Bernie Vince, an AFL analyst, has urged the SANFL to intervene and safeguard the competition’s most successful team, the Port Adelaide Magpies.
Only one day after Port Adelaide CEO Matthew Richardson announced his club’s intention to leave the SANFL in favor of a national AFL reserves competition, there are fears the Magpies will be lost in the process.
“The Port Adelaide Football Club is now in the AFL and our responsibility is to ensure our players have the best opportunity to perform and develop to ultimately help us achieve our ambitions in the AFL competition,” Richardson said in a statement released on Friday.
However, Vince believes that the SANFL requires its most successful club in history, even if it means breaking away from the Port Adelaide Power’s AFL setup.
“You’ve got to keep the Magpies in somehow,” he told Triple M Radio.
“The Magpies must be kept separate in order for them to compete in the SANFL.” You cannot eliminate the team with the most championships and the most tradition from the competition. There have been almost 150 years!
“If they become their own SANFL team again, get back to traditional Port Adelaide Magpies, no AFL players dropping back in – you have a look at the traditional supporters that come out and support them.”
Vince admitted that separating the Magpies from the Power would be a long-term effort, but that it would be worthwhile for the SANFL.
“It may take them a few years to get back on their feet, but they need to be in that competition,” he added.
“I think we have to find a way to make it work.”
“Port Adelaide Magpies supporters deserve that.”
The Magpies are the most successful SANFL team, having won 36 premierships, and as a result, Port Adelaide was upgraded to the AFL as the Power in 1997.
According to early rumors, the Power could withdraw from the SANFL as early as 2025, dealing a significant blow to the competition, as would cross-town rivals Adelaide.
SANFL CEO Darren Chandler stated that he wanted to find a solution that would benefit both the AFL clubs and the league.
“It’s no secret that Port Adelaide has indicated that they would like to be either in a competition with similar rules to what other AFL clubs have in the competition they play in, or in a competition with different rules.”
“Whatever is best for football in this state is what we want.”
“We believe that the current format works very well.” Is it flawless? No.
“While the two AFL clubs here will argue that they don’t have as much access to top end talent for their top up players, they do have the advantage of playing in the best non-AFL competition.”
“Playing in the SANFL competition has a significant advantage.”
“Hopefully at the end of the day we can get an outcome that is really good for both AFL clubs and really good for the SANFL and it remains the premier state league competition outside of the AFL.”
Only four AFL clubs are not now involved in the revamped VFL: Port Adelaide, Adelaide, West Coast, and Fremantle (the latter two are part of the WAFL).
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