NICK DILLON
RIVERLAND Football League clubs will need to adapt to a sliding scale system for the Approved Player Points System (APPS) in 2021 and beyond.
The RFL voted earlier in the year to adapt a sliding scale, which will affect the number and quality of players a club can recruit, and it was ratified at the league’s annual general meeting on Monday night.
Under the current system, each club is allocated 13 points per season. Generally, players transferring from another club are worth three points, limiting how many each club can recruit.
However, under a sliding scale, teams that perform well over the previous three years will be docked points in an attempt to equalise the competition.
Last year’s grand finalists Waikerie (10 points) and Renmark (11) will be hit hardest, but given both clubs have been clever with their recruiting in recent years they are unlikely to be affected greatly.
Loxton North and Barmera-Monash will receive one less point than the maximum, while Berri and Loxton will receive the full allotment in 2021.
RFL chairman Shane Uren said the league and clubs had discussed the sliding scale concept – which is used by a majority of country leagues – at great length.
“There was some pretty robust debate around it, but it got voted on and passed,” he said.
“We brought it in as a by-law, but we wanted to confirm it at the AGM.
“There were a couple of clubs that were a little bit unsure about it, but they’re aware of how they need to operate now in 2021 and beyond.”
Mr Uren hoped the sliding scale would have limited effect in 2021, but would have more of an impact in the long term.
“We don’t see it being too much of a change because the top clubs aren’t using many points anyway,” he said.
“It also aligns us with other leagues. And we need to follow best practice with community football elsewhere.
“It may impact one or two clubs who haven’t been able to retain players, but if that’s the case then we’ll certainly look at assisting clubs with points required.
“We’ve also put things in place so if someone moves to town then we’d look at allowing those people to get to their club.”
Independent clubs will continue to received their full points moving forward.
“Independents have a different requirement being a more transient competition,” Mr Uren said.
“Given the requirement for those clubs to fill sides each year with players lots more likely to come and go, we feel they need to have their full point allocation each year.”
Meanwhile, there was no change to the RFL commission at Monday night’s AGM.
In one of the smoothest RFL AGM’s in recent history, competition programs were ratified and few changes were made across the board.
One of the few issues to arise was the shortening of the A grade half time break to make COVID-adherence protocols easier. Junior grades will also stop using changerooms to allow for easier cleaning.

HOW IT WORKS
A grade winning percentages over the previous three years a