No relief in sight for Swans reserves

[SimonH]

The AFL, bless its cotton socks, had a good long look at 2nd tier/state-based competitions and the concept of an AFL reserves comp... and decided it couldn't give a bugger about any club outside of Victoria.

While it would eventually be an okay-standard comp, I would honestly prefer the Swans not to get drawn into the vortex that will be the expanded, no-alignments VFL competition. For the first few years, that comp is going to be complete chaos:

• VFL teams taken off the drip-feed of second-string AFL players desperately scrounging around for players wherever they can buy them (and running the risk of going broke in the process)

• Football Victoria (or whatever they're called these days) not wanting the madness of having to administer a 22-or-so team comp and as a result encouraging VFL teams to go to the wall or go play Ammos or something

• AFL teams with long injury lists raiding & ruining TAC Cup sides for their reserves,

etcetera.

[goswannie14]

If the VFL had any sense they would expand to a 24 team 2 division competition, similar to the halcyon days of the VFA, (which they still are with a different name) would include relegation and promotion between divisions 1 & 2, and the bottom 2 teams in division 2 to play off in a series with premier clubs from the stronger leagues for the last 2 positions in the lower division.

This could make it a strong state competition, with the ability for stronger local clubs to be a part of the action.