Time to move Gold Coast suns to Tasmania.. Could we? Should we?

Aug 13, 2018
13,727
19,295
South Melbourne
AFL Club
Sydney
When was the last time we were last?

Last time? Not all that long ago.

Zero seconds ago actually.

You are last right now:


703358
 
Aug 13, 2018
13,727
19,295
South Melbourne
AFL Club
Sydney
Comparison of Swans and Suns:

Swans Season 1990 (9 years after relocation):
Sydney population: ~3.5million
Swans ladder position: 13/14 (second last)
Swans average home crowds: 9,275
Swans market penetration: 0.265%

Suns Season 2019 (9 years after addition to the AFL):
Gold Coast population: ~550,000
Suns ladder position: 17/18 (second last)
Suns average home crowds: 12,180
Suns market penetration: 2.21%

Swans Season 2019 (38 years after relocation):
Sydney population: 4.627million
Swans ladder position: 14/18 (5th last)
Swans average home crowds: 30,035
Swans market penetration: 0.648%

Add in Giants home crowd average on top of the Swans and you make it to 0.898% market penetration.

So I assume you are advocating for the folding of the Swans in addition with your removal of the Suns?

Are you thick?
The Swans had shitloads of rusted on South Melbourne fans who watched on TV.

Then maybe we should talk about CORPORATE SPONSORS in Sydney.

Besides drug dealers, con artists and property spivs what corporations are on the Gold Coast?????

If you seriously want to bring this conversation on I am more than happy to embarrass you morons.
 
Jun 23, 2008
33,485
27,225
Headed for Kirribilli House
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Norwood, Everton, Detroit Red Wings
What was the AFL marketing budget in 1980 compared to now?

In 1980 dollars.

Seriously FFS.

The AFL have thrown the kitchen sink at the Gold Coast.

Its like the Catholic church trying to capture Riyadh. A fool's errand.

What do you expect to have happened by now, that apparently hasn't?
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
What was the AFL marketing budget in 1980 compared to now?

In 1980 dollars.

Seriously FFS.

The AFL have thrown the kitchen sink at the Gold Coast.

Its like the Catholic church trying to capture Riyadh. A fool's errand.

Took you lot 30 years even with the Rusted on Sth fans.

I'm guessing you wouldn't know that since you probably only followed from 2005.

The 9 year old club that hasn't had on field success is doing quite well actually.
 

abcde12345

Team Captain
May 15, 2018
334
755
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
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GWS
Are you thick?
The Swans had s**tloads of rusted on South Melbourne fans who watched on TV.

Then maybe we should talk about CORPORATE SPONSORS in Sydney.

Besides drug dealers, con artists and property spivs what corporations are on the Gold Coast?????

If you seriously want to bring this conversation on I am more than happy to embarrass you morons.
You realise that Gold Coast already has sponsorship income in line with St Kilda (2018 Annual Reports) and not far off many of the other existing smaller clubs right? Of course they don't (and won't) have similar sponsorship potential to a Sydney team. That is not the argument behind a team in the city.

If you're talking about corporations being headquartered in the Gold Coast, then you do realise that it really doesn't have that much bearing right? Toyota isn't headquartered in Adelaide, Hyundai isn't headquartered in Melbourne, Amart isn't headquartered in Melbourne (and that's just looking at primary sponsors up to Essendon in the alphabetical list). The AFL has a national brand with national appeal - sponsorship (particularly main sponsorship) is much less dependant on location than it would be in a sport with less national appeal.

I would imagine the Gold Coast club also helps with the AFL's Corporate Flight Partner deals (speculation). Attracting opposition club supporters to take a holiday to the Gold Coast I imagine would be an easier sell than most other cities in Australia in winter. This would be an indirect benefit though and therefore difficult to measure.

At the end of the day, the Gold Coast club was built on the back of getting a professional presence in a massive growth corridor, that conveniently also feeds into the Brisbane metro ratings catchment area for TV money. The Gold Coast is the sixth largest economy in Australia (behind the five capitals, larger than the whole of Tasmania for reference) and is rapidly growing.

If you think that the AFL should have just conceded this region to the NRL, then I would argue that would be very shortsighted thinking. Notice how the NRL hasn't cut the Titans loose either, despite them also being a massive money drain.

This is what the AFL club distributions look like since the introduction of the Suns. The total cost to the AFL isn't actually that significant relative to an average club over the period (St Kilda has cost the AFL more than the Suns over the period, for example.) The AFL really just needs to get the Suns competitive on the field, and things will being to look much better.

703492
 
Sep 17, 2004
40,316
14,029
Australia
AFL Club
Hawthorn
The Gold Coast won't die...

If the SEQ Olympic Games get's up (it probably won't) the Brisbane Lions and the Suns will both be in line to be significant beneficiaries from the stadium / infrastructure upgrades that would come with the bid.

South East Queensland is still a growing population base with housing estates stretching south, south/east and south/west of Brisbane (plus population growth in north / east NSW)

If the Suns were as successful as the Giants on the field would this even be open for discussion? Doubtful.

The Suns have definitely had a 5,000 to 6,000 hit on the Lions crowds but if / when both rise to be competitive the competition will likely have a huge positive impact on the code in South East Queensland much like the Fremantle and Port Adelaide entrances resulted in similar boosts in for the AFL in South Australia and Western Australia (albeit both completely guttered the WAFL and SANFL)

Fremantle is a pretty good benchmark for the Gold Coast, they were a basket-case until 2002/03 and now they are an off field juggernaut.

The South East Queensland market is not Perth and the Brisbane Lions are not West Coast but there is a strong underlying Lions support in Brisbane that can be electrified by a competitive derby with the Gold Coast (both cities are very different and have very different cultures)

The best thing for the Eagles was when the Dockers became competitive, it also helps that the NRL have completely butchered the Titans (if you think the Suns are bad they are nothing compared to the Titans)
 
Last edited:
May 4, 2009
12,366
11,518
Tasmania
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Furth
Took you lot 30 years even with the Rusted on Sth fans.

I'm guessing you wouldn't know that since you probably only followed from 2005.

The 9 year old club that hasn't had on field success is doing quite well actually.
If this is a 9 year club doing well, then I would hate to see what doing badly is.

The Bad news Bears made the finals in their 9th year(87-95)

They are a shambles on and off the field.

perhaps, instead of just sending money, the AFL could actually think and come up with a plan for the suns for the next 2 years, instead of 10.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
If this is a 9 year club doing well, then I would hate to see what doing badly is.

The Bad news Bears made the finals in their 9th year(87-95)

They are a shambles on and off the field.

perhaps, instead of just sending money, the AFL could actually think and come up with a plan for the suns for the next 2 years, instead of 10.
Bad news bears? As I said on field they aren't going well at all.

Was always generational.

They have their training base built. Finally.

Grassroots is getting stronger.

They will have more supporters than us once they are winning.

No idea about their commercial side.
 
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