Expansion 3rd Western Australian club

[Righteo]

Maybe neutrals would support it? A lot of people have moved over from east in the past few years and stayed here. Maybe they support Victorian clubs and want to support a new club that doesn't have the history of the two WA clubs. It's possible I guess.

You might be able to attest to it yourself but many Vics who move here develop a bit of a siege mentality and are actually pretty fervent supporters. I'm not sure how many neutral footy fans there really are here. Not many imo. Would need to target migrants/non-footy fans, a Joondalup-based team makes sense from that perspective as well as a population one. Even then you'd think it's still a good decade at least away from being remotely viable. Might be a different story if you want to work the West Perth "promotion" angle though.

 

[crazywildhorse]

So who here that lives in Perth would ever consider changing to a new team?

I wouldn't.

It happened once before

 

[crazywildhorse]

A new franchise won't work as we have two already. A traditional club could work.

West Perth Falcons based in Joondalup

This would be very weird for people like me who are big fans of the WAFL team that would be admitted and an AFL team. During the Foxtel cup a few years back I was so confused watching Box Hill play West Perth (my WAFL team). I was happy the Falcons got up, but I felt weirdly disloyal to Hawthorn, strangest game I've ever followed.

 

[FootyJunkie]

If it were the Joondalup Falcons (West Perth promoted to the AFL trading under the "Joondalup Falcons" banner, while keeping their "West Perth" reserves side in the WAFL)... I would think they should play 7 lower drawing home games at Arena Joondalup (upgraded as necessary to be brought up to AFL H&A standard) while playing 4 home games at the new Perth Stadium against West Coast, Fremantle and two big sides from out east (ex. Collingwood, Carlton - who have a big WA fanbase).

Make the side a bit distinct from West Coast and Fremantle... a bit like how Geelong has distanced itself from being lumped in with all the Melbourne sides in recent years with their updgraded Kardinia Park.

It's bad enough that Fremantle have to play all their home games in Perth while based 20km down the road... Joondalup are almost 30km north, so they should get the chance to play a majority of their home games up there to better represent the outer northern suburbs of Perth.

 

[The_Reaper]

telsor

Younger Western Australians grew up their with the current clubs. They won't change.

Older generation guys either stuck with a Victorian club, went to Fremantle because it was still close enough to the WAFL days plus Fremantle has a strong regional identity and geographical differentiation or support West Coast because * the Vics this is the WA team.

A third team provides no compelling reason to change.

If you moved to let's say Brisbane and to watch live footy had to go the Gabba every second week would you defect?

 

[Kwality]

West Coast still to this day dwarf Fremantle in the amount of support they have in WA, and that was only with a (albeit very successful) 8 year head start. This 3rd new team would be coming in like a further 25+ years after Freo, seriously where are their supporters going to come from? The vast majority of WA people have already all chosen their teams whether it be one of the 2 locals or an eastern states one. IMO a new club would be lucky to even get 10k members from the start and would take, many many years to get any traction over here..

Why a new club, who wants it?

There are those who want a lower standard of footy, cant wait for the diluted talent pool of expansion to affect other clubs. Why they don't just follow footy at the 2nd tier is beyond me. More clubs in the AFL will hasten the dilution of talent for what gain?

Some see the profits WA footy generates & want a bit of it - WA footy invests it back into footy not pokie palaces SO the motives of this group is dubious at best.

Truth is there are too few AFL standard players NOW, see both the Dockers & Tigers this year. You put 50+ games into a guy & they don't step up. It happens across the league, every year players who have been drafted are delisted with less than 10 games to show for their career.

 

[Kwality]

If it were the Joondalup Falcons (West Perth promoted to the AFL trading under the "Joondalup Falcons" banner, while keeping their "West Perth" reserves side in the WAFL)... I would think they should play 7 lower drawing home games at Arena Joondalup (upgraded as necessary to be brought up to AFL H&A standard) while playing 4 home games at the new Perth Stadium against West Coast, Fremantle and two big sides from out east (ex. Collingwood, Carlton - who have a big WA fanbase).

Make the side a bit distinct from West Coast and Fremantle... a bit like how Geelong has distanced itself from being lumped in with all the Melbourne sides in recent years with their updgraded Kardinia Park.

It's bad enough that Fremantle have to play all their home games in Perth while based 20km down the road... Joondalup are almost 30km north, so they should get the chance to play a majority of their home games up there to better represent the outer northern suburbs of Perth.

The upgrade is Cook inspired using lessons learned in WA footy.

 

[Kwality]

West Coast still to this day dwarf Fremantle in the amount of support they have in WA, and that was only with a (albeit very successful) 8 year head start. This 3rd new team would be coming in like a further 25+ years after Freo, seriously where are their supporters going to come from? The vast majority of WA people have already all chosen their teams whether it be one of the 2 locals or an eastern states one. IMO a new club would be lucky to even get 10k members from the start and would take, many many years to get any traction over here..

Why a new club, who wants it?

There are those who want a lower standard of footy, cant wait for the diluted talent pool of expansion to affect other clubs. Why they don't just follow footy at the 2nd tier is beyond me. More clubs in the AFL will hasten the dilution of talent for what gain?

