So, where to from here?

[Pekay]

So, Manly showed their wares and wrapped up the premiership in their first year. Good on em, but, I think we can all go back to hating Manly now.

What does 2014 hold?

Premier Division - will Balmain even exist as a club, let alone hold onto their PD spot? Southern Power won the Div 1 flag but I doubt they'd be ready to make the jump to PD just yet, and no team would be relegated, you'd think,

Division 1 - Let's say Power will stay put, and Sydney Uni get promoted from Div 2 after beating the Wolves. Will the Eagles drop to Div 2 after finishing last? That is their third grade after all.

Division 2 - Sydney Uni go up to D1, Blacktown with an automatic promotion from D3, probably a year too late though! Auburn finished last, followed by Balmain and then Illawarra. Who even knows if Balmain will field a reserves, or if Auburn will exist either? So this division may well stay put if 1 or 2 teams dissolve, and Randwick may get promoted, even though they don't want to.

Division 3 - Blacktown up to D2. Pennant Hills promoted from D4. Campbelltown would be reluctant to have their Reserves drop to D4 though, but results do speak for themselves. Randwick have no plans to move just yet, nor do the Jets.

Division 4 - Penno go up, possibly Town drop down from D3. Mac Uni finished last in this grade so they'd be the logical choice. Randwick won D5 so up they come, although one of our ex players that runs around there says they don't want to move up.

Division 5 - We hope to add a team of old heads into this grade but more worried about the off field support than players. Blacktown's Facebook page has talk of adding a third team as well, but that's just talk. (also 20km from us, so the point of saturation comes up again)

Anyway, I'm just bored at work and there's been no posts since Tara's last one. It may well revert back to two team grades which I'd be happy with, as would most of my footy club. We shall wait and see I guess.

[Offal]

Randwick won D5 so up they come, although one of our ex players that runs around there says they don't want to move up.

My mail is they want to stay down as half the team were having a 'last hurrah' and will retire. Similar thing happened to the Power Div 5 in 2011 when half the time retired after the premiership and they went up and came next to last.

[Mug Punter]

So, Manly showed their wares and wrapped up the premiership in their first year. Good on em, but, I think we can all go back to hating Manly now.

What does 2014 hold?

Premier Division - will Balmain even exist as a club, let alone hold onto their PD spot? Southern Power won the Div 1 flag but I doubt they'd be ready to make the jump to PD just yet, and no team would be relegated, you'd think,

Division 1 - Let's say Power will stay put, and Sydney Uni get promoted from Div 2 after beating the Wolves. Will the Eagles drop to Div 2 after finishing last? That is their third grade after all.

Division 2 - Sydney Uni go up to D1, Blacktown with an automatic promotion from D3, probably a year too late though! Auburn finished last, followed by Balmain and then Illawarra. Who even knows if Balmain will field a reserves, or if Auburn will exist either? So this division may well stay put if 1 or 2 teams dissolve, and Randwick may get promoted, even though they don't want to.

Division 3 - Blacktown up to D2. Pennant Hills promoted from D4. Campbelltown would be reluctant to have their Reserves drop to D4 though, but results do speak for themselves. Randwick have no plans to move just yet, nor do the Jets.

Division 4 - Penno go up, possibly Town drop down from D3. Mac Uni finished last in this grade so they'd be the logical choice. Randwick won D5 so up they come, although one of our ex players that runs around there says they don't want to move up.

Division 5 - We hope to add a team of old heads into this grade but more worried about the off field support than players. Blacktown's Facebook page has talk of adding a third team as well, but that's just talk. (also 20km from us, so the point of saturation comes up again)

Anyway, I'm just bored at work and there's been no posts since Tara's last one. It may well revert back to two team grades which I'd be happy with, as would most of my footy club. We shall wait and see I guess.

Sounds about right.

Sad to see that the number of teams could potentially contract next season - three Balmain teams under threat, Auburn could go (no great loss) and you'd think Mac Uni are at risk of being a two team club again.....

We/I talk about growth etc but the reality is that football in Sydney has not really grown at all quantity wise since 1980 and that quality wise it is way way below what it was. Perhaps we should just accept that AFL in Sydney will always be stronger at the junior level than senior level (soccer mum factor and huge AFL investment) and much weaker at senior level...

[saviour01]

Whats the go with Illawarra? One of my mates use to play down there and says they are really struggling. To the point where the coach posts on fb "like this post if your keen for a run this weekend" and blokes posting "cant make training tonight, see ya sat" etc.

