Adelaide United Women's Football Club to Enter the WNPL

[sportsbird]

AUWFC are planning to enter the team in the WNPL in 2017 or 2018. The push is to enter this year.
The word has it that the FFSA has initially given the initial thumbs up to allow AUWFC to enter their team without meeting the criteria.
However, there will be restrictions that AUWFC have to adhere to such as SA players only, (no overseas or interstate players).
There are also looking at allowing three to four WNPL players from each club.
The NTC may be the reserves team for AUWFC.
Watch this space.

[alwaysoffside]

AUWFC are planning to enter the team in the WNPL in 2017 or 2018. The push is to enter this year.
The word has it that the FFSA has initially given the initial thumbs up to allow AUWFC to enter their team without meeting the criteria.
However, there will be restrictions that AUWFC have to adhere to such as SA players only, (no overseas or interstate players).
There are also looking at allowing three to four WNPL players from each club.
The NTC may be the reserves team for AUWFC.
Watch this space.

Great news
Just not sure why AU are being nobbled at every turn when trying to create
pathways.
Look at the ridiculous restrictions imposed on AU over the last few years
in men's local comp.

[United We Stand]

AUWFC are planning to enter the team in the WNPL in 2017 or 2018. The push is to enter this year.
The word has it that the FFSA has initially given the initial thumbs up to allow AUWFC to enter their team without meeting the criteria.
However, there will be restrictions that AUWFC have to adhere to such as SA players only, (no overseas or interstate players).
There are also looking at allowing three to four WNPL players from each club.
The NTC may be the reserves team for AUWFC.
Watch this space.

I hope that this happens for 2017. I have said it all along that the inadequate pre-season and selection process have contributed to the club's results in the W-League this season. Keeping the local girls together by entering a team in the NPL is a far more professional way to go. The coach can work on his game plan and playing style and study and develop the players over an extended period of time. It also doubles up as a "trial" for the local girls as the United coach is watching not only his local girls in his squad, but also see other girls from the NPL sides in action. Any girl that really catches the eye consistently can be signed to add to the W-League squad. The only negative reaction will be from the clubs that will lose some of their best players. It is the best way to determine who the best local girls are for the W-League season.

[Lucas Leiva]

A great idea, but once again the timing of such an endeavour leaves much to be desired. You'd imagine some clubs would be left in a small lurch if they lost 3-4 of their most prized assets.

Each club has either begun pre-season or about to, and all official information has been released indicating an 8 team competition and who those 8 teams are.

If this were to happen I would be confused why the FFSA didn't hold the 8th spot recently handed to Campbelltown for AUWFC.

However having said all this, like the Men's NPL experienced over the last two years with AUFC entering the competition you can't make everyone happy and can't get everything smooth and well adjusted, sometimes you just need to press ahead.

[the barbarian]

IMO, if this proposal goes ahead, once again clubs get the raw end of the stick, Most Clubs will lose their best young players, and if that is not bad enough then they will need to play against them and competition will most likely be very one sided, with AU dominating. What is the point of the other clubs competing. Metro probably will not be affected as much as other clubs, as not many if any of their players want to play at AU, also not all players desire or want to play for AU.
Then also if AU do not need to meet the criteria of wnpl(probably,mainly related to junior teams) then the other clubs should also not need to meet the criteria, as all they are then really doing is developing junior players for AU to eventually play for AU against them.
Also all clubs have had their trials with squads selected for 2017, but these clubs squads will change dramatically if players are required to play for AU.
Would make things very difficult for clubs to replace their better players, with players of an appropriate standard to play in the WNPL.I would imagine if this was brought in for the 2017 season without I suspect once again any consultation with clubs, most clubs would be very disappointed, angry, annoyed and frustrated with the ffsa at the late notice. (But Hey Whats new)

IMO if the ffsa and AU want the AU squad/team to play together a more sensible situation again would possibly be for AU to play in an appropriate junior boys competition were I would expect the standard would be a bit better than the WNPL.

[The General]

If I can add my 5cents worth

My first thoughts when I read this, ridiculous idea, someone is just stirring me thinks.
All the clubs that work hard to develop their players to try and play at the highest level only to have them taken away and play against them, does not make sense.

What happens if this team does not win the league, will the team that finished top be our W League team ?
Will they be expected to win the league, therefore creating a situation where any 50/50 decisions during a games, referees be more inclined to favor the one team over all the others ?

The players that are not selected in the squad each week, be able to play for their club that week.

If this was to happen ( nothing surprises me ) they should start in the State League, in 2018, leave the NPL alone.
But then you pose the question, is this is to become just another development squad, and we all now how much we need another one of those .

On a different matter, if all the current W league players are to stay in SA for the WNPL season, are they all going to one or two clubs and make the NPL a lopsided competition, or will common sense prevail and the FFSA distribute players among all the WNPL and make for a more even competition - kind of like what they are doing with the women's afl comp.

[themagnet]

IMO, if this proposal goes ahead, once again clubs get the raw end of the stick, Most Clubs will lose their best young players, and if that is not bad enough then they will need to play against them and competition will most likely be very one sided, with AU dominating. What is the point of the other clubs competing. Metro probably will not be affected as much as other clubs, as not many if any of their players want to play at AU, also not all players desire or want to play for AU.
Then also if AU do not need to meet the criteria of wnpl(probably,mainly related to junior teams) then the other clubs should also not need to meet the criteria, as all they are then really doing is developing junior players for AU to eventually play for AU against them.
Also all clubs have had their trials with squads selected for 2017, but these clubs squads will change dramatically if players are required to play for AU.
Would make things very difficult for clubs to replace their better players, with players of an appropriate standard to play in the WNPL.I would imagine if this was brought in for the 2017 season without I suspect once again any consultation with clubs, most clubs would be very disappointed, angry, annoyed and frustrated with the ffsa at the late notice. (But Hey Whats new)

IMO if the ffsa and AU want the AU squad/team to play together a more sensible situation again would possibly be for AU to play in an appropriate junior boys competition were I would expect the standard would be a bit better than the WNPL.

Agreed. Clubs have gone through their selection processes already and would be severely weakened if 3-4 players moved into an AU team. And to add insult to injury, then have to play against this team which has taken the top 3-4 players from each club.
I honestly don't think it would be all that beneficial for the AU team to play in a weakened WNPL either. While I agree that they need to play together for longer and it will give the coach more opportunity to develop the team, playing in a comp where they aren't really going to be challenged defeats the purpose. South Australia doesn't have the depth to pull off something like this.

[snow white]

For Adelaide United to enter a team at this point and take 16 of the best players out of competing clubs (and without any compensation) is a short sighted idea.

Adelaide United is a standalone club, albeit that their senior men's side compete in the A League.

If they want to enter into the WNPL, then they should meet the criteria that the other clubs must meet re junior sides.

If they want to take players who have already registered with their clubs for 2017, if those players want to leave, the clubs should receive compensation like what happens all around the world.

In theory this team would also dominate the WNPL and every time a player steps up from another club, they would be taken away from those clubs. Hardly fair or competitive.

Remember also that comparisons to the men and Adelaide United playing in those leagues, is not comparing apples with apples. The men have a much larger pool of players to select from. There are only 8 WNPL clubs for Adelaide United to plunder from. FFSA already take the cream of the juniors into their sides. How many players can be taken from that small pool of clubs before it becomes too much>

The best option and one that worked effectively in the past, is for United to train throughout the year with their squad, allow their players to play with clubs and then enter the lady reds in a junior boys competition. How that would work now with Friday night games would be logistically more difficult, but something to work through.