The breakaway league.

[Tulip]

Our sport expects its athletes to keep up physically with the best sportsmen in the world, all whilst playing for a fraction of the coin their contemporaries earn.

 

[Furn2]

I would support the WA team in the event of a breakaway league, regardless of the identity.

Im not that fickle / precious to think that if my club ceased to exist i would be lost to the game... you just go find another tribe to join. I think you will find resistance to this is mostly a Victorian mindset.

The Eagles would still exist though, where would they go ?

 

[Marley10]

You would only need West Coast, Freo, Adelaide and Sydney and watch the big vic clubs getting in on it.
A purely Victorian comp could not survive.
But don't worry it won't happen.

Sure. But why don't I see Port Adelaide's 30+ premiership in AFL/VFL history? Or maybe Subiaco?

Ohh that's right. There wouldn't be an AFL without the Victorian teams. Silly.

It used to be a Victorian league, but then Fremantle, West Coast, Sydney and Adelaide came running to get in on it.

 

[Furn2]

The clubs are ultimately the owners of the afl aren't they? If enough if them voted as a block to break away I'm assuming they would have the power to do so

The clubs vote on the members and can veto any decision if 2/3rds of or more agree to do so, but can't actually make any changes without the commissions say so.

 

[Furn2]

Our sport expects its athletes to keep up physically with the best sportsmen in the world, all whilst playing for a fraction of the coin their contemporaries earn.

Their contemporaries are who exactly ?

They play a sport followed by half a country with a population of 22mil.

 

[wedgetail]

The Eagles would still exist though, where would they go ?

i could support two teams until the battle was decided.

i guess the players will decide the outcome. whoever gets the best players will get the supporters... the TV deals and sponsors will follow the players & supporters.

the players will follow the money. so which league will be better equipped to pay the players the most in the short / medium term?

 

[Tigersman]

Does that mean a two thirds vote could disband the commission? They have the ultimate power in the end.

 

[joop]

Money can do anything but as said you need the person behind that money to do it. But one would be naive to think it can't happen.

Donald trump is listening...

 

[footyfan1978]

I wonder what Fitzroy supporters think of this.

Fitzroy had a club with a long history and 8 premierships in that history. A lot more heritage and feeling for those supporters than a more recent franchise outfit when a branding name of West Coast Eagles the only depth of identity put into it's making. So it is chalk and cheese. Eagles going by wayside after less than 3 decades is not in the same ballpark of a loss to history of the league and game. Could just replace them with Perth Sandgropers and most West Coast supporters would jump on and not blink an eye. Some would no doubt but get the feeling the depth of loss would not be great. For Fitzroy supporters was like a true death of something in their family longer than them in terms of heritage and legacy. Many of them do not follow any other team. None of us could imagine that loss.

 

[Tulip]

Their contemporaries are who exactly ?

They play a sport followed by half a country with a population of 22mil.

Yeah man, exactly what I'm saying. AFL players have to keep up with fitness standards from codes that recycle vast amounts of money more than it.

 

[theyellowsash]

nope

 

[Tigersman]

Yeah man, exactly what I'm saying. AFL players have to keep up with fitness standards from codes that recycle vast amounts of money more than it.

You think the amount if money they earn is relative to the level of professionalism?

Would they be lesser athletes if their salaries were capped at 400k? I don't think so

Or are you referring to the amount of money clubs can spend on developing them?

 

[matt_bas]

1 team breakaway comp.

Eddie gets his coveted finals spot.

Nathan gets his premiership.

Eddie gets to give Nathan a 10 year contract extention.

Everyone's happy.

You'd need Carlton in there as well, someone needs to win the spoon...sorry couldn't help myself

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Fitzroy had a club with a long history and 8 premierships in that history. A lot more heritage and feeling for those supporters than a more recent franchise outfit when a branding name of West Coast Eagles the only depth of identity put into it's making. So it is chalk and cheese. Eagles going by wayside after less than 3 decades is not in the same ballpark of a loss to history of the league and game. Could just replace them with Perth Sandgropers and most West Coast supporters would jump on and not blink an eye. Some would no doubt but get the feeling the depth of loss would not be great. For Fitzroy supporters was like a true death of something in their family longer than them in terms of heritage and legacy. Many of them do not follow any other team. None of us could imagine that loss.

Fitzroy still exist don't they? I have read many times on BF the same club still exists, they just exist in a league where they can be sustained in.
And don't give me the WA crap, we had 8 clubs with the same heritage and same existence as your VFL clubs who are now playing 2nd tier footy so clubs like yours can be sustained in a league which they clearly struggle with.
WA has made as big a sacrifice as anyone.

