The future structure of VFL in Victoria

[Barry_1]

Honestly it just won't work having all these divisions and making teams travel very long distances.. Getting rid of the TAC cup is another stupid idea, the TAC cup is a vital pathway for many kids coming up trough the ranks in Victoria including country areas, making kids travel to Melbourne to play footy in VFL under 19's to give them a hope at making AFL is just stupid, also the TAC cup has Under 18's, Under 16's and Under 15's which gives young footballers an excellent pathway, I am not sure this system will be nearly as good

 

[rooboy_88]

any more news on this?

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Promotion/relegation is a fantastic concept, and really adds significantly to English football, where every team in the country is part of the same pyramid, but it has to be carefully designed to work within geographic limitations.

 

[onslaught]

http://www.vflfooty.com/?q=node/5067

More on this today.

 

[stacksonthemill]

Oldest competition? Bollocks!

The South Australian Football Association (now the SANFL) was formed in April 1877, one week before the VFA was - a little bit of light reading on 19th century football will prove that point.

More importantly, the VFA died in 1995 and this VFL competition (just the AFL Reserves in disguise) has only been going for 13 years. It is an insult to the VFA, its former clubs and its memory to refer to the current competition as a continuation of the late, great VFA.

 

[rooboy_88]

The VFL needs to follow the model in SA, with a 17s 19s ressies & seniors.

promote the fact that these clubs are suburban clubs still and get people back down there. Knowing alot of Willy fans from back in the day, there sentiments are that they feel like there club has been taken away from them and its not Willy anymore.

 

[onslaught]

The VFL needs to follow the model in SA, with a 17s 19s ressies & seniors.

promote the fact that these clubs are suburban clubs still and get people back down there. Knowing alot of Willy fans from back in the day, there sentiments are that they feel like there club has been taken away from them and its not Willy anymore.

When Port returned to being a standalone side, we had a very tough first season, winning just the one game, but I didn't care, it felt like you got your club back, and the sense of identity returned.

The VFL clubs rejected the deal:
http://www.vflfooty.com/?q=node/5070

 

[Yoda_]

Why dont we have a look at how the SANFL/WAFL are run, maybe without the vic AFL clubs forming their own reserves comp though. both the SANFL and WAFL have seniors, reserves, U/19, U/17, this would bolster both the TAC cup and introducing kids into the VFL system. Kids who do not get drafted, simply go back to there club and do another pre season, also, AFL recruiters would be able to watch a whole days play and see the 'TAC' kids coming through, in both 17's and 19's, and see any young kids coming through in the reserves or seniors, look how many kids got picked up from the WAFL last year, about 7 - 8. They have a good structure, even if they do not have U17s, it would still work.

Aligning TAC clubs to VFL clubs though would be the hard part, just zoning the kids to the nearest VFL club might work too. Not sure, just think the WAFL/SANFL structure is good,

 

[rooboy_88]

VFL clubs need to be seen as suburban clubs not AFL reserves teams.

These clubs are meant to be the elite clubs of suburban melbourne and now regional victoria.

I hope they change it to the WA/SA structure and bring back the game to the community.

Onslaught was spot on, these clubs can get there club and identities back and really show why it is the 2nd best comp in australia.

 

[mediumsizered]

promote the fact that these clubs are suburban clubs still and get people back down there. Knowing alot of Willy fans from back in the day, there sentiments are that they feel like there club has been taken away from them and its not Willy anymore.

Have to agree with this. I followed the Seagulls with a passion through the '70s, '80s & into the '90s. Since their alignment with Collingwood & subsequently the Western Bulldogs, I no longer feel a passion for the club. The only thing left that makes them even close to being the team I previously loved is the Royal Blue & Gold jersey. A shame because I used to love my VFA football as much as I loved the VFL/AFL.

The '70s & early '80s may have been a tough time for the club, but they were a VFA stalwart & were everything that VFL clubs weren't. I know my grandfather, who had followed Williamstown passionately since 1923, felt little attachment to them after they linked up with Collingwood. Although Williamstown won the premiership 2 months prior to the passing of my grandfather in 2003, it didn't count in his eyes. It was not a premiership for the true Williamstown Football Club.

 

[Blackout]

Reading through this thread has brought many good points up, in particular the lack of passion that exists for these former VFA clubs, as you only need to look at the SANFL and WAFL Grand Final attendances, around 30,000 and 20,000 respectively. And the VFL, which barely scrapes 10,000 (did it reach that?) at the Telstra Dome.

Just being around Bendigo, the general consensus among football circles is that the Bendigo Bombers are a burden on the area. In fact there are many that believe a Bendigo Football League interleague side would defeat the Bombers (the recent bushfire match between the two was auctioning off places to people in the game, so the result can hardly be taken seriously).

