Port Adelaide are willing to be the only AFL club without a reserves side, but only for one more year.

Port next year will be the sole AFL club without its own reserves side after home town rivals Adelaide struck a deal to field a reserves team in South Australia’s second-tier competition, the SANFL.

The Power rejected an offer to form a reserves side and join the SANFL, a decision complicated by the Port Adelaide Magpies playing in the state league.

The Power and Magpies maintain they’re one club, despite operating as separate entities in different competitions.

The Power want a reserves team in the SANFL so they can join every other AFL club and groom their players under the AFL club’s desired playing style.

Currently, Power and Crows players overlooked for AFL selection play in various SANFL clubs – a system which the AFL clubs believe is a disadvantage because they’re all playing under various game styles with differing demands.

But the Power are unwilling to create a reserves side in the SANFL under the same conditions accepted by the Crows, arguing they will have to give up the Magpies’ SANFL recruitment zones and junior programs.

“Given that next year our AFL program will be the only one without a dedicated development team, we are committed to finding a solution that meets all of our criteria,” Port chief executive Keith Thomas said in a statement on Friday.

Power coach Ken Hinkley said he’s content with the decision, but wants a reserves side playing somewhere in 2015.

“We’re happy to go with the status quo but in 2015 we need to have our own team,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.

“It’s to support our team and our football community. That is what we’re about – we’re a community. If that means waiting for 12 months, we will wait.”