20th AFL Team

[almuz]

Newy is extremely Rugba Loiiig territory - gonna take another 30-40 or so years for a team to be viable there IMO

 

[RedV3x]

There was a study back in 1992 with 51% of those surveyed saying they'd attend games if we got a team and 12% said they'd attend most or all games. If those numbers existed today, we'd average 60k-plus crowds, so even if that number has halved, a modern report should still be favourable to Canberra.

Yes, Canberra could have been a success when first mooted.

Straddling the Barassi Line, the ACT government has to tip toe around other sports,

Just the opposite. If anything a promotion like "Australian Football proud to be Australia".
i don't know any sport that "tip toes' around another sport and the Barassi Line has no real relevance.

 

[madmug]

Yes, Canberra could have been a success when first mooted.



Just the opposite. If anything a promotion like "Australian Football proud to be Australia".
i don't know any sport that "tip toes' around another sport and the Barassi Line has no real relevance.

Dumping a team in Western Sydney & giving it endless finance is hardly 'tip toeing around' I would think.

 

[Tigerlaird]

If Canberra gets a team what would the mascot/nickname be? I've seen "Canberra Griffins" thrown around a lot, with the mascot being the mythical creature.

 

[RedV3x]

Dumping a team in Western Sydney

Creating a team in Western Sydney.

giving it endless finance

Endles - certainly not and it is all within plan.

is hardly 'tip toeing around' I would think.

Isn't that just what I stated?
"Just the opposite. If anything a promotion like "Australian Football proud to be Australia".
i don't know any sport that "tip toes' around another sport"

 

[madmug]

Creating a team in Western Sydney.



Endles - certainly not and it is all within plan.




Isn't that just what I stated?
"Just the opposite. If anything a promotion like "Australian Football proud to be Australia".
i don't know any sport that "tip toes' around another sport"

Dump/create, certainly no one outside AFL house asked for it. The name alone shows how little they thought about how the locals would perceive it.

Endless finance, it appears as a necessity until 'generational change' (its a plan??) or maybe a move to Canberra in a decade.

 

[RedV3x]

certainly no one outside AFL house asked for it.

Who else do you expect to create an AFL team in Western Sydney.
Nobody asked for a NRL in Melbourne or anywhere else for that matter.

The name alone shows how little they thought about how the locals would perceive it.

If they'd called it Western Sydney you would have complained that it just followed the NRl-
no pleasing some people.

it appears as a necessity until 'generational change' (its a plan??)

Yes it is the plan and always was the plan.
The plan was for the additional media rights to underwrite expansion - simple.

 

[madmug]

Who else do you expect to create an AFL team in Western Sydney.
Nobody asked for a NRL in Melbourne or anywhere else for that matter.



If they'd called it Western Sydney you would have complained that it just followed the NRl-
no pleasing some people.



Yes it is the plan and always was the plan.
The plan was for the additional media rights to underwrite expansion - simple.

Comparing Storm with Giants is a bit thin.

Maybe compare Storm with Swans & you might have a more legitimate comparison.

Maybe just call them Sydney Giants? After all they are more geographically central than the Swans!!

'Generational change' is hardly a plan, its hoping for change in an area which has historically poor sports attendances compared to other AFL areas.

 

[RedV3x]

Maybe just call them Sydney Giants?

Why not indeed.
Glad to see that you have the best interests of Australian Football at heart over that yuk NRL.

'Generational change' is hardly a plan,

I'm glad you're not on my planning team.
The plan has always not to "convert" people to Australian Football
but rather find people that Australian Football appeals to and obviously that's easiest to do
with young people through schools.
These young people take their parents to games and once they become adults you do have generational change!

 

[madmug]

Why not indeed.
Glad to see that you have the best interests of Australian Football at heart over that yuk NRL.



I'm glad you're not on my planning team.
The plan has always not to "convert" people to Australian Football
but rather find people that Australian Football appeals to and obviously that's easiest to do
with young people through schools.
These young people take their parents to games and once they become adults you do have generational change!

Well they started 13 years ago, they'd better get a move on.

The kids they targeted in 2009 are a lot older now & haven't yet turned up in any real numbers.

 

[RedV3x]

Well they started 13 years ago, they'd better get a move on.

