20th AFL Team

[Bjo187]

None of this is advertised outside of NRL country.
If this gets publicized as it should it should surely bring down this ego-maniac.

The journos down here are useless, can you imagine if this was an afl fan p.m funding a PNG afl franchise, what the NRL media would be doing?

it's why you have to email or message the journos here to make them aware of it. Most footy fans just sit on their hands though and don't do anything, which is disappointing.

 

[The Educator]

Foxtel article:

"PNG won’t be the only team to receive funding, with a $60 million license fee to be shared across the 17 clubs in the competition ahead of their entry.

Every franchise will reportedly pocked around $3.5 million, and Peter V’landys is reportedly currently visiting each club to explain his plans for expansion in the coming years."

Absolutely disgraceful. They have fabricated a way to line the pockets of every NRL club with our tax dollars. Albo's conflict of interest is truly astounding.

To put this in perspective, the majority of AFL clubs make profits of only a few hundred k per year or even losses.

$3.5 million is huge for a sporting club in Australia, especially for doing absolutely nothing other than have a p.m that loves the NRL and wants it to be the dominant code in Australia.

As absurd as it is it just reinforces the culturally embedded myopia of the NRL.

In the greater scheme of things, that $60M is just a sugar hit. The real perspective is it represents perhaps about 6 % of the NRL's annual revenues (eg revenues of around $1 billion. A PNG team is going to be a massive resource and energy sink on that game, and potentially over the same few years they are adding 4 teams in either saturated areas or areas where the sport isn't traditionally dominant.

The AFL has the long sightedness to absorb two decades plus before the Giants and the Suns are value adding. The chance of the NRL adding 4 teams in 6 or 7 years not ending in implosion is very very low.

 

[Rob]

I'm not an advocate for relocation, but North would also fit for WA3.

Perth already has 8k North members

Lol bullshit. They would barely get 1500 fans to their games here.

 

[RedV3x]

As absurd as it is it just reinforces the culturally embedded myopia of the NRL.

I don't care about the NRL.
What i care about is the miss-use of Australians taxpayers money, an Australian leader, feeding his own personal ego and the continuance of gifting the NRL in way of stadiums etc.

I'm not interested in the AFL receiving equivalence though it would have been nice if the federal government contributed something towards Perth Stadium. $600 million would help build a Hobart stadium, Canberra stadium, Brisbane stadium or Homebush stadium.

Wouldn't have been better to bail out the Victorian Commonwealth Games?
There's a myriad of ways that $600 million would help Australians - housing crisis, cost-of-living etc etc

 

[brutus76]

WA3
If they play 9 games at Optus and like the Suns 2 games in Darwin a year that'd be awesome both states
Would see Optus get a couple of 2 game rounds - I'm sure Perth folk would love a few Friday night games
Means AFL could do 1 x Thursday, 2 x Friday, 4 x Saturday and 3 Sunday games

 

[Canberra Pear]

WA3
If they play 9 games at Optus and like the Suns 2 games in Darwin a year that'd be awesome both states
Would see Optus get a couple of 2 game rounds - I'm sure Perth folk would love a few Friday night games
Means AFL could do 1 x Thursday, 2 x Friday, 4 x Saturday and 3 Sunday games

Would be the most travelled team in the comp by air miles.

Freo and West Coast currently travel interstate 11 times a year (which we constantly hear is too much).

This team would have to do it 12 times.

 

[brutus76]

They'd only travel to the East coast 10 times in a 23 game comp (Eagles and Freo would also with 20 teams
9 Optus home games
2 Darwin home games
2 away home games at Optus

 

[Canberra Pear]

They'd only travel to the East coast 10 times in a 23 game comp (Eagles and Freo would also with 20 teams
9 Optus home games
2 Darwin home games
2 away home games at Optus

Darwin and Melbourne are both pretty much the same distance from Perth (about 2600km).

 

[Bjo187]

As absurd as it is it just reinforces the culturally embedded myopia of the NRL.

In the greater scheme of things, that $60M is just a sugar hit. The real perspective is it represents perhaps about 6 % of the NRL's annual revenues (eg revenues of around $1 billion. A PNG team is going to be a massive resource and energy sink on that game, and potentially over the same few years they are adding 4 teams in either saturated areas or areas where the sport isn't traditionally dominant.

