A Breakaway League

[CURVE]

Rupert Murdoch tried it with Rugby League and failed, but if it was to happen to AFL and a breakaway league of twelve was to be formed, which twelve would you choose??

My Twelve would be:

Kangaroos (playing in Canberra)
Carlton
Essendon
Collingwood
Melbourne
St. Kilda
Geelong
Adelaide
Port Adelaide
West Coast
Sydney
Brisbane

The reasons for not including Fremantle are obvious.
Western Bulldogs have a smaller supporter base than the Roos and I can't see them increasing it.
It was a toss up whether to keep St. Kilda, Richmond or Hawthorn, but I chose St. KIlda because they have a large loyal supporter base, and appear to be heading in the right direction. Hawthorn supporters would argue they are as well, but they don't have the support that the Saints have.

Also I hate Hawthorn jumper, but I was trying to keep this impersonal.

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Are We Not Men
We Are DEVO

[This message has been edited by DEVO (edited 23 January 2001).]

 

[Pessimistic]

I knew a saints fan who refused to support his team after the move to Waverley

He was so indignant also when he found he couldn't get a grand final ticket

I wonder if he bothers his xxxx to go to colonial.

If you are to eliminate any teams, why not go for the underachievers ?

Brisbane, Freo, Geelong, Saints, Bulldogs all go under this scenario. Collingwood, Melbourne, Richmond and Port all get the benefit of the doubt because they were successful once, and might be again.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

a 'Superleague' style breakaway competition would be a disaster.

It just won't get any support.

The AFL owns all the trademarks to the game

The clubs names
The jumpers
The venues
The umpires

... everything.

Any breakaway competition would have to start completely from scratch and I don't think the footballing public would get behind some 'rebel' comp that has no credibility and even less tradition.

Would you barrack for 'The Melbourne Hurricanes' or some other equally as stupid outfit ?

I know I wouldn't.

cheers

 

[BUBBALOUIS]

Devo, leaving Hawthorn out has made my blood boil, is this the same Hawthorn who two seasons ago had the largest Victorian membership base, the same Hawthorn who two years ago made a profit of 700k odd and last year 300k odd, (Saints not long ago forced their greats of the past to take bugger all to the dollar to survive !!!!!!!!!! The same Hawthorn who in Waverley Gardens has the biggest turnover from pokies in the State, the same Hawthorn who are the only club to be representative to the people of Melbournes East, should i go on?

 

[Pessimistic]

Another thing. The new TV agreement means 16 clubs is what there will be, no more, no less.

If a club 'folds' they will have to find another to replace it.

Relocations seem to be the only option, and clubs will want to test the water with odd games played interstate for a good few years before making the big move, if at all.

The AFL will need to be much more trustworthy before any club would take this step - maybe in 20 years, when some of the current commission are long gone....

 

[TigerTank]

Any particular reason we need to go to 12 teams anyway?

No one with any sense would exclude Richmond (Australia's 3rd most attended sporting institution/Victoria's 4th most popular club) or Hawthorn (Victoria's 6th most popular club/only Eastern Suburban team).

DEVO was clearly just trying to get a response.

If anything, four teams could be added to make a 20 team competition where everyone plays each other once in a 19 round home-and-away season.

In that way -

North reverts to Nth Melbourne
Canberra, Hobart, West Sydney and Gold Coast/Sth Brisbane added.

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TT - Obligatory bad-tempered Richmond supporter

 

[Hawkforce.]

There will be no breakaway deal unless Foxtel lose control of TV rights. As it goes they've already got the payTV rights and that's what the Murdoch's really wanted.

Should a Foxtel inspired breakaway happen it would split the League. The teams that have their internet service run by Steve Vizard's company form an interesting power block.

Interesting topic, Devo. Did you realise that when you posted it?

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Instead of a break away league, how about a division 2? If a team gets relegated it goes to their states premier league, while the best non-afl team would replace them.

And discard the draft and let teams sign players at will. Instead of a draft day, have a sign up week where teams approach youngster and offer them contracts. Banning transfer fees between teams would stop the rich teams from getting the best players.

There needs to be change in the structure of the AFL competition every now and again or it will get stale.


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Go Eagles!!!

 

[Frodo]

Picking your 12 sides is an open invitation to be bagged so I won't bother. I think a 14 team competition on 26 round basis and final six is much preferable anyhow.

But a breakaway league may be a good threat if not reality to bring the AFL management down a peg or two. If sufficient clubs agreed then name changes and colours would not IMO be so difficult. The actual club colours could be the same but the Logo's change. I'm sure the supporters would follow their teams if the players remained, the colours remained the same but the design had minimal alteration and the club names had change to nicknames only. like :-
Carlton Navy's
Hawthorn Hawkers
Gelong Shells
West Coast Sharks

 

[CJH]

BSA is right on the money with this one! To attempt it would be commercial suicide!

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This is a hallucination and these faces are in a dream. A computer generated environment; a fantasy island you can do anything and not have to face the consequences.

 

[CJH]

BTW Devo, without including Richmond in your hypothetical list shows that you did not put enough thought into your post and that it lacks any kind of credibility.

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This is a hallucination and these faces are in a dream. A computer generated environment; a fantasy island you can do anything and not have to face the consequences.

 

[McKenna for PM]

Originally posted by Frodo:
Picking your 12 sides is an open invitation to be bagged so I won't bother. I think a 14 team competition on 26 round basis and final six is much preferable anyhow.

But a breakaway league may be a good threat if not reality to bring the AFL management down a peg or two. If sufficient clubs agreed then name changes and colours would not IMO be so difficult. The actual club colours could be the same but the Logo's change. I'm sure the supporters would follow their teams if the players remained, the colours remained the same but the design had minimal alteration and the club names had change to nicknames only. like :-
Carlton Navy's
Hawthorn Hawkers
Gelong Shells
West Coast Sharks

Frodo, what on earth are you talking about? I don't even know why I am answering this. Are you joking or is this a real suggestion of yours?