Preview Partial Alignment in VFL to end in 2016.

[LT Smash]

From a football perspective (which should be the priority), this move having your young players develop together is the best thing to happen to North in a decade.

In a decade? No, I can think of a couple things that have been better for North since 2004.

 

[LT Smash]

We'll surround them. Develop through Werribee, continue west between the princes and western highways, make a fortress of the Anake Fairy Park, push on until we hit Carranballac then divide the forces. Some march south to warnambool, rest go north to St Arnaud. Then phase two can begin.

All quiet on the western front?

 

[shintemaster]

All quiet on the western front?

Truce for Christmas then we'll go back to smashing the living bejesus out of them.

 

[Black2Blue]

We'll surround them. Develop through Werribee, continue west between the princes and western highways, make a fortress of the Anake Fairy Park, push on until we hit Carranballac then divide the forces. Some march south to warnambool, rest go north to St Arnaud. Then phase two can begin.

Phase Two = Werribee s**t Storm?
No coincidence that we want to control Werribee, home of the Methane Bomb Storage Facility.

 

[B4Bear]

At least now all our players will be playing for the one Vfl club. As for Nth Ballarat> good luck because you're going to need it, seeing as the Bulldogs have their own Vfl team and wont be asssisting in the "top up" of Afl players from their team. Just remember that it's Labor who will help the club in their development of the ground and facilities so l hope Liberal get back in....

I was under the impression that this deal for the Bulldogs was done without Nth Ballarats knowledge.

I heard their President? on the radio (SEN or 774) and I think all this took him by suprise.

I think the AFL/Bulldogs/Ballarat Council may have done this without anyone else knowing. Nth Ballarat may have very well been unwilling victims in this, as much as us.

Also there is no reason we could not have continued playing with them, as they are not aligned to the Bulldogs, excepting they would be using the same ground.

The whole deal stinks to high heaven. And Nth Ballarat are going to suffer the most for it.

Now all this is speculation on my behalf, so happy to stand corrected.

 

[LT Smash]

I was under the impression that this deal for the Bulldogs was done without Nth Ballarats knowledge.

I heard their President? on the radio (SEN or 774) and I think all this took him by suprise.

I think the AFL/Bulldogs/Ballarat Council may have done this without anyone else knowing. Nth Ballarat may have very well been unwilling victims in this, as much as us.

Also there is no reason we could not have continued playing with them, as they are not aligned to the Bulldogs, excepting they would be using the same ground.

The whole deal stinks to high heaven. And Nth Ballarat are going to suffer the most for it.

Now all this is speculation on my behalf, so happy to stand corrected.

The NMFC alignment with North Ballarat and the AFL/ALP/Ballarat Councildecision to hand the Ballarat stadium to the Bulldogs is not as directly connected as people think. We have not made a knee-jerk reaction by pulling the alignment. That decision was independent and was made some time ago, I believe. Whether or not the AFL was made aware of our decision and used it to justify moves to usher the Bulldogs into the region is not yet known.

 

[Event Horizon]

The fact it's a western growth corridor it only makes sense...

So Werribee is in the North East corridor, is it?

 

[LT Smash]

So Werribee is in the North East corridor, is it?

What's this about a north-east corridor? I don't believe we ever targeted north east.

 

[Event Horizon]

What's this about a north-east corridor? I don't believe we ever targeted north east.

I never said we did. I am just saying that logic that Ballarat belongs to Footscray due to it being part of the Western corridor is rubbish, as Werribee is very much in the western corridor also, yet they have no problems giving it to us.

 

[LT Smash]

I never said we did. I am just saying that logic that Ballarat belongs to Footscray due to it being part of the Western corridor is rubbish, as Werribee is very much in the western corridor also, yet they have no problems giving it to us.

Yes, well they certainly abandoned Werribee, leaving them high and dry when the opportunity came up to align with Williamstown. At the time, they said it was to be closer to their homeland but that's bullshit because theoretically, they should have a stronghold on the neighbouring suburbs. Werribee on the other hand, is half way to Geelong, and that whole Wyndham corridor was well and truly up for grabs. It was a foolish move by the Bulldogs at the time and it has resulted in NMFC gaining something like 3K memberships in the region. Ballarat has been a bit of a grind as far as memberships go. We haven't had anywhere near the gains compared with the amount of development work we have done there.

