The Power and Magpies are in the process of presenting their merger model to all relevant parties, including the Crows and the eight other SANFL clubs.
The parties will vote on the issue later this month with a majority vote needed for the merger to go ahead.
The model is based largely around the amalgamation of ‘back-house’ operations and the consolidation of debt between the two clubs, but it’s the onfield implications that the Crows are most interested in.
The initial merger model, which was developed before Christmas, had the Port Adelaide Magpies staying in the SANFL, but as the Power’s reserves side.
The Power and Magpies have since revised the model, so that both teams will retain their own identity and jumper while still operating under the one Port Adelaide banner.
The Crows were presented with the merger model on Friday, but Trigg said the club would go over the proposal carefully before forming its stance on the issue.
“I’m not sure we have the right to put our two bob in, in regards to what happens with the Magpies because that’s up to the [SANFL] League clubs and the Commission. What we are most interested in is if there’s an upside in competitive balance for the Power then we would expect the same,” Trigg said.
“I know that phase one [of the merger model] had what you would call very definitely a reserves side. It looks as though that’s been diluted significantly so we just need to digest what it actually means.”
The current ‘reserves’ system in South Australia sees Crows and Power-listed players, not selected to play in the AFL team, divvied up between all nine SANFL clubs.
Trigg said there was a competitive advantage to be gained by having a bona fide reserves side.
“This football club worked really hard in trying to get a reserves side [in 1991]… but through the late-90s we probably backed away from that because we learned to live with the system,” he said.
“If Port Adelaide was to get a reserves side we would expect to get a reserves side because it’s only fair and reasonable.
“If there isn’t to be an actual entity playing as a reserves side then we would just like to see what it means in terms of the relationship between the two clubs.”
Trigg was at Max Basheer Reserve on Monday to talk about a relationship of a different kind, with Westpac signing a five-year deal for the naming rights of the club’s new $21 million training and entertainment facility.
Coach Neil Craig and skipper Simon Goodwin arrived for training via helicopter to mark the occasion.
Port Adelaide is still without a major sponsor just days out from the start of the NAB Cup.
