Port Adelaide Magpies coach John Cahill, centre, celebrates after the grand final win in 1994. Source: The Advertiser
PORT Adelaide's push for an AFL reserves team in the SANFL will spell the end of the Magpies.
SANFL directors will not endorse Port's plan to put its excess AFL players in the Magpies league team and keep the Magpies' reserves, under-age teams and recruiting zones.
This would be in conflict with the Adelaide Football Club's wish to have a stand-alone Crows' seconds team in the SANFL.
WE CAN'T LOSE THE MAGPIES: THOMAS
The SANFL league directors, in a two-hour meeting at AAMI Stadium on Wednesday night, learned the deal to sell the two SA-based AFL licences back to the AFL Commission demands the Crows and Power have identical terms in the SA market.
This cannot be achieved if the Crows set up a league team in the SANFL while the Power operates a full-blown league club in the state league.
The Port Adelaide Football Club would be held to the original terms it accepted when chosen as SA's second AFL licence holder in December 1994 - removing the century-old Magpies from the SANFL.
Formed in 1870, Port was a founding member of the SANFL in 1877 and established its black-and-white traditions with the Magpies from 1901.
As an SANFL club, it has won 36 premierships and is the most successful team in SA football.
To have an AFL reserves team in the SANFL, Port would have to concede the Magpies.
SA Football Commission chairman John Olsen yesterday told The Advertiser: "Both clubs (Adelaide and Port) will be treated equally under the transfer of their licences (to the AFL Commission later this year). But each club's request to access the SANFL is in variation.
"The league directors believe both clubs have to be viewed as equal when it comes to considering (AFL reserves) teams in the SANFL."
North Adelaide president and league director Bohdan Jaworskyj added: "It will be interesting to see if the Power is prepared to shift on their position (of keeping the Magpies and all their teams).
"One thing is evident, whatever the Crows get, it must be on equal terms with the Power."
Adelaide does not want to establish a full presence in the SANFL by setting up the league's 10th club or by aligning with a financially troubled SANFL club such as Sturt.
Crows chairman Rob Chapman said: "We have one proposal on the table - a stand-alone seconds team in the SANFL league competition. That is the one we want."
Power chief executive Keith Thomas described the scrapping of the Magpies - for the sake of AFL reserves teams - as an inconceivable notion.
"We will argue there is no justification for the AFL reserves models needing to be the same," he said. Both the Crows and Power will be invited to present their cases to the eight SANFL clubs' boards in the next fortnight.
The league directors have agreed to meet again in the next fortnight when there could be the first vote on introducing AFL reserves to the SANFL league competition.
This requires at least six of the eight directors to approve any change to the structure of the state league.
The Crows and Power reserves teams - because of their AFL connections - would immediately replace the Magpies as the SANFL team to beat.
The Crows argue this would re-invigorate interest in the SANFL and improve crowds to inject an extra $400,000 to each of the traditional SANFL clubs' strained coffers.
Olsen said the league directors' final vote should not be based solely on finances.
"Finances make up one issue of many the league directors have to consider," he said. "Protecting the integrity, quality and standard of the SANFL are not to be over-ridden by finances."
PORT ADELAIDE MAGPIES HISTORY
FORMED: 1870
JOINED SANFL: 1877, as founding club
JOINED AFL: 1997, as Power
PREMIERSHIPS: 36 in SANFL; one in AFL
FIRST PREMIERSHIP: 1884
ORIGINAL COLOURS: Blue and white
MAGPIES: Club changed colours to black-and-white in 1901
CURRENT COLOURS: Black-and-white in SANFL; black, white, teal and silver in AFL
CLUB GREATS: Bob Quinn, Fos Williams, Geof Motley, John Cahill, right, Russell Ebert, Gavin Wanganeen, Warren Tredrea
Q&A: KEY ISSUES IN THE BATTLE
Chief Football Writer MICHELANGELO RUCCI looks at the key issues in the battle to remodel the SANFL without the Magpies.
Q: Why are the Magpies at risk?
A: SA's two AFL clubs want reserves sides next year. But the Crows and Power each have different proposals for setting up their seconds teams. The Crows want a stand-alone team. The Power wants to keep the Magpies and all its SANFL add-ons. The sale of the SA-based AFL licences to the AFL Commission later this year demands the Crows and Power have "equal access" to the SANFL. This means if the Crows have a stand-alone reserves team in the SANFL, the Power must have the same - and no more.
Q: Who decides?
A: Eight of the nine SANFL league directors. Independent director Rob Kerin has no vote. The Magpies lost their place at the directors table two years ago when the SANFL club was aligned to the Power's business.
Q: Is it a majority vote?
A: There must be a 75 per cent approval - six of eight directors - to change the structure of the SANFL league competition.
Q: When will they vote?
A: The next meeting is due in a fortnight.
Q: What will happen to the Magpie players?
A: They will be free to join other SANFL clubs or become "top-up" players for the AFL reserves teams.
Q: What will happen to the Magpies' metropolitan and country recruiting zones?
A: There will be a redistribution among the other SANFL clubs.
Q: Why can't the Magpies stay and the Crows have a reserves team in the SANFL?
A: This is only possible if the Crows adopt an SANFL club such as Sturt or agree to set up a new SANFL clubs with league, reserves and under-age teams. The Crows do not favour either option.
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