Croydon

[romarios shin]

This is a left field idea but.....
They need to expand the WNPL to 12 or 14 teams
Push 4 of these 5 teams up from the WSL
Campbelltown
Grove
Vista
Jets or Jags

These 5 teams are quite clearly streets ahead of the rest of the competition in WSL

Then merge WSL with DIv 1 to create another 12 team division.

Scrap the WSL reserves and allow the U17 Junior girls comp to be stronger

just an idea

6 of the 8 teams in D1 are WNPL sides. The women's competitions are structured very different to the men's amateur competitions.

Fair point but there has to be a way to restructure because at the moment its just not working at that level.

[Marinos]

This is a left field idea but.....
They need to expand the WNPL to 12 or 14 teams
Push 4 of these 5 teams up from the WSL
Campbelltown
Grove
Vista
Jets or Jags

These 5 teams are quite clearly streets ahead of the rest of the competition in WSL

Then merge WSL with DIv 1 to create another 12 team division.

Scrap the WSL reserves and allow the U17 Junior girls comp to be stronger

just an idea

6 of the 8 teams in D1 are WNPL sides. The women's competitions are structured very different to the men's amateur competitions.

Fair point but there has to be a way to restructure because at the moment its just not working at that level.

It's actually relatively easy. A friend in Victoria told me that they basically have no Reserves comp at WNPL level. So just go 1st team & U17s - that will release about 100 players from the WNPL into the WSL tier almost instantly, enough for at least 6 full squads.

[BAGGIO 15]

What would the result of this be in SA?

How big should WNPL squads be and if you don't get selected to play WNPL or need to top up game time do players drop to D1 should the club have them?
D1 just becomes your reserves, but by a different name.

Currently the gap between Reserves and WNPL is massive.
They gap would grow even more if the next team down from WNPL were U17's.
U17's players ages range from 14yo - 17yo players.
Tough to promote internally.

[Marinos]

What would the result of this be in SA?

How big should WNPL squads be and if you don't get selected to play WNPL or need to top up game time do players drop to D1 should the club have them?
D1 just becomes your reserves, but by a different name.

Currently the gap between Reserves and WNPL is massive.
They gap would grow even more if the next team down from WNPL were U17's.
U17's players ages range from 14yo - 17yo players.
Tough to promote internally.

Don't disagree with your points. I think they made it a U19 comp in VIC to deal with this. They also made their D1 equivalent to the 4th tier by having a VPL in between. If someone is 20 and not in your first team is it not better they be given the chance to go elsewhere and compete at a senior level rather than "encouraged" to play a virtual 4th tier?

[BAGGIO 15]

The difficulty is not every player in that 20yio bracket wants to change club.
Many just want to play with their friends.
That's a big difference between the men's and women's leagues.

No perfect solution.

[romarios shin]

Based on current positions

WNPL 2025
West Adelaide
Comets
NTC
Birkalla
Adelaide City
Metro
Inter
Flinders
Uni
Sturt/Jets
Campbelltown
Vista
Elizabeth Grove
Adelaide Jaguars

WSL 2025
Jets/Sturt
Strikers
South Adelaide
Cove
Fulham
Croydon
Pembroke - Currently 3rd in Div 1
Ghan - currently 4th in Div 1
East Adelaide - Currently 1st Div 2
BOSA - currently 2nd Div 2

Div 1 2025
Uni
Comets
Flinders
City
Birks
Metro
UniSA
Cobras

WSL would be a bit more competitive, i would scrap the WSL reserves most of those teams apart from Jets are struggling to field a team and players are either playing both games or they are using older junior players to bench. creates a stronger comp for all

[BAGGIO 15]

Don't mind it. More pathways the better.

[Marinos]

Based on current positions

WNPL 2025
West Adelaide
Comets
NTC
Birkalla
Adelaide City
Metro
Inter
Flinders
Uni
Sturt/Jets
Campbelltown
Vista
Elizabeth Grove
Adelaide Jaguars

WSL 2025
Jets/Sturt
Strikers
South Adelaide
Cove
Fulham
Croydon
Pembroke - Currently 3rd in Div 1
Ghan - currently 4th in Div 1
East Adelaide - Currently 1st Div 2
BOSA - currently 2nd Div 2

Div 1 2025
Uni
Comets
Flinders
City
Birks
Metro
UniSA
Cobras

WSL would be a bit more competitive, i would scrap the WSL reserves most of those teams apart from Jets are struggling to field a team and players are either playing both games or they are using older junior players to bench. creates a stronger comp for all

I'm all for making WSL more competitive but 14 teams in WNPL would be extremely uncompetitive. Will go back to the days of when Campbelltown conceded 200 goals in a season - shouldn't be happening in the top tier.

[nathanburns15]

Went out and watcehd the Grove v Campelltown game and was impressed with quality. Could have easily been mistaken for an a WNPL game.

[united92]

Perhaps clubs simply shouldn't enter a team in the "elite levels" which is regarded as WNPL and WSL if they aren't going to put any effort, money or time into it.
How people turn this on FSA is absurd in my opinion.
Croydon entered the team. It's not the fault of FSA that Croydon allowed a mass exodus of players and didn't replace them to the standard expected of an elite level competition.

If they meet the criteria to join that competition, then it's up to the club to put the effort in and ensure they aren't a laughing stock.

[SwandelPark]

Stop making too much sense!

[Olimpico]

What happened to the Fulham vs Croydon match? Disappeared from dribl.

[Rightside]

Result now showing, 2-0 loss, great to see they had a close match.

Fulham's fall from grace on the other hand is very concerning but has been overshadowed by Croydon.

Unsure when/if at all they can return to WNPL.

[romarios shin]

i think Fulham are going to bottom out and it will be a long time before they return to WNPL, they seem to have a young squad but there are too many teams that are much better than them at the moment.

[Olimpico]

6 of the 8 teams in D1 are WNPL sides. The women's competitions are structured very different to the men's amateur competitions.

Fair point but there has to be a way to restructure because at the moment its just not working at that level.

It's actually relatively easy. A friend in Victoria told me that they basically have no Reserves comp at WNPL level. So just go 1st team & U17s - that will release about 100 players from the WNPL into the WSL tier almost instantly, enough for at least 6 full squads.

This seems a solid way forward, scrapping reserves. I'd add a third division and make all three divs eight teams, playing each team three times. With a 10 team comp at the moment the gaps between teams are too big. Having another div to find their appropriate level seems healthier.

Currently 19 reserves teams. Would be pretty easy for some of those players to flow onto four other clubs to join div 3. I saw a post about the girls just wanting to play with friends... that's a mentality that needs sacrificing at this level, let's get serious.

[juniorsupporter]

I understand there are huge gaps in State League and that a reserves competition at that level is barely sustainable. But the WNPL is more competitive than it's been in awhile, imo. I know Westies are top of the table, but these last four games will see them more vulnerable and I think any team can beat anyone on the day. Even Sturt, who is bottom, have been holding their own lately. Ten teams in the competition is good- having seen 8 in the past it gets really monotonous- some teams play each other, between league and cup, up to six times in a season. Nobody wants that. I think 10 works.

Croydon should have been allowed, at the beginning of the season, to drop. It does nobody any good to have a team that is so much worse than everyone else in the competition. I don't know what the solution for the State League Competition going forward is, but WNPL is pretty healthy.

[BAGGIO 15]

10 teams is far better.

Very competitive league season.