The South Australian Football Commission today announced changes to the SANFL recruiting rules for both Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows as part of a review of the structure of football in South Australia.

The key outcomes of this review impacting the two AFL clubs relate to the following rule amendments for the club’s SANFL listed players:

Talent Development List (up to eight players):

  • Players must be aged under 21 on January 1
  • One per SANFL club at any time (per AFL club)
  • Six players total from SANFL clubs (per AFL club) and two from interstate
  • Access to U18 Father-son or NGA players

Open Age List (up to four players) introduced for both AFL clubs:

Previously this was one player only from this category. (‘SANFL Leadership Player’)

  • Players aged 21 or over on January 1
  • One per SANFL club at any time across both AFL clubs

Community List

  • Both AFL clubs can continue to access community club players

Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson welcomed the changes and thanked the AFL and the SANFL for their support in addressing this important issue for the Port Adelaide Football Club.

“These changes to the player list rules are a positive step and will help us provide some more senior talent around our AFL Listed players in the SANFL competition,” Mr Richardson said.

“Our strong view is that all AFL listed players should have the same opportunities to develop, and the player list rules have a significant impact on this.

“When you are a young developing player, it is the players you play with that are important. Ensuring our players have some more experienced and accomplished players around them is critical to their development, and this rule change does provide that opportunity.

“The strength and competitiveness of the two South Australian based AFL Clubs at AFL level is a critical factor in the success of football in this state. Our ability to develop players at SANFL level is critical if we want the game to prosper here in South Australia.

“With regards to the AFL’s Competitive Balance Review, Port Adelaide maintains that the AFL have a responsibility to provide all AFL listed players with the same opportunities to develop and the only way to achieve this is through a National Reserves or 2nd tier structure that all AFL Clubs participate in.”