The gap between rich and poor in the AFL has never been greater. In 2011, the chasm in quality and resources between the powerhouses and the cellar-dwellers was a massive talking point. It could widen in 2012.
Collingwood and Geelong were the premier teams last year – both in a good position off the field, with good crowds and sponsorship. To take advantage of that in a salary-capped league, they had to be creative.
Equalization rules restrict the elite clubs from paying more than the rest, so they channel their funds in a different direction – highly-paid coaches, world class facilities, off-season junkets to Arizona – to get ahead of the pack.
One such method, which is proving incredibly handy, is the movement toward clubs having their own standalone reserves side, under their complete control and behest.
That’s a luxury not everyone can afford – but not always because of fiscal reasons. For some, it’s a structural impossibility.
While the Pies and Cats have been able to go ahead with their own reserves sides in the VFL, and expansion clubs Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney have been gifted them by the AFL, teams in WA and SA have been lumped with a difficult arrangement for years now.
In those states, and for some other clubs in Victoria, players are ‘drafted’ off to separate teams in their respective state league, a consequence of affiliation with a league rather than a singular club.
For years now, there have been rumblings about how Port Adelaide, Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle are unhappy with the current state of affairs.
AFL-listed players are at the mercy of SANFL and WAFL coaches, who often take it upon themselves to play footballers out of position, helping their team’s fortunes rather than assisting their own development.
If the AFL wants to move forward over the next 10, 20 years, then something has to change.
It seems the obvious solution is to simply allow the WA and SA clubs their own reserves team – but that’s easier said than done when dealing with a highly sensitive issue that few Victorians can comprehend.
That’s because nobody in Melbourne had to shift their allegiances when the VFL went national – their very own clubs made it big.
That didn’t happen in Adelaide. When the Crows were established in 1991, fans had to ‘abandon’ the clubs they’d followed all their lives, so to speak – clubs with rich histories, like Glenelg, Norwood and Sturt.
They’re still alive as part of the SANFL, a competition which has morphed into a relic of ‘old’ football – suburban grounds, down-to-earth players, a perceived ‘real footy’ vibe.
South Australians love it. They don’t want to see their league spoiled by the presence of reserves teams, and neither does the SANFL. Heaven help half of Adelaide if the Crows’ seconds took on Norwood. Heads and hearts would explode.
And that’s not even mentioning the two Port Adelaides. The same goes for the WAFL. There is no easy fix.
Clubs with their own reserves team hold a significant advantage over those who don’t. In a column for The Age back in April, Garry Lyon said there were many benefits – including the ability to deliver a ‘rigid consistency in message’ when players do not have to deal with two different footballing cultures in the one week.
It’s no coincidence that the two most dominant teams of the past five years – Geelong and Collingwood – have their own reserves teams. Another recent powerhouse, Hawthorn, has a strong 11-year-old alliance with Box Hill.
In the name of fairness, the only answer is a national reserves competition.
Yes, it would cost money – but after that $1b TV rights deal the AFL has very deep pockets. And surely, if the cash-strapped FFA can afford Australian soccer’s youth/reserves league hybrid, so too can the AFL.
But when it comes to evening out the competition, Andrew Demitriou has proven himself to have very short arms.
Instead of investing in equality and the development of players when he’s had the opportunity, he handed a blank cheque to the Giants in wait of a 30-year uphill battle.
Meanwhile, rich clubs like Collingwood can work on their fringe players exactly how they want, while players like former Power prospect Ryan Willits are torn between two clubs, two cultures, two positions.
Willits is a case study in how the South Australian solution stunts the growth of players. Port saw him as a forward, but Glenelg played him down back and he had to apply for a transfer to West Adelaide to find an attacking role. It must have played at least a minor part as to why he never kicked on at AFL level.
The AFL seems set on world domination, but they have real problems at home that need to be addressed first – or else the divide between rich and poor will increase by the season.
Scott Weinert
Guest
Jump ahead 2014 .Port owns their own license. Have Afl reserves. Unfortunately in the SANFL not a Stand alone AFL reserves comp. 2013 finalists , just under the Crows in memberships. Sitting 3rd at 3 and 1 in 2014 season. Magpies beating the Bays by over 150 points and some of you were calling for their expulsion. We Are Port Adelaide. Never ever give up.
