View Full Version : SANFL - NTFL talks on once again
raboyle
15 Oct 2007, 23:04
NT will be in local league
2009 the year, says SANFL boss
Michael McGuire, Sunday Mail 14/10/07
The Northern Territory will have a team in either the South Australian or Western Australian state football leagues by 2009, according to SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker. The AFL-NT met with him and the SANFL last Monday to discuss a team joining the local competition and another meeting will be held next month.
At the same time AFL-NT officials are also meeting with the WAFL to consider which league would be the best option. "We have indicated thatour league and our clubs would be keen to explore the option for a Northern Territory team to join the SANFL as a 10th team," Whicker said. "It would bring a whole new level of excitement to our competition. The work they (the AFL-NT) have done over the last 12 months shows there is sufficient support from governments and the private sector that it could be a realistic proposition where it wasn't 10 years ago."
The SANFL has not had a 10-team league since Woodville and West Torrens merged in the 1991 season. A new team would simplify the league, get rid of the bye and reduce the season from 23 weeks to 18 weeks, with each team playing the other twice. The SANFL had been hoping to attract a Tasmanian team to SA but that plan collapsed when the Tasmanians elected to remain part of the Victorian Football League.
Carlton chairman and billionaire businessman Dick Pratt is believed to have committed funding to the NT project while the Federal Government and the AFL are also supportive. The AFL-NT has previously indicated it would need about $1.2 million a year to run a team in the SANFL. AFL-NT chief executive Tony Frawley said he was confident a team could be in the SA or WA league by 2009 and expected to have the funding bedded down over the next four-to-six weeks. "We are very positive, we have done a lot of in-depth investigation," he said.
Mr Whicker said that including a team from the NT, which would play games out of both Alice Springs and Darwin, would be more than just a football team. He said the team would help raise spirits and living standards in remote communities and also give young, talented footballers a chance to develop a career in the game without the need to leave their home. "It would also give our players a chance to play in a different part of Australia," he said.
Mr Whicker said one of the strongest considerations for the AFL-NT was how competitive it would be in either of hte State leagues. He said the SANFL was considered to be a much stronger competition than the WAFL and the NT officials were concerned that it would struggle in the Adelaide league. "It would not be helpful to bring in a new team to the competition and have them belted week-in, week-out," he said.
Inside Goss
15 Oct 2007, 23:25
My understanding that that they are more likely to go with the WAFL due to lower costs involved, and probably a lower standard to compete against. I won't say that's set in stone, but probably more likely that way at the moment.
raboyle
15 Oct 2007, 23:34
Isn't it further to fly from Darwin or Alice Springs to Perth than it is to Adelaide?
It'd be just as taxing on their pockets either way I reckon.
If they're worried about the standard of the games then play them in the reserves for a couple of years before putting them into the league.
The Big Warrior
16 Oct 2007, 16:48
NT will be in local league
2009 the year, says SANFL boss
Michael McGuire, Sunday Mail 14/10/07
The Northern Territory will have a team in either the South Australian or Western Australian state football leagues by 2009, according to SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker. last Monday to discuss a team joining the local competition and another meeting will be held next month.
The SANFL has not had a 10-team league since Woodville and West Torrens merged in the 1991 season. A new team would simplify the league, get rid of the bye and reduce the season from 23 weeks to 18 weeks, with each team playing the other twice. The SANFL had been hoping to attract a Tasmanian team to SA but that plan collapsed when the Tasmanians elected to remain part of the Victorian Football League.
What a farce this has become!! A N.T. or Tasmanian Team, are they for real?? I say there is a much easier solution, and that is de-merge Woodville and Torrens....Then we will have a 10 Team Comp. again! Knowing many old Pecker diehards as I do, we would flock back to games in numbers!! Torrens can return to Thebarton and everybody will be happy again....
Maybe a petition to Leigh Whicker could be worth doing!! Long live Woodville F.C. Cheers, TBW.
What a farce this has become!! A N.T. or Tasmanian Team, are they for real?? I say there is a much easier solution, and that is de-merge Woodville and Torrens....Then we will have a 10 Team Comp. again! Knowing many old Pecker diehards as I do, we would flock back to games in numbers!! Torrens can return to Thebarton and everybody will be happy again....
Maybe a petition to Leigh Whicker could be worth doing!! Long live Woodville F.C. Cheers, TBW.
never going to happen TBW .Time you got over it and stopped living in the past .If you do not support the new club perhaps you should do something else like just follow the AFL .
the eagles are here to stay mate .
