Is the divide between SANFL and AFL a bridge too far?

[RossFC]

We can't even win the SANFL flag and the crows reserves can't even make finals.

I say no.

 

[Power Raid]

I know I quite often stir a few of you up stating the SANFL was only ever the "B " grade which always gets a bite but has the chasm between the 2 leagues now become that great that it is now not a lot better than the Great Southern league down Victor way?
Blokes like Mitchell.Young ,Moore and Ah Chee burn it up in the SANFL fully warranting a place in the AFL side. But when they get there the pace and pressure is far too quick for them.They are only spot fillers at best and soon find themselves back in the magoos where they are superstars once more.
Monfries who arguably has been quite pathetic this year in my opinion goes back and dominates like Russell Ebert no doubt earning a recall next week where no doubt he might play serviceable at best.
Obviously there is not a lot we can do about it unless we play in the actual VFL one day but I personally don't think our seconds are getting the development they need in the SANFL.
Perhaps this is just one reason amongst many why our season has faltered so badly in the big league this year? I know a few of you will come out and say the SANFL is the best second tier league etc .Didn't WA beat them this year? It is more of a third tier league nowadays.
I guess we are still in a better position than the God Coast and Brisbanes seconds in the Qld league.They are really up against it.

The SANFL probably needs to be reduced to 8 sides to raise the standard or Port should join the VFL. Port Melbourne anyone?

I'm not sure what purpose West Torrens and Gelenelg play in the competition. Would anyone notice they merged or folded?

 

[tribey]

The SANFL probably needs to be reduced to 8 sides to raise the standard or Port should join the VFL. Port Melbourne anyone?

I'm not sure what purpose West Torrens and Gelenelg play in the competition. Would anyone notice they merged or folded?

A few premierships and a cavalcade of AFL stars since the merger. They shit me to tears, but WWT are probably the most deserving after Norwood and Central to survive into the distant future.

 

[Us against the rest]

This is my post from yesterday in another thread.

When things were up in the air, about the Magpies becoming our reserve team in the SANfl, I had reservations. IMO our reserve team should play in the VFL. The SANFL standard has a bearing on the development of our players, Moore, Young, and so on. From what i can see, our reserve team also is inflicted with poor skills and average performances. The thing is when you have a side with a sprinkling of (so called) AFL players, it's easy to be fooled, when they beat the likes of South A and West A. Just my thoughts.

 

[Us against the rest]

I am glad other people can see what i see.

 

[Dalphonso]

The ******* rules are different, and that is annoying. Every interpretation is different. This is why we need an AFL ran reserves competition.

Is this because the SANFL are still that pig arsed stubborn that they don't want any advice from the AFL ?They will gladly take the AFL money though.
The AFL have taken over just about every major league and run it the way they wqant th not the good old SANFL though.If they had their way there would be no sides from SA playing in the AFL.

 

[Dalphonso]

This is my post from yesterday in another thread.

When things were up in the air, about the Magpies becoming our reserve team in the SANfl, I had reservations. IMO our reserve team should play in the VFL. The SANFL standard has a bearing on the development of our players, Moore, Young, and so on. From what i can see, our reserve team also is inflicted with poor skills and average performances. The thing is when you have a side with a sprinkling of (so called) AFL players, it's easy to be fooled, when they beat the likes of South A and West A. Just my thoughts.

They blitz the cellar dwellers but struggle against bigger bodied footballers at clubs like Norwood.Ours is a development side playing blokes that will smash you in sloppy conditions. No AFL player plays much in the slop and mud these days.

 

[ploppy]

its fine they get to get their confidence up and try new skills against the bottom teams and get really tested against norwood..id be worried if they were beating everyone easy but they look pretty evenly matched with most sides.

 

[Dalfino]

How good would an English Football style division system with multiple leagues using promotions and relegation's be in Aussie Rules Football.. imagine the Maggies and the Power playing in the same league

 

[simmo_bc]

Sooo not spuds then

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

many thanks for Jack Hombsch

 

[chiwigi]

I am glad other people can see what i see.

It's pretty irrelevant until we are given the choice.

 

[Power Raid]

One club 3 competitions?

 

[ab56452001]

They blitz the cellar dwellers but struggle against bigger bodied footballers at clubs like Norwood.Ours is a development side playing blokes that will smash you in sloppy conditions. No AFL player plays much in the slop and mud these days.

You write as if these AFL rookies came from nowhere , didn't play junior footy in the rain , played in Amateur/SA/WAfl leagues on waterlogged ovals , against grown blokes and so on , I think your making excuses for piss weak drafting.

 

[Us against the rest]

It's pretty irrelevant until we are given the choice.

That's the problem Port have never had choices.

 

[PA88]

I am glad other people can see what i see.

