The SANFL is ready to kick into a new era after the biggest changes to its structure since the Adelaide Football Club was formed at the end of 1990 to enter the AFL.
Ten teams will again compete in the competition after the addition of the Crows State League team, while the Port Adelaide Magpies are now officially the support team for Port Adelaide in the AFL.
The SANFL also returns to free-to-air television on the back of a new deal with Channel Seven and there are seven new coaches and many new players in a competition widely respected for its talent and professionalism.
Norwood, the 2013 premier, starts the season tonight against traditional rival Port Adelaide, at Coopers Stadium. The opening round concludes on Sunday when the Crows make their debut against North Adelaide at Prospect Oval.
A team named Adelaide last played in the South Australian competition in 1893, seven years after winning the association premiership.
Crows captain Ian Callinan – a four-time SANFL premiership player with Central District – expects strong competition for the flag.
All the player movement and changes make it hard to predict how the season will unfold.
“I think the Eagles look really sharp and they’ve been able to recruit really well, and they didn’t finish too far away last year. So they’re obviously one who will be thereabouts,” Callinan said.
“I’ve seen Centrals play in a trial game, they look pretty good as well. They’ve gone on pretty big recruiting drive as well. So I could see them up there as well.
“And obviously Norwood as well is another one, they’ve won the last two flags so I can’t see them dropping down too far.”
The opposition:
Norwood
Last year: Premiers
Coach: Ben Warren
Major ins: James Allan (North), Callum Bartlett (Brisbane), Alex Forster (Fremantle), Angus Clarke
Major outs: Brett Zorzi, Ben Warren, Mat Suckling (retired), Mitch Grigg (Adelaide), James Aish (Brisbane), Matt Fuller (Western Bulldogs), Trent Dumont (North Melbourne), Orazio Fantasia (Essendon), Matt Thomas (Richmond), Alex Georgiou (Melbourne), Darren Pfeiffer (Queensland), Lewis Stevenson, Brent Renouf (Port Adelaide).
After two years at the top, Norwood has its challenges in 2014 after the loss of premiership coach Nathan Bassett and a stack of league players including 2013 Magarey Medallist Matthew Thomas. But new coach Ben Warren – who has retired after playing in the two premierships - inherited a team that had enviable depth. The Redlegs have also added a couple of talented midfield recruits in triple Magarey Medallist James Allan and former Brisbane Lion Callum Bartlett. Alex Forster returns to The Parade after a stint with Fremantle.
Central District
Last year: Fifth
Coach: Roy Laird
Major ins: Tim McIntyre (Sturt/Crows rookie), Bryce Retzlaff (Brisbane/Box Hill), Jacob Gilbee (Gold Coast), Justin Hoskin (Port)
Major outs: James Boyd (Eagles), Brayden O’Hara (Albury), Alan Obst (North), Jacob Templeton (Eagles), Justin Hardy (West)
After more than a decade of extraordinary domination, Central District has lost its past three finals and has lost its air of invincibility. The departure of best-and-fairest winner Brayden O’Hara and star midfielder James Boyd will be hard to cover but the experience of Brad Symes, Paul Thomas, Trent Goodrem and Ryan Williams will be important if its run of finals appearances is to continue. Former Crows rookie Tim McIntyre has made the switch to Central and hopes to spend more time in the midfield.
Glenelg
Last year: Ninth
Coach: Nick Stevens
Major ins: Aaron Joseph (Carlton), Sam Lonergan (Essendon/Richmond), Mitch Thorp (South Launceston), Patrick McCarthy (Carlton), Nathan Stark (Melbourne), Clint Alleway (North Adelaide/overseas), Josh Scott (Gippsland Power).
Major outs: Jason Davenport (Melbourne), Kane Tenace (Melbourne), Ben Mules (retired), Ryan McInerney (work), Tim Walsh (work), Matt Scharenberg (Collingwood), Jarryd Lyons, Sam Shaw, Shaun McKernan (Adelaide), Cameron Hitchcock, Tom Clurey (Port Adelaide), Riley Milne (West Adelaide).
Some strong recruiting has Glenelg confident it can rise from the bottom of the premiership table this year. Former Carlton midfielder Aaron Joseph appeals as a nice addition to the midfield and there will also be interest in the form of forward Mitch Thorp, an early AFL draft pick who coached South Launceston to a flag in Tasmania last year and is still hoping to play his way back into the AFL. Former North Adelaide captain Clint Alleway also adds to the side’s forward options.
