State League competition update

Update on the SANFL Statewide Super League,
Women’s League and AFL Club list rules
for Season 2021

SANFL has advised SANFL Clubs and the Adelaide and Port Adelaide Football Clubs that the South Australian Football Commission ratified the following recommendations presented at its meeting earlier today:

SANFL Statewide Super League (men’s)

• 2021 season will be scheduled to commence on the Easter Weekend (Thursday, April 1 – Sunday, April 4)
• The season will consist of 18 home and away matches and three bye rounds
• The Finals Series will revert to a top 5 played over four weeks
• The match program will be released in late January/early February and will be dependent on the AFL fixture release.

SANFL Statewide Super Women’s League

• Season to commence on the weekend of February 27
• The season length will be increased to 11 minor round matches (from 10 in 2020)
• Matches to be played on the Easter Weekend
• Full match program to be released in January

Adelaide and Port Adelaide list rules and match conditions

The following recommendations were ratified by the Commission with regards to the participation of Adelaide and Port Adelaide in the Statewide Super League in 2021:

• Any player who has been on an AFL list in the past two seasons will be ineligible to be on Adelaide or Port Adelaide’s SANFL supplementary list
• Adelaide and Port Adelaide player match payments will be reduced in line with salary cap reductions applicable to SANFL Clubs. These include:
  • A reduction of the two AFL clubs’ total supplementary base payments from $10,000 a season to $5,000, inclusive of a reduction from $2,000 to $1,000 in maximum individual base payments. 
  • Each player only to be paid a maximum match payment of $250, down from $450 in 2019.
  • Reductions for Adelaide and Port Adelaide’s nominated Marquee Player, with a new $15,000 base payment and $300 match payment a decrease on the $20,000 and $500 permitted in 2019.

• Finals eligibility – AFL-listed players now will be required to play a higher percentage of minor round matches in the SANFL than AFL, as well as playing a minimum of three games after the halfway point of the minor round.