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Get the fans in earlier to spend more om food and drinkAt this point, it just seems to make sense to have a reserves side for every AFL team that plays a curtain raiser to the league game. Try and encourage spectators to arrive earlier.
Allow the VFL to be its own standalone comp, where the stand alone teams don’t have to fly interstate to play the Swans and Lions etc.
Let the WAFL and SANFL not have the problems of trying to fit the Eagles and Crows etc in.
At this point, it just seems to make sense to have a reserves side for every AFL team that plays a curtain raiser to the league game. Try and encourage spectators to arrive earlier.
Allow the VFL to be its own standalone comp, where the stand alone teams don’t have to fly interstate to play the Swans and Lions etc.
Let the WAFL and SANFL not have the problems of trying to fit the Eagles and Crows etc in.
Although, currently any curtain raiders are sporadic. They aren’t before every game. So they put them early enough that AFL teams get a consistent warm up on the field as when there is no curtain raiser.Even when they have curtain raisers which is rare these days as they have to look after the ground surfaces the curtain raiser finishes nearly and hour to and hour and a half before the main game.
It won't ever be like it was with Reserves in the 80's.
Although, currently any curtain raiders are sporadic. They aren’t before every game. So they put them early enough that AFL teams get a consistent warm up on the field as when there is no curtain raiser.
If there is a reserves team for every club, the warm up can be consistent at a shorter time for every week, and the league teams can just adjust for the whole season, rather than on a sporadic basis.
Just play on the state league suburban grounds- whenever the local team plays away, the reserves game is on their ground that week.The grounds won't allow for these games mate, doubling the amount of games on these grounds will cause issues for the AFL potentially being liable to injuries as the grounds will get chewed up.
If a national reserves comp happens they will almost certainly be played at other grounds and on other days most of the time.
AFL national reserves bombshell nears as Port Adelaide ‘officially applies’ to join VFL
AFL national reserves bombshell nears as Port Adelaide ‘officially applies’ to join VFLwww.foxsports.com.au
I have never understood why there isn't a national reserves competition anyway.
Play a full AFLW season at the same time too.
Follow the same fixture as the seniors and then play all three games on the one day (just like the old days).
10:00am - AFLW
12:00noon - AFL Reserves
2:00pm - AFL Seniors
I think it would be awesome, like the old days.
Just not sure about costs...Travel etc.
Ah yes! The old days when on a wet day after U19s and ressies the ground is a muddy heap for the seniors game. Please no.I think it would be awesome, like the old days.
Just not sure about costs...Travel etc.
Suns would actually reduce cost by flying both AFL and VFL reserve on the same plane, sharing hotel. Curtain raisers happen already. Like this weekend.I think it would be awesome, like the old days.
Just not sure about costs...Travel etc.
This topic needs to be an ongoing discussion. Getting Tassie up and running and a reserves comp needs to be priority by the AFL. The crows and Power reserves are hanging on by a thread in the SANFL and clearly dont want to play in that comp. The VFL format is a disgrace. Its time the state league comps get a bit of credibility back and be stand alone comps with stand alone teams. The is more than enough cash in the game/AFL to fund a National reserves comp. It will be better for player development and something great for the fans too. the good old curtain raiser. all games to fall in line with the AFL games.. finals included.
I think it's ridiculously silly to get the four western teams to fly dozens of players and support staff for the eastern states, when the matches themselves don't have any attendance whatsoever to cover costs, when there's already an appropriate level of talent in the home cities that don't involve someone paying for flights. Just because the cash exists doesn't meant that there's better ways of spendin git.This topic needs to be an ongoing discussion. Getting Tassie up and running and a reserves comp needs to be priority by the AFL. The crows and Power reserves are hanging on by a thread in the SANFL and clearly dont want to play in that comp. The VFL format is a disgrace. Its time the state league comps get a bit of credibility back and be stand alone comps with stand alone teams. The is more than enough cash in the game/AFL to fund a National reserves comp. It will be better for player development and something great for the fans too. the good old curtain raiser. all games to fall in line with the AFL games.. finals included.
I think it's ridiculously silly to get the four western teams to fly dozens of players and support staff for the eastern states, when the matches themselves don't have any attendance whatsoever to cover costs, when there's already an appropriate level of talent in the home cities that don't involve someone paying for flights. Just because the cash exists doesn't meant that there's better ways of spendin git.
The AFL should absolutely flex its arms more to the WAFL/SANFL, such as the extent those teams are allowed to recruit and pay top-up players to field competitive teams, are fixtured to a normal amount of games and don't randomly get extra byes or whatever, and play under identical rules to the AFL, though. I don't understand why the AFL doesn't already do it.