The big issue with creating an Under 19 and Under 17 competition for the VFL clubs as a pathway would lie in the rural outcrops of outback Victoria, the kids in areas such as Mildura and Albury-Wodonga could not reasonably be expected to have a chance at an AFL career if they have to drive 7 or 8 hours to the game.

 

[LenardWashington]

Will the AFL clubs follow Collingwood and Geelong in having their own VFL team or will they continue to be aligned with other VFL clubs?

 

[onslaught]

Only if the VFL are willing to issue more stand-alone licenses, which at this stage they aren't that keen on!

 

[LenardWashington]

Only if the VFL are willing to issue more stand-alone licenses, which at this stage they aren't that keen on!

Thanks for your response onslaught. Why would the VFL not want more AFL clubs to be stand alone? I would have thought it gives those unlucky kids who didnt get picked up in the draft more of a second chance.

 

[finders]

Thanks for your response onslaught. Why would the VFL not want more AFL clubs to be stand alone? I would have thought it gives those unlucky kids who didnt get picked up in the draft more of a second chance.

Because then they may as well change their name to the AFL Reserves and be done with it!The current VFL (sic) set up with AFL reserves teams playing is a joke with the competition going nowhere fast and even more so next season with a QLD (new AFL) team in a Victorian comp..

 

[Blackout]

Because then they may as well change their name to the AFL Reserves and be done with it!The current VFL (sic) set up with AFL reserves teams playing is a joke with the competition going nowhere fast and even more so next season with a QLD (new AFL) team in a Victorian comp..

But Andrew Demitriou thinks it's a good idea...

 

[stacksonthemill]

If Demitriou listened to the opinions of those outside of Victoria (and inside as well), he might be more popular.

The VFL (sic) is a farce - how often is the reporting of the competition NOT focused primarily around AFL name players. Meanwhile, SANFL and WAFL reports take a wholistic attitude and not filling column inches about the Eagle, Docker, Crow and Power listed players.

I only found out today that my (formerly) beloved Sandringham, who became the Melbourne Reserves is now ... God preserve me, the St Kilda Reserves. Never in all my life could I imagine the Zebras' name being tarnished in this way.

Thank goodness, I have a full H&A game from 1981 on DVD and a few YouTube clips from the halcyon years to keep the memories of the good times ... and to see how far the reputation of Victorian second-tier football has slipped - from an independent competition with 10,000+ crowds for a number of Division 1 matches weekly, TV matches and regular news reports on Channel 0/10 in 1979-1980 to an AFL-burdened Reserves competition in 2009 played in front of a smattering of people.

 

[Johnson#26]

I never really was a massive VFL follower until the Pies became a standalone side again in 2008. Up till then, I watched a lot on the ABC from 1999/2000 to 2002. So my feelings re the comp may differ to hardcore vfl types from way back.

i'd go with returning to the afl reserves - lions can join if they want, the western state sides sort out their own needs (to join or to stay), while 10-vics plus sydney reform the reserves comp.

vfl again becomes the vfa, and clubs like sandy, willy, box hill, etc, retain/return to their old identities.

but, that would mean that they have to provide stronger links (even just in a branding way) with their local tac sides. so eastern - box hill, northern - preston, etc. so, for eg box hill would be structured as such: bh seniors, bh reserves, then an under 18 side (called the rangers or hawks, either way), then their u16s, 15s, etc. and have closer links with their regions (efl/mountains league/etc).

gotta keep the local leagues like efl/sfl/etc unique and standalone, not one massive comp. identity in clubs/leagues must remain unique.

 

[walhawk]

Few of the old VFL clubs could ever stand alone again.
Not Casey or Box Hill for sure.

It is a shame as to what has happenned to the VFl, but that is the modern world for you. 'Corner stores' are dead. Unless you have a niche, you cannot compete against major brands.
When Willi played Werribee they used to get 5K every time - that was only 10 years ago. Now each club would onl;y have a few hundred supporters.

The EFL, on the other hand, has prospered. I go to a few Blackburn games and the corwds are bigger, louder and much more passionate than Box Hill in the VFL. And Box HIll draw some of the biggest VFL crowds.

None of the current VFL clubs have real 'soul' - the kind that takes decades to create.

 

[MontyMensch]

The VFL add on the radio promotes two things to get people into the gate... and correctly they should be two of the main reasons to get people through the gate.

1. Great local footy, and 2. A chance to see great kids run around.

However, the AFL reserves:
1.) Is not great local footy it is basicily whoever has the best group of AFL listed players who cant make the jump up but are still running around usually win. Alongside this I know a number of supporters of Preston for example who cant support them anymore as they are pie supporters. Alongside this a lot of these guys are from interstate and dont know what a Box Hill or Sandy jumper represents.

