They are saying when ants unite, they will carry an elephant.
The current demise of the Preston Soccer Membership as their VFL license has was stripped for the 2026 season factors to a bigger concern that requires our focus earlier than all of it falls in a heap.
The AFL as a pinnacle is in impolite well being, however a possibility stays one rung beneath, and the Bullants’ information ought to drive motion. The reserves or secondary competitors within the pyramid of soccer panorama on this nation requires new considering.
Placing Tasmania to 1 aspect to maintain this train clear, we now have 18 AFL golf equipment the place their reserves groups all have differing and unequal setups throughout three completely different competitions.
Fremantle and West Coast have their reserves play within the WAFL, the Eagles have their very own in-house reserves group, the Dockers’ seconds nevertheless play for Peel in an affiliation association.
In SA the Crows and Energy have the identical setup as West Coast, their reserves sides are standalone within the SANFL, though Port Adelaide use the present Magpies group for that function.
Then in Victoria with ten AFL groups, eight have standalone reserves groups within the VFL. Two AFL groups use VFL affiliations, ala Fremantle and Peel, with Hawthorn and Field Hill, Melbourne and Casey.
Over time these preparations have seen as soon as proud standalone VFL golf equipment morph into various ranges subservience to virtually turn out to be the Hawks and Demons’ reserves operations first, and their very own entities second.
These eight AFL reserves groups, plus the 2 VFL golf equipment with AFL affiliation make up slightly below half the VFL comp. There are then the AFL reserves groups for the 4 AFL golf equipment from NSW and QLD.
Subsequent, we now have the right standalone VFL golf equipment, from Williamstown and Port Melbourne who’ve been enjoying on this competitors because the Eighties, Coburg and Sandringham because the Twenties, and Werribee and Frankston who joined within the Nineteen Sixties.
Yet one more quirk, the ultimate group, additionally standalone, Southport, from the outer, outer suburbs of Melbourne, nicely, the Gold Coast really. A neighborhood powerhouse in Queensland footy, they’re a weird addition to this competitors but have performed in three of the final 4 Grand Finals so are as related as anybody, actually.
The place some plough on as long-tenured former VFA golf equipment, now assumed bit-players in a contest skewed to offering the AFL a reserves comp., they accomplish that solely simply.
And it’s the lack of a type of in Preston, who first joined the VFA in 1903, that warrants a greater means.
An answer that does two issues, brings again the honour and integrity of the present VFL, SANFL and WAFL competitions, reinstituting legitimacy as leagues with out the compromise of internet hosting AFL seconds.
But additionally shore up a strong, unform AFL reserves competitors as a substitute of doing a half-baked job the place the VFL has ballooned to over twenty groups organically with out rhyme or motive.
First issues first, let’s have a whole AFL Reserves league; all 18 groups have a reserves aspect, ala what we see with Collingwood and North Melbourne now within the VFL, or West Coast or Adelaide within the WAFL or SANFL, respectively. For Hawthorn, Melbourne, and Fremantle they decouple from their affiliations with Field Hill, Casey, and Peel.
Port Adelaide’s state of affairs is nuanced , we’ll circle again on them.
An 18-team reserves competitors that follows as finest it will possibly the principles and fixturing of the primary league permits groups who journey interstate to consolidate their total soccer program on these weekends. For each golf equipment and followers in so many small however not insignificant methods would make issues an entire lot fairer but in addition an entire lot easier.
This then permits the SANFL and WAFL to renew being a league of standalone golf equipment; now not may an AFL reserves group win their native premiership. That’s not groundbreaking, however a optimistic nonetheless.
Now the VFL. In case you take out the AFL influences from the 2026 configuration, that leaves 9 golf equipment: Coburg, Frankston, Port Melbourne, Sandringham, Southport, Werribee and Williamstown. In case you saved Preston as a result of the purpose posts have modified, a ten-team competitors emerges.
Sure, you lose a number of the consideration and income having a Carlton or Geelong within the competitors brings, even when that illustration is their reserves aspect. However an opportunity to face by itself and discover a sustainable long-term place is a threat price taking. The choice for these golf equipment is you’re both Preston now, or the subsequent Preston in some unspecified time in the future, certainly?
Do you retain Southport? Perhaps, if it’s possible, they’re such a robust off-field proposition, maybe you do, whether or not for fast power or as a preeminent instance to leverage.
Would you be capable of tempt again a North Ballarat, is there an urge for food for somebody like a Prahran or Brunswick to return? Or apropos the expansion corridors in Melbourne now, may a brand new enterprise add worth, round Craigieburn as one instance?
If we may find yourself with three viable second-tier competitions, vitally necessary to native communities, and as a key pathway to the AFL too, with out them propping up the AFL golf equipment in internet hosting their reserves necessities, that will be a superb factor.
All of the whereas the AFL would have a brand new, slick reserves competitors that shadows the primary league, optimising improvement while logistically superior to present state.
Tick, tick, tick.
Lastly, Port Adelaide. Two choices: you retain the Magpies and run three groups: Energy within the AFL and within the reserves competitors, with a separate Magpies group within the SANFL. Otherwise you dissolve the Magpies and run the primary two solely. That’s powerful – one’s extra romantic, one’s less expensive.
Perhaps you retain the Magpies model for the reserves group? It could imply although no Port Magpies within the SANFL in spite of everything this time, that’s the trade-off.
However I don’t suppose overcoming the quirk with Port Adelaide ought to maintain again progress, nor do I believe the chance to the standalone VFL golf equipment who would possibly discover it tough with out AFL golf equipment’ involvement of their league anymore is one price avoiding.
Time for change. An ant on the transfer does greater than a dozing ox.
