The AFL wants 22 teams. Name your next four.

rdrdrdrd

Rookie
Jan 24, 2020
35
19
AFL Club
Adelaide
I would go to 20 teams maximum. Tasmania is a no-brainer. The 20th team is from Adelaide - merging two very popular SANFL clubs in Norwood and Sturt. A lot of currently disenchanted Crows fans would revert to these SANFL teams that they followed before the birth of the Crows. Spilt the AFL Comp into 2 divisions of 10 teams each with promotion and relegation of 4 teams each way annually. Each Div has 18 round minor round season with top 6 teams playing in respective finals series. Div 1 Grand Final remains on Sat Arvo at the MCG. Div 2 would become the Sat night GF played at the highest ranked team's home ground - played on the week before the Div 1 GF. Div 2 gets its own "Brownlow" - it would be the Adam Goodes Medal.
 

rdrdrdrd

Rookie
Jan 24, 2020
35
19
AFL Club
Adelaide
To continue on from my example I would have GWS rebranded as the Eastern Giants who split their home games between Canberra and Sydney. I would also rebrand Gold Coast as the Northern Suns who split their home games between Gold Coast, Darwin and Alice Springs. Give the AFL fans in Canberra, Darwin and Alice Springs an actual team to support rather than just get FIFO matches every year.
 

Genghis Tron

HBF
Koala Light vs Dark Charity Match Gumbies FFC - Sweet F.A.
Apr 6, 2020
7,620
17,036
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Richmond
Other Teams
The Void
- NT bulls
- Tasmania Devils
- SA something
- Fitzroy
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
To continue on from my example I would have GWS rebranded as the Eastern Giants who split their home games between Canberra and Sydney. I would also rebrand Gold Coast as the Northern Suns who split their home games between Gold Coast, Darwin and Alice Springs. Give the AFL fans in Canberra, Darwin and Alice Springs an actual team to support rather than just get FIFO matches every year.

Would totally * our song
 

Virgin Dog

Cancelled
Oct 29, 2017
9,734
20,645
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Western Bulldogs
No way would SA get an extra team before WA. Ports finances are poor, and WA has nearly 1 million more people with both existing clubs having a strong financial base.

If any state that already has teams is to gain another, it would have to be WA. Queensland and NSW already have expansion clubs that are miles from being self sustaining and fully established, while Victoria has too many clubs as it is.

That's also keeping in mind that a Tasmanian team is unlikely to ever be financially viable without significant contribution from their state government. The population is too spread out with no major city being big enough. So if Tassie happens, the 20th side has to be viable, which should rule out being in an expansion area
 

rdrdrdrd

Rookie
Jan 24, 2020
35
19
AFL Club
Adelaide
No way would SA get an extra team before WA. Ports finances are poor, and WA has nearly 1 million more people with both existing clubs having a strong financial base.

If any state that already has teams is to gain another, it would have to be WA. Queensland and NSW already have expansion clubs that are miles from being self sustaining and fully established, while Victoria has too many clubs as it is.

That's also keeping in mind that a Tasmanian team is unlikely to ever be financially viable without significant contribution from their state government. The population is too spread out with no major city being big enough. So if Tassie happens, the 20th side has to be viable, which should rule out being in an expansion area
Whilst I agree that WA has the stronger case with finances and population I think the footy fans in WA are now rusted onto supporting West Coast or Freo and a new WA team could struggle for support whilst the SANFL has 2 very popular clubs in Norwood and Sturt that would attract a lot of disenchanted Crows fans across to them if they achieved a harmonious 50/50 merger. These teams agreed to merge to apply to join the AFL as SA's 2nd team back in the 90s so there is history of a past romance. Norwood have just revamped and modernised their oval and clubrooms only a short drive to the east from Adelaide Oval and post match functions would be far more popular than the Crows who currently don't have a decent home base.
 

Tigger Please!

Koo Koo Ka-Choo
Oct 24, 2005
1,231
185
Bourgeois Bohemia
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Wests Tigers
Canberra and Tassie are the most obvious next two choices imo.
A team in Darwin is probably a bit of a pipedream but would be amazing. Every state and territory would be covered then - a truly national game.
All three teams would have to be significantly propped-up by their respective governments/the AFL ad infinitum, but so be it.
Ideally you'd expand to 20 teams and look at relocating one of the clubs from the saturated Melbourne landscape to the third location.
 

Aussie in exile

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 21, 2013
5,114
3,730
AFL Club
Melbourne
If Australia is projected to reach 50 million one day I see no reason as to why we need to stop expansion at 20. Tasmania and Canberra would come in ASAP if it were up to me and FNQ, NSW 3&4 and NZ would be the ones to look at for expansion down the (very long) track. NT have too many hurdles for an AFL side and WA3/SA3 will never make sense to me.

22 is my ideal preference in terms of a fixed number of teams but I'd go up to 24 if needed.
It will be a very long time before Australia has a population of 50 million and the world will be a very different place to what it is now. A lot of things we except as normal now might not even be around if and when the country reaches 50 million
 

Scratchy05

All Australian
Sep 16, 2020
866
670
AFL Club
Collingwood
to me, it is very simple
- Perth (19th and 20th)
- Tasmania (19th and 20th)
- Canberra (21st and 22nd)
- Northern Territory (21st and 22nd)
 

Scratchy05

All Australian
Sep 16, 2020
866
670
AFL Club
Collingwood
Gippsland
Ballarat
Bendigo
Frankston

There's not enough Vic representation, this might help address the balance.
Think a truly national comp will only happen if we can relocate clubs such as West Coast, Sydney & Port to locations like Melton, Dandenong & The Murray
 
Mar 17, 2009
21,636
17,319
Hobart
AFL Club
Collingwood
2025 Tasmania
2027 Canberra
2030 Newcastle
2035 Cairns

Realistically (to some extent ;)) I couldn't see any sort of sensible expansion which didn't include a 3rd WA team.

Perth is the nations 4th biggest city. The 2nd biggest footy market.

Whatever parochial WA views people have, 2.1 million people for 2 teams is under what they could support & give a better chance for many young WA lads to get the opportunity to play professionally.
 

kranger

Club Legend
Nov 30, 2006
1,037
1,027
Kalamunda
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Swan District
1. Tasmania:
with 6 games in Hobart and 5 games in Launceston;

Hawthorn and North Melbourne take their games back to Melbourne, but the Roos play in Bendigo like Bulldogs play in Ballarat;

2. Canberra:
who each year play 2 H&A and 2 pre-season game in Albury;

GWS take their Canberra games to Wollongong;

3. Peel:
who each year play 2 H&A and 2 pre-season games in Bunbury;

4. Newcastle:
who each year play 2 H&A and 2 pre-season game in Central Coast;

5. North Queensland:
with 6 games in Cairns and 5 games in Townsville;

Gold Coast rebrand to SEQ Suns and each year play 2 H&A and 1 pre-season game in both Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba;

This puts games consistently in Australia’s largest 21 cities.
 
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