Is 9 teams too many?

Team DJ

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 19, 2011
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I was having a discussion with a one eyed SANFL fan late last week.
He brought up a few very good points as to why 9 teams may be too many moving forward for the SANFL.

Even though crowds are very high at the moment the level of Football played is at a much lower level.

2 new AFL teams means that nearly 100 more players are on AFL list. Weakening the strength of the State leagues.
 
If you could get two of the current teams to merge it would be great but won't happen. Even though the W/WT merger would have to be classified as a success clubs are petrified of the "M" word.
 

Interceptor

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Yeah, it's easy to say now, but adding Central Districts and Woodville in 1964 probably didn't do the comp any long term favours. Centrals eventually found success, but Woodville never did and merged when the money fell out the SANFL with the formation of the Crows.

There have actually been discussions in the past about adding a 10th side again, especially the NT, but they eventually decided on the Qld/NEAFL league. Port Melbourne was even rumoured at one stage.

Merger is a very dirty word for any club and it seems some clubs who have had financial worries would have been closer to folding than merging.

Finally there is also the persistant calls for AFL reserves sides. Port Magpies would obviously be one, with Crows fielding a new SANFL entity.
The reserves idea tends to be stongly rejected by traditional SANFL fans.
 
Apr 30, 2010
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I would actually like to see the introduction of a Murray Bridge maybe another outer metro city side. Potentially 1 merger then two cities Murray Bridge one of them getting teams leaving 10 would be alright.
 

Stewies Power

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Yeah, it's easy to say now, but adding Central Districts and Woodville in 1964 probably didn't do the comp any long term favours. Centrals eventually found success, but Woodville never did and merged when the money fell out the SANFL with the formation of the Crows.

No way mate. Centrals have huge support up north and add a lot to the local community there as well. Agree with you about Woodville though. Although Woodville West Torrens these days has been the best club nationally at developing AFL talent.
 
Jan 26, 2006
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No way mate. Centrals have huge support up north and add a lot to the local community there as well. Agree with you about Woodville though. Although Woodville West Torrens these days has been the best club nationally at developing AFL talent.

Wasn't that study have the country zones seperated?

I'm not sure how it was done in the SANFL but I noticed that both East Fremantle and the Geraldton region made the top 10.

However Geraldton is in the East Fremantle zone.
 
Nov 20, 2011
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Zoning would obviously be affected with the introduction of a Regional team, however, I think it would be good short term as it would remove the need for a bye (and THAT issue of AFL listed players having nowhere to play). Long term, I don't think a regional team would last.

You could, for example, have the "Spencer Gulf Allstars" (Team made up from the best players from the 3 Pt. Pirie and 3 Pt. Augusta sides in the SGL, could also include players from WFL (Whyalla Football League)). Would it work? Perhaps, but as to WHERE they would play when having a home game would be an issue, and also as to how competitive such a team would actually be.

Not intending to go off topic here, I still think that people should bite the bullet and accept the fact about that Reserves sides in the SANFL may very well be inevitable. I think it's a matter of time personally. With Port Adelaide (Power and Magpies) all but one and the same club again, may as well put the final piece of the puzzle in and make the Magpies the Power reserves, and then have the Crows field the 10th SANFL side. People whinge about how compromised the competition would then become, eg, Crows and Power reserves dominating the competition. I think this is bollocks; look at the VFL, have Geelong and Collingwood dominated the VFL in similar fashion to their success in the AFL? Not necessarily.

I don't think 9 sides is too many, rather, it is a small amount of sides when you look at how the QLD and NSW AFL leagues and how many teams they had before the NEAFL, and AFL isn't even the main sport over there.

Food for thought.
 
Apr 20, 2004
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Adelaide hills? but then again what would introducing an SANFL team do to these areas country leagues?
Given the Double Blues current predicament, this may come to fruition sooner than one imagines with a possible move to Mt Barker? Though I'd hate to see this happen, I think it may help solve part of their debt dilemma. As for 9 teams being too many - as a previous poster said...adding Woodville and Centrals wasn't a great idea in hindsight. The Centrals zone should probably have been divvied up amongst six clubs with West Torrens / West Adel picking up Woodville's zone. I think eventually the Crows and Port will get their way though and we'll have a 10 team comp again, with Adelaide becoming #10. I actually think this will help both the AFL and SANFL competitions in the long run.
 