Adrian
Guest
Would make it pretty tough on the supporters of SANFL/WAFL Clubs to have their team play interstate on a semi-regular basis. This discussion really seems to be from the perspective of incremental improvements for the AFL Clubs, not much thought for protecting the integrity of the local comps.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
I will say that Lachlan is right in that, now that the AFL is up to its current level, we must develop the underpinnings of the game, such as the state leagues. The gulf of quality between first and second tier is not healthy, in my opinion.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Well you're obviously not going to run two separate sides purely on the basis of your 38-man squad and rookie list, if you're running a separate team it will have its own list and you feed your non-starting players into it to bolster it. Would be good to see some of the stupendous amounts of money that clubs are receiving funnelled back into players at some level, after all, rather than simply spent on hordes of assistant coaches and trips to Arizona.
Tom Dimanis
Roar Pro
Ok, what happens when a team is decimated by injuries like the Dockers were last year? How will they be able to field a reserves team? They were barely able to field a senior side! I heard that they'll have to recruit players from country and amateur leagues, and really that doesn't help anybody.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Lachlan, All the Melbourne teams are viable, especially with timesharing. I wouldnt agree no-one cares about Fitzroy ... but it created a lot of tension, a lot of doubt and a lot of heartache ... and Australian Rules was Don Scott away from doing to itself what News Corp did to Rugby League.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
"I follow the swans, 12th year member and 2nd year member of giants this year. Im not even from Victoria, (although i do go their several times a year). The logo in my Profile picture is the logo of my local club the "Killarney Vale/Mingara Football Club (Central Coast)"." I don't think it matters whom you go for. Although that you're not Victorian partly explains your ridiculous statement about nobody caring about Fitzroy. Only partly, though, as any knowledgable Football fan would be aware of how angry & upset many Fitzroy supporters still are. "I've followed the sport my whole life and apparently im the only one that sees how we can improve the game and help it continue to be the national game." Oh, please. Don't act as if you have some special knowledge. We simply disagree with you. It doesn't mean that we don't want to improve the game and help it continue to be the national game as well, we simply disagree about the way to do it. Certainly I don't see at all how axing Melbourne clubs would be for the benefit of the competition, for reasons I've already stated (and which I'm not going to repeat.)
Lachlan
Roar Guru
I follow the swans, 12th year member and 2nd year member of giants this year. Im not even from Victoria, (although i do go their several times a year). The logo in my Profile picture is the logo of my local club the "Killarney Vale/Mingara Football Club (Central Coast)". I've followed the sport my whole life and apparently im the only one that sees how we can improve the game and help it continue to be the national game.
brendan
Guest
Your right had the pleasure at Cheltenham Football ground to watch a grand final between South Districts (in the original South guernsey) and Fitzroy ,in the Fitzroy guernsey,quite surreal didnt support either or know game was on.
amazonfan
Guest
No, I don't imagine you would. :D My brother wouldn't want them either.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
You realise Fitrzroy still exist and play in the VAFA. It will be news to the club that no one cares about them.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
we dont want them
amazonfan
Guest
I just saw that you support Essendon. Why aren't I surprised? I might be willing to reconsider my views if you agree that Essendon be the first club to be axed. Perhaps you could merge with Carlton.
amazonfan
Guest
"Look at Fitzroy they got axed and no one cares about them." Tell that to all the Fitzroy supporters! Can someone please tell me why we need to axe any teams from Melbourne. 'Oh, nine is too many' people say. But why? Why is it too many? From an organizational point of view, it shouldn't make any difference in a competition with a draft and which revolves around club, rather than state. From an economic point of view, it also shouldn't make a difference. While there are clubs which need help, almost none of them (North might be a possible exception, however I don't know enough about their finances to comment) can be regarded as a drain upon the AFL. Melbourne, which you so callously suggest should be merged, is debt free. The AFL, and its clubs, are not-for-profits. They don't exist to make money, they exist for a higher purpose, and the AFL can afford to ensure that all clubs remain viable. Morally, I think we are bound to keep all of them. You say "Look at Fitzroy they got axed and no one cares about them" (which is nonsense of course), however if a club gets axed, its supporters and the community around the club gets devastated. Fitzroy didn't have to die, and I hope that the AFL does not listen to people like you (who undoubtedly supports one of the big clubs) and instead realizes that it owes it supporters, and the community, to ensure that no club gets axed ever again.
