What happens to the State Leagues with the return of the Reserves?

[fumbler]

With the rumoured return of the AFL Reserves I think it's a great idea and never fully understood why it was halted in the first place.
The unevenness of the current setup for the AFL non Victorian sides was huge and was unfair for them to be playing in State competitions with sides that were in place only to help themselves and not their AFL counterparts.
I also on the other hand feel for clubs that may fall by the wayside without the backing of their AFL suitors and we could see some of the State Leagues collapse if the AFL and their clubs pull out of the State Leagues altogether.
My main concerns are WAFL and Peel, NEAFL losing four sides from eleven and the VFL. How can the VFA (VFL) survive if the only clubs left are Williamstown, Werribee, Coburg, Frankston, Zebras and maybe the Mustangs, Bullants and Scorpians return to their true selves.
Do they start with an eight team comp or do the AFL Victoria look at promoting some of the suburban clubs to a newly formed VFL?


Please do not call the AFL Reserves, AFL Development League.


So far if the Reserves comes back you would have. (opinion)

NEAFL - dies
AFLC - Canberra (Eastlake). 1 from former NEAFL plus, Ainslie, Belconnen, Gungahlin, Queanbeyan, Tuggeranong. 5 = 6
AFLN - Sydney Uni. 1 former NEAFL plus Camden, EC Eagles, Manly, North Shore, Pennant Hills, St George, UNSW, UTS, Wests. 9 = 10
AFLQ - Aspley, Redland, Southport. 3 from former NEAFL plus Broadbeach, Labrador, Morningside, Mt Gravatt, PB Currumbin, Sandgate, Surfers Paradise, Wests, Wilston Grange. 9 = 12
SANFL - Centrals, Glenelg, North Ade, Norwood, South Ade, Sturt, West Ade, Woodville-West Torrens. 8 plus if Port want a SANFL presence 1, plus add NT Thunder from the former NEAFL 1 = possibly 10
VFL -
Frankston, Coburg, Port Melbourne, Werribee, Williamstown. 5 plus Box Hill, Casey, Sandringham. 3 = 8
WAFL - Claremont, East Freo, Perth, South Freo, Subiaco, Swans, West Perth. 7 plus if Peel and East Perth can survive 2 = 9

While i'm at it fix the Tasmania League and do a total revamp.
0 points - players from the clubs juniors.
1 point - players from lower leagues or associations outside of 50 kilometres, or AFL listed player who was in the clubs juniors.
2 points- players from leagues out of state.
3 points - players signed from other state leagues.
4 points - On an AFL list 4 seasons or more, except if they were on the clubs junior list previously.
5 points - players who come from within 50 kilometres.
6 points - players signed from other clubs in the same league.
7 points - players signed who have been on an AFL list within 3 seasons, except if they were on the clubs junior list previously.
8 points - for players under 30 and played at more than 4 or more previous clubs.
9 points - for players on loan or are only flying in for a a maximum of 6 games.
10 points - for players under 25 who have played at 4 or more previous clubs

One team clubs can only have 45 points or less.
Two team clubs can have 100 points or less.

 

[Power Raid]

I have sympathies for all leagues other than the SANFL

that dog can die

 

[fumbler]

I have sympathies for all leagues other than the SANFL

that dog can die

It will be interesting to see if Port keeps a SANFL side as well as an AFL Reserves side.

 

[baaaall!]

You’d collapse the NEAFL and allow the QAFL and NSWFL (or whatever it’s called) to thrive. VFL, SANFL and WAFL would go back to their traditional clubs and you could even return the ‘Foxtel Cup’ in which the top clubs from each state league played off in a mini tournament each year.

 

[NoobPie]

With the rumoured return of the AFL Reserves I think it's a great idea and never fully understood why it was halted in the first place.
The unevenness of the current setup for the AFL non Victorian sides was huge and was unfair for them to be playing in State competitions with sides that were in place only to help themselves and not their AFL counterparts.
I also on the other hand feel for clubs that may fall by the wayside without the backing of their AFL suitors and we could see some of the State Leagues collapse if the AFL and their clubs pull out of the State Leagues altogether.
My main concerns are WAFL and Peel, NEAFL losing four sides from eleven and the VFL. How can the VFA (VFL) survive if the only clubs left are Williamstown, Werribee, Coburg, Frankston, Zebras and maybe the Mustangs, Bullants and Scorpians return to their true selves.
Do they start with an eight team comp or do the AFL Victoria look at promoting some of the suburban clubs to a newly formed VFL?