Some see the profits WA footy generates & want a bit of it - WA footy invests it back into footy not pokie palaces SO the motives of this group is dubious at best.

Truth is there are too many teams, & an extra one will do nothing for our game. IF we are stuck with 18 teams, clearly some markets have excess demand whilst others have an oversupply of product (games) but more teams does not address that problem.

 

[Garlic muncher]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...third-afl-team-out-of-wa-20160317-gnlc8v.html


Could we find room for a third AFL team out of WA?

 

[sherb]

Next off the list - Tasmanian club.

 

[Kwality]

Next off the list - Tasmanian club.

You got a depth problem on your list sherb, too many AFL standard footballers, I can tell you depth is a problem at most clubs & more teams will only exacerbate that problem, for what gain?

A team in Tas HEAR, HEAR,
More teams NO thank you

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Maybe they could have a New Zealand team but base it in the West, plenty of ex-pats to support them.

 

[Righteo]

Maybe they could have a New Zealand team but base it in the West, plenty of ex-pats to support them.

Don't forget the Saffers.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Who would leave the dockers or eagles to follow a new club? Some obviously, but enough to pack out stadiums?

It wouldn't need to early on. Perth has the sponsorship money available that a relatively small club would still operate on a mid-tier Vic budget with hardly anyone turning up.
Over time there would be a tendency to even out. Eagles and Dockers would probably remain powerhouses rivalling and probably bigger than the big Vic clubs, but teams 3 and 4 would still be viable concerns very quickly - unlike Gold Coast and GWS, which need a long term view, or Tasmania or Canberra which are probably "never viable" propositions.

 

[Garlic muncher]

The only thing stopping a 3rd viable WA team is player depth.

 

[crazywildhorse]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...third-afl-team-out-of-wa-20160317-gnlc8v.html


Could we find room for a third AFL team out of WA?

Mandurah crabs would be a great name. You could send the team further down the coast and have the Bunbury Bums.

I wish I was an AFL sport journalist, I would be able to copy and paste comments from Bigfooty, call up Gill and chat for a bit, then find a way to chuck it amongst the stuff I read on Bigfooty.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

I think WA really needs to expand some of it's other population centres, I don't think another team in the Greater Perth area is the way to go.

Perth wouldn't be the most isolated city in the world if it actually developed places like Geraldton ect into larger centres. Does WA have anywhere other than Perth with population over 100,000?

 

[jatz14]

I think WA really needs to expand some of it's other population centres, I don't think another team in the Greater Perth area is the way to go.

Perth wouldn't be the most isolated city in the world if it actually developed places like Geraldton ect into larger centres. Does WA have anywhere other than Perth with population over 100,000?

No. Mandurah might do, but its virtually just the extreme southern suburbs of Perth. Greater Bunbury would be next biggest, and thats 80 - 85k maybe.

Geraldton is quite a bit smaller than Bunbury, and there is nothing to drive a natural large population expansion there. It might be good for WA for places like Geraldton to be much bigger, but its hard to see what would drive this expansion.

 

[The_Reaper]

It wouldn't need to early on. Perth has the sponsorship money available that a relatively small club would still operate on a mid-tier Vic budget with hardly anyone turning up.
Over time there would be a tendency to even out. Eagles and Dockers would probably remain powerhouses rivalling and probably bigger than the big Vic clubs, but teams 3 and 4 would still be viable concerns very quickly - unlike Gold Coast and GWS, which need a long term view, or Tasmania or Canberra which are probably "never viable" propositions.

Team 4?

Where would that even be based?

 

[telsor]

Team 4?

Where would that even be based?

Easy...Dump WCE & Freo and promote 4 clubs from the WAFL (or make 4 'join ventures' of 2 WAFL teams each).

It'd help with all the complaints about how WAFL clubs weren't allowed into the national comp and allow for a more even spread. What do you say greatwhiteshark ?

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

Gosnells Football Club.

 

[Kwality]

Easy...Dump WCE & Freo and promote 4 clubs from the WAFL (or make 4 'join ventures' of 2 WAFL teams each).

It'd help with all the complaints about how WAFL clubs weren't allowed into the national comp and allow for a more even spread. What do you say greatwhiteshark ?

It certainly fits with your Richmond to Tassie phobia that so troubles you ..... anywhere but Tootgarook !!

 

[Billy ray]

Gosnells Football Club.

Queens Park

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Easy...Dump WCE & Freo and promote 4 clubs from the WAFL (or make 4 'join ventures' of 2 WAFL teams each).

It'd help with all the complaints about how WAFL clubs weren't allowed into the national comp and allow for a more even spread. What do you say greatwhiteshark ?

Horse has well and truly bolted mate as you know. Could WA support 4 clubs? Probably financially they could but once the Eagles were put together they were sold as they represent the whole state and 30 years later it is what it is.

West Perth promoted as the Joondalup falcons I am all for as you know, stuff the rest of them lol

 

[telsor]

It certainly fits with your Richmond to Tassie phobia that so troubles you ..... anywhere but Tootgarook !!

I have a Richmond to Tassie phobia?

Mate, I have plenty of mental health issues, but that delusion definitely isn't one of them.