SANFL premiership player Daniel Menzel is worried about the future of the competition if Port Adelaide and Adelaide depart for the VFL.
The Power have reportedly made formal inquiries with the AFL about making the move, despite being contracted to the state league until 2028.
Port Adelaide are hoping to receive the same leg-up that GWS, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast received when they joined the VFL, with the AFL covering the costs of all of their travel.
Menzel wonders if the league’s funding will still be the same without the two AFL clubs and worries what that means for the SANFL long term.
“If that happens (the travel being paid for), I can understand them pursuing it to be completely honest,” Menzel told SEN SA’s Sportsday.
“If they’re applying for VFL entry, I don’t know what that looks like for the SANFL. It’s not positive. I know a lot of SANFL fans out there will be saying get rid of them, we don’t want them, but if you don’t have them in the competition I’m not sure you get the same funding.
“Is it still the second best competition in the land? It will not be. That’s the reality of it.
“If Port joins the VFL, the Crows won’t be hanging around. The Crows will be going as well.
“I know there’s a lot of SANFL fans that haven’t been happy with those teams – they haven’t won a flag since they’ve been standalone in the SANFL – so it doesn’t mean they’ve been superior teams, it’s a challenging situation for them with the top-ups.
“The SANFL is currently the second best competition in the land, but if they go to a national reserves competition it won’t be and I do have some concerns what that means for the future of the SANFL.”
Menzel, who won a premiership with Woodville-West Torrens, believes the AFL absolutely should still be funding the SANFL and the WAFL even if the league’s don’t have affiliated team representation.
“Without a doubt they (should be), but if you’re the AFL, the majority of your funding is going to the national reserves competition and AFLW and rightly so,” he said.
“The SANFL is probably fourth or lower on the priority list and the same money isn’t quite there.
“So then they go ‘hey guess what SANFL, it’s on you to put your hand in your own pocket and pay your own players a bit more money’.
“Do they want to do that is an interesting discussion in itself. That’s what I’m concerned about if they leave the SANFL.”
The Power confirmed in November that they were in conversations with the AFL about the situation and that they are in favour of a national reserves competition.
Photo via SANFL