Autopsy Did the SANFL grow too large?

[GremioPower]

For a 6+2 league, one way would be merging:
a) Glenelg and South;
b) North and West;

So, the 8 teams would be:
Magpies
Crows
---
Central
Norwood
Sturt
WWT
North-West Adelaide
- (NW Bloody Roosters)
Glenelg-South Adelaide
- (GSA Cats)

Since I am at it...

The Bloody Roosters would be red-black-white (but no guernsey like St. Kilda!), and the Cats would be yellow and navy — perhaps with a guernsey after Boca and Everton (Chile):

 

[NoddyHolder]

PAFC and Crows are practically neighbours!

West Lakes was originally mangrove marshes that the Port river drained into, and in the early days of Adelaide settlement was called Port Adelaide South. The area was reclaimed and drained in the late 60s/early 70s and the new suburb of West Lakes was created. The sanfl built Football Park and moved there, away from Adelaide Oval (because cricket were screwing them over money).
The crows are based at West Lakes because they are the bastard child of the sanfl - so as they are really living in Port Adelaide South unfortunately they are our neighbours.

 

[Grave Danger]

West Lakes was originally mangrove marshes that the Port river drained into, and in the early days of Adelaide settlement was called Port Adelaide South. The area was reclaimed and drained in the late 60s/early 70s and the new suburb of West Lakes was created. The sanfl built Football Park and moved there, away from Adelaide Oval (because cricket were screwing them over money).
The crows are based at West Lakes because they are the bastard child of the sanfl - so as they are really living in Port Adelaide South unfortunately they are our neighbours.

Perhaps West Lakes should be renamed Golden Pond.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I've found this map:

I hope it helps me following the conversation...

Where are the SANFL clubs (including AFC) located?

This was the new zones after Port lost theirs before the 2014 season when the full reunification occured. A lot of the olive green was Port's old zone, probably up to just below where the word Woodville-West Torrens is.

This article on the Football Almanac site is written by a guy whose uncle was an academic from Adelaide Uni who helped draw up the 1996 boundaries and then the 2014 boundaries.
http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/boun...and-the-science-of-football-recruiting-zones/

 

[Smithy7]

West Lakes was originally mangrove marshes that the Port river drained into, and in the early days of Adelaide settlement was called Port Adelaide South. The area was reclaimed and drained in the late 60s/early 70s and the new suburb of West Lakes was created. The sanfl built Football Park and moved there, away from Adelaide Oval (because cricket were screwing them over money).
The crows are based at West Lakes because they are the bastard child of the sanfl - so as they are really living in Port Adelaide South unfortunately they are our neighbours.

That area of the Port River was good, at low tide, to dig and get worms for fishing. Bloody SANFL stuffed up my worm digging area. Stuff them ..

 

[GremioPower]

That area of the Port River was good, at low tide, to dig and get worms for fishing. Bloody SANFL stuffed up my worm digging area. Stuff them ..

Camry Worms

 

[Stryke]

My Son will have to play for Sturt. FML.

Might steer him towards golf.

 

[GremioPower]

My Son will have to play for Sturt. FML.

Might steer him towards golf.

Port should invest in real estate. There should be small apartments for rent. Parents would be able to move their kids into the club's zone (if Port still has a zone, that is).

--

By the way, if Port has no zone, how can the club recruit players for its junior sides and academy?

 

[GremioPower]

This was the new zones after Port lost theirs before the 2014 season when the full reunification occured. A lot of the olive green was Port's old zone, probably up to just below where the word Woodville-West Torrens is.

This article on the Football Almanac site is written by a guy whose uncle was an academic from Adelaide Uni who helped draw up the 1996 boundaries and then the 2014 boundaries.
http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/boun...and-the-science-of-football-recruiting-zones/

Looking at this, would make more sense merging North with Norwood ("Red Roosters"), Glenelg with West ("Bloody Tigers")?

I've suggested North-West and Glenelg-South above.