Please do not call the AFL Reserves, AFL Development League.

I think it could strengthen the state leagues if done properly.

You would potentially dissolve the NEAFL as I'm pretty sure a key point of it was to provide a the norther clubs with are decent standard for their reserve teams

 

[chiwigi]

Who gives a shit, they have tried to bring us down for a hundred years. Let them die!

 

[Pykie]

With the rumoured return of the AFL Reserves I think it's a great idea and never fully understood why it was halted in the first place.
The unevenness of the current setup for the AFL non Victorian sides was huge and was unfair for them to be playing in State competitions with sides that were in place only to help themselves and not their AFL counterparts.
I also on the other hand feel for clubs that may fall by the wayside without the backing of their AFL suitors and we could see some of the State Leagues collapse if the AFL and their clubs pull out of the State Leagues altogether.
My main concerns are WAFL and Peel, NEAFL losing four sides from eleven and the VFL. How can the VFA (VFL) survive if the only clubs left are Williamstown, Werribee, Coburg, Frankston, Zebras and maybe the Mustangs, Bullants and Scorpians return to their true selves.
Do they start with an eight team comp or do the AFL Victoria look at promoting some of the suburban clubs to a newly formed VFL?


Please do not call the AFL Reserves, AFL Development League.

The VFA will reform..

I'd like to see a 2 division league..

I imagine clubs like Balwyn, Noble Park, Deer Park etc will be invited into a reformed top suburban league.

I can't see them getting any VAFA clubs, but there would be some decent teams like Frankston YCW (To form a local derby with the dolphins), Aberfeldie, Vermont, Bundoora etc that may even form a second division of the VFA.

As you said, Box Hill, Preston and Springvale to all reincarnate.

 

[Peel67skin]

Look like AFLX league than the normal reserve league .AFL never stop trying .

 

[LeverPuller]

You’d collapse the NEAFL and allow the QAFL and NSWFL (or whatever it’s called) to thrive. VFL, SANFL and WAFL would go back to their traditional clubs and you could even return the ‘Foxtel Cup’ in which the top clubs from each state league played off in a mini tournament each year.

The big one is what happens to the Thunder in that case.

There's also issues around what happens to the club agreements for linked sides. Box Hill and Casey have long-standing linkage agreements. Melbourne are in a 30-year arrangement with the City of Casey. I don't know if the VFL will survive as a result - seven of the 14 sides will be in strife. And if that happens, what happens to Port/Willy/Coburg/Frankston (who just fought to get back in!) who are standalones?

 

[Minka Beaver]

The VFA (re-badged as the VFL in 1996) was dead and buried, with only a few clubs not in dreadful financial straits. Creating affiliated teams was a better pooling of resources and reduced traffic on the AFL's Victorian venues.

A well-administered Victorian state league could re-emerge, as long as there was a properly policed salary cap and increased transfer fees for players drafted from state league clubs into the AFL.

It's good to see Port Adelaide fans letting bygones be bygones too.

 

[chiwigi]

It will be interesting to see if Port keeps a SANFL side as well as an AFL Reserves side.

Bloody hope not!

This is the opportunity to finally be rid of them.

 

[Great8]

Can’t wait for them to be out of the SANFL. This should of happened years ago, beneficial to all parties.

 

[Power Raid]

It will be interesting to see if Port keeps a SANFL side as well as an AFL Reserves side.

We should have given up on the SANFL 20 years ago

 

[fumbler]

The VFA will reform..

I'd like to see a 2 division league..

I imagine clubs like Balwyn, Noble Park, Deer Park etc will be invited into a reformed top suburban league.

I can't see them getting any VAFA clubs, but there would be some decent teams like Frankston YCW (To form a local derby with the dolphins), Aberfeldie, Vermont, Bundoora etc that may even form a second division of the VFA.

As you said, Box Hill, Preston and Springvale to all reincarnate.

I like some of your ideas, a two tier VFL would be a great way to invigorate the local level game.
Bring salary caps down in the suburban game would help to allow VFL clubs to attract better players.

