The agreement that the AFL has with SANFL to include Crows, and later Port, into the AFL was that the AFL would stay out of football in SA and that the SANFL would handle junior development. This is similar to the arrangement with the WAFC and was the condition on entering clubs into the VFL/AFL on behalf of the SANFL/WAFL. AFL funds junior development in every other state/territory, even supports the amateur grade competitions.
SANFL and WAFL are the two leagues preventing the AFL from providing the same service to SA and WA.
I think the WAFL model works much better than the SANFL model, because the league is invested in making the clubs stronger and don't siphon money to the point they cripple their cash cows, successful well-funded teams generate more money than poorly-funded unsuccessful teams.
Yep. The problem for me is I guess I am fine with the SANFL managing the SA pathway. However I'm not happy with them controlling their incoming AFL funding levels. Unfortunately they are, as we are all aware, putting their own interests and profitability first to create a strong local comp. As such they are taking more than is needed in a desperate attempt to make their comp the 2nd best, which it really isn't anyway. This is what we need to change.
The SANFL needs to realise it is a feeder league and focus on self sufficiency. We need to somehow get the SANFL to start functioning off of a far tighter budget for development, and giving the rest of that money back to the AFL clubs, while the SANFL clubs need to become fully self sufficient.
The other change we need is we need the AFL in charge of the revenue distribution to the SANFL, so that we have a transparent process where the funding is on par with the rest of the country and not being the shackles holding us down.
The WAFL agreement certainly appears to work better, with far less greed, but if they were worked into a fair distribution system it would only stand to benefit those AFL clubs as well.