North melbourne 'lose' Ballarat zone

[KAMSTAR HFC]

Which I'm confident we'll reject.

I have a suspicion that the AFL is trying to slowly coerce us into playing 6 or 7 home games in Tasmania. Maybe I'm a little bit cynical from the Gold Coast saga but I'm becoming increasingly wary of the idea of relocation by stealth. Ballarat was a better option than Hobart in my opinion, we almost did play there but the Vic government changed and the stadium was never upgraded. I'm annoyed that the AFL has seemingly chosen Dogs for Ballarat (We worked with community groups, schools etc for 8 years there) and us for Hobart. It's unfortunate that this comes on a day where we've discovered that we play Richmond in Hobart.

We already know AFL's preference is one team 7 games in Hobart and Launceston. While we want to grow the fan base in Hobart, we need to be very careful.

Are you aware of how much hard work the Hawks did in Tassie before North got in for a free lunch?

 

[ManOfClay]

I'm annoyed that the AFL has seemingly chosen Dogs for Ballarat

No they haven't. We made a better deal with the City of Ballarat than North and the AFL has endorsed it. The AFL hasn't chosen us to go there, they are simply happy with our deal.


North supporters are making it out like the AFL handed Ballarat to us out of charity. All the article seem to state they just signed off on it after we did the legwork.

 

[telsor]

No they haven't. We made a better deal with the City of Ballarat than North and the AFL has endorsed it. The AFL hasn't chosen us to go there, they are simply happy with our deal.


North supporters are making it out like the AFL handed Ballarat to us out of charity. All the article seem to state they just signed off on it after we did the legwork.

and what will you get out of it?

2/3 of bugger all, just like North did.

 

[MaddAdam]

Sinking ship?

When two of BigFooty's most prominent NMFC members are me and Sooz, maybe NMFC has bigger problems than Ballarat and, dare I say, the Dogs.

I mean at least I attend NMFC games.

Christ, you're still on with this?

 

[SugarCoat]

Why are North so precious about being partially relocated to Tasmania?
Hawthorn have done well out of it recently.
Play 6/7 home games in Hobart, get a home ground advantage and then get the money from Govt. & AFL.

 

[MaddAdam]

It is. You'll be playing 6-7 home games in Tassie, I reckon within 5 years, and a full relocation will happen within 20 years.

Mate, people (often Essendon supporters) have been telling me we'll be dead or relocated within 3-5 years every years since I can recall. That's three decades of it now. And guess what, we're still in Melbourne, based at Arden Street ... we managed to get the cricket club out ... with a record membership, making profits, debt falling rapidly, beating so called Big Clubs in finals.

Anyway, as has been explained a zillion times, the AFL don't want a full time team in Tassie. They already own Tassie eyeballs.

And let's be honest here, if we're talking clubs facing existential threats, I'd be worrying far more about your own backyard.

 

[ManOfClay]

and what will you get out of it?

2/3 of bugger all, just like North did.

Gives us a bigger platform for our community development program, a second base to host pre-season games and potentially in the future a boutique stadium to use during the season pending a government upgrade.

The third one might not happen but the first two are definite positives.

 

[MaddAdam]

salvaged a disastrous trade period by securing a potential high value asset in Boyd

Your captain and best player walked out on you to play for a crappy expansion side for less money.

Then you panicked and paid a 9 gamer Buddy Franklin money.

It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Why are North so precious about being partially relocated to Tasmania?
Hawthorn have done well out of it recently.
Play 6/7 home games in Hobart, get a home ground advantage and then get the money from Govt. & AFL.

Because we are north not the tassie roos, that's why, we play that many down there, we will be pretty much forced to relocate, killing North Melbourne, it's the Gold Coast crap all over again if it gets to that stage that you are proposing. Sick of people pushing for our identity to be destroyed all the time, explains the chip on the shoulder mentality of many north fans.

 

[telsor]

Gives us a bigger platform for our community development program, a second base to host pre-season games and potentially in the future a boutique stadium to use during the season pending a government upgrade.

The third one might not happen but the first two are definite positives.

So what...Maybe half a dozen new members over ten years?