 

[footyfan1978]

Fitzroy still exist don't they?

Depends who you ask of Fitzroy supporters. For 95% which is nearly all of them, for their perspective their club they loved is dead and no more. For some like ex-champion player a part of them lives on with the AFL farce of Fitzroy-Brisbane Bears merger. Technically a few and I do mean a few that simply want the Fitzroy name to continue they look towards that club in an amateur league as to continue the identity of Fitzroy as a football club.

And don't give me the WA crap, we <snip further irrelevant stuff that nothing to do with my post>

I did not give you any "WA crap". Nothing was mentioned of WA in my post so your own perception in your mind. I only talked about Fitzroy supporters losing their club in comparison to a follow up by another poster on the idea Eagles being no more would be anything like the end of long history of Fitzroy as a football club in the league history.

You are rambling on about something else that has nothing to do with what I said. If you ask me about WAFL football, which was not part of my post I would be happy to give it. Sometimes comprehension can be very lacking around here I notice with replies that have no connection to what was posted by the person being replied to.

 

[crazywildhorse]

I am sure if half of the club's went to channel 9 abd Optus they would raise enough money for the breakaway. They only need half the money anywau

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

Sure, I mean Super League was a complete success for that one year.

 

[Plugger35]

Yeah that whole breakaway league idea (ie. Super League) worked so well for rugby league, let's try and do the same thing.

* me drunk

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Teams can't just leave, the AFL owns all the rights to the names trademarks logos etc.

You would have to start up completely new teams and who would want to follow the West Perth Beagles and the Glenferrie Mohawks etc.

No
AFL owns the rights to teams in the afl
If a team left, they could introduce a new team with the same name, whilst the other clubs would still operate (reason why Fitzroy still operate in the ammos, even though the afl own the Fitzroy afl club)

 

[Upgrayedd]

Break away leagues always work

Except the AFL own all the clubs anyways?

 

[Kappa]

Our sport expects its athletes to keep up physically with the best sportsmen in the world, all whilst playing for a fraction of the coin their contemporaries earn.

Are you serious? AFL players earn a s**t load more than the vast majority of professional sportsmen.

In case you didn't realize, there are more sports on earth then Soccer Basketball and NFL where undoubtedly the big name players get a lot more.

 

[crazywildhorse]

Yeah that whole breakaway league idea (ie. Super League) worked so well for rugby league, let's try and do the same thing.

**** me drunk

Sure, I mean Super League was a complete success for that one year.

RL was in massive need of an overhaul and the breakaway happened. What made it more difficult for RL was most of the issues they were struggling with were financial, and if they'd remained as they were going, it still would have crashed.

 

[footyfan1978]

Teams can't just leave, the AFL owns all the rights to the names trademarks logos etc.

You would have to start up completely new teams and who would want to follow the West Perth Beagles and the Glenferrie Mohawks etc.

I remember as a kid I started watching the cricket on tv. I watched the Australians versus the West Indies and World XI most summers. A little later on I realized there were two Australian teams. The side I watched and then some second rate lot on channel 2 that I wondered what they were. It turned out the second rate cricket that I perceived to be on channel 2 was in fact the Australian Test team. The side I watched on channel 9 that was way better standard was called the WSC Australians in actual record books. Not that it mattered to me as a kid of the time. The Australia team to me was the one I watched. Only later on when Australia Cricket Board merged with *breakaway* WSC did I work out the stuff I grew up with that I considered the fair dinkum stuff, was for others considered the breakaway and rebellious cricket organisation.

 

[D-N-R]

The only reason a breakaway league would come about would be over money. As it stands, the players do pretty well out of it, the money that clubs spend is fairly well managed - no-one is going to the wall - and the game is expanding and the TV rights deal has been massive.

It's not the right time or environment to be contemplating it.

 

[pinot]

Re-modelling would be a better idea.

We are too fixated with Americanisms in the name of equalisation which has been an epic failure.

Players should earn what they are worth. Some players can potentially earn more and some players earn too much due to the fact clubs are forced to pay 95% of the cap at minimum.

Equalisation isn't giving a pathway to excellence and setting new benchmarks.

Strong state league clubs should be given the right to develop their own academies and eventually challenge for big TV prize money with the big boys.

Clubs should develop their own youngsters from a young age because we see the talent depth being a horrible shambles.