Prediction Third club for Perth

[bushchook]

The only way there'll ever be a third WA side is if one of the regional cities ends up growing much bigger (e.g. Albany, Geraldton etc) and can support it's own team a la Geelong.

 

[Square Peg]

If it happens as part of a grand plan to fix the fixture and expansion of the comp to 20+ teams then fine. What I don't want to see is any more teams until the bullshit that is the current fixture is corrected. As the AFL seemingly is refusing to change the length of the season, 20+ teams gives so much more flexibility - play every team once only, or play each team twice in a conference system, a promotion/relegation system or many others that and I'm sure people could come up with.

 

[Johnny Dalmas]

The only way there'll ever be a third WA side is if one of the regional cities ends up growing much bigger (e.g. Albany, Geraldton etc) and can support it's own team a la Geelong.

Here's the crazy thing: there is close to 200,000 people living in the South-West Region. And the WAFL can't even expand to have a SW team based in Bunbury.

 

[Rob]

There's been talk of this on the footy industry board for years.

By population (and income) it works. What I can't see is a model that would get enough support. IMO Joondalup wouldn't work, it's an area with no identity and it's basically just Perth suburbia.
The only idea that I think would have a chance is a working class model team based in the Eastern suburbs, maybe Kelmscott/Armadale or something like that. Even then, I doubt many people would jump on board early, it'd take 20 years and some success on field.

 

[arsesmart]

Joondalup makes the most sense if it were to happen. Although WC would fight any proposition for a new team tooth and nail and do their best to sabotage the new club at every stage especially if, as would be expected, their flunkies at the WAFC were steering the ship. It would slice the largest chunk off their supporter base for starters and also dilute their state-team pretensions.

 

[arsesmart]

There's been talk of this on the footy industry board for years.

By population (and income) it works. What I can't see is a model that would get enough support. IMO Joondalup wouldn't work, it's an area with no identity and it's basically just Perth suburbia.
The only idea that I think would have a chance is a working class model team based in the Eastern suburbs, maybe Kelmscott/Armadale or something like that. Even then, I doubt many people would jump on board early, it'd take 20 years and some success on field.

There isn't any area with a singular footy/community identity within a discrete geographical area that also has a population base to support an AFL team in WA though. It'd have to be created.

 

[eastfreo75]

The fact is that West Coast has majority of the fans due being in first.

Another club who would be third in line will struggle.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

People need to come up with a better rationale than dividing the total population of Perth by three instead of two and/or peddling the "there's a generation of kids who've never seen live footy in Perth" myth.

Maybe, maybe, Mandurah/Bunbury could work as a Geelong-type set-up in 15-20 years, assuming the population grows at the current trajectory. But there's no latent base of supporters or money to get behind another Perth-based side.

 

[Clems Knee]

West Coast is too powerful and well supported for there to be an an independent start up team.
The only way a third team in WA could have any support is if West Coast Eagles got split into two teams - Perth Eagles and West Coast Falcons.
If WC fans were split in two (not literally), there would be three teams with equal support.

 

[Ranger245]

The way I see it FFC Represents the greater Freo area, WC represents the West Coast, so say an area of land from the lapping ocean water up to perhaps 25 meters onto land, from say Augusta to Exmouth (Excluding of course the greater Fremantle area that also happens to be on the west coast). So there is ample realestate available for the 3rd team to represent. Perhaps the Broome, Meekatharra, Kalgoorlie, Albany and surrounding areas, plus Perth, which isn't in the WC zone given its more than 25 meters from the coast. That area should provide the 3rd team with well over 2 million potential supporters.

 

[Scham]

A high percentage of WAs population doesn’t follow footy in enough depth to financially support a team, so using population isn’t an accurate gauge of demand or sustainability.

 

[Bush_Chook]

Could see a team in the North/Eastern corridor. Doesn't matter though I have been through some tough times with Freo, I'm not about to switch.

 

[Spirit Level]

Who would support them?

People who grow up in WA already follow footy and already have allegiances, whether already formed or born into through family ect.

There's no new market for a 3rd team to capture

 

[Wally Walpamur]

There’s not enough talent for 18 teams, let alone starting up 2 more.

It’s a no from me.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Nah, it will start off small and take a decade or more to build up enough supporters. Whoever backed it will have to be prepared to wear a loss for a decade.

The problem with citing the Melbourne population figures to justify it is that Melbourne is already overrepresented and quite a few clubs are already struggling on the margins from year to year.

 

[Dockernut]

The Cockburn suckers.

 

[elsleevador]

No

 

[jedi mind tricks]

I hate the AFL commission

I'd rather a Tassie team and GC to fold keeping 18 clubs

 

[estibador]

If WC fans were split in two (not literally)

That could be worth a shot though if we're serious about improving the state of football in WA.

 

[Nodgey]

Only way it would work IMHO is if a wafl club steps up like Port Adelaide did. It would need an existing fan base.

I wouldn’t support a made up third WA team. But I WOULD if it was Swan Districts that joined the AFL.

 

[wafti123]

East Perth, West Perth and Perth?

 

[Nothing]

If WC fans were split in two (not literally)

You had me until the parentheses.

 

[FreoMonocle]

This article was a good read on a possible Tasmanian team...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03...ter-gil-mclachlan-quip/10915680?section=sport

 

[Benzi10]

The Margarette River Goonbags

Blakely likes this

 

[theGav56]

I would be surprised if any long-term vision for the future of AFL nationally didn't include a third team in WA, so it is definitely a discussion point. It needs to be supported by a vision for how many teams a national competition can host, and how the season logistics would work. Travel, number of times teams play each other, how finals would work etc.