“Massive story”: Fuse ignites the drama in the AFL reserves as the club schemes to abandon a 155-year hole.
With ongoing plans to leave the SANFL competition they have been a part of for 155 years, the Port Adelaide Football Club will once again take the lead in attempting to achieve “equalization” for their reserves side.
The Adelaide Crows, a rival team, and the West Coast of Western Australia have publicly supported the trio, and they, possibly Fremantle as well, appear ready to join the other 14 AFL-listed clubs in a shared competition as soon as possible.
Fremantle, who support the Peel Thunder, a cherished WAFL team, stands out among the four clubs that have not yet joined the VFL because they have maintained a lower profile on
“Massive story”: Fuse ignites the drama in the AFL reserves as the club schemes to abandon a 155-year hole.
With ongoing plans to leave the SANFL competition they have been a part of for 155 years, the Port Adelaide Football Club will once again take the lead in attempting to achieve “equalization” for their reserves side.
The Adelaide Crows, a rival team, and the West Coast of Western Australia have publicly supported the trio, and they, possibly Fremantle as well, appear ready to join the other 14 AFL-listed clubs in a shared competition as soon as possible.
Fremantle, who support the Peel Thunder, a cherished WAFL team, stands out among the four clubs that have not yet joined the VFL because they have maintained a lower profile on
Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Jay Clark of the Herald Sun provided insight into the minds of Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
“They feel like they’re at a developmental disadvantage having to play in a lesser competition than the VFL,” Clark said, without intending to be disrespectful.
The clubs in question have indicated that they would prefer to leave the current VFL format and enter a new national reserves competition. If that isn’t feasible by the beginning of 2025, Port Adelaide will still try to get out of the SANFL as soon as possible.
“They’d like to compete in a national secondary tournament. they wouldgo from the SANFL to this major national second-tier competition; or if that doesn’t work out for them, they would
“It’s a massive story in South Australia, and a lot of history involved.”
The Adelaide Crows’ SANFL side joined the South Australian competition in 2014, and has only been in existence for a tick over 10 years with little history.
Port Adelaide however have won a record 36 premierships since their inception in 1870, and would leave behind a very strong presence in the league – should they choose to split from SANFL side the Port Adelaide Magpies.
Port CEO Matthew Richardson spoke strongly on the issue last November when questioned.
“It’s been an ongoing conversation over the last couple of years (with the AFL) around equalisation, including second-tier,” Richardson said.
“There are so many equalisation measures already around the competition; we’ve got 14 teams playing in one structure, and four teams playing in different structures.
“So what we’re saying to the AFL is, part of their review of all the equalisation measures across the competition, in order to create a competition that’s as even as it possibly can – with all the inequities, second-tier has to be part of that.”
Jay Clark expanded on the philosophy shared by Richardson, the Crows and Eagles on Midweek Tackle.
“In the VFL, you’ve got 14 aligned sides playing in there, so a bigger spread of talent.
“They (in the SANFL and WAFL) have some scheduling issues; they’ve got some restrictions on who they can play, so they want to be in a national second-tier competition.
“I think Port Adelaide and Adelaide are really right in saying they want their players to have the same exposure, and play at the best level they can with all the other (AFL) clubs,”
Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger highlighted the rule changes that come from playing in different state leagues, that he believes can hinder the preparation of players going from the SANFL to the AFL.
“Players in the SANFL, they go back and they’ve got last touch out of bounds – is that a problem?” Landsberger added on Midweek Tackle.
The VFL competition most recently expanded beyond Victorian borders in 2021, with the inclusion of reserves teams from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and GWS.
Gold Coast’s reserve side are the current reigning premiers, and are the first interstate team to win a flag under the current VFL model.
