Not the most reliable source but anyway ...
New league push for AFL power clubsBy Kim Hagdorn
Sports News First
14 August 2012 04:45PM ESTRADICAL moves are afoot from Victorian-based AFL power clubs to form their own breakaway reserves competition.
If the bid is successful and wins endorsement from enough Melbourne-based AFL clubs, the new competition could be up and running in time for next season.
The sweeping change to Victoria’s second-tier football landscape is expected to be a front-end agenda item at a full meeting of AFL club chief executives in Melbourne next week ahead of the league’s Round 22.
The breakaway clubs will form a stand-alone, breakaway competition with no affiliation to the existing and declining VFL.
Early details are sketchy but it appears traditional long standing power club Essendon are the prime movers in the radical plan.
Other traditional heavyweight clubs Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong,
Richmond and St Kilda are all believed to be supporting the plan.
Where clubs will get additional players to fill reserves teams from their official AFL lists of 48 players is a major hurdle yet to be ratified by influential organisers of the secession competition.
Prospects of a new reserves league are mounting on the back of growing problems with AFL-listed players playing in the VFL with affiliate teams.
AFL clubs want far greater control of their players at the second tier level in their overall development, welfare and comeback from injury plans.
In recent weeks Hawthorn superstar Luke Hodge played in the VFL at Box Hill and Carlton big man Robbie Warnock returned from injury recovery through the Blues' lower grade.
AFL clubs are understood to be confronting increasingly difficult demands with their affiliate bodies as well as immense frustrations at fixtures and unbalanced playing rosters.
It is understood that AFL clubs from outside Victoria will also be invited to join the breakaway second tier league.
West Coast Eagles and Fremantle are in a battle with their local WAFL competition major stakeholders to have their own reserves teams in the WA league from next season.
Eagles and Dockers management have been steadfastly blocked in their reserves team plan by heavy opposition from all nine WAFL clubs.
Exorbitant costs for weekly interstate travel and accommodation for the two WA-based AFL clubs is understood to be a significant drawback in early considerations to join a second-tier Victorian-based reserves competition.
Costs of West Coast and Fremantle teams travelling interstate each week of a have been estimated in excess of $2million annually, on top of their already extensive football department spending.
The strong South Australian state level authorities have also point-blank refused to consider Adelaide Crows and Port Power reserves teams in their powerful competition.
Eastern seaboard AFL clubs in Queensland and New South Wales only within the past two seasons have joined the new North Eastern AFL and are unlikely to join a Victorian-based second level competition for their reserves teams.
http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2012/08/14/new-league-push-for-afl-power-clubs/