 

[GremioPower]

West Lakes was originally mangrove marshes that the Port river drained into, and in the early days of Adelaide settlement was called Port Adelaide South. The area was reclaimed and drained in the late 60s/early 70s and the new suburb of West Lakes was created. The sanfl built Football Park and moved there, away from Adelaide Oval (because cricket were screwing them over money).
The crows are based at West Lakes because they are the bastard child of the sanfl - so as they are really living in Port Adelaide South unfortunately they are our neighbours.

I am convinced they are the "SANFL Crows."

That would make us to be, simultaneously, both part of SANFL (Magpies) and its rival (Power). It is unsustainable!

 

[Coobk001]

Looking at this, would make more sense merging North with Norwood ("Red Roosters"), Glenelg with West ("Bloody Tigers")?

I've suggested North-West and Glenelg-South above.

REHs picture isn't really their geographical locations as clubs, its their allocated recruitment zones and they skew a bit from what their original heartlands, which is what the original point was in our convo.

Ultimately if you were building from scratch (knowing how the metro area would evolve) there's probably 2 teams on the east including the hills, 1 team up north, port, glenelg and 1 other western team (instead of the 3 that t one stage existed), there's a definite need for a southern team and then theres probably a need for one central city team if not 2 like there is with Sturt and North.

 

[GremioPower]

REHs picture isn't really their geographical locations as clubs, its their allocated recruitment zones and they skew a bit from what their original heartlands, which is what the original point was in our convo.

Ultimately if you were building from scratch (knowing how the metro area would evolve) there's probably 2 teams on the east including the hills, 1 team up north, port, glenelg and 1 other western team (instead of the 3 that t one stage existed), there's a definite need for a southern team and then theres probably a need for one central city team if not 2 like there is with Sturt and North.

I know zoning is your thing and all, but... I not only prefer competition, but zoning forces readjustment from time to time, and clubs need to seat and agree with each other; which complicate things a lot.

It's got a fair bit of adjusting to do. The north east goes further south and is further east than those lines but yes gives you an idea.

Sorry for the crap quality but this is about it.
View attachment 436482

Perhaps a middle ground would be (always with the 6+2 set-up in mind) three zones with 2 clubs each:

I) North/East: Central and Norwood;
II) North/West: WWT and NW;
III) South: GSA and Sturt;

or (considering the new zones):

I) Central and WWT;
II) Sturt and Norwood-North;
III) South and Glenelg-West.

Neither feels quite right to me, but I'm just throwing ideas out there...

 

[El_Scorcho]

Completely bulldoze the SANFL and start again along vaguely federal electorate lines.

There are 8 metro electorates including Wakefield which extends out from Elizabeth to the outer north for 8 clubs. Perfect.

We know for sure that populations are about even.

Name the clubs something new and totally unrelated to existing SANFL clubs and salt the earth so that the SANFL in it's current form can never return.

 

[GremioPower]

Completely bulldoze the SANFL and start again along vaguely federal electorate lines.

There are 8 metro electorates including Wakefield which extends out from Elizabeth to the outer north for 8 clubs. Perfect.

We know for sure that populations are about even.

Name the clubs something new and totally unrelated to existing SANFL clubs and salt the earth so that the SANFL in it's current form can never return.

Just need other seven clubs willing to compete against the SANFL. ;-)

 

[70sDinosaur]

Looking at this, would make more sense merging North with Norwood ("Red Roosters"), Glenelg with West ("Bloody Tigers")?

I've suggested North-West and Glenelg-South above.

Actually, North-Norwood and Glenelg-West were merged during WW2 when there was a shortage of players, with many men in the armed forces.

The other mergers during that period were Port-Torrens and Sturt-South.

 

[dirty2]

My Son will have to play for Sturt. FML.

Might steer him towards golf.

