VFL competition is a mess

[ItsAllAboutMe]

I heard the main rumblings around placing a salary cap on metro comps is to make the vfl the premier league again. whats the chances of this happening (being the 2nd best league again)

VFL still remains the strongest comp, every VFL club would beat the premier of every Vic Suburban league by 10 goals. Suburban clubs probably pay more but the best 19-23yo still mostly play VFL.. Its after that age and the kids have given up on making AFL, work commitments get heavier so many players leave VFL to chase cash at local level.

 

[Falchoon]

would suburban football be better with a promotion/ relegation system similar to the VAFA or English football league?

The top 2-4 could play VFL

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

would suburban football be better with a promotion/ relegation system similar to the VAFA or English football league?

The top 2-4 could play VFL

Absolutely, could get rid of the ridiculous points system and salary cap that has just been introduced in Metro Footy and have the strongest clubs battle each other but will never happen.

 

[eth-dog]

They need to merge and align themselves with TAC Cup teams, share resources, coaching, facilities, medical staff etc and have a recruiting pathway for kids who are not drafted to play elite level footy. If you got rid of AFL teams then the cost to run a competitive next level club would significantly reduce.

Could have the following teams,

Dandenoong Stingrays - Frankston Bombers
Geelong Falcons - Geelong
North Ballarat - same
Sandringham - Same
Oakleigh Chargers - Box Hill
Calder Cannons - Coburg
Eastern Rangers - ??
Western Jets - Werribee
Benigo Pioneers - Bendigo
Northern Knights - Preston

Gippsland Power & Murray Bushrangers- With reduced costs i am sure the region would be able to field a side of local talent

which then leaves Willy & Port Melbourne who are the 2 strongest stand alone clubs and if they wanted to go on they could stay as stand alone clubs.

This would be a 14 team comp, which is probably too many but would work in providing a 2nd tier competition. I would scrap the reserves and just have a list of local league players as the top ups or expose kids from the u/18s (would also consider changing it to u/19s) into senior footy like happens in WAFL & SANFL. IMO this is the only way a genuine second tier comp in Vic can survive. The AFL should tip in coin to get it up and running and seeing that they already fund the TAC comp they would be funding the same infrastructure.

Oakleigh are aligned with Port and Eastern with Box Hill. Willy with the Jets and Werribee with the Falcons

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Oakleigh are aligned with Port and Eastern with Box Hill. Willy with the Jets and Werribee with the Falcons

And Gippsland with Casey?

 

[eth-dog]

And Gippsland with Casey?

Correct.

I reckon we could see another club in the inner-East come in too, with Frankston's untimely demise. I'd be expanding Oakleigh, Port really don't need their affiliation and Willy don't need the Jets, merge them with Werribee.

Ideally I'd have:

Williamstown Seagulls
Port Melbourne Borough
Oakleigh Chargers (expanded)
Box Hill Mustangs (merged with Eastern Ranges)
Dandenong Stingrays (expanded)
Werribee Tigers (merged with Western Jets)
Gippsland Scorpions (hate Casey as a name)
Geelong Falcons (expanded)
Echuca/Shepparton Bushrangers (unsure which town it's based in)
North Ballarat Roosters
Sandringham Zebras
Bendigo Pioneers (expanded)
Preston Bullants (merge with Northern Knights)
Coburg Lions (merge with Calder Cannons)

14 team comp. may be missing a couple of TAC teams.

 

[PerfectFooty]

I think if the vfl was to expand it needs to go outside of Melbourne after all it is the "victorian football league" I know it would be a pain for travel but either shepparton or wodonga could put up sides, then they could align with the bush rangers

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

I think if the vfl was to expand it needs to go outside of Melbourne after all it is the "victorian football league" I know it would be a pain for travel but either shepparton or wodonga could put up sides, then they could align with the bush rangers

This has already happened with Ballarat, Bendigo & Geelong. Ballarat & Bendigo struggled competing with the AFL aligned clubs professionalism. If they are removed then I am sure they will thrive.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

eth-dog As an aside mate, did you get to any Coburg games this year and if yeah what were the crowds like if any. Work precluded me from going this season but as an old Preston supporter I figure I may as well go and support the boys down the other end of Bell St now.