2.) The kids playing.. if they play well, wont be playing there anymore in the season. Such as Chris Judd's grand total of one game for East Perth. Whilst most of these kids have hardly any local attachment to the club either.

The way foward for me is logical, as it seems the logical way to foward the Victorian drafting system into the AFL. Either as suggested above the TAC Cup becomes the unders to the VFL clubs. Alongside a Eastern Seaboard Reserves or Players could be promoted from TAC Cup if in a aligned club to VFL Football to help their progression. Youths playing WAFL and SANFL league of late have shown lately to be able to impact on the AFL at a much quicker pace.

This way the club's would be local agian, showing off the actual local kids from the area wares before they went off to the AFL. The add on the radio would finally make a lot more sense.

At East Freo I was able to Paul Haselby, Graham Polak, Andrew Swallow, Dom Casisi Paddy Ryder, Josh Kennedy all play for the league side before they moved on.

At Port the only such player I had even see do such since returning to Melbourne is Nahas.. and his good TAC Cup form and the value of a small forward his quality probably would of seen him play at Port at 18 and he could of been drafted a lot earlier if the AFL could get out of the VFA

 

[South panther]

The SANFL is definately lucky that we do not have any of our clubs aligned with the two AFL franchises.The Power rose from the port magpies but have absolutely strangled the life out of them and although the Port Magpies are a well supported club, financially they are on their knees!
The SANFL faces the challenge of trying to appeal to the younger demographic as many youngsters only see the bright lights of the AFL.
The SANFL is still a very strong competition which is well supported,the fact that we nearly got 36,000 spectators to our grand final between Central Districts and Sturt says alot!
The SANFL will face the challenge of keeping the competition viable with the introduction of another two AFL teams.
These two extra clubs have the potential to make an impact on the SANFL,WAFL and probably the VFL too.
I love footy and the AFL is the pinnacle of aussie rules,but give me a good SANFL GAME ANY DAY!!

 

[aRT8t]

The VeeFL is Just A merged @FL reserves with some other old VFA clubs.

I can not see any of these clubs surviving once the 2 extra @FL teams come in.

@FL you won the VFA was demolished but you ripped the hearts out of a lot of people who once barracked for these mighty clubs, just as you did to the Lions, you could have kept the VFA name and brand but no you threw that on the pile of crap too.

 

[GrassKat]

In theory a team from O&MFL, GVFL, Bendigo FL, Ballarat FL, etc sounds like a good idea for the VFL, but in practice would not work. It just weakens strong leagues that the towns actually support, just so that scouts don't have to visit as many grounds...

Keep the TAC Cup, make the Victorian AFL teams run their own Reserves comp. Send the traditional VFA clubs back to their own independent metro -league.

 

[Highlander35]

IMO what the VFL should do is this.

Remove:
Geelong reserves
Collingwood reserves
Bendigo Bombers

Introduce:
New Geelong side
New Bendigo side

Destroy: Tac Cup, and anything that takes away from VFA history

Set up:
12 team, 22 round season.
6 team finals series.

Each side fields: Seniors, reserves, U19's. Completely independent of AFL sides.

The 6 teams not competing in the finals are joined by the equivalent of the Murray Bushrangers and Gippsland power in a knockout cup

Afl players, who play for a Victorian side, and are not playing for their side, play for one of : The club they played VFL footy for most recently, or club they are assigned to by VFL.

Lynchpin: AFL drafting age is raised to 21. The best players under this age are all playing for their state league.

 

[Goady138]

VFL to vote on restructure




VFL clubs and leagues will vote next month on an restructure that would put the AFL in charge of Victorian football.

Stakeholders will attend an extraordinary general meeting on March 28 dealing with a new entity, AFL Victoria Ltd.

Former Essendon CEO Peter Jackson will head it.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, AFL national and international development manager David Matthews, AFL legal affairs manager Andrew Dillon and AFL Victoria chairman Grant O'Riley are expected to be on the board.

The new body will assume all assets, liabilities, operations and undertakings of AFL Victoria.

In a letter to stakeholders, O'Riley said the proposed transfer "represents the best opportunity to create certainty and stability for both members and football in Victoria".

The restructure would mirror the AFL's governance of football in Queensland and NSW/ACT.




In announcing the change Demetriou called Victoria the "engine room of Australian football".

"The AFL is committed to protecting and growing the game in the state," he said.

"As we embark on a strategic plan for the game towards 2016 we need to work even more closely with staff, community leagues and VFL clubs to maintain the game's pre-eminent position in Victoria."

He said the VFL provided "important links between the game at community and AFL level and we see it continuing to play a key role in ensuring the future success of football in Victoria.



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/vfl-to-vote-on-restructure/story-fn53khop-1226013581458