Port seals its “One Club” SANFL deal
Port Adelaide will join Adelaide and field a reserves side in the SANFL.
The club’s board last night accepted the South Australian Football Commission offer to allow the club’s AFL-listed players to play under its Magpies banner in the SANFL from 2014.
Among some of the concessions made by the club, Port Adelaide Magpies committed to not recruiting support staff directly from SANFL clubs and while it retains its home ground at Alberton Oval, it will play at a neutral venue when taking on the Adelaide Football Club’s reserves side.
Under the deal, all of Port’s AFL-listed players not selected to play in the AFL competition on any given match weekend can play for the Magpies in the SANFL.
A pool of 15 contracted SANFL players will also be eligible to play in either the club’s SANFL League or Academy team in the SANFL Reserves competition.
There is to be no age limit on the players selected for the contracted SANFL player list.
The remainder of the club’s SANFL Academy team will be comprised of a list of players aged between 18 and 22 years.
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In 2014, the club is still required by the SANFL to field a team in the U18 Maccas Cup, U16 Maccas Shield and U15, U14 and U13 talent squad competitions.
From 2015 the club will no longer field sides in these competitions and the current Magpies recruiting zones will be redistributed among the other eight SANFL clubs.
The club said it has worked to develop a replacement junior program in order to retain links with its local communities, particularly in its Port Adelaide heartland and on the west coast of South Australia.
From the 2015 season at the latest, the club will replace its traditional junior structure with several development programs for junior footballers.
Those pathways will include metropolitan and country development pathways, an Aboriginal player program, a Multicultural program and a father/son academy.
Port Adelaide chief executive officer Keith Thomas said the “One Club” push had finally been resolved.
“We are now, finally, one club, and all of Port Adelaide’s players will exclusively play for Port Adelaide,” Thomas said.
“This important decision allows us to field teams committed to excellence in the AFL and SANFL as a united club.
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“We have worked closely with the league to negotiate this solution and we believe it is the best way forward for preserving our traditional identity in the SANFL competition.
“Port Adelaide will be called the Magpies and wear our traditional black and white guernsey in SANFL football – that is our iron-clad commitment to our supporters.
“One non-negotiable was that we must be able to maintain our commitment to both elite and grassroots football in South Australia. We are delighted to have achieved this through this proposal.”
The key points of the agreement between the SANFL and the Port Adelaide Football Club are:
- From 2014, all of Port Adelaide’s AFL-listed players will play for the club’s SANFL League team when not selected to play for the Power
- The SANFL League team will be supported by a pool of 15 contracted SANFL-only players
- Oort Adelaide will operate an Academy team in the SANFL Reserves competition with a list of players aged 18-22.
- All Port Adelaide teams participating in the SANFL will continue to use the Magpies nickname and wear the club’s traditional black and white guernsey
- Port Adelaide is required to operate a conventional junior structure in 2014 including teams in the U18, U16 and talent squad competitions
- Port Adelaide must disband its conventional junior structure and recruiting zones from 2015
- Port Adelaide is permitted to attract sponsors for its SANFL team, providing these are not competing partners of the SANFL competition
- Port Adelaide SANFL memberships are permitted to be sold independently and in conjunction with Port Adelaide AFL memberships
- Port Adelaide will continue to play home matches at its traditional home ground Alberton Oval
- All Port Adelaide players are eligible to win the Magarey Medal
- Contracted pool of SANFL-only players are eligible to represent the state; AFL-listed players are ineligible to represent the state.
- Port Adelaide commits to ‘playing the line’ including not resting players and taking up elective surgery options, SANFL doctor to provide second opinion on surgeries prior to end of season.
Port Adelaide Football Club – Football structure 2014, and 2015 onwards
Port Adelaide AFL Plays as the Power and wears current ‘V’ guernsey
Port Adelaide SANFL League Plays as the Magpies and wears traditional black and white guernsey
Port Adelaide SANFL Academy Plays as the Magpies and wears traditional black and white guernsey in the SANFL Reserves competition
Port Adelaide U18 program As per current arrangements Ceases at the conclusion of the 2014 season
Port Adelaide U16 program As per current arrangements Ceases at the conclusion of the 2014 season
Port Adelaide talent squad programs As per current arrangements Ceases at the conclusion of the 2014 season
Port Adelaide junior development pathway programs A series of junior football programs that may include the following; a metropolitan academy, country academy , Aboriginal player academy, international player academy and a father/son academy