As for the Boutique stadium...why would anyone spend tens of millions to build a stadium that will be used 3-4 times a year and then abandoned once the AFL takes over Etihad?

 

[le dominateur]

No doubt the AFL are slowly turning the screws on NM, the AFL admin have long memories and an agenda, hope North tell them to stick it again.

The AFLs 3 step strategy is summarised below.

 

[ManOfClay]

So what...Maybe half a dozen new members over ten years?

As for the Boutique stadium...why would anyone spend tens of millions to build a stadium that will be used 3-4 times a year and then abandoned once the AFL takes over Etihad?

Life isn't just about membership figures. The Bulldogs place a lot of emphasis on community programs.

As for the second part of your post - funding is an election promise of the Victorian Labor Party. Perhaps ask them?

 

[ManOfClay]

So what...Maybe half a dozen new members over ten years?

As for the Boutique stadium...why would anyone spend tens of millions to build a stadium that will be used 3-4 times a year and then abandoned once the AFL takes over Etihad?

Life isn't just about membership figures. The Bulldogs place a lot of emphasis on community programs.

As for the second part of your post - funding is an election promise of the Victorian Labor Party. Perhaps ask them?

 

[Hawkk]

Life isn't just about membership figures. The Bulldogs place a lot of emphasis on community programs.

As for the second part of your post - funding is an election promise of the Victorian Labor Party. Perhaps ask them?

Which is kind of ironic given that your other thread on the main board is gleefully calling for the demise of a 145 year football institution in Victoria (at least in the eyes of the 37,000 or so non Tasmanian North Melbourne paid up members)

 

[telsor]

Life isn't just about membership figures. The Bulldogs place a lot of emphasis on community programs.

Fine, close down the football club and reform as a social club. If you want to be a football club, you need members and money.

As for the second part of your post - funding is an election promise of the Victorian Labor Party. Perhaps ask them?

Partial funding in a election promise (don't tell me you trust them)....Still needs a LOT more $$$ to make it happen (~$50M IIRC).

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

No they haven't. We made a better deal with the City of Ballarat than North and the AFL has endorsed it. The AFL hasn't chosen us to go there, they are simply happy with our deal.


North supporters are making it out like the AFL handed Ballarat to us out of charity. All the article seem to state they just signed off on it after we did the legwork.

The leg work is what we have done over the past 6 years.

The Bulldogs are walking into a regional area that now has established community camps and regular clinics and AFL Challenge matches because of the work North Melbourne has done over the past 6 years.

The reason Ballarat is even in a position to be handed to you is because of the groundwork North have done there, the AFL does not trust the Dogs enough that it would back them to go into Wyndham again and develop the area.

The best part is your mob of shitmen will neglect Ballarat because they are too busy chasing their tail trying to rob people in Edgewater. In that time North will continue to do work in Werribee/Wyndham region and by the time you're back at AFL house cap in hand the area will be ready for you to "muscle in" and feck it up all over again.

 

[Timewaster]

Because we are north not the tassie roos, that's why, .... Sick of people pushing for our identity to be destroyed all the time, explains the chip on the shoulder mentality of many north fans.

If the North board stays strong the AFL will never have the balls to force you out. The NRL has never recovered from the Super League, and are now lwft with a bunch of empty franchises playing in front of 15,000 people.

The AFL might want North to move, but they remember Fitzroy well enough to never force you. A lot of other clubs' fans are with you.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Elephant at Arden Street?

Boris the chicken?

 

[aCunningPlan]

The leg work is what we have done over the past 6 years.

The Bulldogs are walking into a regional area that now has established community camps and regular clinics and AFL Challenge matches because of the work North Melbourne has done over the past 6 years.

The reason Ballarat is even in a position to be handed to you is because of the groundwork North have done there, the AFL does not trust the Dogs enough that it would back them to go into Wyndham again and develop the area.

The best part is your mob of shitmen will neglect Ballarat because they are too busy chasing their tail trying to rob people in Edgewater. In that time North will continue to do work in Werribee/Wyndham region and by the time you're back at AFL house cap in hand the area will be ready for you to "muscle in" and feck it up all over again.