I know at saints if you didn't train both nights or at least call the coach and tell him why you aren't there you don't get a run. Plus they use to be pretty good in premier div but only beat balmain in the last round this year, ressies dropped from div 1 to div 2 and only won 3 this year.

[Norris Lurker]

We know the Under 18s will be going to Under 19s next year.
Presumably Manly will go up and Macarthur Giants go down. With the benefit of hindsight, Macarthur were put in the wrong division and should have been put in Div 2 this year.
Under 18s Div 2 was a bit of a disaster area this year, with two teams dropping out mid-season, only six clubs left and plenty of forfeits. It'll be interesting to see whether keeping players back in under-age divisions for another year will help with the numbers. We can only hope so.

[ShortHalfHead]

Premier Division - will Balmain even exist as a club, let alone hold onto their PD spot? Southern Power won the Div 1 flag but I doubt they'd be ready to make the jump to PD just yet, and no team would be relegated, you'd think,

Balmain look to be the big question mark. Sydney Uni and Shegurls still in PD. Illawarraprobably then the only other side that wont be competitive next year

Division 1 - Let's say Power will stay put, and Sydney Uni get promoted from Div 2 after beating the Wolves. Will the Eagles drop to Div 2 after finishing last? That is their third grade after all.

I heard during the finals series from an Eagles official that they are planning to drop their Div 1 side. Disappointed that some of the "elders" that committed to play this year didn't. Uni should go up, they have been strong all through the grades this year

Division 2 - Sydney Uni go up to D1, Blacktown with an automatic promotion from D3, probably a year too late though! Auburn finished last, followed by Balmain and then Illawarra. Who even knows if Balmain will field a reserves, or if Auburn will exist either? So this division may well stay put if 1 or 2 teams dissolve, and Randwick may get promoted, even though they don't want to.

Agree Blacktown should never had been there. Auburn are Auburn and will probably nominate again and sort it out later. Randwick should apply for promotion as well. Any team that makes finals in D3 can be competitive in D2 IMO

Division 3 - Blacktown up to D2. Pennant Hills promoted from D4. Campbelltown would be reluctant to have their Reserves drop to D4 though, but results do speak for themselves. Randwick have no plans to move just yet, nor do the Jets.

Penno should go up. saw a few of their games and they will win their fair share in Div 3. Town is the biggest worry...If they drop, would be a nightmare in the depth dept

Division 4 - Penno go up, possibly Town drop down from D3. Mac Uni finished last in this grade so they'd be the logical choice. Randwick won D5 so up they come, although one of our ex players that runs around there says they don't want to move up.

Of course they don't want to move up...haha. Too much fun winning every week no doubt. Hopefully they aren't given the option, given they are a club that has been telling people about the number of recruits they have been getting

Division 5 - We hope to add a team of old heads into this grade but more worried about the off field support than players. Blacktown's Facebook page has talk of adding a third team as well, but that's just talk. (also 20km from us, so the point of saturation comes up again)

Always plenty of movement here...It's a moot point at Penrith as well. As our third side, there is no real fighting for spots, so some higher grade players tend to get slack on training nights, knowing if they don't front, they will always get a game. In saying that, the Div 5 boys this year were a great bunch who did train and certainly supported our pub sponsor, above and beyond. I've heard some rumours that a few "new" clubs have enquired about putting a team together in Div 5. I hope it gets knocked on the head quickly and not used by the league to sprout what a wonderful achievement with the 'increase in clubs"

I'm guessing that Manly will apply for Div 1 in 19's. Not sure what fomat will be utilised next year. Ginats has been a failure, but they should never have been in Div 1. It was only at the insistence of GWS. Power deserve another year there. Maybe UTS will field a side now it's gone to 19's. Not sure what Randwick are up to and Blacktown can now look at an 18's team, as long as they have enough development officer traineeships available.

[The Saint]

What about 6th Grade? A Sunday comp??

[Pekay]

Playing on Sundays........madness.

[Benchwarmer]

Next season presents a great opportunity to get all grades back to a10 team competition with 18 rounds and all teams playing each other twice. A much fairer and balanced competition is the way to go.

Re new clubs wanting entry to Div 5.
Surely it is a good thing to have new Clubs join the League.

[Tom Wills]

Structure for 2014

Love the news and update about teams for 2014.

Though I would like to post my thoughts about returning to a structure where there are Divisions with Seniors and reserves playing on the same day - which I believe to be totally inappropriate for Sydney Football.
Yes the Senior / Reserve structure is the traditional structure across the Southern Football states with codes such as the VAFA having a very successful promotion and relegation structure. But that structure works because they are football states - Sydney is not.

