and given they are hellbent on Tassie coming in, they already need to find 40 more.

 

[Mostyn]

AFL lists are too big

How can you say that? Multiple clubs this year have been barely able to field full sides due to injury.