Playing matches in NZ

[blktreacle]

Issue with NZ is that the council is outvoting the mayor at the moment to pay us the money. The likely scenario is that we will play in Wellington the next two years and then move to Auckland. In Auckland there is a new facility being built by Cricket NZ which is basically perfect for us and is much bigger than Eden Park, we'll get paid more money in Auckland and obviously there is a larger supporter base for us to try capture there.

The other thing with Wellington is that we may not play the game on ANZAC Day next year because a lot of the locals actually leave town cause it is a public holiday, the club I think is trying to manufacture a fixture where we play on a Saturday so it is easy for us Australian's to get over there and get back while only missing one day of work and at the same time having all the locals in the city.

That's the plan at the moment but we'll see if it develops or not.

Ideally it would be during the school holidays. Thus allowing people to stay for an extended period of time

 

[Curious George]

I think I read Australian tourist numbers were just under 5,000 for the first game, but fell to about 1,500 for the 2014 game and this year about 2,500.

So if the number of Australians going over for the game stayed around 2,000, then they might well feel that they're not getting their money's worth.

Also you look at who we played.
Sydney 2013- team with loyal supporters and made prelim that year. Successful team.
Brisbane 2014- team hadnt won a game till NZ.
Carlton 2015- team hadnt won a game before NZ.
So play a more successful team and maybe people attending with rise.

Also i dont think that figure includes people flying into other parts of NZ and travelling to wellington. 2013 i flew into Auckland a week earlier and drove to Wellington and then back up.

 

[Curious George]

NZ is a dead loss for AFL and should be abandoned. Now we have an American in team mix, why not see if we can get a game for premiership points happening in the USA? Big audience and bigger crowds= more money.

2 days on a plane sounds exciting.......

 

[Defacto]

NZ is a dead loss for AFL and should be abandoned. Now we have an American in team mix, why not see if we can get a game for premiership points happening in the USA? Big audience and bigger crowds= more money.

ignorant post. there is practically 0 interest in AFL in america. theres a small community but its too wide spread and not centered in one city

toronto/canada has more chance of it happening and has a decent following..the problem is the logistics and commute not to mention the low aussie dollar right now

NZ makes more sense as its closer and has more participation

 

[By a Point]

Also you look at who we played.
Sydney 2013- team with loyal supporters and made prelim that year. Successful team.
Brisbane 2014- team hadnt won a game till NZ.
Carlton 2015- team hadnt won a game before NZ.
So play a more successful team and maybe people attending with rise.

Also i dont think that figure includes people flying into other parts of NZ and travelling to wellington. 2013 i flew into Auckland a week earlier and drove to Wellington and then back up.

I have been to all three and flew into Auckland each time

 

[BrianSpeaking]

My spies tell me that the AFL is wanting us to switch our New Zealand games to Auckland, as Wellington is a small market. The population figures tell the story, Wellington 393,000 people, Auckland 1,475,000 people. To put it in Australian city terms, where would you rather have a sports team, Canberra or Adelaide? In fact Auckland has a quarter of a million more people than Adelaide!

The AFL are very keen to gain a permanent foothold and to develop the code over there to the point that they have approached Auckland City Council and Eden Park about reconfiguring the ground so that its AFL ready.

The sums being floated are enough to make you dizzy, I'm told the AFL have budgeted $70 million AUD for the potential expansion.

From a strategic point of view it makes sense, there's approximately 40,000 kids participating in Kiwi kick with the majority in Auckland.

There is currently a very poorly organised 6 team senior comp there, again based in Auckland. So basically we have massive participation in primary schools with no pathway for those children. This would give us a base and a brilliant facility for the game to grow over the next 20 years. We will also have exclusive dibs on any potential guns, which of course there will be in the future based in the numbers of participation if we can keep them involved.

For the sake of the future of our game there they either need to get stuck in or get out.

Alarm bells for our future in Melbourne or a good move if it happens ala Hawthorn and Tasmania? I'm told the AFL will eventually want us there four times per year, two as the 'home' team and two as the 'away' against two other big clubs.

Massive for future TV rights deal, memberships across the competition and most importantly, it gives a lot of kids an opportunity to play an alternative code to Rugby in the winter. There's a lot of kids who dont play rugby as they are too scared they will be broken in half by the massive Islander kids.....and fair enough!

Show me the money $$$$$$$$$$$

Thoughts?

 

[Axcellence]

We can choose if we want the 4 games deal..or not.

Otherwise it sounds good if we go to Auckland instead of wellington. Hopefully we can change our streak overseas.

 

[#gosaintas]

Sounds great and happy to have 4 games/year there if we get some huge benefits

 

[Grav]

Sounds good, will hopefully/certainly expand the coffers, which in turn will will help us become one of the so called power clubs.

