- Apr 11, 2002
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- 34,821
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- Essendon
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- Iggles, Georgia.
lol anyone posting Essendon not in the top 4, cool story gueys
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Which clubs are really the big four of the AFL?
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yeah, top 4 team not to make finals
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Did you realise that the original post in this thread was posted on May 29, 2002?
Now it so happened that Richmond didn't have a great season in 2002. Richmond supporters seem to be quite fickle, and they don't seem to be that numerous when their team isn't doing that well. I seem to remember some years of Richmond members cutting up their membership cards and dumping piles of manure on the pavement outside the club.
See Save Our Skins and a return to the finals (1987–1995)
See also Richmond Football Club : Lost opportunities (1996–2004)
Richmond were not a powerhouse club at this time.
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Yes I saw the date, Ive also noted that our membership was top 3-4 when for many years when we missed finals which doesn’t correlate with that boloney
1. Collingwood
2. West Coast
3. Essendon
4. Richmond
2. West Coast
3. Essendon
4. Richmond
Cutting up membership cards and dumping truck loads of manure is only for the biggest passionate and most connected.
- Mar 28, 2018
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True dat.
I would agree with this. The "big 4" is a Victorian thing. West Coast and Adelaide are a different beast altogether. On one hand, they don't have more than a century of history and tradition behind them, but they have the prestige of having a time when they were the only club in a footy mad state.
The whole big 4 thing is changing and was built from periods of dominance leading to large supporter bases. It is the large supporter bases that make a club big.
What makes Essendon a powerhouse is a fact that it came out of the recent controversy still strong. What makes Carlton a powerhouse is that their survival is unquestioned after the last two decades of utter s**t, eg Fitzroy was not that bad and it went. Gold Coast won't survive if they don't turn it around in the next decade. Despite decades of embarrassment Richmond has one good year and have a membership over 100k. Collingwood still remains the biggest draw.
West Coast and Adelaide are every bit as powerful as those clubs. In fact, considering the amount of a state they have behind them, probably more powerful. Also, Hawthorn and Geelong are just as powerful now. Hawthorn was gifted a period of dominance in the 80s from their zone and that wasn't converted into power, I remember the VFL at the time worrying about how having Hawthorn in so many grand finals was affecting their bottom line. However, they have had a new period of dominance under Clarkson and have converted the old Melbourne supporting families into a big supporter base. Geelong has converted a period of dominance into power under the clever stewardship of Costa and taking advantage of their unique geographic location.
I don't think North, Saints or Doggies ever will become powerhouses. Doggies could convert the whole west into supporters if they were to have a period like Hawthorn and Geelong have had, but now that the new clubs have settled and the draft is not as compromised I don't see any clubs having a period like that again. The thing about the west is that there are a whole lot of migrant families, so kids ripe for the picking! Saints and North are in geographic locations that don't really allow for that, and don't have a huge supporter base to build upon.
Melbourne, not sure. Were could they build upon? They are about to enter a period of on-field strength.
The northern state teams are always going to struggle as footy just isn't going to be the big sport there. Their market is too crowded. The AFL made a huge mistake creating two sides in each state. The best marketing tool they would have had is being a team the whole state could get behind. "Beat the Vics at their own game" and draw on a bit of that state of origin vibe when they play the other northern state.
It is why I think the AFL got it wrong by expanding. If the AFL was reduced to 12 teams we'd have the same 4 teams in W.A. plus S.A, the 6 powerful Vic teams and we'd be able to financially support a team in each of the northern states.
All clubs would be able to raise their own finances and bring huge supporter bases into each year, no matter their ladder position. When all the talent has to be squeezed into fewer teams the difference between the best and worst is less and all teams would feel close to winning a flag. There would be more talent available for state league and footy tragics like us could get their fill keeping track of the state leagues. While the more casual fan would be drawn in by having at least two or three blockbuster games each week.
I also believe that junior development teams could be part of the state league teams. With each state league team representing one or two suburban/country leagues. Do well in the suburban level and you get a game in state league. Do well in state league you get a game at the end of year state of origin tournament that could run alongside the AFL final series.
12 AFL teams mean everyone plays each other twice each year. The Vic teams that don't make the AFL cut can be kept intact as VFL powerhouses.
- Mar 28, 2018
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Most people would struggle with relevance trying to turn this thread into an expansion whinge. Indeed many would be too embarrassed to do so.
But look at you ignoring relevance and leaping right in.
Hard to decide now. Pies and Tigers are a lock. The other 2 could be either Essendon, Hawks, west coast and Adelaide
Clueless. West Coast are that far in front of everybody else it is not even worth arguing. Collingwood on the next rung and that is with every conceivable advantage given to them.
What advantages are we talking about
Overexposure and overepresentation in the fixture and the media mainly.
Club was on its knees in the late 80s and worked hard to get back to wear it is now.
TV reports on things people are interested are in. Hence we hear about the AFL scores over the National Handball daily results. It's not some conspiracy to build Collingwood.
And the very little travel thing....
Financially without a doubt. $11.9 m profit in 18 and higher than anyones even after paying the WAFL dividend of $4m still higher than any other club even with less supporters.
Eagles in the past 32 years have now paid over $140 million dollars to their owners the WA Football League in dividends. That money runs WA football and develops those kids every other teams love to draft. No other club can match that.
Freo does the same but nowhere as much.
New $1.6 billion dollar stadium, about to finish the $60 million dollar training facility with a 2nd oval same size as the MCG playing surface and millions in investments on the balance sheet. About to launch their stand alone WAFL size as a true reserves team supporting the main side and a AFLW side to launch next year.
Onwards and upwards. Money talks and bullsh!t walks!
When do your financials come out? I'd be interested to see your membership and corporate hospitality revenue. I reckon it could conceivably be close to double the next best in the league.
I'm not here blow wind up West Coasts arse. The local media do enough of that to last 6 lifetimes, but I believe the Victorian (national) media have been incredibly slow to pick up on West Coast''s juggernaut status. Me thinks it's more to do with it not fitting in with their outdated narrative, but yeah as you can see with many of the responses on bigfooty alone, that a lot are still dismissive of this fact.
Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon & West Coast
Not sure Ive just quoted the Chairman from an article last week.
A fair bit of chest beating on here and sure the Eagles dont have 100 plus years of history or, 15 VFL flags or claim the 100,000 paid up members but financially they are Kings of the big game. And for the 32 years so far 4 flags and 3 runners up finishes is well ahead of the bell curve d
Any list which doesn't have the Eagles first is ridiculous insularism.
Not surprised the 1970s poll option is winning
Not surprised the 1970s poll option is winning
I would swap swap west coast and Adelaide and Carlton and Essendon. Rest is pretty spot on tho
lol instagrams followers Richmond are currently on 195.5k followers and Collingwood 195.1k followers yep way in front.
Let’s look at Facebook followers the biggest social media outlet
Collingwood 355,000
Essendon 348,000
Hawthorn 339,000
West Coast 310,000
Adelaide 293,000
Richmond 272,000 ( no way near Collingwood)
Numbers talk bs walks
Membership roll , attendances and tv ratings don’t lie , that might be novel for you , lol . How could a club with 1/2 the membership of ours be ranked higher , tell me on what conceivable platform would you mAke this baseless claim. This will be good
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