Nov 20, 2011
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Given the Double Blues current predicament, this may come to fruition sooner than one imagines with a possible move to Mt Barker? Though I'd hate to see this happen, I think it may help solve part of their debt dilemma. As for 9 teams being too many - as a previous poster said...adding Woodville and Centrals wasn't a great idea in hindsight. The Centrals zone should probably have been divvied up amongst six clubs with West Torrens / West Adel picking up Woodville's zone. I think eventually the Crows and Port will get their way though and we'll have a 10 team comp again, with Adelaide becoming #10. I actually think this will help both the AFL and SANFL competitions in the long run.

As I mentioned above, even with the recent dominance of Geelong and Collingwood (and, to a lesser extent, St Kilda and Hawthorn), their respective reserves sides didn't reflect such nature in the VFL, and although Geelong won both the AFL and VFL in 2007 and (in the AFL's case) have been the form team since, in the VFL the same results are not happening (correct me here, I don't follow the VFL much). If anything I think with a Crows reserves (and PA becoming reserves), getting rid of the bye will be better off long term. I think the SANFL hierachy need to stop thinking about themselves and see the LONG TERM future vs short term.

The Sturt situation is interesting. Can't see them going anywhere unless they absolutely have to. Merger anyone? LOL
 
Apr 30, 2010
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I wouldn't mind a team around Para Hills or something.

Outside of that, you'd have to look country.
LOL. Something maybe representing the North Eastern suburbs. TTG, Holden Hill. Golden Grove, Modbury, Athelstone ect. Im not sure just how loyal the under 30s are to Centrals/Norwood/Roosters in these areas so maybe if promoted well enough a team could be embraced. North East Hawks?
 

Team DJ

Norm Smith Medallist
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Hows this.
Create the - Adelaide Hills Crows.
Have the Crows reserves team play home games in venues around the Adelaide Hills. It would be a great way for them to not only promote the club, bu have a reserves team. You also wouldnt need to worry about rezoning the SANFL.
 
May 3, 2007
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LOL. Something maybe representing the North Eastern suburbs. TTG, Holden Hill. Golden Grove, Modbury, Athelstone ect. Im not sure just how loyal the under 30s are to Centrals/Norwood/Roosters in these areas so maybe if promoted well enough a team could be embraced. North East Hawks?





That wouldnt be a bad Idea.

I might be alone on here but maybe another team in the Southern Suburbs Like Marion? the only southern teams are South Adelaide and to a lesser degree Glenelg who are south west.

Then again Would Splitting Woodville and West Torrens would be a good Idea?
 

Team DJ

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That wouldnt be a bad Idea.

I might be alone on here but maybe another team in the Southern Suburbs Like Marion? the only southern teams are South Adelaide and to a lesser degree Glenelg who are south west.

Then again Would Splitting Woodville and West Torrens would be a good Idea?


West Adelaide and Glenelg are a stones through away from marion.

The north east isnt a bad idea. Modbury Tea Tree Gully, dont really have anything.


I dont think the SANFL can support and extra team let alone the 9 they have.

Maybe the Magpies get there wish and leave the SANFL
 
West Adelaide and Glenelg are a stones through away from marion.

The north east isnt a bad idea. Modbury Tea Tree Gully, dont really have anything.


I dont think the SANFL can support and extra team let alone the 9 they have.

Maybe the Magpies get there wish and leave the SANFL

Why would the Magpies want to leave the SANFL? :confused:

There are rumours the other clubs want to boot them out.
 
Oct 10, 2007
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How about this...

Glenelg
Port Adelaide
Woodville West Torrens
Central Districts
West Adelaide
Norwood
North Adelaide
Sturt
South Adelaide

PLUS

Port Melbourne
Frankston
North Ballarat
Werribee
Williamstown
Coburg
Bendigo
Sandringham

16 team competition
 
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