Brighton to stay with AFL Southern Tas.

[The Scarecrow]

Last night Roger Viney (SFL Preisdent?) annoucned that Brighton won't be leaving the AFL Southern Tas to join the ODFA, but have decided to stay with the Premier League for atleast 2004.

I'm glad the Robins dcided to stay, having one bad season, and then dropping out over it would of been a bad move. Although they would of been able to win more games I guess. This year should be a better one for them.

[Kingpin]

Brighton.

A living example of what happens when a club goes against the wishes of its supporters and messes with its tradition.

Used to be known as Mangalore when they played in the old Southern Amatuers.
Joined the STFL (now SFL or AFL South) in 1996 as a foundation member of that league.
In 1998, changed thier name to Brighton (against supporter wishes) in a deal which involved the Robins having thier new social rooms built by the Brighton Council at Thompson Oval (Pontville).
In exchange for the rooms being built, the Brighton Council asked the Robins to change thier name to Brighton.
The fairly strong Robins faithful were against it, the club went ahead and did it anyway, and they lost a large number of fans.

Despite being successful in the old STFL and then in the SFL, Brighton had a miserably small supporter base compared to what it had a few years earlier.
In the 1999 SFL Grand Final at Huonville Oval, Hobart (which itself has a fairly poor following these days) outnumbered Brighton Supporters by 15-1.
They are at a BIG disadvantage being sandwiched in between New Norfolk to the North, and Glenorchy to the South also having to compete with Claremont as well.
They will in all likelihood be in the ODFA by 2005/06 - nice people out there generally, but not enough support for a big league.

Surprised you haven't mentioned what had happened to Kempton Football Club in the ODFA, Kempton have gone into recess for 2004, following the club not having enough volunteers to run the club.
The Kempton club has adequate players and good finances, but can't find people to run it.

Eerily like what happened to SFL Premier League club Sorell Eagles in 2003, although they are now back in the Regional League this year.

Hobart in the AFL South competition, will want to be a little careful of this, they too have lost LARGE numbers of volunteers over the continuous bickering within the club, and the failure of the board of directors at the club to vigourously pursue a regaining of thier old mascot (Tigers).
I believe that, if the situation at Hobart is not resolved quickly with a positive outcome, the HFC will be almost gone within a few years.