I dont normally weigh in on topics like this but I think some information is required.

The south under 16's have been earmarked for the summer division 2 season for the past 6 months. when the competition changed to exclude the division 1 league the under 16 coaches and players were given the option to play or not.

After talking to a south assistant coach and a south committee member (there were 5 of the committee watching the game) the players, parents and committee were not disappointed with the result. In fact most of the parents were over the moon with the opportunity.

South has had a history of ignoring their juniors I think they are trying to rectify that and I say good luck, the girls are going to play every 2 or third game and work towards improving against tougher competition in order to avoid continued 80 point losses that they had during last junior season.

In fact South Adelaide contacted the Club to let us know of the 16's, we played only 3 normal ABL players,and they were u 20.
It is unfortunate that the score was so one way, but I can see method in what Glen and the Club are doing trying to push the girls.

maybe they would be better developed in div 3 or 4

desperate club, desperate players

wait til it happens week in week out.

why not put them in u21s ?

risky call putting them in as the front line team.

once the novelty wears off one can only hope reality will move in.

no problem running u16s in seniors - but as a front line player? they would have to be absoloute prodogies if i was the head coach.

if they are happy fine then

the club can do it - so it's only opinion.

glen is leading them to the promised land.

Good move if all you want if for them to stick around in juniors until you can recruit other senior players into the club that can actually play.

Not sure they even won a game in U16's last year, and regularly got pummled by 50+. Some U16 div 2 teams would beat them.

How are those bench ABA and U20 players going to improve over summer if they doent play against other teams bench ABA and U20 players.

And what happens when U20 games start and Div 2 women move to the 8.40pm and later slots. I bet forfiets will occur.

Some clubs have no idea,

The South 16 Div One girls team from this past season had 5 bottom age players. They won 4 and lost 2 by lesss than 5. They won by 30 in the final game of the season. As the season went on they improved immensely and took it right upto higher finishing Clubs. It was a tough season playing against dominant Clubs like Mav's, who had a high representative of Country State players, and Sturt, with a high representative of Metro State players,... teams who finished 2nd and 3rd in the U16 Nationals this year.

The team that took the court on Tuesday was predominantly last seasons U16 Div 2's ..getting ready for the new season.
4 of the bottom age girls from last season did not play Tuesday for various reasons but will most likely be available next game.
What happened on Tuesday was a postive experience. They will be a tougher unit for it. They are in very good hands. And, as previously stated, they will not be playing all games.
Good call..Bad call..Results in the new season will certainly indicate whether playing in W's Div 2 has been of benefit. Doing nothing would be worse.

I guess a club that struggles as much as South views things differently than the rest of us. There is no way you could call that a positive experience - there is nothing positive in a blowout of that magnitude, regardless of excuses you may have.

As for getting ready for the new season - South and its coaching staff must really be out of ideas if that's the best they can come up with.

Looks like nothing has changed with South Adelaide's policy towards their Senior Female Teams since I was last involved with the Club in the mid 1970's.

That would be because those players are capable and not forced to play without other senior players around them.

251441. What an extraordinary assumption.....that a SABC member posted the original topic.
And for what purpose or gain?
Why could it not have been a basketball punter who randomly observed the score and felt the need to comment?.
Could have been a Flames member for all we know.
The maybes are endless. Your post did more damage than any other.

Hmm, it would appear that this club is trying to change its methods, which is clearly not a bad thing. It would have been and interesting struggle on some club person's part to get a club whose policies preclude players playing up age groups ( ie an u16 into u18's) to then send a large group of u16's directly into a senior competition. At least they seem to be trying something. They are one of the oldest clubs yet seem to have the worst facilities, and are clearly the bottom ranked district junior girls club. How you can get to change that is a good question. At least they do not seem to be in denial.