Would footy be better without national expansion?

Surely the AFL could squash any blocking moves by the Eagles or Freo. It's not like they would have listened to Sydney or Brisbane if they'd protested against their market being encroached on.

WA 3 sounds like a better idea than any other non-Tasmanian expansion. I just wonder how they'd differentiate themselves. Base themselves in the north like Freo has done in the south? Not like it's worked out for West Perth though.
Being a brand new club would mean it isn't abandoning its roots like West Perth has.
 
Oct 9, 2006
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Having a think about all this again I would say that the expansion was done in the wrong places.
It should have been there to set up a Tasmanian side, and perhaps another club in SA or WA.

But even then SA would be closer to the bigger populations and WA could see the Eagle powerhouse diminish.
In SA its closer to home for players who move, and as we've seen some kids want to go back home.

A Tassie team yes , but even then it probably should be a club from out of Melbourne. I still think 16 clubs stretched the footy talent pool, and if they keep allowing the womens' expansion to keep going , that will collapse.
 

Rabman

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National Competition was always inevitable due to the appalling financial state of the state leagues during the mid 80's. There needed to more branching out to one another but unfortunately the rivalry and bitterness to one another state came in the way. By the end of 86 pretty much all state leagues were broke and most of there clubs on the brink of bankruptcy, smarter heads should of seen the signs and created the following league in 87.

Carlton, Collingwood, East Perth Royals, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Norwood, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Sturt, Sydney, West Perth Falcons (14)

Fitzroy, North, Saints, Dogs (VFA)
 
How have West Perth abandon its roots?

not the cardies, not based in leederville, zone doesn't include west perth or surrounds

National Competition was always inevitable due to the appalling financial state of the state leagues during the mid 80's. There needed to more branching out to one another but unfortunately the rivalry and bitterness to one another state came in the way. By the end of 86 pretty much all state leagues were broke and most of there clubs on the brink of bankruptcy, smarter heads should of seen the signs and created the following league in 87.

Carlton, Collingwood, East Perth Royals, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Norwood, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Sturt, Sydney, West Perth Falcons (14)

Fitzroy, North, Saints, Dogs (VFA)

"Fremantle" would never fly. And for that matter, I don't think those four clubs punted to the VFA, or the clubs left in the SANFL and WAFL with no chance to go national would be very happy either.
 
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not the cardies, not based in leederville, zone doesn't include west perth or surrounds

Haven’t been the cardies since early 80’s. Agree not in Leederville but when they left they did this under the assumption that Leederville would become the home of soccer and not continue as an AFL ground.
Their supporters are still their traditional supporters.
 
Haven’t been the cardies since early 80’s. Agree not in Leederville but when they left they did this under the assumption that Leederville would become the home of soccer and not continue as an AFL ground.
Their supporters are still their traditional supporters.

But how many of those supporters come from the post-AFL era?
 

NoobPie

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National Competition was always inevitable due to the appalling financial state of the state leagues during the mid 80's. There needed to more branching out to one another but unfortunately the rivalry and bitterness to one another state came in the way. By the end of 86 pretty much all state leagues were broke and most of there clubs on the brink of bankruptcy, smarter heads should of seen the signs and created the following league in 87.

Carlton, Collingwood, East Perth Royals, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Norwood, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Sturt, Sydney, West Perth Falcons (14)

Fitzroy, North, Saints, Dogs (VFA)

What we have ended up with it a thriving national competition. The 4 clubs that exist now in WA and SA are strong clubs with probably the two strongest club rivalries in the country.

It is not perfect, and I'm sure you could think of a better approach with the benefit of hindsight, but it is not clear to me that a collapsing together of the old state leagues would have resulted in a superior outcome today than what we have.

I think what we should be trying to achieve now is a stronger second tier which paradoxically involves reverting to a national reserves competition in the AFL as a start. Perhaps that just involves the SANFL, the WAFL and some EAFL with the risidual VFA clubs that are strong enough (maybe even just Port Melbourne and Willie), Tasmania and a few NEAFL teams.

The idea though that the WAFL and SANFL will ever be "first tier" again just seems like nostalgia driven delusion
 
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It is not perfect, and I'm sure you could think of a better approach with the benefit of hindsight, but it is not clear to me that a collapsing together of the old state leagues would have resulted in a superior outcome today than what we have.

It was also never the intention of the leagues to do so. From the start it was always about joining the VFL, the question was always about the number of VFL clubs that would be kept in any such competition that the VFL chose to run. Every other alternative included at least 8 teams from Victoria, except for a ridiculous plan from Sportsplay.

