Players are only restricted by zones until they are 18 or contracted on a clubs protected list.
After that they are free to go from their PFL club to any WAFL club?!?
It’s up to the WAFL clubs to find these players in the PFL or country comps.
Of course, but the first port of call is you go back to your club you came from. If you do not have one they can then find you one and feel free to align to a PFL club. Just don’t push players from where they come from or lie to them and say unless you play “here” you won’t get a game as the fact is, no reserves coach or league coach goes out to watch their players player PFL unless they have a bye anyway.
We had to ring Swans and tell them to give a kid a game after he had 40+ and 5 goals playing inside mid 10 odd years ago. Made his debut playing league in a 2nd semi final and played league ever since.
The points system has helped but WAFL clubs need to remember where they get their players from and give back to ALL clubs not their favourites.
time for whoever it is that runs WA football to set the prices of returns for the licences
either VFL parasite doesn’t like it
set the price for them to buy their licence
VFL doesn’t like it
set the price for use of Optus Stadium
and give them the option to buy a licence(s)
with 31 years’ interest on top
immediately
this is ridiculous - allow lessening of the number of teams
but want more draft fodder
imbecilic thought process
Return of licences, selling them back to the VFL…what are you going on about?
The SANFL didn’t sell their two AFL licences back to the AFL.
Port Adelaide and Adelaide bought their own licences from the SANFL to operate independently. $18m in total and Port were on a payment plan until 2029, unless they’ve paid it out early.
WA footy and in particular the WAFL wouldn’t survive financially if a similar licence sell off occurred.
Very True SS
Lets not forget that the SANFL is legally and financially totally seperate business entities to the Crows and Port, the deal was done over the decade ago. In that case the SANFL is thinking of itself and only itself as a long term sustainable model if its considering culling the reserves.
In which case, the business case has probably resolved the numbers no longer stack up for the Seconds.
The situation in WA is entirely different the WAFL is run and beholden by the two local Monsters, so what ever is done is never to the pure advantage of the whatever is left of the WAFL.
Read the third line of my post
The ownership situation here is more complex as well.
If you remember intially, the WAFL clubs owned the Eagles outright, then set up Indian Pacific which they had a controlling stake in.
IP Went bust along with the WAFL in the late 80s, with the IP debacle and the Million owed on the two tier stand, the WAFL were forced to accept a State Gov bail out the formation of the WAFC and the hand over of the VFL/AFL licence to the WAFC. The Dockers followed in Kind.
In short they are not the WAFL’S to sell - an almighty balls up.
I would not be against the separation and sell off the two licences, in a way the SANFL did as the two local mobs would be worth an enourmous sum, but the WAFC would get the quids and then have to funnel them back, winding itself up, the right amount invested in a future fund and the WAFL could be sustainable, BUT not in its current form that is for certain.
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Let’s not forget SA has pokies. We don’t and never will. If the SANFL is averaging crowds around 3-4000 and getting 40 ,000 plus at their Grand Finals and looking at dumping the reserves to cut costs then how is the WAFL going to stand alone? Unless it gets a fortune for the two licenses and invests it wisely to secure the future of the WAFL.
I would have thought Properly enforced Returns on the 2 AFL Clubs by the Football Commission,would go a long way to funding the WAFL Reserves Competition,even in paying each Player $50 per game.
So each WAFL Club(except Peel)would be budgeting about $19 200 over 16 Home and Away Games.
That’s about $170 - $175 Grand for all 9 Clubs(allowing for Peel) over a Season,plus say,$25 Grand if the Players received $75 per Final.
With West Coast still maintaining 107 000+ Members,Fremantle attaining a more than likely record Membership of at least 80 000+,there is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for the AFL Clubs to say their revenue has reduced,therefore the Returns are Reduced!
The increase in their returns to the Football Commission should be a given,not a feeble excuse to minimise them.
The result of that should more than cover players in the Reserves being paid,let alone not being paid.
I’m struggling to see the big money saver in axing the ressies given they don’t get paid to play, support staff are mostly volunteers who will still be required for the league and colts, club infrastructure like change rooms, gym will still be needed and there’ll be 46 less players and staff along with any family and friends in attendance at the ground each week.
I’d like to see the business case and costings behind the decision.
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A few SANFL clubs indicated they’ll save $150k per season by dropping their reserves team.
You’d have to presume that includes reduced costs for Coaches, Physios, Players additional medical, reduced hours for casual Match Day staff, umpires etc etc
I reckon such Clubs might be those with a Poir Club Culture,low on Membership and funds and possibly going nowhere!
Or thats the loss a club makes putting a Reserves team on the park for a season. Im sure the SANFL clubs know their costs a lot better than us as outsiders do.
Again this has become an issue for the SANFL due to the Players Association asking for better remuneration for their League Players.
Most WAFL clubs turnover $3-4m a year to just break even or at best return a 3% profit and thats after the annual WA Football payment.
It’s a fantasy to think WAFL clubs could afford to pay their Reserves when clubs are already struggling to remunerate their League players.
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It would be if the 2 Mobs here suspiciously send back decreased Returns on increased Revenue.
Not everything’s a conspiracy…AFL soft cap has increased again since being stripped back through COVID. Increasing Salary cap (TPP) by $1m from ‘24 to ‘25, up another $700k this season and same again next year.
Dockers are spending $500k on chartered flights this season that hasn’t been spent before.
Eagles had to pay Simpson out.
Lots of reasons increased revenue doesn’t equate to increased profits.
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Those 2 should make an Absolute Shedload,so even allowing for what you said.
Simple fact is in relation to those 2 and the WAFL,I simply don’t trust 'em!
Their Administration,not their players!
Player Insurance, Medicals, Coaches are normally paid, as are some team managers, outfitting, does not take much to get to 150K PA these days.
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The Advertiser is reporting the SANFL have axed the 150 year old SANFL Reserves competition as of 2027. Instead they will operate their 2nd tier men’s competition as an Under 23 Development League.
Info is behind a pay wall but assume it would allow for a small number of over 23s to play.
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Yep. All the leaks indicated this was coming.
Tick tock WAFL reserves.
Well,can’t wait to hear KG(Cunningham)voice his disapproval of this now.