amazonfan
Guest
Except that entity has won a flag, been a Grand Finalist twice, been a losing Preliminary Finalist twice, won two pre-season flags, won three straight McClelland Trophies, made the finals in seven of its first eleven seasons, and was arguably the third best team of 2000-'09 (after Brisbane & Geelong). It has also produced some of the best players of the past 20 years, including Tredea & Chad Cornes. I'm all for expelling the SANFL. I also think that every club should be controlled by the members, and in fact I'll never forgive the AFL if they bring back private ownership, for instance. However the 'fake' Port Adelaide has too great a history for it to be replaced by a different club. Perhaps the AFL made a mistake in making Port the second SA team, however the solution isn't to do a swap. Their contributions are too great, and I think they more than deserve to stay in the competition. I personally would very much oppose their expulsion, and I don't even follow them. Plus, from a practical perspective, how would it work? Putting aside the issue of nicknames (and I think that every club should have a nickname), would the new club have the same players? The same footballing staff? The same non-footballing staff? The same sponsors? Ultimately, if we were going to introduce a different second team into SA, we should have done it 15 years ago. Now, we need to accept that Port, for all of its baggage, is here to stay, and we need to allow them to get out of their current mess; instead of talking about swapping them for another team, which will never happen in a million years.
Lachlan
Roar Guru
Ian How much longer can we have 9 teams based in the City of Melbourne? If you were bringing a game to Australia and assuming it continues for 20 odd years, you wouldn't want anymore than 2 or 3 teams tops based in Melbourne. I understand all the history behind the game and Melbourne/Victoria will always be the home of the only Australian sport, but at some point we must axe teams, it'll only help the game in the future. Look at Fitzroy they got axed and no one cares about them.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Lachlan, Dont kill teams. Its not worth the stress. And with "timesharing", there is no need to do so. Actually, I read the whole post and thought about it ... as far as planning for a code, for likelihood to work, you're up there with Qgirl, turbodewd and Johnno.
woodsman
Guest
Twos seem to be moving towards the original model for all but SA- I suspect its just a matter of time until they have teams in the NEAFL. Agree with Lachie that a conference system with a large number of teams may be good at the second-tier. However with the premier league, I still dont see a reason for having any team merge or relocate if we eventually reach 25 teams in the comp (although it would be a good match to regionalise NM to Ballarat as StKilda is now regionalising somewhat with the move to Seaford.. Frankston stadium anyone?). That would leave 7 inner Melbourne teams, 3 'regional' Vic teams; 2 SA; 3 WA (add South Perth 'Ore-ers'; add 1 Tas 'Devils'; add 1 Can 'Snakes'; 4 NSW (add Newcastle 'Black Diamonds' and Wollongong 'Wombats'); 3 QLD (add Cairns 'Stingrays'); add 1 NT 'Goannas'. Play each other once. Full coverage of the country both geographically and in terms of population centres. No need for conferences at top tier- which in my mind erodes the entire competition at the elite level.
Lachlan
Roar Guru
Ok, how about this. By 2020 (abit optimistic). 20 AFL teams. Coll, Ess, Carl, Melb/St.K, Haw/Rich, Geel, Ballarat/Bendigo, Adel, Port, WCE, Frem, Mandurah/South Perth, Tassie, Syd, GWS, Bris, GCS, FNQ, Canberra, NT. WB and NM can relocate or leave to the national 2nd tier competition. Reserves League. Includes all AFL teams reserves. Run off same fixture, played 2 hours before, their AFL teams corresponding fixture. National 2nd Tier Competition. 32-Teams, 4 Conferences of 8 teams OR 64-Teams, 4 Conferences of 16 teams. North (DLD/NT) South (VIC/TAS) East (NSW/ACT) West (SA/WA). For example, if its a 32 team league, in each conference the team that finishes last, leaves the comp the next year and after the season is over each conference holds a knockout competition between the 8 premiers from around that State and/or territory and the winning team is introduced the next year. However if it's a 16-team conference the same things happen except the bottom two teams are removed and the last two teams remaining in the knockout competition take their spots. Foxtel Cup. Remains the same or can be disbanded.
Redb
Roar Guru
That's true Ian, in fact Geelong are laying down some pretty good foundations for the long term. I just thought it a bit cute when Geelong were hanging on by a thread themselves not that long ago.