Port Adelaide participated in a review of the player regulations, which allows it to contract players to play for the club in its SANFL League and Academy sides for a set payment fee, along with the SANFL and Adelaide Crows.
The primary change to the regulations currently impacting Port Adelaide will see an age limit applied to new recruits for the Magpies.
From 2015, all new Port Adelaide recruits must be under the age of 23.
Contracts for all of the club’s SANFL players will only be permitted for a term of up to one year, however contracted players will be eligible to have their deals renewed at the end of each season for another period of up to one year.
Contracted players will not be forced to leave the club after they turn 23, should the club elect to extend their contract for another season.
Players must also be recruited from within South Australia, however that rule will not be applied retrospectively.
That means players like Anthony Biemans will be permitted to play on with the club if it chooses to renew his contract.
On the whole, it means little will change for those SANFL players currently contracted to the club, but Port Adelaide will need to abide by the new rules for all future recruits.
Port Adelaide chief operating officer Stephen Dawes said the changes still allowed the club to proceed with its aims of having a genuine grassroots involvement in the League for the future.
“The SANFL has engaged us through the process and we provided valuable feedback into the player regulations model for our club next year,” Mr Dawes told portadelaidefc.com.au.
“We believe these changes will have little if any adverse effect on the football program we put in place at the end of 2013 and have run throughout this season.
“What it means is that Port Adelaide can continue to recruit and develop Under-23 players from SA in our League and Academy sides next year, which we believe is a wonderful thing.”
The SANFL’s player regulations for Port Adelaide are able to be review at the end of each minor round season as part of an agreement entered into by the club and League last year.