 

[eth-dog]

eth-dog As an aside mate, did you get to any Coburg games this year and if yeah what were the crowds like if any. Work precluded me from going this season but as an old Preston supporter I figure I may as well go and support the boys down the other end of Bell St now.

I got to as many as I could but I struggled due to playing footy. I got to 5-6 games, and the crowds were decent for all of them.

 

[The_Reaper]

That is never going to happen, the elite kids need to be playing against each other to develop into potential AFL players. The TAC system works, i just think it could be better if they were aligned with a senior player and the top talent can test themselves against men in the VFA.

Doesn't stop SA and WA kid from developing into AFL players

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

How are we 3 rounds into the AFL season and its reserves comp in Vic is still not underway, only 1 game between NB & PM played.. How can the AFL clubs select incoming players based on mickey mouse practice matches..

 

[radiojake]

last year the SANFL had about 5 or 6 byes during the season, and only just played Round 1 the weekend jsut gone

 

[Pessimistic]

For Hawks AFL rounds 1-4 are practice games....

 

[roscreasl98]

This has already happened with Ballarat, Bendigo & Geelong. Ballarat & Bendigo struggled competing with the AFL aligned clubs professionalism. If they are removed then I am sure they will thrive.

Bendigo has had 3 cracks at VFL. Diggers, Bombers and Gold. All failed.
Ballarat did the right thing entering a club based team.
Maybe Bendigo should have backed their strongest club team (is it Golden Square?).

 

[Roogal]

North Melbourne FC today announced that they will field a VFL team from 2018 abandoning Werribee as a stand-alone team. The VFL will truly become a competition of AFL haves and VFL have-nots.

 

[PerfectFooty]

North Melbourne FC today announced that they will field a VFL team from 2018 abandoning Werribee as a stand-alone team. The VFL will truly become a competition of AFL haves and VFL have-nots.

FFS AFL just make your own reserves comp

 

[Roogal]

FFS AFL just make your own reserves comp

100% agree! The AFL are destroying and undermining the VFL by creating a two-tiered competition. People don't understand that many country and metropolitan leagues use the VFL as a developmental gateway for players to evolve to AFL, not as a direct entry point.

 

[eth-dog]

North Melbourne FC today announced that they will field a VFL team from 2018 abandoning Werribee as a stand-alone team. The VFL will truly become a competition of AFL haves and VFL have-nots.

Played out of Arden Street I presume?

 

[Roogal]

Played out of Arden Street I presume?

I don't think that they have the facilities to host regular footy games anymore. The ground is purely a training facility these days.

 

[eth-dog]

I don't think that they have the facilities to host regular footy games anymore. The ground is purely a training facility these days.

There's a game there on Saturday.

 

[Roogal]

There's a game there on Saturday.

I imagine that the facilities would be very rudimentary.

 

[eth-dog]

I imagine that the facilities would be very rudimentary.

I think you're guessing. Windy Hill has terrible facilities yet it's still good enough to host games.

 

[Roogal]

I think you're guessing. Windy Hill has terrible facilities yet it's still good enough to host games.

They tore everything down at Arden Street when it was redeveloped. There is only the NMFC training facilities and headquarters, and a community sports complex. There are no covered areas, seats, toilets or catering facilities. As I said, it would all be very basic and a lot of porta-everything to support a crowd of 4000 there.

 

[Great8]

They tore everything down at Arden Street when it was redeveloped. There is only the NMFC training facilities and headquarters, and a community sports complex. There are no covered areas, seats, toilets or catering facilities. As I said, it would all be very basic and a lot of porta-everything to support a crowd of 4000 there.

Crowd of 4000?
Most VFL games struggle to get 1500