 

Socrates2

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If the competition got rid of GWS and Gold Coast tomorow, it would be a much more intersting competion.There would be 40 less duds running around and players like Cameron, Coniglio, Josh Kelly ect would be playing in Melbourne more.Won't happen of course but the talent is getting spread pretty thin at the moment.
 

Isaac Cumming No 1

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If the competition got rid of GWS and Gold Coast tomorow, it would be a much more intersting competion.There would be 40 less duds running around and players like Cameron, Coniglio, Josh Kelly ect would be playing in Melbourne more.Won't happen of course but the talent is getting spread pretty thin at the moment.
Pffft

I see an odd combination of Henny Penny and chronophobia in your post. It's amusing but not very threatening. No one is that stupid.
 
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It's far too easy to get involved with the us v them arguments anyway - there are a lot grey areas to be considered imo. Years ago many would have had the same ill feelings towards Freo.

Now it's clubs like Gold Coast, Carlton who tend to cop it as the scapegoats - being the real strugglers of the league. Whereas years ago it was St. Kilda, Melbourne etc. and further back still it was Fitzroy. Ups and downs are a part of it all at the end of the day - it was just woefully unfortunate that Fitzroy got cut

Pffft

I see an odd combination of Henny Penny and chronophobia in your post. It's amusing but not very threatening. No one is that stupid.

A lot of the old school VFL fans who think this way are just ingorant as to the notion that non-Vic sides went a long way to help keep the league up
 

Socrates2

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Pffft

I see an odd combination of Henny Penny and chronophobia in your post. It's amusing but not very threatening. No one is that stupid.
I said it won't happen, but let's face it no one barracks for GWS or Gold Coast because their supporters barracked for another team before they switched.Expansion is about one thing ,corporate advertising and money. Gold Coast are an embarrassing joke whilst GWS are handed millions and exist so there is more money.What team did you barrack for before you swapped ro GWS?
 

Socrates2

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It's far too easy to get involved with the us v them arguments anyway - there are a lot grey areas to be considered imo. Years ago many would have had the same ill feelings towards Freo.

Now it's clubs like Gold Coast, Carlton who tend to cop it as the scapegoats - being the real strugglers of the league. Whereas years ago it was St. Kilda, Melbourne etc. and further back still it was Fitzroy. Ups and downs are a part of it all at the end of the day - it was just woefully unfortunate that Fitzroy got cut



A lot of the old school VFL fans who think this way are just ingorant as to the notion that non-Vic sides went a long way to help keep the league up
Freo, Port ect have a large supporter base,the 2 new teams were made out of thin air and mean nothing.
 

Isaac Cumming No 1

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I said it won't happen, but let's face it no one barracks for GWS or Gold Coast because their supporters barracked for another team before they switched.Expansion is about one thing ,corporate advertising and money. Gold Coast are an embarrassing joke whilst GWS are handed millions and exist so there is more money.What team did you barrack for before you swapped ro GWS?
Mind your own business. You're very wrong if you think I'm at all interested in justifying myself to the likes of you.

The future will happen with or without your permission, give that some thought.
 

Socrates2

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Mind your own business. You're very wrong if you think I'm at all interested in justifying myself to the likes of you.

The future will happen with or without your permission, give that some thought.
What was your original team or are you a new supporter who discovered AFL 5 years ago?
 

Socrates2

Norm Smith Medallist
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Mind your own business. You're very wrong if you think I'm at all interested in justifying myself to the likes of you.

The future will happen with or without your permission, give that some thought.
I would guess you swapped from Carlton or Stkilda,probably Carlton. You are what they call a 'fair weather' supporter.What will be your next team when GWS bomb? Come over to the tigers Isaac!
 
Apr 12, 2012
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I said it won't happen, but let's face it no one barracks for GWS or Gold Coast because their supporters barracked for another team before they switched.Expansion is about one thing ,corporate advertising and money. Gold Coast are an embarrassing joke whilst GWS are handed millions and exist so there is more money.What team did you barrack for before you swapped ro GWS?

Wow so you really are clueless.



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Apr 12, 2012
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Just tell us yr afl history, what's the big deal
No big deal at all. In fact theres a thread in the Giants board that answers that particular question.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...hare_tid=1165235&share_fid=23893&share_type=t


Mine? Couldnt give a stuff about the game until the Giants came along. Grew up in an area that hated the sport in the 80s.

Wasnt till I started keeping an eye on the Giants that it all changed.

You really have no clue about the sport outside your bubble as your posts suggest.


Do you think all expansion clubs supporters just switched clubs?

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