The Big Warrior
17 Oct 2007, 21:54
never going to happen TBW .Time you got over it and stopped living in the past .If you do not support the new club perhaps you should do something else like just follow the AFL .
the eagles are here to stay mate .
Well mickyj, I have been a loyal and passionate supporter of the Adelaide F.C. since 1991, although haven't been to as many games in the last couple of years due to other commitments! But follow them as closely as possible!
One thing I should say is that I have no passion for " The Weagles " pure and simple...If you speak to any other "old " Woodville supporters, I believe a lot of them have struggled to embrace the merged team. Additionally, there are some ( although maybe less) " old " Torrens supporters who aren't particularly fond of the merged entity.
I'll put it to Torrens folk this way, if the side was called the Woodville-West Torrens Warriors or Peckers, and wore predominately Green & Gold, would you follow them?? The ANSWER: I BELIEVE A RESOUNDING NO.......
Well mickyj, I have been a loyal and passionate supporter of the Adelaide F.C. since 1991, although haven't been to as many games in the last couple of years due to other commitments! But follow them as closely as possible!
One thing I should say is that I have no passion for " The Weagles " pure and simple...If you speak to any other "old " Woodville supporters, I believe a lot of them have struggled to embrace the merged team. Additionally, there are some ( although maybe less) " old " Torrens supporters who aren't particularly fond of the merged entity.
I'll put it to Torrens folk this way, if the side was called the Woodville-West Torrens Warriors or Peckers, and wore predominately Green & Gold, would you follow them?? The ANSWER: I BELIEVE A RESOUNDING NO.......
Well the big Warrior I must be the exception to the rule .Because I prefer the eagles yellow jumper (even the older yellow jumper that the eAGLEs wore and won the flag in )and actually dislike the current blue one .
And out of the old jumpers worn in heritage weeks in recent years the WWT first jumper I still like, the old eagles jumper with the big eagle and the old woodville jumper that was worn from woodvile of 1946.they are all great jumpers.
The two I hated the west torrens jumper form the 1970's torrens didnt win in it except against woodville .And the old woodville jumper because it was so hard to see and by late in the game looked like the hawthorn jumper.
And really what you have said backs up what most other teams fans say about old Woodville and west torrens supporters (those that have not followed the new club) that you guys have all gone to the crows.
And you need to get educated because all the fans sit together these days and are one big happy family.
And the next generation has taken over from you and me TBW my 18 yo only knows the one team and there are plenty more like him.
one more thing I detest going back to Thebarton it was home once woodville is now .And I don't care what you call WWT and I don't care what jumper the club wears all i care about is WWT winning and winning.You see once i accepted bottom I don't accept that anymore my youth was spent at the bottom of the ladder my greying hair sees me follow a team in the top 5.From woodville to elizabeth and to encouter bay.
Back on topic it will not happen the NT will join the sandgropers
And by the way no offence TBW .The club will welcome you when you decide to come home.:)
PS
I have spoken with old Woodville fans and old torrens fans .I sit amongst them on gamedays :)
Woodpecker Warrior
18 Oct 2007, 23:44
Its a different feeling at the club now than in the early 90's. The 93 premiership whilst I celebrated, it felt false as I felt that the Woodville Football club could have survived on their own. At the time ( 1990) we made the ultimate sacrifice which I felt was a wrong decision, why should the WFC be the ones that sacrificed their history for another club to retain a part of theirs. Torrens had been poorly run for 20 years and had run up an enormous amount of debt over that time through no fault but their own.
However now I must honestly say that the 2006 GF and celebrations was one of the best days,nights and mornings I have had.
The club has moved on from the bickering and angst of the 90's to becoming a club that now honours its past but most importantly concentrates on the future.
In regards to a team from the NT I think its a positive move for a fantastic competition
The Big Warrior
19 Oct 2007, 00:33
And really what you have said backs up what most other teams fans say about old Woodville and west torrens supporters (those that have not followed the new club) that you guys have all gone to the crows.
And you need to get educated because all the fans sit together these days and are one big happy family.