South Adelaide
Last season: Eighth
Coach: Brad Gotch
Major ins: Frazer Dale (Carlton), Matthew Rankine (West Adelaide)
Major outs: Michael Wundke (Eagles), Kyle Hartigan (Adelaide), Mason Shaw (Port)
Brad Gotch takes on the senior coaching role at South and will need all of his experience to lift the Club up the premiership table. Leading goalkicker Michael Wundke is a big loss for the Panthers while Hartigan finished third in the club’s best-and-fairest and will also be missed.
Sturt
Last season: Seventh
Coach: Seamus Maloney
Major ins: Rory Taggert (Melbourne), Kory Beard, Zane Kirkwood, James Watt (Port Adelaide).?
Major outs: Luke Crane (retired), Adam Thomson (Yankalilla), Angus Graham, Rory Atkins, Matthew Jaensch, Brodie Martin, James Battersby (Adelaide), Aidan Riley (Melbourne).
Sturt was hit hardest by the introduction of Adelaide’s new SANFL side, losing several Crows who played regularly in 2013. It did, however, retain former Crow Richard Tambling and recruit Zane Kirkwood, Korey Beard and James Watt from the Magpies.
North Adelaide
Last season: Second
Coach: Ken McGregor
Major ins: Rhys O’Keefe, Luke Mitchell (Carlton), Jesse O’Brien (Brisbane), Alex Barns, Tom Sandercock, Corey Grove, Ryan Blundell (Port Adelaide), Alan Obst (Central District).
Major outs: Lewis Johnston, Matthew Wright, Alex Spina (Adelaide), Andrew Moore, Mitch Harvey (Port Adelaide), George Hewett (Sydney), Daniel Stewart (Melbourne), Nathan Blee (East Perth), Nathan Gordon (Richmond), Tom Langford (personal reasons), Daniel Archer (Victoria), Tim Delvins (work), Kriston Thompson (CMS Crows), Matthew Westhoff (country).
A powerful forward line helped carry North Adelaide all the way to the grand final last year but new coach Ken McGregor has to find some new scoring options for 2014. Crow Lewis Johnston and Nathan Gordon are the biggest losses but the return of former juniors Jesse O’Brien and Rhys O’Keefe is a bonus for the midfield.
West Adelaide
Last season: Third
Coach Mark Mickan
Major ins: Justin Hardy (Central District), Andrew Hayes (Port Adelaide), Richard Newell (Brisbane), Ben Fisher (Walpeup-Underbool), Kaine Stevens (NEAFL), Riley Milne (Glenelg).
Major outs: Ryan Ferguson (Williamstown), Brad Mangan (Williamstown), Joel Tippett (North Melbourne), Zac Bates (Geelong), Matthew Rankine (South Adelaide).
The SANFL journey of Mark Mickan took another twist when he was appointed as West Adelaide’s new coach. Having previously coached the Eagles and Glenelg, the inaugural Crows club champion is now in charge of the Club where he started his playing career in 1981. The loss of Ryan Ferguson and Joel Tippett will be difficult to cover but the team still has a good spread of experienced talent, led by former Crow Chris Schmidt, James Ezard, Jonathon Beech and Travis Tuck.
Port Adelaide
Last season: Sixth
Coach: Garry Hocking
The team lining up in the Magpies guernsey this year will have very little in common with the 2013 side. As the AFL Port Adelaide’s new State League side, there will be an influx of AFL-listed players who have not played in the black-and-white. There will be some familiar SANFL names, including Steve Summerton and rookie-listed Sam Gray, who finished runner-up in the Magarey Medal count last year. But many of the team’s best players from last year, including Zane Kirkwood and Kory Beard, have left Alberton and joined other clubs.
Woodville-West Torrens
Last season: Fourth
Coach: Michael Godden
Major ins: Michael Wundke (South), James Boyd (Central), Jacob Templeton (Central).
Major outs: Luke Dunstan (St Kilda), Malcolm Karpany (West Coast) Nick Salter (Ainslie), Cameron Giles (Carlton), Luke Thompson, Riley Knight, Jared Petrenko, Cameron Ellis-Yolmen (Adelaide), Lee Staple (overseas), Craig Parry, Daniel Kirk, Aaron Day (retired), Campbell Heath, Kane Mitchell (Port Adelaide), Zac Fitzgerald (country), Nick Joyce (country).
A straight set exit from the 2013 finals after leading in both games was a bitter end to what had been a strong season. The Eagles have lost all of their ‘host’ AFL players, some outstanding juniors to the AFL and influential ruckman Craig Parry but picked up key forward Michael Wundke and lively midfielder James Boyd. Wundke will join Andrew Ainger and Adam Grocke in a formidable forward line.