The AFL has the long sightedness to absorb two decades plus before the Giants and the Suns are value adding. The chance of the NRL adding 4 teams in 6 or 7 years not ending in implosion is very very low.

Imagine $3.5 million to every AFL club, for doing nothing. It would bring a number of clubs outta debt and make a number of clubs powerful to invest in their grassroots and academies (which helps increase the popularity of the sport).

It's nothing short of a contrived filtering of tax payer dollars into your favourite sport, to make it more powerful.

 

[Rob]

WA3
If they play 9 games at Optus and like the Suns 2 games in Darwin a year that'd be awesome both states
Would see Optus get a couple of 2 game rounds - I'm sure Perth folk would love a few Friday night games
Means AFL could do 1 x Thursday, 2 x Friday, 4 x Saturday and 3 Sunday games

We don't like Friday night games here cos it's absolute shitshow getting to Optus for a 6pm start. If it was 7:40 then sure, but I doubt the AFL are going to schedule games then just because a 3rd team gets plonked here.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

None of this is advertised outside of NRL country.
If this gets publicized as it should it should surely bring down this ego-maniac.

Is Dutton, who is from Queensland, a RL fan too?

 

[errant bounce]

Lol bullshit. They would barely get 1500 fans to their games here.

God you talk arrogant, dismissive, narrow minded pish.

 

[Rob]

God you talk arrogant, dismissive, narrow minded pish.

Yeah I've only been going to games for 30 years. What the **** would I know.

 

[kranger]

Latest population stats released today for states based on March 2024.

National, state and territory population, June 2025

Statistics about the population and components of change (births, deaths, migration) for Australia and its states and territories

www.abs.gov.au

So for example, despite the above numbers, WA is expected to reach 3million in October.

Population clock and pyramid

www.abs.gov.au

And Victoria has already reached 7million.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Latest population stats released today for states based on March 2024.

National, state and territory population, June 2025

Statistics about the population and components of change (births, deaths, migration) for Australia and its states and territories

www.abs.gov.au

View attachment 2115315

So for example, despite the above numbers, WA is expected to reach 3million in October.

Population clock and pyramid

www.abs.gov.au

View attachment 2115318

And Victoria has already reached 7million.

View attachment 2115320

That age clock feature is handy.

WA is currently 6.1 times more populous than the ACT, but that's expected to shrink to 4.6 by 2050 and 3.6 by 2071.

Extrapolatimg that to cities. Greater Perth is currently about 4 times the size of Greater Canberra. That'll drop to about 3.6 times by 2050 and 2.5 times by 2071.

 

[Bjo187]

Latest population stats released today for states based on March 2024.

National, state and territory population, June 2025

Statistics about the population and components of change (births, deaths, migration) for Australia and its states and territories

www.abs.gov.au

View attachment 2115315

So for example, despite the above numbers, WA is expected to reach 3million in October.

Population clock and pyramid

www.abs.gov.au

View attachment 2115318

And Victoria has already reached 7million.

View attachment 2115320

I was reading around 2000 it was expected we would only reach 27 million by 2042, but we have reached it now 18 years early, that's nuts. Over 600,000 immigrants from overseas have come into Australia in just the past year and is the reason we're in a housing crisis. Poor planning from government, in saying that, it does open up possibilities for new footy teams as the numbers now look more appealing to support a club in some of these areas .

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Over 600,000 immigrants from overseas have come into Australia in just the past year and is the reason we're in a housing crisis.

Happy to discuss this further in SRP as it isn't the point of this forum, but that's a very simplistic statement. Just as with anything to do with a 20th team is based on multiple factors and not just one, this is too.

 

[Bjo187]

Happy to discuss this further in SRP as it isn't the point of this forum, but that's a very simplistic statement. Just as with anything to do with a 20th team is based on multiple factors and not just one, this is too.

I think it's relevant as population boom was raised and I was just going off the ABC article I read this morning on the topic, which was a concerning read.

