A new team in the Gold Coast's suburb of Varsity Lakes is currently on the cards. Contact has been made with the local MP and support has been given for the establishment of the Varsity Lakes Football Club. The suggestion is a trial period of a junior club with the eventual plan to start a men's team when/if the team becomes viable. How many people would be interested in this? Any suggestion are welcome.
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Potential new Gold Coast team
- Thread starter Matchu
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How many current senior clubs are in the GC area, would it IYO be a viable area for a club, and where do the current juniors play, or is Varsity lakes a new suburb/development.
Sounds like 'Varsity lakes' deserves an american football team with a name like that.
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How many current senior clubs are in the GC area, would it IYO be a viable area for a club, and where do the current juniors play, or is Varsity lakes a new suburb/development.
Sounds like 'Varsity lakes' deserves an american football team with a name like that.
Currently there are 12 senior clubs on the Gold Coast. I believe the area is viable due to the fact that it is a new suburb (created in 2002). I would say many of the teenagers/kids who live in Varsity Lakes don't play Aussie rules due to the fact that there is no sports clubs whatsoever in the suburb. However, Varsity Lakes borders Robina which hosts two senior teams and also borders Burleigh Waters which has another senior team. Just looking at these facts you could say the area may get flooded but you also have to take into account other factors.
Varsity Lakes has a population of over 14,000 people as well as its own primary and secondary school. So I have no doubt there are enough people in Varsity Lakes to warrant a team. I do agree the area name has a very American feel to it haha. The thought crossed my mind that the team could be nicknamed the Varsity Lakers, like the LA Lakers basketball team.
And wear basketball singlets, long shorts and recruit as many home boys as physically possible too..
Surely both Robina and Burleigh would want to be bursting at the seams or else it is more like a club being created along the Brisbane University lines?
Surely both Robina and Burleigh would want to be bursting at the seams or else it is more like a club being created along the Brisbane University lines?
12 Clubs ?, more than i would have thought for the GC
I wonder if they are clubs that have 1st's, 2nds, 18 and then 3rds and possibly 4ths.
That seems to be the way of clubs in Perth, 1st's and 2nds/reserves are the club attempting to move up the divisions, under 18's of course are the future, and 3rds and 4ths are the old guys or more social leagues.
I reckon a senior club needs three senior teams and 18's, that is strength, once you have that, then look to build another club, but not at the expense of a strong one.
The_Big_Boss
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- Feb 26, 2013
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You forgot Bond University also has a team.
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12 Clubs ?, more than i would have thought for the GC
I wonder if they are clubs that have 1st's, 2nds, 18 and then 3rds and possibly 4ths.
That seems to be the way of clubs in Perth, 1st's and 2nds/reserves are the club attempting to move up the divisions, under 18's of course are the future, and 3rds and 4ths are the old guys or more social leagues.
I reckon a senior club needs three senior teams and 18's, that is strength, once you have that, then look to build another club, but not at the expense of a strong one.
It varies. The huge clubs like Southport I believe have seniors, reserves, 18s and all junior levels (16s down). Obviously the player base in Queensland isn't huge so I believe 3s and 4s teams would be hard for the not so well off clubs. If you are interested there is plenty of information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australian_rules_football_on_the_Gold_Coast
The concept of a Varsity Lakes team looks to be at a halt for now as it was revealed the Robina Roos are looking to start a juniors teams. The Gold Coast AFL employees are very weary of diluting the market and are still weighing whether starting a junior team in Robina would hurt Burleigh and/or Broadbeach.
No I didn't. I stated there are two senior teams in Robina - Robina Roos and Bond University.
angry mango
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- Aug 3, 2012
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Isn't there enough w***er gc clubs around !!! No more !
The QAFL comp is actually a pretty good size for what is termed a non football state, much bigger than Sydneys local comp, with a much smaller population.
Things seem to going OK up there.
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Interestingly, if you compare the amount of Rugby League (supposed to be the number 1 sport here) senior teams on the Gold Coast to the number of Aussie rules senior teams, Rugby League doesn't even come close. There are 6 Rugby League local teams on the Gold Coast in Burleigh, Currumbin, Ormeau, Southport, Runaway Bay and Tugun. Only one of those clubs competes in the level below the NRL.
That means Aussie rules has double the amount of senior teams compared to Rugby League. It also means Aussie rules has triple the amount of clubs competing one step below the professional level (NEAFL/QRL). When comparing junior clubs on the GC there are 10 Rugby League clubs and 12 Aussie rules clubs. This dictates participation numbers are clearly in the favour of Aussie rules.
The_Big_Boss
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On the back of that you probably want to throw in that you need more players to field an AFL team also
Cheers, Ok here is some stats for you to ponder if you are interested .... all from sporting pulse.
In 2012 AFL QLD senior community football around Brisbane/GC had 85 senior teams, 32 Colts teams and 7 womens teams across numerous divisions and clubs.
ATM 2013 with the Colts draw not fully finalised there is 87 senior teams and 9 womens teams, i would imagine that the colts will probably be the same give or take a couple.