And the next generation has taken over from you and me TBW my 18 yo only knows the one team and there are plenty more like him.
one more thing I detest going back to Thebarton it was home once woodville is now .And I don't care what you call WWT and I don't care what jumper the club wears all i care about is WWT winning and winning.You see once i accepted bottom I don't accept that anymore my youth was spent at the bottom of the ladder my greying hair sees me follow a team in the top 5.From woodville to elizabeth and to encouter bay.
Back on topic it will not happen the NT will join the sandgropers
And by the way no offence TBW .The club will welcome you when you decide to come home.:)
PS
I have spoken with old Woodville fans and old torrens fans .I sit amongst them on gamedays :)
I read your comments with interest mickyj, but obviously not all former Woodville and Torrens supporters have happily embraced the merger! Otherwise, they would draw much bigger crowds to their games...Would you say the fans you sit with on gamedays are mainly old Woodville/ old Torrens supporters?? I would think Torrens, but you may have a fair idea...
My sons are 20 and 16 Y.O. and support their AFL teams, rather than SANFL side Glenelg. ( They both went to school at Glenelg P.S.) However, both have stated they would have followed Woodville, if we had remained a separate entity! Sadly, if you ask most kids these days " Who they barracked for?"...they always mention their AFL side first and some don't even support a SANFL team ( although like your son, some support a local team!).
Do the Weagles have many young supporters? The only games we have been to are the Woodville Heritage Games and can't say I have seen a real large percentage of younger supporters there in Weagle colours! Seems to be a lot of say 40+ y.o. supporters present!! Just putting this point into the discussion, if Westies and South can survive as individual clubs, I believe Woodville and Torrens could operate as separate clubs again too!
Then the comp. could be back to 10 Clubs again, ending the bye and " all of us " Woodville and Torrens supporters could get behind our " original club " again! No need for the SANFL to look at the ridiculous and uneconomical solution of a Tassie/ N.T. side! Or is this solution " way too logical "...Regards, TBW.
I read your comments with interest mickyj, but obviously not all former Woodville and Torrens supporters have happily embraced the merger! Otherwise, they would draw much bigger crowds to their games...Would you say the fans you sit with on gamedays are mainly old Woodville/ old Torrens supporters?? I would think Torrens, but you may have a fair idea...
My sons are 20 and 16 Y.O. and support their AFL teams, rather than SANFL side Glenelg. ( They both went to school at Glenelg P.S.) However, both have stated they would have followed Woodville, if we had remained a separate entity! Sadly, if you ask most kids these days " Who they barracked for?"...they always mention their AFL side first and some don't even support a SANFL team ( although like your son, some support a local team!).
Do the Weagles have many young supporters? The only games we have been to are the Woodville Heritage Games and can't say I have seen a real large percentage of younger supporters there in Weagle colours! Seems to be a lot of say 40+ y.o. supporters present!! Just putting this point into the discussion, if Westies and South can survive as individual clubs, I believe Woodville and Torrens could operate as separate clubs again too!
Then the comp. could be back to 10 Clubs again, ending the bye and " all of us " Woodville and Torrens supporters could get behind our " original club " again! No need for the SANFL to look at the ridiculous and uneconomical solution of a Tassie/ N.T. side! Or is this solution " way too logical "...Regards, TBW.
If you were to ask port fans they would say there are lots of ginger kids at our games.:)
Its very hard to say how many of each i know the people who sit in front of me are old woodville and eagles fans.I know loud Eagle hooligan who posts on
SA footy is an old torrens fan and i think his friends are old woodville people.
No offence to your thinking but in truth not many people go to the SANFL most go to the AFL .Just look at the crowds when the games are played on the same day as a crows game.
Don't get me started on Port crowds the two ports fans end up fighting between themselves .And have seen this myself at alberton.
And when do Eagles fans out number other teams sturt through their rough time.West and south this year we out numbered I could go on and on.
This Nt tassie and demerger will never happen .the other thing I would like to happen is no Port in the SANFL and that would end the who is the real port debate .
But it will not happen TBW and you know why 2 below average teams carved out of the one area joined together to form a team that on average plays footy in the finals.Why demerge a success
And lets face it Woodville and West torrens are of the same family .
The SANFL lets those of us who can not afford to go to the SLOW AFL watch afford and in most cases good footy.
Look perhaps we will not agree but you will never get your wish WE are the one team now .and the club makes a profit each year due to the pokies it will be around for a long time .
And the EAGLEs like the Crows have two flags in about the same amount of time make of that what you will.
Mind you the EAGLES are probably the most hated team in the SANFL (outside centrals).