Well, you really are impatient to see Australian Football bloom in Western Sydney.

 

[Canberra Pear]

If Canberra gets a team what would the mascot/nickname be? I've seen "Canberra Griffins" thrown around a lot, with the mascot being the mythical creature.

I'm keen on the Griffins. The name is already everywhere around Canberra, most famously Lake Burley Griffin.

I also like the "Canberra Owls". We've got a pretty famous owl #iykyk, and it's pretty unique in Australian sport. And the collective noun for a group of owls is a Parliament. It all ties in pretty well.

 

[TDS7]

I'm keen on the Griffins. The name is already everywhere around Canberra, most famously Lake Burley Griffin.

I also like the "Canberra Owls". We've got a pretty famous owl #iykyk, and it's pretty unique in Australian sport. And the collective noun for a group of owls is a Parliament. It all ties in pretty well.

I want my Phallic Owl jersey and I want it now.

I think my pick would be some generic form of snake for the mascot. Canberra Serpents flows well and gives a lot of leeway for jersey design and colouring. Plus, think of how cool that indigenous jersey is gonna look.

 

[Canberra Pear]

I think my pick would be some generic form of snake for the mascot. Canberra Serpents flows well and gives a lot of leeway for jersey design and colouring. Plus, think of how cool that indigenous jersey is gonna look.

A Rainbow Serpent guernsey could celebrate both indigenous and pride rounds.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

The AFL NT report was only $100k, which isn't much in the scheme of things. Only 4.3% of what we pay GWS every year.

We are, unfortunately, a different scenario to Tasmania. Straddling the Barassi Line, the ACT government has to tip toe around other sports, but a feasibility study is a small ask.

And this lack of overt government support, lobbying and pressure on the AFL could cost Canberra the 20th team. Once Tasmania comes in, the AFL will expand to 20 teams in due course. WA3 is the safest (shorter term) choice given it’s an expansion into the heartland, but as you had previously pointed out, Canberra is the better longer term choice over WA3 for T20. An AFL T20 is probably also not a priority for Barr heading to the 2024 election compared to making a success of the Tram link to woden! I think we are more likely to get a Canberra Aleague team with Ivan Slavich being appointed as the ACT Soccer CEO, or even a Cricket T20 side in Canberra, before an AFL team!

 

[Tigerlaird]

And this lack of overt government support, lobbying and pressure on the AFL could cost Canberra the 20th team. Once Tasmania comes in, the AFL will expand to 20 teams in due course. WA3 is the safest (shorter term) choice given it’s an expansion into the heartland, but as you had previously pointed out, Canberra is the better longer term choice over WA3 for T20. An AFL T20 is probably also not a priority for Barr heading to the 2024 election compared to making a success of the Tram link to woden! I think we are more likely to get a Canberra Aleague team with Ivan Slavich being appointed as the ACT Soccer CEO, or even a Cricket T20 side in Canberra, before an AFL team!

Canberra should indeed have an A-League team.

If WA3 happens, would it be a completely new franchise or an existing WAFL club?

 

[Rob]

The biggest disadvantage for the AFL in regional cities is (ironically) its strength. I've seen talk of Darwin getting entry into the NBL, and both them and the A League have teams in places just too small to host an AFL or NRL team.
The AFL is too big to allow for regional teams, and there's no viable 2nd tier.

 

[Tigerlaird]

The biggest disadvantage for the AFL in regional cities is (ironically) its strength. I've seen talk of Darwin getting entry into the NBL, and both them and the A League have teams in places just too small to host an AFL or NRL team.
The AFL is too big to allow for regional teams, and there's no viable 2nd tier.

An National Second Division would be cool but not like the Foxtel cup. Call it the "Championship" to contrast the AFL as the "Premiership".

 

[RedV3x]

The biggest disadvantage for the AFL in regional cities is (ironically) its strength. I've seen talk of Darwin getting entry into the NBL, and both them and the A League have teams in places just too small to host an AFL or NRL team.

Yes, it's all about the model a sporting code follows.

The AFL is too big to allow for regional teams,

The AFL is at a bit of a crossroads.
The AFL has the big interstate clubs and the powerful ex-VFL clubs along with "boutique" style clubs.

and there's no viable 2nd tier.