 

[Event Horizon]

Yes, well they certainly abandoned Werribee, leaving them high and dry when the opportunity came up to align with Williamstown. At the time, they said it was to be closer to their homeland but that's bullshit because theoretically, they should have a stronghold on the neighbouring suburbs. Werribee on the other hand, is half way to Geelong, and that whole Wyndham corridor was well and truly up for grabs. It was a foolish move by the Bulldogs at the time and it has resulted in NMFC gaining something like 3K memberships in the region. Ballarat has been a bit of a grind as far as memberships go. We haven't had anywhere near the gains compared with the amount of development work we have done there.

The only problem in AFL allowing the Bulldogs to take over Ballarat, is that potentially they can also kick us out of Wyndham/Werribee in 2-3 years time, by saying it makes sense for Bulldogs to own the entire western corridor. We need to seek some assurances this won't happen again.

 

[Pykie]

I imagine Durdin will be heading to Werribee, no use to up and move a 1st round draft pick a year after he gets there.

There's obviously going to be a few unlucky ones, that will only go for the 1 year.

I'm thinking EVW and Durdin to Werribee and Nielsen will go to NB to bolster the defence with Delaney hopefully fit, funnily enough Delaney and Nielsen were both TAC Cup FB's of the year. EVW was this years AA FB, not bad for a third tall that ran through the midfield at times.....

NB have lost Anthony, Nahas, Wilkins and Warren.
Wer essentially Hine and McGennis.

I think we should probably be sending a fair portion of the rookies NB way for the year, and possibly assign both Waite and Higgins up there also.

 

[Limerick]

Our Reserves team will play in Hobart.

 

[Tas]

Yes, well they certainly abandoned Werribee, leaving them high and dry when the opportunity came up to align with Williamstown. At the time, they said it was to be closer to their homeland but that's bullshit because theoretically, they should have a stronghold on the neighbouring suburbs. Werribee on the other hand, is half way to Geelong, and that whole Wyndham corridor was well and truly up for grabs. It was a foolish move by the Bulldogs at the time and it has resulted in NMFC gaining something like 3K memberships in the region. Ballarat has been a bit of a grind as far as memberships go. We haven't had anywhere near the gains compared with the amount of development work we have done there.

Ballarat is a Geelong stronghold, as is most of the western portion of 'the west', the eastern portion which the Dogs should dominate has been overrun by Collingwood and Essendon.

However, playing in Ballarat might see them win back more people in that NW region, however, it is a region with a very low population density.

 

[Event Horizon]

Our Reserves team will play in Hobart.

Is that a feeling or you know something we don't?

 

[muttley45]

Fair chance that Eureka stadium update is low on the ALP's considerable list of fund commitments pre election

 

[Pykie]

Will be interesting to see how long this alignment will last tbh.

The best thing about the dual alignment is the fact pretty much every draftee, no matter how raw, gets 1st team senior action almost straight away, because they are spread over 2 sides.

Werribee will want to put a cap on the amount of AFL players we have in the one side, they will want their own stamp on it with 4 or 5 VFL listed players.

That means 5-7 kids will be playing VFL seconds, something we haven't experienced since back in the Port Melbourne days, which is not a good scenario for development.

Taking this year as an example, the likes of Preuss, Fordham, Nielsen, Vickers-Willis, Harper, Wallace and Garner might of all found themselves in the VFL reserves if we had a low amount of injuries.

I can't see that situation sitting well with the coaches.


I know there is a $$$ issue, but some debt is good debt, if we restrict the debt payoff by $400k a year, and bring in our own VFL side will happen sooner rather than later.

 

[shinboner magic]

Expected best 22 players should be aligned to NB.

 

[Limerick]

Is that a feeling or you know something we don't?

A bit tongue in cheek, however if we are playing more than 4 games in Tassie in 2017 then don't be surprised.

 

[LT Smash]

Will be interesting to see how long this alignment will last tbh.

The best thing about the dual alignment is the fact pretty much every draftee, no matter how raw, gets 1st team senior action almost straight away, because they are spread over 2 sides.

Werribee will want to put a cap on the amount of AFL players we have in the one side, they will want their own stamp on it with 4 or 5 VFL listed players.

That means 5-7 kids will be playing VFL seconds, something we haven't experienced since back in the Port Melbourne days, which is not a good scenario for development.

Taking this year as an example, the likes of Preuss, Fordham, Nielsen, Vickers-Willis, Harper, Wallace and Garner might of all found themselves in the VFL reserves if we had a low amount of injuries.

I can't see that situation sitting well with the coaches.


I know there is a $$$ issue, but some debt is good debt, if we restrict the debt payoff by $400k a year, and bring in our own VFL side will happen sooner rather than later.

I understand that if the alliance continues indefinitely, every one of the points you have raised will be a non-issue.