A team like Alice ready to join expanded WAFL

[gytre]

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=210&ContentID=32932

Full article above.

A team like Alice ready to join expanded WAFL
30th June 2007

A Northern Territory team could be playing in the WAFL next season after the league gave in-principle agreement to an audacious proposal to expand the local competition.

The NTAFL has made a submission to the WA Football Commission seeking a playing licence for an Alice Springs-based team to “enhance sporting and social opportunities for youth across northern Australia”.

In a move forecast by The West Australian last month, the NTAFL has also made a similar offer to the SANFL but favour joining the WAFL because of its younger playing base, traditional ties and lower salary cap.

WAFC director of football Grant Dorrington said there was initial support for the proposal but only on the basis the NT team could be brought into the league without a financial burden on the WA code.

“We are interested and have been talking to the NT people but if we move to the next phase we need to determine who is paying,” he said. “We need to make sure it is costneutral to WA football.

 

[Crissy_v]

hmmm, that could be interesting

Unsure as to whether or not I want to happen just yet

 

[gytre]

I think everyone's unsure at this stage, including the WA Football Commission. This application has come right out of the blue.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Get one of the mining Companies to charter flights on the weekends, and im all for it, could only benifit Northern Terriroty football, seeing a team with a united banner in a Comp, would generate intrest in the WAFL up north, and would cause the league to become more professional

good move IMO, maybe not this season but next would be a shot

 

[Crissy_v]

Get one of the mining Companies to charter flights on the weekends, and im all for it, could only benifit Northern Terriroty football, seeing a team with a united banner in a Comp, would generate intrest in the WAFL up north, and would cause the league to become more professional

good move IMO, maybe not this season but next would be a shot

yeah I reckon its a good move for the future to introduce a country side but why not have a team from say Kalgoorlie or Geraldton.

 

[gytre]

yeah I reckon its a good move for the future to introduce a country side but why not have a team from say Kalgoorlie or Geraldton.

For a number of reasons. For one, just look at the Peel disaster. Eleven years in the league and they're yet to even come close to playing in the finals. Peel hasn't been able to keep quality young players at the club for any length of time. The cream either get drafted or they move on to other WAFL clubs or get disillusioned and quit the WAFL altogether. There's been a notable lack of 100+ game players at Peel for years now.

The gap in standard between the WAFL and AFL is already far too great and adding another country team would only further dilute the talent pool of the WAFL. Personally, I think the WAFL should be thinking of wrapping up Peel rather than adding another country team.

The Alice Springs proposal is a different issue though. I'm simply not aware of what the standard is like in the Northern Territory. Presumably they'd be able to recruit players from Darwin, so possibly they'd have a team with some playing depth. Presumably many would be aboriginal, which might make for a team that's a bit too one dimensional and lacking diversity of attributes.

 

[Crissy_v]

For a number of reasons. For one, just look at the Peel disaster. Eleven years in the league and they're yet to even come close to playing in the finals. Peel hasn't been able to keep quality young players at the club for any length of time. The cream either get drafted or they move on to other WAFL clubs or get disillusioned and quit the WAFL altogether. There's been a notable lack of 100+ game players at Peel for years now.

The gap in standard between the WAFL and AFL is already far too great and adding another country team would only further dilute the talent pool of the WAFL. Personally, I think the WAFL should be thinking of wrapping up Peel rather than adding another country team.

The Alice Springs proposal is a different issue though. I'm simply not aware of what the standard is like in the Northern Territory. Presumably they'd be able to recruit players from Darwin, so possibly they'd have a team with some playing depth. Presumably many would be aboriginal, which might make for a team that's a bit too one dimensional and lacking diversity of attributes.

fair enough, well explained

 

[Johnny Utah #9]

fair enough, well explained

It's a disgrace that the WAFL can have the same two teams in Peel and Perth Demons in the bottom 2-3 spots on the ladder every year. Surely some sort of equity can be put in place where these sides get a greater allocation of WCE/Freo listed players to help boost their sides.

 

[Brown Bottle]

It's a disgrace that the WAFL can have the same two teams in Peel and Perth Demons in the bottom 2-3 spots on the ladder every year. Surely some sort of equity can be put in place where these sides get a greater allocation of WCE/Freo listed players to help boost their sides.

Feel some pity for Peel, but happy for the Demons to prop the ladder up forever!

 

[gytre]

<bump>

Does anyone know whatever happened to the Alice Springs proposal?

 

[EaglesFlyingHigh]

Definately not a fan of further expasion at this point in time.

 

[stacksonthemill]

Your query can be answered by looking at news on the NEAFL Northern Conference and seeing the name of NT Thunder.