There is no viability in any second tier. Even the NFL does not fly across the length and breadth of the U.S.A.
There is no viability in any second tier because people don't pay to see reserves.
There is viability in a second tiier if it has history and structure.
There is viability in a second tiier national competition if it was arranged along championship lines.

 

[Tigerlaird]

There is viability in a second tiier national competition if it was arranged along championship lines.

I like that, but I reckon the clubs which play in a national 2nd tier (NST) would need to leave their respective state leagues permanently and play solely in that for it to be worthwhile. If I remember correctly, clubs didn't want to participate in the Foxtel cup because they wanted to focus on their state comps.

So if big clubs like Nowood, Sturt, North Adelaide, East Freo, West Perth, East Peth, Port Melbourne, Williamstown, etc moved up into the N2T that would be their main competition and their places in the SANFL and WAFL would need to be filled by other clubs.

I reckon the Championship, although never as popular as the AFL, would still be quite fun and popular to watch, and a step-up from the state leagues, which would then be placed in the 3rd position on the Aussie rules pyramid.

You could also place future AFL expansion teams in the Championship for the first few years to prepare them, similar to a GWS situation.

I personally would love to see this happen and would follow it passionately if South Adelaide was granted a spot.

 

[Rob]

An National Second Division would be cool but not like the Foxtel cup. Call it the "Championship" to contrast the AFL as the "Premiership".

It could only be viable if there was pro/rel, which means it will never happen.

I wasn't putting a 2nd tier out there as a suggestion, I was making the point that there's no low cost option for regional cities that want an AFL team but couldn't generate the revenue.

 

[RedV3x]

I like that, but I reckon the clubs which play in a national 2nd tier (NST) would need to leave their respective state leagues

No. For a national competition all you would need is for the state premiers to play off
thus ensuring good crowds and little travel.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

No. For a national competition all you would need is for the state premiers to play off
thus ensuring good crowds and little travel.

I like it and the AFL tried it between 2011-14. It was a pity that was discontinued with the hours relatively even. 2 WAFL winners, 1 VFL and 1 SANFL winner.

 

[RedV3x]

I like it and the AFL tried it between 2011-14.

Not really. it was run in parallel with the AFL.
it needed to be post AFL grand final to have proper impact.

It was a pity that was discontinued with the hours relatively even. 2 WAFL winners, 1 VFL and 1 SANFL winner.

 

[Coolangatta]

Yes, but who in WA would want a second team? Not the current two clubs. Not the supporters of the current two clubs. WC is sold out but Freo has plenty of capacity and is not even half as big as WC. A new club would not even be half as big as Freo. It would make be a smaller club than North or Tas, rivalling GC and GWS at best. Would anyone really change clubs? And if they did, isn't that just robbing Peter to pay Paul?

AFL in Perth is killing it, but it can be a delicate balance. Just because something is really popular doesn't mean that more is sustainable. BBL going from 8 rounds to 14? Remember how big soccer was in Melbourne when there was only Victory. They were bigger than the small AFL clubs for a few season there. Add two new clubs, and the delicate balance changes and it all falls apart. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Canberra for team 20 is a safer bet than anywhere else.

First the AFL needs to fix GWS. They can start with realigning the Swans and Giants zones in Sydney. Inner West should not be Swans territory. Change the name to West Sydney Giants, forget Canberra and play two games @ SCG when Showgrounds is being used for Easter Show (yes it is not Western Sydney but neither is Canberra). They are never going to draft any kids out of Blacktown or Penrith, but Inner West has decent participation. Anything west of the ANZAC bridge needs to be Giants turf. Need to get some local Sydney kids on the Giants list.

Next, once Tas comes in, send Hawks to Canberra for three games. Create a proper AFL academy in Canberra, servicing the Riverina and all areas that might eventually form part of Canberra's AFL zone. Give the Hawks an incentive to invest (we put a lot of time into Tassie), by giving the club access to Canberra players (outside top 40, like we have in other places - Next Gen). Do the same thing with North and NT.

Bring Canberra in 2032.

AFL comp structure sorted.

Wish you were running the AFL, that’s a great plan mate.