20th AFL Team

[South of the Yarra]

And surely $700 million is better served helping meet those challenges than a new football stadium

Like the last 700 million was

 

[South of the Yarra]

And surely $700 million is better served helping meet those challenges than a new football stadium

Understand the area, understand the problem, understand the people and you might start to find the solution.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Understand the area, understand the problem, understand the people and you might start to find the solution.

I have spent time in NT Aboriginal communities. I have worked in government services. I understand the problem. I understand the social benefits of an AFL team in the region.

Building a stadium has costs that are eye watering with the lack of events that will take place in Darwin.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Whether taxpayer money could be better spent by government seems like a good thread for the Politics board. But ffs $700m isn't getting put "directly in junior programs", stadium or no stadium.

The relevant question to this thread is whether a government commitment of $700m+ ought to make the AFL take an NT bid seriously. And I believe it would, noting such a commitment is unlikely.

 

[South of the Yarra]

I have spent time in NT Aboriginal communities. I have worked in government services. I understand the problem. I understand the social benefits of an AFL team in the region.

Building a stadium has costs that are eye watering with the lack of events that will take place in Darwin.

Purely for my own interest? Which communities? You don’t think a new stadium would bring events to the area? Would bring people to the area?

 

[lordbob]

No, have a purpose, create a dream. The benefits for Aboriginals would be enormous. Strong junior programs with the chance of reaching elite.

there are 19 other teams where those junior programs could focus those dreams of becoming elite. many NT players have played in the AFL. Dont need an NT team to do that.

 

[lordbob]

i would prefer to see their efforts go to NT where Aboriginal communities' experience far greater challenges than anywhere else in Australia.

why not both?

 

[South of the Yarra]

there are 19 other teams where those junior programs could focus those dreams of becoming elite. many NT players have played in the AFL. Dont need an NT team to do that.

A complete misunderstanding of Aboriginal people in the area on your behalf. The number of Aboriginal kids who will not leave the NT because of clubs who are not adequately set up to cater for them, because of loss of connection to country, because in many cases a completely different language that needs to be spoken, due to the fact that their is a complete cultural transformation that needs to take place. Having an NT team would overcome so many of these issues. To many talented NT kids lost to the game.

 

[South of the Yarra]

why not both?

Because despite the issues that many Aboriginals face in cities, there are far greater supports in place. Address the communities first and then address the inequality that Aboriginal people face across the country next.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Really, I thought it was. No, it would not be a disaster. it would be brilliant for the area.

It might be brilliant for the area but would be shit for the rest of the competition.

 

[South of the Yarra]

It might be brilliant for the area but would be s**t for the rest of the competition.

I know fancy having to travel to that horrible scary place called Darwin

 

[lordbob]

A complete misunderstanding of Aboriginal people in the area on your behalf. The number of Aboriginal kids who will not leave the NT because of clubs who are not adequately set up to cater for them, because of loss of connection to country, because in many cases a completely different language that needs to be spoken, due to the fact that their is a complete cultural transformation that needs to take place. Having an NT team would overcome so many of these issues. To many talented NT kids lost to the game.

could be, ive never claimed to fully understand the issues facing aboriginal people.

 

[South of the Yarra]

could be, ive never claimed to fully understand the issues facing aboriginal people.

Unfortunately, I know them all to well and a team in Darwin could be a life changer for many

 

[PerthBoy86]

Please stop this talk of a 3rd WA team. We dont need or want one. The Dockers haven't even won a flag yet, do we need a 3rd team to just make up the numbers? You aren't getting many of those supporters to switch to a 3rd side. What would its identity even be? The most daft idea ever.

The NT should be the 20th, we dont even have a team in northern Australia.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

It was reported late last year that Albo would provide Commonwealth funding of $60 million a year for 10 years, to enable Papua New Guinea to enter a NRL team. If so, then surely there would be significant pressure for him to financially contribute to a NT/NA AFL team, especially given the benefits to indigenous Australians?

 

[PerthBoy86]

It was reported late last year that Albo would provide Commonwealth funding of $60 million a year for 10 years, to enable Papua New Guinea to enter a NRL team. If so, then surely there would be significant pressure for him to financially contribute to a NT/NA AFL team, especially given the benefits to indigenous Australians?

Yeah build a 20k seat stadium in Darwin (or expand the capacity of TIO), an 8k stadium in Alice Springs, play about 8 home games in Darwin and 4 in Alice.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I know fancy having to travel to that horrible scary place called Darwin

It's nothing to do with the city, I've been there plenty of times, it's the climate this time of the year. Stop being so defensive.

 

[Coolangatta]

Yeah build a 20k seat stadium in Darwin (or expand the capacity of TIO), an 8k stadium in Alice Springs, play about 8 home games in Darwin and 4 in Alice.

It's probably going to be a 9-2 or 9-3 split depending on whether clubs go up from 23 to 25 games per year or not.

But if 25, 8 games in Darwin means 17 1000k+ road trips. They should hub in Adelaide for three weeks over GR and do a couple two week hubs in Melbourne to reduce those number of plane trips to under 14 or otherwise that NT side will be absolutely cooked on the road.

They'd probably win 95% of their home games but lose 95% of their away games and be a perennial 6-12 ranked side.