I live in central territory... no not Elizabeth thank God... (no offence to Elizabeth supporting port people)

 

[GremioPower]

Actually, North-Norwood and Glenelg-West were merged during WW2 when there was a shortage of players, with many men in the armed forces.

The other mergers during that period were Port-Torrens and Sturt-South.

Great!

So, the SANFL could be: Magpies, Crows, Bulldogs, Double Blues, Eagles, Panthers, Red Roosters, and Bloody Tigers.

 

[mic59]

Great!

So, the SANFL could be: Magpies, Crows, Bulldogs, Double Blues, Eagles, Panthers, Red Roosters, and Bloody Tigers.

Do you want fries with that?

 

[powermacs]

Merge the SANFL and the amateurs. Have promotion and relegation. Then divide the state into 2 and enter 2 teams into the TAC cup. The elite kids will get to play in a better competition and have them run by the AFL clubs. We would double the amount of draftees coming out of SA if they were being coached by people who know what they’re doing.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Completely bulldoze the SANFL and start again along vaguely federal electorate lines.

There are 8 metro electorates including Wakefield which extends out from Elizabeth to the outer north for 8 clubs. Perfect.

We know for sure that populations are about even.

Name the clubs something new and totally unrelated to existing SANFL clubs and salt the earth so that the SANFL in it's current form can never return.

It is based on electoral boundaries - state electorates. Zoning was introduced in 1897 and called the electoral system. That's why it was called the electoral system when zoning was introduced. And no it shouldn't be based on federal boundaries but state boundaries, because the federal boundaries will become screwed as they are reduced by 1 every decade given current population growth and the need to keep the house of reps at approx double the size of the senate.

 

[raptalia]

I think the admission of Woodville was a mistake. What really should have happened was an amalgamation of two clubs and the admission of Centrals to keep the number down to 8 clubs. When you look at it Woodville was sandwiched between Port, West Adelaide and West Torrens which drained the talent in the west. In the early 1960's amalgamation was a dirty word but as we know it happened anyway. In retrospect had Westies and Torrens amalgamated the competition would have been stronger. Centrals had a growing area and did not impact as much. At the same time that Centrals was admitted South Adelaide should have been moved further South. As it was they relocated from Adelaide Oval to Pym St St Mary's but as history shows that was not far enough south.

Maybe it is conspiracy theory but I often think that the decision to admit Woodville was an attempt to curb Port adelaide's dominance. Had Woodville not been admitted there is a good chance the Malcolm Blight, who was a Port supporter in his youth, would have played for Port.

It isn't simply a question of the size of the SANFL competition. Australian Rules has taken a hit across the board in the last 40 years. When I played in the SAAFL the Port Adelaide area had around six or seven clubs and all but Semaphore Park and Ethelton played regularly in A1. Over the years the participation rate has dropped away as kids are more interested in playing on the X Box than kicking a football. When I started teaching 35 years ago most of the kids played some competitive sport and the schools in which I taught all had sports teams. A lot of that has disappeared and it is really only the elite private schools that have sporting teams.

 

[Papa G]

It' no conspiracy theory, Woodville were intrduced with the sole purpose of trying to curb Ports dominance.

 

[SgtSchulz]

Actually, North-Norwood and Glenelg-West were merged during WW2 when there was a shortage of players, with many men in the armed forces.

The other mergers during that period were Port-Torrens and Sturt-South.

The thing about a Port-Torrens merger is that the latter party was just a splinter of reserves players of the former. So really it's more of a reunification.

Imagine that. Not being good enough to crack the ones that instead of knuckling down and improving yourself you go and start your own club so you don't have to compete for spots. Summises WWT pretty well tbh.

 

[Prison bar Pete]

I've found this map:

I hope it helps me following the conversation...

Where are the SANFL clubs (including AFC) located?

As an old Brighton boy I like that we're given superiority over Glenelg on this map!

 

[GremioPower]

As an old Brighton boy I like that we're given superiority over Glenelg on this map!

Alledgedly, those would be Adelaide's local-government areas.