DON’T mess with us.

That was the resounding message from Williamstown Football Club’s president Trevor Monti on Thursday, responding to suggestions that a stand-alone AFL reserves league could return.

“That suggestion would be a disaster for Victorian football and stand-alone clubs,” Monti told SEN.

“I know there’s one or two selfish coaches within the AFL who are driving the AFL reserves competition, but that would be to the disadvantage of Victorian football in a very, very substantial way.”

Particularly for Williamstown, Port Melbourne, Frankston and Coburg — the four stand-alone clubs in the current VFL system, all with a rich and diverse history.

A stand-alone AFL reserves competition would ostensibly relegate these four clubs to a third-tier competition, decimating their chances of survival.

Bill Kelty — a former AFL commissioner and union heavyweight — has finalised a review of the pathways into the AFL, with the Herald Sun confirming that a return to a reserves league is one option being tabled by the AFL Commission.

If that option was approved by the Commission, the VFL would undergo a major transformation.

media_camera Williamstown FC President Trevor Monti is strongly against the proposals. Picture: Mark Dadswell

HOW IT USED TO WORK

Up until 1999, AFL Victoria ran two competitions: the VFL and the Victorian AFL reserves competition.

But in 2000 those competitions merged to form what is now known as the VFL in order to create a better pathway system to the AFL.

Before the merger, 11 teams — Springvale, Frankston, Werribee, North Ballarat, Port Melbourne, Sandringham, Williamstown, Box Hill, Coburg, Preston and Bendigo — made up the VFL.

But not all of them survived the merger with the AFL reserves competition.

In its current format, the second-tier competition is made up of 15 teams: five AFL reserves teams, four AFL clubs with a VFL affiliation and four stand-alone teams.

media_camera Williamstown player Andrew Gallucci has been rookie drafted to Carlton. Picture: Angie Basdekis

WHAT’S THE MOTIVATION?

Speaking to the Herald Sun, AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper said the VFL’s history was one of constant adaptment.

“The VFL is a changing dynamic,” Reaper said.

“It has changed in the past decade and we don’t expect it to be the same into the future.

“The review and work Bill is doing is making sure we are interested in the right pathways.”

The issue, then, is whether the VFL is doing enough to curate AFL talent in a system that pits stand-alone clubs against clubs comprised of AFL-listed players.

What’s more, AFL teams want control.

Essendon, Collingwood, Geelong and the Bulldogs all have reserves teams and have the authority to nurture their list accordingly.

St Kilda are set to follow suit with their own reserves team in 2017, ending their affiliation with Sandringham — a relationship which has involved strict quotas preventing some St Kilda listing footballers from playing senior VFL football.

Yes, there’s a certain tension that exists between AFL teams and their VFL affiliates.

In the 2014 Box Hill v Western Bulldogs VFL grand final, for example, Cyril Rioli was given the chance to prove he was fit for the Hawks grand final the following week.

After impressing in the opening half, Rioli was benched for the majority of the second, meaning Box Hill were down a rotation.

They ended up losing the grand final.

In the eyes of Hawthorn fans, it was worth it, but for diehard Box Hill supporters the gamble may have been perceived as selfish.

True AFL reserves teams don’t have that issue — they are all striving for the same cause.

And with the drafting of Rupert Wills to Collingwood, AFL reserves teams are now another avenue for clubs to cultivate their own talent.

media_camera Port Melbourne won the VFL premiership in 2011.

IF IT AIN’T BROKE ...

Williamstown — a stand alone club — won the VFL premiership this season.

Only four years ago, in 2011, Port Melbourne did the same.

In fact, they had an unbeaten season under coach Gary Ayres.

These stand-alone clubs are then, in many respects, setting the benchmark for AFL reserves and AFL-affiliated teams.

Williamstown is turning a serious profit and employs six full-time administrative staff.

What’s more, stand-alone clubs do produce AFL talent.

In other words — or indeed Monti’s words — they do act a pathway to the big league.

“(Adam Gallucci) came to us from the TAC Cup, played two years in the development league, this year made way to senior side, and from there got rookie drafted to carlton,” Monti said.

“He’s a very, very good young footballer.

“Same with Adam Marcon who was rookie listed to Richmond.

“And the same with Kane Lambert last year, who was recruited from Williamstown, and I think has played 17 senior games for Richmond.”

Monti also said the proposed system would fail because the jump from TAC Cup footy to VFL is a jump too far.

“Most of our players and stand alone club players come from the TAC Cup into the developmental league — which is the reserves — then they make their way from VFL seniors to AFL,” he said.

“It’s a good system and a proven system.

“There’s no way players can step up from a TAC competition to an AFL reserves competition, it’s too hard, they need to be developed.”

Another issue to be considered is whether every team can afford their own stand-alone reserves team.

A number of Victorian teams continue to be propped up by the AFL because they can’t make a profit.

The idea that they would need to financially back not one but two teams seems farcical.