Quit the charade — the Magpies are dead

Magpies' Sam Colquhoun ready to dish the ball off at Alberton Oval. Picture Tom Huntley Source: News Corp Australia

THE Port Adelaide Magpies are in name only and are not the true Magpies.

Port Adelaide and the SANFL can voice their disapproval as much as they want but the charade is already over after just eight rounds.

They ceased to be the Magpies when they were given a licence to include Eagles, Roosters, Bulldogs and Tigers in the side.

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Paul Stewart is a Woodville-West Torrens product, last year Cameron Hitchcock was in the Glenelg jumper and Sam Colquhoun learned his football at Central District. State league clubs are now playing against players they developed who signed with the Power for the AFL.

The Power, just like the Crows, wanted teams in the state league so they could keep their players together. Any club with a second side calls it their reserves under the same label.

The Crows didn't come up with the Galahs or Pigeons for their second side. They stuck with the Crows and while they prefer the team be tagged its state league side, it is still acknowledged as their reserves.

So why is the Power reserves called the Magpies, especially when products of other state league programs are involved? And don't they want to be known as the one club?

The difference between the Crows and Power reserves is the more favourable conditions offered to Port Adelaide, which was allowed to retain key personnel from last year's Magpies outfit.

Next year, Port Adelaide will lose its zones and under age teams. However, the damage is already being done on the evidence of the past six weeks.

The Power reserves have won their past six games by a combined 423 points at an average of more than 70. Their past two wins were by 50 and 60 points against Sturt and South Adelaide respectively. Those two teams sat second on the ladder underneath the Power reserves going into those battles.

The Power reserves have also beaten the Eagles by 58 points. It is the Eagles' only loss.

When the Crows were given the green light to field a team in the state league and Port Adelaide was allowed to keep its reserves at Alberton and not spread throughout the competition, there were plenty of nerves of an AFL team domination.

Already clubs are relying on Power injuries to bring it back to the pack.

No doubt if the Power reserves win the grand final the club will claim it as an extension of the Magpies' proud history. Yeah, right.

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