Ainslie's dominance has turned the club into a self-proclaimed flag factory but AFL Canberra has imposed an equalisation measure they hope will eventually turn every club into a title contender.
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The league uses a player points allowance cap with each club given 36 points to use on it's match day squad each week, however Ainslie will be forced to use 34 this season.
The Tricolours have won two straight AFL Canberra premierships since abandoning the NEAFL and the governing body is aiming to level the playing field after the six-team league turned into a four-horse race at best.
But Rourke says the league has missed the mark - the Tricolours finished second behind Belconnen last year, and suffered defeats to every top four team.
Belconnen pride themselves on the strength of the club's juniors which account for the bulk of the top side and the Magpies beat Ainslie three times in five meetings last year.
But the Tricolours won the most important one - the grand final - which sets up an intriguing grudge match between two sides that enjoy "a hate-hate relationship" at The Nest at Kippax Oval on Saturday.
"We play with two points less than everybody else, apparently because we have won six out of the last eight premierships - but that is counting two reserves ones so I’m not quite sure what that is about," Rourke said.
"We have 34 points, everyone else has 36. Everybody has to play nine juniors, not Canberra juniors, actually club juniors, and there is a soft salary cap. They’re doing a fair bit to even the comp up apparently.
"We think it’s a little bit harsh but that’s what you have to deal with. I’m not entirely sure that our competition is ready to have a club handicapped as we are but we have to roll with it.
"We’re getting an older list and they’re going to be very hard to replace in the next couple of years. You just can’t recruit.
"I’m not quite sure whether it makes the competition stronger. It will make it more even but if you look at all the lists I don’t think anyone has got any big star recruits which we used to have."
Every club has been given the directive to play a minimum of nine club juniors in first grade every week, which Rourke feels could restrict players that wish to change clubs.
But AFL Canberra community football manager Garry Lawless says the local juniors quota will "strengthen the links" between junior and senior clubs, and the cap on Ainslie will even the competition.
"The word equalisation is massive throughout every level of the AFL," Lawless said.
"I just know our sport has a desire to basically see a situation where we provide a competition and everybody that enters it, they’re an equal chance of winning that competition.
"It has [been lacking in recent years]. If you go back historically, 20 or 30 years ago you’d probably see that in most [country leagues] players were getting paid exorbitant amounts of money to play what is essentially community footy.
"That contributed greatly to the disparity between teams."
Meanwhile, the Queanbeyan Tigers will test the new lights at Margaret Donoghoe Oval in their twilight clash against the Eastlake Demons at 5pm on Saturday.
The Canberra Demons will resume their NEAFL campaign against the Redland Bombers at Scottsdale Park in Queensland on Saturday.
AFL CANBERRA ROUND ONE
Saturday: Belconnen Magpies v Ainslie Tricolours at The Nest at Kippax Oval, 2pm. Queanbeyan Tigers v Eastlake Demons at Margaret Donoghoe Oval, 5pm.
NEAFL ROUND THREE
Saturday: Redland Bombers v Canberra Demons at Scottsdale Park, 12pm.
