Expansion Wellington Based Club ?? For Sure !!

[LordLucifer]

Whilst this game in Wellington tonight is being played under the guise of an Anzac Day clash, nothing could be surer than it's a trial of whether there is a market over there for our game.

Based on there being around 16K at what is being described as a "purpose built" AFL stadium, the answer is 'yes'.

The AFL is keen to build the number of teams it has and given that there is already a NZ team in the NRL, you know it's only a matter of time before we have our first international club - Wellington FC here come !!

Just not sure what their logo will be ...........

 

[quotemokc]

There is also a NZ basketball team

 

[nicky]

A saint?

 

[Sttew]

The Wellington Saints? Or the Kiwi Kangaroos?

 

[Doctor Feel]

Imagine the travel from WA > Wellington or Wellington > WA.

Awful.

EDIT: Over 7 hours. I guess A-league teams do it, but a completely different game.

 

[Messenger]

Yeah, nah. There is a large number of Aus based supporters travelling for the novelty value and I'd be interested how many of the rest actually paid for their seat.

 

[Scotland]

'Purpose built AFL stadium'?

It's an oval.

 

[LordLucifer]

'Purpose built AFL stadium'?

It's an oval.

In the lead-in to the match, one of the TV boffins claims it was a purpose-built AFL ground, don't shoot the messenger.

Also, if you think about it, with Wellington being 3-hours behind the east coast of Australia, they could play home games locally at 2:10pm which would be 11:10am here. The AFL would love that, televise a game starting late morning, then a traditional afternoon match followed by a twilight game.

They'd be licking their chops in anticipation of the TV rights and the mass saturation they'd be able to apply.

 

[Lensen]

if they are willing to sit through this mess they are probably a captive market

 

[gimp!]

In the lead-in to the match, one of the TV boffins claims it was a purpose-built AFL ground, don't shoot the messenger.

Also, if you think about it, with Wellington being 3-hours behind the east coast of Australia, they could play home games locally at 2:10pm which would be 11:10am here. The AFL would love that, televise a game starting late morning, then a traditional afternoon match followed by a twilight game.

They'd be licking their chops in anticipation of the TV rights and the mass saturation they'd be able to apply.

Yeah have a match broadcast to the west coast while they are sitting down to breakfast, cracking idea.

 

[QS]

Ok if we never have to play there

 

[LordLucifer]

Yeah have a match broadcast to the west coast while they are sitting down to breakfast, cracking idea.

70% of the Australian population lives on the east coast with SA & NT only 30mins behind that. Perth is always going to be a problem for fixturing due to the distance & time delay but it's the smallest population of all the capital cities we have.

 

[Selective Retention]

In the lead-in to the match, one of the TV boffins claims it was a purpose-built AFL ground, don't shoot the messenger.

Translation: Just another cricket ground we can pretend to be ours.

 

[LordLucifer]

if they are willing to sit through this mess they are probably a captive market

I hear you, it's not the most attractive match tonight due to the wet, cold & greasy conditions but if played earlier in the day, the weather may be somewhat better and the standard would hopefully improve accordingly.

Failing that, put a roof on it.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

70% of the Australian population lives on the east coast with SA & NT only 30mins behind that. Perth is always going to be a problem for fixturing due to the distance & time delay but it's the smallest population of all the capital cities we have.

You mean except Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin; and maybe Brisbane soon enough?
Perth is the second biggest footy market by a long way.

 

[LordLucifer]

You mean except Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin; and maybe Brisbane soon enough?
Perth is the second biggest footy market by a long way.

Brisbane & Adelaide have Perth covered and Darwin is just another Geelong.

By the way, any coincidence that the AFL promotional ads this season show people in other countries watching our game ?? Maybe a conspiracy theory but its all adding up to me.

 

[Morris Major]

Should worry about sustaining a decent crowd once a year

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

No its our sport, only ours. No other country should be joining our competition because it is an australian game. Call me old fashion if you wish but thats the way its been played for 150 years or so and thats the way it will remain.
its what makes our game great, thats its just ours.

 

[Wooljay]

Would be the ultimate insult to Tasmania.

Every Tasmanian's face after they launch the first NZ club without them having one:

 

[LordLucifer]

Would be the ultimate insult to Tasmania.

The problem with Tassie is that there are only two genuine options (Hobart & Launceston) which are at opposite ends of the island so there is never the liklihood of generating huge crowds. The population of the whole state was 512,100 in March 2012 so their people are spread way too thin.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Brisbane & Adelaide have Perth covered and Darwin is just another Geelong.

By the way, any coincidence that the AFL promotional ads this season show people in other countries watching our game ?? Maybe a conspiracy theory but its all adding up to me.

Perth is way bigger than Adelaide.
Greater Adelaide : 1,225,235 (Whole of South Australia : 1,596,572)
Greater Perth : 1,728,867
2011 Census figures

 

[LordLucifer]

Perth is way bigger than Adelaide.
Greater Adelaide : 1,225,235 (Whole of South Australia : 1,596,572)
Greater Perth : 1,728,867
2011 Census figures

Correction, you are right.

But it doesn't change the rationale behind the idea of basing a team over there & the scheduling of their matches.

 

[Sherrinator]

Brisbane & Adelaide have Perth covered and Darwin is just another Geelong.

By the way, any coincidence that the AFL promotional ads this season show people in other countries watching our game ?? Maybe a conspiracy theory but its all adding up to me.

Perth is way bigger than Adelaide and to that poster who suggested Perth with be bigger than Brisbane, well possibly but Brisbane can't expand further along the coastline as there is the GC and Sunny Coast. So I highly doubt any Perth Metro area will get to 3.5 million people.

 

[Boxhead_31]

In the lead-in to the match, one of the TV boffins claims it was a purpose-built AFL ground, don't shoot the messenger.

Pretty sure it's the Hurricanes main home ground, got upgraded for the recent RU world cup

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Perth is way bigger than Adelaide and to that poster who suggested Perth with be bigger than Brisbane, well possibly but Brisbane can't expand further along the coastline as there is the GC and Sunny Coast. So I highly doubt any Perth Metro area will get to 3.5 million people.

Yeah, I was referring to the possibility of Perth overtaking Brisbane only, not including Sunshine and Gold Coasts. It was in response to "capitals".
I belive Perth's growth outstrips Brisbane's considerably, but the gap is still bigger than I thought it was to be honest.

That said, Perth sides could always play away against a hypothetical NZ team on Saturday nights and play at home the following Sunday. With two, or potentially three or even four, WA clubs it shouldn't be that hard to accommodate in the fixturing.