I see a team just a tad better with execution skills than its afl side and I see amateur teams executing their kicking with better efficiency than ours. We should be winning games comfortably in this league. The root of the problem is us. Probably if we were in an AFL reserves league we would be able to throw some money to better top up players as would the other teams and that way get a better competition but our issues grow from within our club at the moment..

 

[ab56452001]

While we are on the subject of recruiting/development , id like to know who our development recruiters are and what history/qualifications they have ?. Seems to me we've followed Brendan Phillips U18 style hook line and sinker , his type win the or do well in the national comp , but as they get older reletivley few of his lads make it , imho his teams seem to have an abundance of the skillfull ( when allowed ) HBF , outside receiver types , the Afl clubs must think the same because a year ago SA won the comp and only 4 from the team were rookied/drafted. , seems we have more than our share of those types at the PAFC.

 

[mic59]

Apart from the quality of play there are two things that will always mean excellence in the SANFL need not necessarily translate to the AFL. In the AFL one of the skills that is especially important is to handball out of a pack and this often means handballing onto the ground. Doing this on SANFL grounds is fraught with danger as not only are the grounds mudheaps but the ball is different. Also when passing in the AFL you sometimes need to put the ball in front of the player instead of onto their chest. They run onto the ball and eventually it bounces up for them. Again because of the ball and ground this may not work in the SANFL.

These things can be done at practice but as we all know there is nothing like match practice.

 

[RustyCage]

The SANFL probably needs to be reduced to 8 sides to raise the standard or Port should join the VFL. Port Melbourne anyone?

I'm not sure what purpose West Torrens and Gelenelg play in the competition. Would anyone notice they merged or folded?

A game clear on top of the league, undefeated in the reserves, and a game clear on top of the u18s, yeah I think people would notice if the Eagles weren't there.

 

[Golumless]

I know I quite often stir a few of you up stating the SANFL was only ever the "B " grade which always gets a bite but has the chasm between the 2 leagues now become that great that it is now not a lot better than the Great Southern league down Victor way?
Blokes like Mitchell.Young ,Moore and Ah Chee burn it up in the SANFL fully warranting a place in the AFL side. But when they get there the pace and pressure is far too quick for them.They are only spot fillers at best and soon find themselves back in the magoos where they are superstars once more.
Monfries who arguably has been quite pathetic this year in my opinion goes back and dominates like Russell Ebert no doubt earning a recall next week where no doubt he might play serviceable at best.
Obviously there is not a lot we can do about it unless we play in the actual VFL one day but I personally don't think our seconds are getting the development they need in the SANFL.
Perhaps this is just one reason amongst many why our season has faltered so badly in the big league this year? I know a few of you will come out and say the SANFL is the best second tier league etc .Didn't WA beat them this year? It is more of a third tier league nowadays.
I guess we are still in a better position than the God Coast and Brisbanes seconds in the Qld league.They are really up against it.

To weigh into this debate; i think you're looking at the wrong thing purely because every team that has a reserves side has the same issues in terms of playing bigger players that aren't up to AFL standard. In terms of development, arguably, the VFL would be worse due to having more reserve teams present.

Anyone that has been in an AFL system for 3 odd years should be dominating, especially, if they have an inside game (which most of the players you listed do have) due to the extra training they've had, recovery and so forth. The thing the reserve side should be doing teaching your players to play to your structure, and, helping fast track your young players that have a future in the AFL. If you're not getting that influx of young players through, then, your problem is more with the development/drafting side of things than the competition they are in.

You are dead right about one thing though; if there is any team that has the right to bitch about the quality of the competition their reserve side is in it's those 4

 

[TeeKray]

It's not ideal but if you're good enough you'll make the jump without too many problems. Another excuse really.

 

[JSA11]

There is a divide between the quality of our recruits and the quality of other teams recruits. The bulldogs showed that up to perfection

 

[1954]

I reckon the top VFL teams are probably 5-6 goals better than most snafl teams, so that comp is arguably the 2nd best in the nation now, and sa and wa are fighting for 3rd spot.

I would love to see a national reserve's comp, apart from the other positives it could be quite amusing to see how the snafl crowds would dwindle with no Port Adelaide presence.

 

[chiwigi]

A game clear on top of the league, undefeated in the reserves, and a game clear on top of the u18s, yeah I think people would notice if the Eagles weren't there.

Are they?

 

[El_Scorcho]

It's not as good as a genuine AFL reserves competition would be, but it does the job.

We as a club need to be aware of the differences between the leagues, though. There is a reason the likes of the Gowans and Chambers and Wundke dominate at SANFL level but would be useless at AFL level. A good SANFL player =/= a good AFL player, and vice versa.

 

[Dalphonso]

It's not ideal but if you're good enough you'll make the jump without too many problems. Another excuse really.

Probably .
We weren't questioning the difference last season when we were flying.