The VFA (re-badged as the VFL in 1996) was dead and buried, with only a few clubs not in dreadful financial straits. Creating affiliated teams was a better pooling of resources and reduced traffic on the AFL's Victorian venues.

A well-administered Victorian state league could re-emerge, as long as there was a properly policed salary cap and increased transfer fees for players drafted from state league clubs into the AFL.

It's good to see Port Adelaide fans letting bygones be bygones too.

Agree with salary cap.

 

[The_Reaper]

The big one is what happens to the Thunder in that case.

There's also issues around what happens to the club agreements for linked sides. Box Hill and Casey have long-standing linkage agreements. Melbourne are in a 30-year arrangement with the City of Casey. I don't know if the VFL will survive as a result - seven of the 14 sides will be in strife. And if that happens, what happens to Port/Willy/Coburg/Frankston (who just fought to get back in!) who are standalones?

Thunder can go to the QAFL where they originally started.

 

[Noooch]

I'd like to see the VFL actually become a proper state wide competition. The furthest out from Melbourne I think it currently goes is North Ballarat. Please correct me if I am wrong. So there isn't much coverage for the country towns.

I'd like to see towns like Ballarat, Bendigo, Wangaratta ect.. all have sides among some of the urban sides like Frankston and Williamstown. Having an entire country town behind their team in a state wide competition would be great. I know Essendon used to be the Bendigo Bombers but split a while ago to play at Windy Hill, not sure if there were other teams that far out.

Then your second division would be the regional competitions. So teams like Ballarat could pick up anyone from their regional teams to play in the firsts against other towns/cities.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The VFL would fold. Any surviving clubs would go to suburban leagues.

Whether some sort of restructure of the Melbourne leagues with a top “VFA” division could happen later would depend on the will to do it.

 

[LeverPuller]

The VFL would fold. Any surviving clubs would go to suburban leagues.

Whether some sort of restructure of the Melbourne leagues with a top “VFA” division could happen later would depend on the will to do it.

There's definitely the will. Port Melbourne and Willy would instantly become superpowers at the local level - remember that neither of them have competed at a level below the VFA/VFL in decades.

What I suspect will happen is you will see a smaller VFL survive with capacity to expand. Some AFL teams will opt to field a thirds side through the VFL, others will simply operate two. Given the rise of the academies it's actually in the interests of the clubs to field a thirds side which might be able to host some of their super-talented academy kids.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

There's definitely the will. Port Melbourne and Willy would instantly become superpowers at the local level - remember that neither of them have competed at a level below the VFA/VFL in decades.

What I suspect will happen is you will see a smaller VFL survive with capacity to expand. Some AFL teams will opt to field a thirds side through the VFL, others will simply operate two. Given the rise of the academies it's actually in the interests of the clubs to field a thirds side which might be able to host some of their super-talented academy kids.

Maybe, maybe not. Leagues would be subject to a points system / salary cap as they currently are. They wouldn’t necessarily be superpowers.

Outside of Port they have little in the way of supporter bases and they long ago abandoned any pretence of connection to their suburbs. They’d have to reestablish that but there’s a lot of strong local clubs who have filled that local breach for many years now.

 

[fumbler]

Thunder can go to the QAFL where they originally started.

The AFL's takeover of all leagues has been awe inspiring to any up and coming militant group wanting domination over something smaller with less money.

The way the AFL has ripped the shit out of the lower levels of Aussie Rules in Canberra, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Tassie, and a few of the country eras is reprehensible.
Clubs that were older than the league itself were basically just left to die while the league pumped millions and millions into two clubs no one gave a shit about.

 

[Colonial]

The AFL's takeover of all leagues has been awe inspiring to any up and coming militant group wanting domination over something smaller with less money.

The way the AFL has ripped the shit out of the lower levels of Aussie Rules in Canberra, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Tassie, and a few of the country eras is reprehensible.
Clubs that were older than the league itself were basically just left to die while the league pumped millions and millions into two clubs no one gave a shit about.

You mean the grass roots of 2 states traditionalists dont give a shit about.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Scotland]

Is there really going to be a legitimate reserves comp?

The last time there was a reserves comp it was still just the VFL reserves. If some Melbourne team was playing against us in Perth then their reserves side had to find someone else to play.