I may be entirely wrong on this but isn't there difficulties in recruiting players because of the Colts/U19/Reserves/Seniors zoning system that young players graduate to in those two states, and West Coast/Adelaide have difficulties recruiting top-up players (even ones that would be guaranteed to get a game every week even if every West Coast player was fit, let alone the difficulties in not having a WAFL reserves team to drop down to if West Coast had a lot of fit AFL listed players), because of zoning and transfer rules etc?The Eagles this year used only 65% of their allotted recruiting points. Not the WAFL's fault the Eagles didn't recruit.
Peel seem to have little issue working with Freo. Eagles have issues no matter what system. Maybe they need to look within and admit they are the problem.
I may be entirely wrong on this but isn't there difficulties in recruiting players because of the Colts/U19/Reserves/Seniors zoning system that young players graduate to in those two states, and West Coast/Adelaide have difficulties recruiting top-up players (even ones that would be guaranteed to get a game every week even if every West Coast player was fit, let alone the difficulties in not having a WAFL reserves team to drop down to if West Coast had a lot of fit AFL listed players), because of zoning and transfer rules etc?
You're more a Perth fan than a West Coast one going by your profile so of course you're going to take issue with a West Coast team, which is not a historic WAFL team, taking away from the zones and competitiveness of the history of WAFL teams.
WAFL: Eagles granted improved recruiting, TPP allowances
The WAFL Eagles will have an increased player payment allowance and improved recruiting conditions from 2024www.westcoasteagles.com.au
Such was West Coast's uncompetitive 2023 WAFL season among the quality of their top-up players but they still have significant restrictions that prevent (e.g.) the signing of ex-AFL listed players who may have mad a meaningful AFL career. Compare to the Dogs VFL team this year that was able to recruit Trent Bianco (23 senior games across 4 years) that wouldn't be allowed to be recruited.
Peel don't have the issue because they've worked out a compromise with Fremantle obviously that they get the best of both worlds - they can recruit players in the Peel geographic area and build them up through the system, but also play every one of their AFL-listed players in a way on the field that is the positions they would play in the AFL team and would help develop them under the interests of the Fremantle team.
They've also had difficulties recruiting players because of regulations that prevent them to do so, as with the above link - merely pointing out the points you highlight doesn't consider the other restrictions.I am all in on it being fair so don't give me the WAFL club support mantra. The Eagles have difficulty recruiting players because players who have just lost their AFL career don't want to play for them. They want to go back to their original WAFL club. They also don't want to play for the Eagles because their priority is not to win the WAFL premiership where as the WAFL clubs priority is.
They don't want to play for the Eagles because the Eagles are only their to develop their players, they couldn't care less about the top ups and therefor it's not an attractive place to play.
The Eagles have had their players farmed out to all WAFL clubs, won two AFL flags doing so but ended up not happy.
They have had 3 alignments and each and every one of them the WAFL clubs have said see you later.
Now they have a stand alone club in the WAFL and again still not happy even after many concessions provided to them.
The bottom line with all of this is finding players who want to play for them as top ups. It's not easy to do that. I am not sure how that can be fixed other than an open cheque book and if that happens then the WAFL clubs will of course not be happy with that.
How about just using up your allocation and recruit from the East or other places and see how that goes first.
They've also had difficulties recruiting players because of regulations that prevent them to do so, as with the above link - merely pointing out the points you highlight doesn't consider the other restrictions.
The Eagles don't want their players farmed out to other WAFL clubs or even an alignement where they don't have strong control because it limits their control over the development of these players, such as choosing the position they play on the field. That should be self-evident. Fremantle have far greater control with their listed players and their development and Peel, and they can do that, because Peel is a weaker WAFL club than the others in the power balance with an AFL club.
I don't think it's wrong for the AFL to step in and say, the WAFL exists, not only for a premier to be decided among West Australian teams, but to also serve the interest of West Coast's AFL-listed players. They should say this because what's the alternative - either someone pays money to fly these players to the Eastern states to play in front of two men and a dog, or West Coast reserves counter-productively play in 20-goal losses (as has been the case with the quality of the top-up players). So the other WAFL clubs can whine all they want about an open "chequebook". they ultimately are financially stable by the fact that people pay money to attend West Coast AFL games in the state.
If West Coast keep harassing the AFL about the lack of development of their listed players not getting an AFL games, and to play in a national reserves competition, the AFL clearly could go to the WAFC, take money away from them to pay for the flights, because of the WAFC's inability to construct a system where listed players are playing alongside quality top up reasons, which they should have an obligation to do so.