AFL

Port Adelaide’s impending departure from the SANFL could see the restructure of South Australian football.

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The club confirmed earlier this week it would see out its current agreement ending in 2028, before leaving the SANFL competition.

The mutiny will see Port Adelaide’s 150-year presence in the SANFL, after winning 36 premierships, and developing some of South Australia’s best talent.

Port Adelaide CEO Matthew Richardson confirmed the club’s desire to leave the SANFL on SEN’s AFL Nation before the Power took on Melbourne in Round 23.

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“If you look at all the other AFL teams that are operating in other competitions, the quality of the players that they’ve got around their young players is a very different level to what we’re able to do,” Richardson said on Saturday.

“Port Adelaide has always been about what’s next and we have to look at what’s going to give us the best chance of winning at AFL and AFLW level.

“There is a sadness to it, but really importantly we’ll still play footy at Alberton Oval, it’s just that we’re playing in a different competition.”

Port Adelaide has been a long-time supporter of the AFL reserves competition, with the club yet to confirm where it will play.

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The VFL remains an option should the reserve competition not come to fruition by 2029.

The SANFL has historically been against a national reserve competition, with the league making arguments the best option for South Australian football is for both local AFL clubs to compete within the state league.

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With one club now defecting, there is still no word on what the Adelaide Football Club will do with its reserves’ side.

The Magpies’ breakaway comes within weeks of the SANFL announcing its looking at the longevity of its reserves competition, citing budget concerns.

The league is also facing pressure over player payments.

The ABC reported earlier this year that SANFL players earn an average of about $5,000 pre-tax per season, with the figure equating to roughly $8 an hour.

Port Adelaide’s exit therefore represents more than the departure of one of the SANFL’s most successful clubs.

With the league reviewing its reserves structure, questions surrounding player payments and uncertainty over Adelaide’s future, South Australian football could be heading towards its biggest structural change in decades.

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