Teams flying two full squads around the country seems a bit OTT.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I'd like to see the VFL actually become a proper state wide competition. The furthest out from Melbourne I think it currently goes is North Ballarat. Please correct me if I am wrong. So there isn't much coverage for the country towns.

I'd like to see towns like Ballarat, Bendigo, Wangaratta ect.. all have sides among some of the urban sides like Frankston and Williamstown. Having an entire country town behind their team in a state wide competition would be great. I know Essendon used to be the Bendigo Bombers but split a while ago to play at Windy Hill, not sure if there were other teams that far out.

Then your second division would be the regional competitions. So teams like Ballarat could pick up anyone from their regional teams to play in the firsts against other towns/cities.

Over many years there’s been Geelong West, Bendigo, Traralgon, North Ballarat. All have either folded or pulled out fairly quickly. Even Frankston went into recess.

All these areas have strong football competitions and there’s zero hunger for clubs to travel to Melbourne. It’s been tried multiple times and failed.

A Melbourne-wide competition is lacking, but there’d need to be significant drive for it to happen from all clubs, with appropriate promotion, relegation etc.

 

[footyfan1978]

With the rumoured return of the AFL Reserves I think it's a great idea and never fully understood why it was halted in the first place.
on the other hand feel for clubs that may fall by the wayside without the backing of their AFL suitors and we could see some of the State Leagues collapse if the AFL and their clubs pull out of the State Leagues altogether.

The state leagues were all dead in terms of meaning once the VFL expanded to all the main states and so all the best players from each state in the one main league. However, I feel for the clubs with so much history and heritage of our game. Clubs like Port Melbourne, Williamstown, Norwood, Glenelg and the traditional WAFL clubs need to be looked after but the solution for mine is to re-purpose their function as a club. With the AFL taking nearly all the talent these clubs are left with nothing in essence. However if we turn these leagues that once were strong senior grade state leagues into under 21 leagues and these clubs get all the best 16 to 20 year olds for each state not in AFL clubs then it gives them all a meaning and purpose to be the best club to develop the teenagers for each state and also the ones not drafted play on until the get beyond 21 years of age. So make these State Youth Leagues with 8 to 10 clubs each state. This would replace the TAC Cup and hand over the best teenagers to be developed by the clubs such as Port Melbourne, Williamstown, Sandringham, Frankston, Coburg, Nowood, East Perth etc etc.

There would be a real sense of pride when their best youngsters get drafted and also pride in the ones that did not get drafted at 18 stayed on at same club and possibly get drafted when they 20 and 21 if they mature slower. So these clubs would be running with teenagers from 16 up to 21 year olds. When you are 22 it is time to move on to suburban or country leagues or for those still hoping to get into AFL system they can be considered for top up players for reserves of AFL clubs.


So scrap the under 18's and expand to under 21's and hand over the running of these kids to these clubs with such rich history for over 100 years. Some of the current TAC Cups may stay on into it if a youth league wants to be a 10 club league rather than 8. Calder Cannons for example may continue and end up playing the clubs such as Port Melbourne and Williamstown.

Maybe the Victorian Youth State League would be something like

Port Melbourne
Williamstown
Sandringham
Frankston Dolphins
Calder Cannons
Geelong Falcons
Preston Bullants
Box Hill Mustangs
Coburg Lions
Casey Scorpions

and a few struggling clubs like Werribee, North Ballarat and Preston join local suburban leagues

In other states maybe 8 clubs each youth league. I think it makes the most sense in this century and keeps clubs with great history in our game and whole new meaning and purpose for this century.

 

[damochandler]

The big one is what happens to the Thunder in that case.

There's also issues around what happens to the club agreements for linked sides. Box Hill and Casey have long-standing linkage agreements. Melbourne are in a 30-year arrangement with the City of Casey. I don't know if the VFL will survive as a result - seven of the 14 sides will be in strife. And if that happens, what happens to Port/Willy/Coburg/Frankston (who just fought to get back in!) who are standalones?

Thunder will go to the sanfl I reckon. That’s what their original plan was

As for the neafl only 1 local club has won a premiership in its 6 year history. The local clubs are sick of being used as pawns and nearly everyone wants out.