 

[PerthBoy86]

It's probably going to be a 9-2 or 9-3 split depending on whether clubs go up from 23 to 25 games per year or not.

But if 25, 8 games in Darwin means 17 1000k+ road trips. They should hub in Adelaide for three weeks over GR and do a couple two week hubs in Melbourne to reduce those number of plane trips to under 14 or otherwise that NT side will be absolutely cooked on the road.

They'd probably win 95% of their home games but lose 95% of their away games and be a perennial 6-12 ranked side.

Well the Eagles have been flying from further away about every second week for nearly 40 years. I guess we really are 'flying high' haha.

 

[GC2015]

It's probably going to be a 9-2 or 9-3 split depending on whether clubs go up from 23 to 25 games per year or not.

But if 25, 8 games in Darwin means 17 1000k+ road trips. They should hub in Adelaide for three weeks over GR and do a couple two week hubs in Melbourne to reduce those number of plane trips to under 14 or otherwise that NT side will be absolutely cooked on the road.

They'd probably win 95% of their home games but lose 95% of their away games and be a perennial 6-12 ranked side.

Kate McCarthy (former Brisbane AFLW player) said something interesting about playing games in the heat/humidity. She said that opposition players from the southern states would visible struggle more in the heat/humidity when they would play in Queensland and when they would play in Melbourne she noticed the skills from the Lions players were even sharper. Essentially, training in the heat/humidity didn't affect their ability to play high level footy in Melbourne and if it rained then the slippery conditions were comparable to those that they were used to in Queensland. Obviously this logic would also apply to a team based in Darwin with a genuine home condition advantageous that doesn't compromise their ability to play high level footy on the road.

The travel factor wouldn't be dissimilar to the WA teams. They're looking at a 4 hour flight every second week, regardless of which direction they're travelling, and you can add another 2 hour flight for every game they play in Alice Springs. I think a better option would be for two or three Victorian teams like North and St Kilda to play a "home" games in Alice Springs, Cairns and/or Townsville so the Darwin team keeps more of their home games in Darwin and reduces the travel factor. You could even tie the Alice Springs game in with Indigenous Round and make it a marquee game so there's more incentive for those Vic teams to do it.

That would essentially put the NT team on the same level as the WA teams because they get a little reprieve from travelling when they stay home to play "away" against the other WA team and that's obviously not the case for an NT team. Throw in the first class flights for the NT & WA players as well so there's something there to counteract the huge amount of travelling they'll be doing every fortnight.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

It's probably going to be a 9-2 or 9-3 split depending on whether clubs go up from 23 to 25 games per year or not.

But if 25, 8 games in Darwin means 17 1000k+ road trips. They should hub in Adelaide for three weeks over GR and do a couple two week hubs in Melbourne to reduce those number of plane trips to under 14 or otherwise that NT side will be absolutely cooked on the road.

They'd probably win 95% of their home games but lose 95% of their away games and be a perennial 6-12 ranked side.

...and once they get into a strong position where they win the majority of their home games, their opponents will start leaving half of their squads at home so they don't knock them around in the heat and be affected for subsequent games.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Well the Eagles have been flying from further away about every second week for nearly 40 years. I guess we really are 'flying high' haha.

Darwin is further from everywhere compared to Perth with the exception of Brisbane and then it's only marginal.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Kate McCarthy (former Brisbane AFLW player) said something interesting about playing games in the heat/humidity. She said that opposition players from the southern states would visible struggle more in the heat/humidity when they would play in Queensland and when they would play in Melbourne she noticed the skills from the Lions players were even sharper. Essentially, training in the heat/humidity didn't affect their ability to play high level footy in Melbourne and if it rained then the slippery conditions were comparable to those that they were used to in Queensland. Obviously this logic would also apply to a team based in Darwin with a genuine home condition advantageous that doesn't compromise their ability to play high level footy on the road.

The travel factor wouldn't be dissimilar to the WA teams. They're looking at a 4 hour flight every second week, regardless of which direction they're travelling, and you can add another 2 hour flight for every game they play in Alice Springs. I think a better option would be for two or three Victorian teams like North and St Kilda to play a "home" games in Alice Springs, Cairns and/or Townsville so the Darwin team keeps more of their home games in Darwin and reduces the travel factor. You could even tie the Alice Springs game in with Indigenous Round and make it a marquee game so there's more incentive for those Vic teams to do it.

That would essentially put the NT team on the same level as the WA teams because they get a little reprieve from travelling when they stay home to play "away" against the other WA team and that's obviously not the case for an NT team. Throw in the first class flights for the NT & WA players as well so there's something there to counteract the huge amount of travelling they'll be doing every fortnight.

There was a game in Geelong around 25 years ago when the Cats played Fremantle. Half a dozen of the Freo players ended up with mild hypothermia.

 

[South of the Yarra]

It's nothing to do with the city, I've been there plenty of times, it's the climate this time of the year. Stop being so defensive.

So payers from the north are expected to come and play in cold conditions but players from the South can't play in the heat once a year. Pretty much sums it up.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

So payers from the north are expected to come and play in cold conditions but players from the South can't play in the heat once a year. Pretty much sums it up.

100%.

They're not expected to do anything, they're not in the competition, it's all hypothetical.