The current reality in Sydney is the Competition is growing through teams additions within clubs - not necessarily new two team clubs. With the move to under 19 football hopefully keeping more 19 year olds playing footy and progressing to senior football I can see a structure where in a few years clubs such as North Shore, Manly, Penno, Hills, Penrith, St George and Parra, grow to 4, 5 or even 6 senior teams - as per the Uni Clubs of UTS / Sydney Uni and UNSW. In this structure the current single team divisional structure works perfectly. Each team over time finds it right level.

Yes it is logistically hard, but that is Sydney Footy.

When Sydney has 50+ clubs, each with 2 teams Seniors a return to Senior / reserve divisions should be reviewed, but for the next decade where, IMO, we will have only a minor increase in clubs, but a significant increase in teams keep it as it is.

[ShortHalfHead]

Great summary, Tom.

[Mug Punter]

Structure for 2014

Love the news and update about teams for 2014.

Though I would like to post my thoughts about returning to a structure where there are Divisions with Seniors and reserves playing on the same day - which I believe to be totally inappropriate for Sydney Football.
Yes the Senior / Reserve structure is the traditional structure across the Southern Football states with codes such as the VAFA having a very successful promotion and relegation structure. But that structure works because they are football states - Sydney is not.

The current reality in Sydney is the Competition is growing through teams additions within clubs - not necessarily new two team clubs. With the move to under 19 football hopefully keeping more 19 year olds playing footy and progressing to senior football I can see a structure where in a few years clubs such as North Shore, Manly, Penno, Hills, Penrith, St George and Parra, grow to 4, 5 or even 6 senior teams - as per the Uni Clubs of UTS / Sydney Uni and UNSW. In this structure the current single team divisional structure works perfectly. Each team over time finds it right level.

Yes it is logistically hard, but that is Sydney Footy.

When Sydney has 50+ clubs, each with 2 teams Seniors a return to Senior / reserve divisions should be reviewed, but for the next decade where, IMO, we will have only a minor increase in clubs, but a significant increase in teams keep it as it is.

There's pluses and minuses for both systems

Divisionalisation was mainly brought in to lower the barriers to entry and enable weakened clubs to drop down and regroup.

I'd like to see some sort of hybrid. SFL and Div 1 should be two team club based comps with the lower divisions allowing divisionalisation...

Major problem is that it is stretching clubs to breaking point logistic wise and not great for club culture and morale when you have three teams at different grounds on the one day.

[justabaraker]

Playing on Sundays........madness.

Pekay,
I read today that Amon Buchanan has been appointed to the coaching panel at GWS, and I'm pretty sure that it's actually a promotion within "GWS/Baulko Inc." GWS/UWS needs somewhere to fatten up their yearlings and Baulko is becoming the place of choice for GWS to do that......for players AND budding coaches !
GWS needs a team below the main one where they can promote, drop down and bring guys back from injury. And a team below the second team for the same purpose and a team below that again. It's the model that they are now going to use in the SANFL.

But, Pekay, how does a club get on when it doesn't have a lower team for fattening up, promoting new blood and dropping poor performers ? How does your club keep the fringe players interested and fit when there's only 22 spots available each week ?

[chatovadafloor]

Pekay,
I read today that Amon Buchanan has been appointed to the coaching panel at GWS, and I'm pretty sure that it's actually a promotion within "GWS/Baulko Inc." GWS/UWS needs somewhere to fatten up their yearlings and Baulko is becoming the place of choice for GWS to do that......for players AND budding coaches !
GWS needs a team below the main one where they can promote, drop down and bring guys back from injury. And a team below the second team for the same purpose and a team below that again. It's the model that they are now going to use in the SANFL.

But, Pekay, how does a club get on when it doesn't have a lower team for fattening up, promoting new blood and dropping poor performers ? How does your club keep the fringe players interested and fit when there's only 22 spots available each week ?

Asking pekay about baulko not sure how close he is to club, big promotion for amon from reports from players big loss.

Be interesting season ahead for the eagles.... What will they try pull out of the hat with recruits now.

[Mug Punter]

Asking pekay about baulko not sure how close he is to club, big promotion for amon from reports from players big loss.

Be interesting season ahead for the eagles.... What will they try pull out of the hat with recruits now.

Two Sydney teams as cannon fodder in the NEAFL next year then....