Australia's population reaches 27 million with growth largely driven by overseas migration

Australia is now home to more than 27 million people but policies over the last decade have failed to deliver the housing needed, an expert warns.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I think it's relevant as population boom was raised and I was just going off the ABC article I read this morning on the topic, which was a concerning read.

Australia's population reaches 27 million with growth largely driven by overseas migration

Australia is now home to more than 27 million people but policies over the last decade have failed to deliver the housing needed, an expert warns.

www.abc.net.au

Okay, but I refer back to my previous comment. There are usually multiple factors contributing to something, not just one. And if the read was concerning, I suggest re-reading the parts of the article that quote Dr Liz Allen.

 

[Bjo187]

Okay, but I refer back to my previous comment. There are usually multiple factors contributing to something, not just one. And if the read was concerning, I suggest re-reading the parts of the article that quote Dr Liz Allen.

I agree and I did read Dr Allen's comments, they were the ones that concerned me the most.

 

[kranger]

Here is the last 6 years of population growth/decline, both as a percentage and real numbers for each state/territory.

 

[loco3]

I have been reading this discussion for a few months and it seems clear that Canberra is a logical choice for the next team. But I am surprised with how little attention is given to a 3rd team in SEQ. I believe a team focussing on the Sunshine Coast/Moreton Bay region (Brisbane northern corridor) should be investigated. Population projections are roughly 650,000 by 2050 for the Sunshine Coast, and more than that for the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Memberships for both the Suns and Lions seem to be growing healthily and I have heard junior participation and attendance is growing too. Maybe this is one option that the AFL should keep a close eye on, especially if growth continues and the Lions and Suns see a period of success. Surely some regular season games here would be worth exploring?

Side note: I am not against a 3rd WA team, but if the goal is to increase the amount of people playing, watching and attending the game, a 3rd SEQ team may be a good option.

 

[Coolangatta]

I have been reading this discussion for a few months and it seems clear that Canberra is a logical choice for the next team. But I am surprised with how little attention is given to a 3rd team in SEQ. I believe a team focussing on the Sunshine Coast/Moreton Bay region (Brisbane northern corridor) should be investigated. Population projections are roughly 650,000 by 2050 for the Sunshine Coast, and more than that for the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Memberships for both the Suns and Lions seem to be growing healthily and I have heard junior participation and attendance is growing too. Maybe this is one option that the AFL should keep a close eye on, especially if growth continues and the Lions and Suns see a period of success. Surely some regular season games here would be worth exploring?

Side note: I am not against a 3rd WA team, but if the goal is to increase the amount of people playing, watching and attending the game, a 3rd SEQ team may be a good option.

The reason is because what you’re proposing looks like a decent option for team 21-22 if we get to that.

Canberra is long overdue for 20 and then after that the AFL could either go Perth 3 and Brisbane 2 which make some sense in terms of viability by 2050~ or continue to target new markets and go for Auckland and Newcastle after testing them out in the 2030s/40s.

Personally I think given the logistical limits of expansion , the AFL would prefer to put teams in cities that don’t have any teams.

If you could somehow move two clubs out of Victoria - say, St Kilda to Canberra and North to Moreton Bay, then you could add Perth 3, Auckland and Newcastle and stay at 22 teams.

But I don’t think it’ll play out that way.

 

[redlegs1984]

Agree with you 100% on SA3. Not sure why proponents think SA3 will ever beat WA3, Canberra or even NT/NQ (if they get substantial commonwealth $) for team 20. By 2050 the relative case for SA3 only gets weaker.es

SA has a powerhouse club in Norwood ready to hit the ground running. It would ultimately neatly divide support in SA into 1/3’s. The Port-Norwood rivalry would push the Showdown into second billing.
That’s the point of difference over WA3…the disadvantage of lesser population but with a club primed for the national stage.

 

[Angus Young]

SA has a powerhouse club in Norwood ready to hit the ground running. It would ultimately neatly divide support in SA into 1/3’s. The Port-Norwood rivalry would push the Showdown into second billing.
That’s the point of difference over WA3…the disadvantage of lesser population but with a club primed for the national stage.

Again, should of been Port and Norwood from the start.
Two biggest SA clubs in terms of supporters and long history and rivalry.

Then the Camry Crows 3rd license after that.

SA footy would be huge.