Champions League

McRooster · December 15, 2010, 09:43:36 PM

THE SANFL'S four bottom clubs have put their hand up to play in the proposed national champions league next year.
West Adelaide (6th), North Adelaide (7th), Port Adelaide (8th) and South Adelaide (9th) have formally notified the SANFL they will play in the knockout tournament if invited.
It really is only an AFL induced idea designed to give GWS a leg up to play some reasonably competitive matches and expose their sponsors to an Australian wide market.
AFL will fund the clubs who are invited re transfer costs but will not pay player match payments (payable by the respective clubs).

Who likes the model?

hawk_88 · December 15, 2010, 11:38:55 PM

I'm not sure that GWS is necessarily the reason. The AFL will be strengthened by having strong state level comps and the idea is that this is an on going thing. Also by entangling the different state leagues the idea will probably be to absorb them at some stage.

Obviously the AFL plans to make money, I don't mind that. Ultimately it will only make money from sponsorship if people watch it and they will only watch it if the product it good.

For me it is a win win. State clubs get greater exposure and therefore their sponsors get greater exposure. If it proves successful, clubs will fight to get into the league each year due to the exposure and pay day.

Wes Mantooth · December 16, 2010, 01:40:09 AM

i read something about the 'absorbing' somewhere... someone saying it'll be the beginning of the end of the state leagues, or something to that effect...

sorry that wasn't very helpful.

Justin Bieber · December 16, 2010, 02:34:00 AM

Haven't heard a thing about this. Might have to go look up for it during the day. Sounds interesting to say the least.

ossie85 · December 16, 2010, 07:38:40 AM

Clarence Roos are the Tasmanian team :(

I hate Clarence with a passion. Sigh

Cruiseon · December 16, 2010, 09:54:13 AM

A few of you might not know or remember but in the late 70's and early 80's what is now the NAB cup used to involve teams from other states as well. I remember teams like Norwood, Sturt and East Freemantle coming over and playing against the then VFL teams.

McRooster · December 16, 2010, 08:21:31 PM

The argument put up by a number of SANFL teams to NOT go along with it is that it will not allow their teams to use their gazetted bye rounds to plan their recovery strategies and hence hinder any assault on the main target of an SANFL premiership.
Cruise is right, in 1986 North Adelaide played every SANFL round and Escort Cup matches on a Tuesday night around the country and still made it to a GF (we lost to Glenelg >:().
North Adelaide doesn't need the exposure as much as other clubs do, it is one of the richest SANFL clubs and backed by Rob Gerard's Clipsal consortium. North Adelaide just wants to build it's culture with the best possible competition it can get.

Master Q · December 16, 2010, 08:52:48 PM

Is it me or do you have the feeling that they are going to combine all the State Leagues and make a pretty much B-League???

bomberboy0618 · December 16, 2010, 08:54:11 PM

Quote from: Master Q on December 16, 2010, 08:52:48 PM
Is it me or do you have the feeling that they are going to combine all the State Leagues and make a pretty much B-League???

no its just you.
I like the idea, but really why would teams waste energy on playing this when they could be preparing?

BoredSaint · December 17, 2010, 09:58:04 AM

Quote from: bomberboy0618 on December 16, 2010, 08:54:11 PM
Quote from: Master Q on December 16, 2010, 08:52:48 PM
Is it me or do you have the feeling that they are going to combine all the State Leagues and make a pretty much B-League???
no its just you.
I like the idea, but really why would teams waste energy on playing this when they could be preparing?

I like the idea too.. seeing as the standard in other states other than VIC arent very high apart from a few clubs..

Cruiseon · December 17, 2010, 11:55:36 AM

As impossible as it will be, can you imagne how good a promotion/relegation system would be. One can dream, that would be the end of tanking forever.

Hawka · December 18, 2010, 01:14:48 AM

Quote from: Cruiseon on December 17, 2010, 11:55:36 AM

As impossible as it will be, can you imagne how good a promotion/relegation system would be. One can dream, that would be the end of tanking forever.

unless u were bottom in divison 2

bomberboy0618 · December 18, 2010, 09:53:33 AM

That would improe the quality of second tier teams immensely.

BoredSaint · December 18, 2010, 05:55:32 PM

yep.. and that will improve the AFL in the long run :D

Luigi197 · December 18, 2010, 06:11:13 PM

Quote from: Cruiseon on December 17, 2010, 11:55:36 AM

As impossible as it will be, can you imagne how good a promotion/relegation system would be. One can dream, that would be the end of tanking forever.

many times i have thought of the serie a and barclays pl and wonder what the afl would be if had that promotion/relegation sistem as Cruise pointed out...

To me it would give more competition and a more spread AFL. I'd go with it. HAHAHA that would mean bye bye richmond!! :P possibely...

Champions League

ossie85