North didn't do anything of value here.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Mate, people (often Essendon supporters) have been telling me we'll be dead or relocated within 3-5 years every years since I can recall. That's three decades of it now. And guess what, we're still in Melbourne, based at Arden Street ... we managed to get the cricket club out ... with a record membership, making profits, debt falling rapidly, beating so called Big Clubs in finals.

Anyway, as has been explained a zillion times, the AFL don't want a full time team in Tassie. They already own Tassie eyeballs.

And let's be honest here, if we're talking clubs facing existential threats, I'd be worrying far more about your own backyard.

Except I didn't say that. I said within 5 years I think you'll be playing 6-7 home games there, and I think you will be. The AFL already tried to do that once, and once they lure Hawthorn out of there they'll do it again, properly.

That'll be the next step, and a very big one.

They're obviously not going to relocate within 5 years.

I nominated 20 years actually, and I think it'll be done in steps, with no step being taken until the previous one has been accepted.

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

North didn't do anything of value here.

We lobbied to bring AFL football to ungrateful peanuts like yourself.

But hey, that's not of any value. After 111 years of neglect it was just a fait accompli that someone would just lob in regional Victoria wanting to play AFL games there, right?.......right?

 

[aCunningPlan]

We lobbied to bring AFL football to ungrateful peanuts like yourself.

But hey, that's not of any value. After 111 years of neglect it was just a fait accompli that someone would just lob in regional Victoria wanting to play AFL games there, right?.......right?

I love Ballarat, I really do but the town is already AFL mad and anyone who cares about the game is already used to hopping on the VLine or Gold Bus down to Melbourne or Geelong, there are no new fans to convert to a certain Melbourne team here. It works in Tassie where following the Hawks or Roos saves the airfares but no one here is going to swap from St Kilda to the Bulldogs because two games end up getting played here at a half redeveloped ground when Etihad is only an hour and a 15 away. A ground should really only be built here if Ballarat gets it own team in teh AFL, otherwise spend the money electrifying the Melton Line to ease congestion...that would actually be a better way to bring AFL to footy fans in Ballarat than two piddly games that no one cares about at a ground no one likes in a city that makes arctic park look like the Sahara. Yeah, well done North...

 

[telsor]

We lobbied to bring AFL football to ungrateful peanuts like yourself.

But hey, that's not of any value. After 111 years of neglect it was just a fait accompli that someone would just lob in regional Victoria wanting to play AFL games there, right?.......right?

So what you did was talk and use Ballarat as a negotiating tool while achieving little of value in Ballarat.

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

I love Ballarat, I really do but the town is already AFL mad and anyone who cares about the game is already used to hopping on the VLine or Gold Bus down to Melbourne or Geelong, there are no new fans to convert to a certain Melbourne team here. It works in Tassie where following the Hawks or Roos saves the airfares but no one here is going to swap from St Kilda to the Bulldogs because two games end up getting played here at a half redeveloped ground when Etihad is only an hour and a 15 away. A ground should really only be built here if Ballarat gets it own team in teh AFL, otherwise spend the money electrifying the Melton Line to ease congestion...that would actually be a better way to bring AFL to footy fans in Ballarat than two piddly games that no one cares about at a ground no one likes in a city that makes arctic park look like the Sahara. Yeah, well done North...

"A ground should only be built if Ballarat gets its own team"

The definition of putting the cart before the horse right here. If Ballarat is ever to get its own team or (more likely) a Victorian AFL club is going to relocate its base there, they would need prove like Tasmania has, that they could sustainably host AFL games.

Unfortunately for this to happen, a stadium fit for AFL games is required and money must be spent.

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

So what you did was talk and use Ballarat as a negotiating tool while achieving little of value in Ballarat.

Please tell me what great negotiating value Ballarat was to the North Melbourne football club?

If you have just joined us, the AFL has tipped us out of the joint and the club is not happy. Whether you think we achieved anything or not is as irrelevant as you are, the only reason Ballarat is even on the table as a future AFL venue and potential home base for a club is because of what we started there.

There was nothing in the pipeline and no other club was interested before we walked in to the place 6 years ago.