 

[TassieSaint]

My opinion as a footy fan in general: That is a ludicrous waste of money and our game will never, ever take a genuine foothold in NZ. Gill talks about not wanting to have to prop up a Tassie team but the AFL continues to waste money like this. It is far more likely that Tassie sees some investment from FFA and we lose a traditional Aussie Rules heartland to soccer than it is us making any meaningful inroads in NZ.

My opinion as a Saints fan: Absolutely makes sense that if we are going to play in NZ it should be in the biggest city (not sure why this wasn't the case from the get go?) and glad to see the AFL back us in if we decide to have a crack. As above though any hint of permanent relocation is an absolute pipe dream.

 

[Saintbloke]

I think the whole NZ venture is a total waste of time, and we've lost three times we have played which doesn't give anyone much push to get off their backsides, pay money and go and watch us. As NZ mates asked me recently..when are you sending the losers over again! as that's how they see the Saints over there. The AFL should pour money into regional venues here in Vic and play a match or two per year for premiership points in one of those regional locations.

 

[Richter]

If, and it's a big 'if' the AFL sees some sort of future for AFL in NZ, then of course it is sensible for us to be the team who is the standard bearer. Would sort out our financial issues with in a flash.

Obviously the risk is that we have too many Melbourne games siphoned off... or that eventually we are pressured to shift over there lock, stock and barrel.

At this stage IMO that's a risk we have to take.

As you say Brian, "Show me the money!!!"

 

[Periphery]

I'm pretty skeptical that this will be worth it for us, but without more detail it's impossible to tell.

 

[God Save Max King]

Great news if so and it lines up with what another poster (who is usually spot on) said in Hammers_Saints in the other NZ thread.

I wouldn't be too happy with the AFL throwing around that kind of money by themselves when it could be better spent on buying out of Etihad, 3rd Melb stadium, relocation of Lions/Saints training bases or strengthening junior/local/grassroots football around the country.

Issue with NZ is that the council is outvoting the mayor at the moment to pay us the money. The likely scenario is that we will play in Wellington the next two years and then move to Auckland. In Auckland there is a new facility being built by Cricket NZ which is basically perfect for us and is much bigger than Eden Park, we'll get paid more money in Auckland and obviously there is a larger supporter base for us to try capture there.

The other thing with Wellington is that we may not play the game on ANZAC Day next year because a lot of the locals actually leave town cause it is a public holiday, the club I think is trying to manufacture a fixture where we play on a Saturday so it is easy for us Australian's to get over there and get back while only missing one day of work and at the same time having all the locals in the city.

That's the plan at the moment but we'll see if it develops or not.

 

[Defacto]

sounds great!!!!!

 

[ronnysnodgrass]

Think about how Tasmania assisted the Hawks, at best NZ does that for us, at worst we get some cash to develop in the mean time.

As someone else said, if the afl is looking for a team to financially support to grow the game in a "key market" I'm happy for it to be us.

Maybe we make NZ our academy zone?

 

[Highlander35]

Eden Park? Eden Park? A square ground that can be configured into an oval slightly larger than a bees dick?

Sure, I guess Auckland would be better from a people and market perspective, but the Cake tin would still be a much better ground for playing on and watching from than Eden Park.

 

[Persevering Saint]

???

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new...n-to-leave-auckland-over-stadium-plan-6307734

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Auckland a much better option. Bloody flights into windy Wellington are white knuckle rides

 

[Mowman]

Would rather the AFL buy Eithad so we can make some money and play all our home games at our Home ground. Getting financial enough so we don't have to sell our soul is what I want . And don't trust the AFL with anything they do

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Would rather the AFL buy Eithad so we can make some money and play all our home games at our Home ground. Getting financial enough so we don't have to sell our soul is what I want . And don't trust the AFL with anything they do

I can't be bothered tracking down the meme but... Why can't we have both?

I have little doubt that the AFL will buy Etihad now...it's in their best interests to allow the weaker clubs to self support so the actual game (or product as they'd called it) is more competitive & exciting.

As for NZ, well if we can run a similar program to the Hawks/Tassie deal then we should jump at it.

Exciting times to come...

Elite base at Moorabbin
Exciting young team
VFL team playing in RWB & out of Linton St
4 games in Auckland (2 home, 2 away) generating very good income
Making good $$$ from new AFL owned Etihad Stadium
Lenny returns as Assistant Coach in 2018 for Flag run!

 

[sverik25]

I think the Auckland idea is better than Wellington, and I'm fine with 2 home games, maybe even up to 4, but I don't want us to be playing away games over there when we will get very little financial benefit from those games. FFS can't we just have something to ourselves?

 

[#gosaintas]

Agree - no away games

 

[BrianSpeaking]

The away games we still get all other aspects of revenue, social club functions, local members attending, NZ based sponsors, kids coming to our games regularly, it's a win win whilst maintaining a number of Etihad home games.

 

[Hayes4PM]

Jetstar do return Auckland flights for as low as $120 sometimes, book at one of their next sales and you can have a weekend away at the football and see New Zealand as well