I guess you could also add in around 9 teams in the NEAFL
By comparison Perth had in 2012 184 senior teams, 53 colts teams across numerous divisions, they also have 3 divisions of womens footy.
Perth also has a decent sized Hills league, Peel League ( mandurah) and a mercantile league (sunday) which is not that big close to the city or in Mercantile's case in it.
Add to that the WAFL which has 9 clubs, senior/reserves and colts.
There is also a private schools comp ( colts ) that boys must play for the school rather club on the weekends.
So in comparison to Perth, Brisbane and surrounds is going very well, the colts really are the key to the growth of a senior club, and on last years evidence Brisbane is pretty good.
Ok, here is some more stats to ponder,
In 2012 the Brisbane RL had 68 senior teams 12 under 20's and 29 under 18's, the GC RL had 24 teams ( 8 seniors/reserves /under 19's teams )
In 2012 the Brisbane/GC AFL had 85 senior teams, 32 Colts teams.
Considering player numbers per team, i have no idea of who would have more players, but it sounds reasonably close.
And of course it would be fair to say that no matter what the numbers are QLD is far more of a RL state than AF one, less people play RL but more follow it.
In 2012 the Brisbane RL had 68 senior teams 12 under 20's and 29 under 18's, the GC RL had 24 teams ( 8 seniors/reserves /under 19's teams )
In 2012 the Brisbane/GC AFL had 85 senior teams, 32 Colts teams.
Considering player numbers per team, i have no idea of who would have more players, but it sounds reasonably close.
And of course it would be fair to say that no matter what the numbers are QLD is far more of a RL state than AF one, less people play RL but more follow it.
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Interesting stuff. I'd like to know where you got 8 senior Gold Coast RL teams from? I am going to presume you included the Tweed Heads Seagulls and the second senior team for the Burleigh Bears. Tweed Heads actually isn't on the Gold Coast, it is over the border and a part of New South Wales. I didn't include any of the Northern NSW teams in my Gold Coast Aussie rules team count so I don't think they should be included in the RL stats either.Ok, here is some more stats to ponder,
In 2012 the Brisbane RL had 68 senior teams 12 under 20's and 29 under 18's, the GC RL had 24 teams ( 8 seniors/reserves /under 19's teams )
In 2012 the Brisbane/GC AFL had 85 senior teams, 32 Colts teams.
Considering player numbers per team, i have no idea of who would have more players, but it sounds reasonably close.
And of course it would be fair to say that no matter what the numbers are QLD is far more of a RL state than AF one, less people play RL but more follow it.
It would appear from those stats that participation numbers are quite close in south east QLD but you are right in saying interest as a whole is in favour of RL. The trick here is that the next generation of kids will be far more accepting of Aussie rules than the one 10 years prior. Once the Gold Coast Suns and (hopefully) the Brisbane Lions start doing well it'll be much easier to get kids interested in the sport. Either way, you can't be angry with those numbers and clearly shows how hard people involved with Queensland AFL are working because I can assure you 15 years ago it wouldn't have even been close to those numbers.
It's interesting to me that the biggest club on the Gold Coast (outside of the Suns of course) is in fact the Southport Sharks and has been for a long time.
Got them from sporting pulse, and probably 2 of those GC RL clubs are from NSW, but they do play in the GC comp so i included them in my stats( 6 of one, 1/2 dozen the other for mine)
Very easy to count up teams using ladders through the divisions of the different leagues
No tricks needed, the local AFL is doing very nicely, i imagine the growth in the last 5 to ten years is on the back of the 3peat ( a lot anyway) and hard work from AFL QLD.
I notice that also the Darling Downs League has expanded 2 teams as well this season to 11 teams , which seems also to be a good sign.
Chunk#5
Debutant
I see your point here but and what you have said about the other teasm but given the Robina Roos is literally 2 minutes around the corner, and Burleigh down Cristine Ave by 2 mins i would have thought it would be hard to establish a Team. its generally hard enough as it is to get enough players at clubs on a yearly basis. Just my thoughts anyway. A junior team could be possible but Robina are looking to do that in 2014 so again not sure how it would go.
Not too sure the strength of a code or a comp is how many teams are involved but how many strong clubs are involved. I think the definition of this is being able to field an A and B side + an 18s. Now if some of these guys have to cross over then so be it but in the main you should have around 40 senior players + 20 18s of which 7-10 could play up if needed. Then you back fill with 16s etc. Sometimes i think the AFL are so desperate to create a foothold everywhere that they forget about the existing clubs and the hard work that many ppl have put in to establish these clubs which for no fault of their own could fall apart very quickly if another club opens on their doorstep.
Agree with your post, but IMO i reckon you need 50 senior players, and around 25 under 18's, of which a few will want to play up.
At a amatuer club, injuries, holidays, work , family take precedent from time to time.
Yeah probably being conservative - talking bare minimum. Can't get away with less thats for sure bc you will be asking 18s to play 2 games ea wend and reserve players to do the same. Not sure why the AFLQ feel it necessary to establish new sides all the time - there should be greater thought that goes into this in my experience.
