At the last delegates meeting it was voted 7 to 2 for an 18 game season starting late feb/early mar. With the NBL season starting early next year due to the 2006 Commonwealth games 27 was never really an option however 22 was but was defeated by the vote listed above. It is hard to believe that 14 out of 20 ABL coaches think that playing lwess games is better for the development of our players.

The two clubs that voted for a 27 game saeson were Forestville and south, and even with the commonwealth games 27 games was possible...just needed more double headers...not hard really. However I don't think it is the coaches choice but more the clubs. Most clubs don't think they have the volunteers to be able to host 4 or 5 more home games which is an absolute joke.

Most teams have already started training which means that by the start of the season the teams would have been training for almost 5 months. To train for that long and only get to play 18 games is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other 8 clubs should be ashamed of themselves. If South Adelaide can get the numbers to make it happen, then everyone else should be able to. Well done South and Forestville.

BASA or whoever is in charge of the situation should just make it a 27 game season. If it was just forced on the clubs, then i'm sure each and every club would just make it happen. The fact that these clubs get to vote, just gives them the easy way out.

How is our conference going to be able to keep up with the rest if we are playing 18 games while other teams are playing 30+ games, and as is in the case in Vic 50+ games.

I expect better from clubs like Sturt, North, Woodville, and West! Get your act together!

mid court screen I could not agree with you more I think you should get yourself a job as your Club's senior delegate

It's not as simple as that. In addition to the timing issues, you have to take into account referees and volunteers (eg stats, bench, door keepers) who simply won't commit to an extra 50% on top of the time they already put in. I thought the 22 game option was the best.

Mid Court Screen,

What comp in Victoria plays 50+ games? Last year SEABL played 28, Big V played 22.

Additionally, QABL played 20 and Warratah played 19.

So we do have the fewest games per season, but not by the margin that you implied. 28, 22, 20, 19, 18 - we're not that far off the mark.

mid court screen as a volunteer for woodville and in the past STOP I speak for myself and not for any other volunteer.

I have scored for Woodville since 1989 in that time I have travelled to all home and away games from gawler to christies, to murray bridge when they played there and even to barmera and renmark all at my own expense. I turn up every woodville home games now as home teams have to supply scoretable officals and stats

I have willingly given my time to my club for free. take in travel time and the time to do two fully timed games we are giving up either all of sunday afternoon or all of a saturday night.

I am the first to admit that scoring for my club has brought me great rewards in national league and international tournaments but even as a paid chairperson the money is only adequate to pay for my coffee and my petrol. And only the chairperson gets paid not the club people. we do it for the love of the game and the love of our clubs.

then we take into affect the canteen workers / the bar people the door keeper the people who set up the stadium who clean up after, the ones who prepare the suppers.

they are often the same people week in and week out who continue do give for their clubs many and many unpaid hours. i know in the past many of the suppers supplied have often also been supplemented at the volunteers expense.

the players don't pay to get in, they in the most part get paid to play.

maybe there is more to the game than simply the players.

and btw I am not on Woodville's Management Committee anymore those comments were wholly from my perspective not the club.

As also a Woodville club volunteer (stats) I echo Lyn's comments about the time we already put in (granted, I have only been doing it for a season)....but a lot of also volunteer at National levels as well, and to say that it isnt good enough that MOST clubs voted against it because they couldnt get volunteers isnt good enough, well frankly, the comment really annoys me.

Great that 2 clubs have the people to be able to do it, it would be wonnderful to see more people volunteering time for their club.

Also like Lyn, my comments are purely personal, and in no way are comments or thoughts of the Woodville club.

Lyn stated, "I know in the past many of the suppers supplied have often also been supplemented at the volunteers expense."

Not recently! My mail is that the Woodville players supply the supper themselves. Who else would think toasted sandwiches and party pies are the "in thing"? Then again, they're far from the worst going around (but this topic has already been done to death ...... next!).

easy rider...your comment about senior club delegate was or is tongue in cheek i take it.

after all any delegate for any club should be voting on behalf of the club on an issue already discussed by the club at management level.

and south adelaide has a stadium that unlike the dome does not require a huge effort to move scoretable, stats bench, players benches and backboards into postion then the added movement of the northern side of the stadium moved out for the games to provide seating and back to give access for training

i don't mind giving my time to the game as i've said i have scored for the club since 1989 but i really do mind when people who think that the season should be extended and think that people like me who do have other things to do with our lives, should give up more of our time unrewarded just because they think 'volunteers' should be able to be found.

moses 'in the past' as i've said i've been around the club since 1989 .................. ask some of the ex managers and see how they managed to make $20 (to use a figure) conjure up a $30 supper.

and besides did i say this past season?