-
LIVE: Richmond v Melbourne - 7:25PM Wed
Squiggle tips Demons at 77% chance -- What's your tip? -- Team line-ups »
A tenth team in the WAFL? Is it time?
- Thread starter Falco
- Start date
- Tagged users None
- Dec 17, 2006
- 4,394
- 4,663
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- South Fremantle, Sturt
I was all for expansion into regional areas the state leagues, but Peel's lack of success and support is hardly unique if you look around at other leagues at the same level.
To the best of my knowledge, the SANFL has never sought out an expansion country team, despite regional cities in South Australia such as Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier being large enough to support a SANFL team.
The VFL country & interstate expansion attempts, with the exception of North Ballarat which was a big club that had outgrown its league and Geelong, which is a reserves team, have all failed. The Traralgon Maroons were just around for 2 seasons in 1996-97, the Murray Kangaroos lasted 3 (2000-2002) and while the Tasmanian Devils looked good and were well supported early, things fell away and their tenure ended up being just 8 seasons (2001-2008). However, the biggest disappointment was Bendigo, which struggled in its early years as the Diggers (1998-2002), was up and down but often down when aligned with Essendon as the Bombers (2003-2012) and fell away completely as the Gold (2013-2014), folding after 2 winless seasons, with the Diggers and Bombers also experiencing winless seasons. Bendigo is easily big enough to support a VFL team, but for some reasons a team in this league did not work in Bendigo. Perhaps an early alignment with Carlton which is well supported in the region, playing as the Bendigo Blues would have been better? Then again, maybe not.
To the NEAFL, which has seen a mass exodus of ACT, NSW & QLD teams in recent years, and one wonders what fans of the remaining clubs think of this league. Would Queensland clubs Southport, Apsley and Redlands prefer to be playing teams such as Broadbeach, Mt. Gravatt and Morningside, which have now re-formed the QAFL, than teams from NSW, ACT and NT?
Finally there was the Foxtel Cup, where top state league teams played each other in a knockout competition throughout the season, which lasted just 4 years.
It seems to suggest that clubs, fans and players are more comfortable with local rivalries, and don't respond to expansion so well. With Peel, would people in the area prefer to be watching Mandurah, South Mandurah, Rockingham, Pinjarra, Waroona, Baldivis and the other local sides play in the Peel League, than a team from the area playing in the WAFL?
To the best of my knowledge, the SANFL has never sought out an expansion country team, despite regional cities in South Australia such as Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier being large enough to support a SANFL team.
The VFL country & interstate expansion attempts, with the exception of North Ballarat which was a big club that had outgrown its league and Geelong, which is a reserves team, have all failed. The Traralgon Maroons were just around for 2 seasons in 1996-97, the Murray Kangaroos lasted 3 (2000-2002) and while the Tasmanian Devils looked good and were well supported early, things fell away and their tenure ended up being just 8 seasons (2001-2008). However, the biggest disappointment was Bendigo, which struggled in its early years as the Diggers (1998-2002), was up and down but often down when aligned with Essendon as the Bombers (2003-2012) and fell away completely as the Gold (2013-2014), folding after 2 winless seasons, with the Diggers and Bombers also experiencing winless seasons. Bendigo is easily big enough to support a VFL team, but for some reasons a team in this league did not work in Bendigo. Perhaps an early alignment with Carlton which is well supported in the region, playing as the Bendigo Blues would have been better? Then again, maybe not.
To the NEAFL, which has seen a mass exodus of ACT, NSW & QLD teams in recent years, and one wonders what fans of the remaining clubs think of this league. Would Queensland clubs Southport, Apsley and Redlands prefer to be playing teams such as Broadbeach, Mt. Gravatt and Morningside, which have now re-formed the QAFL, than teams from NSW, ACT and NT?
Finally there was the Foxtel Cup, where top state league teams played each other in a knockout competition throughout the season, which lasted just 4 years.
It seems to suggest that clubs, fans and players are more comfortable with local rivalries, and don't respond to expansion so well. With Peel, would people in the area prefer to be watching Mandurah, South Mandurah, Rockingham, Pinjarra, Waroona, Baldivis and the other local sides play in the Peel League, than a team from the area playing in the WAFL?
Rockingham is part of Perth and it's not like Mandurah really has that much of an identity.
A northern suburbs team.
- Sep 30, 2012
- 2,583
- 2,962
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Other Teams
- Subiaco Lions, Ferrari, Minardi
- Thread starter
- #30
Yanchep? Joondalup is Falcon's territory.
North Perth
- Oct 5, 2004
- 14,145
- 7,084
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- Rochester FC, Waroona FC, Pacers
From what I've seen the past three years, the Peel league is very good. The league has settled the past few years after many clubs (Armadale, Belmont, Cockburn, Harvey, Kwinana etc.) came in and only lasted a few years. The great thing about the league is the rivalries. My club Waroona has some great rivalries with Pinjarra and Rockingham. There's a great crowd and atmosphere under lights down here.
The Peel GF day gets good crowds - grandstand is full, there's people inside and around the goals and families camp out on the Ballantyne Wing. It does seem strange that people would come out for the GF, but won't follow Peel. I don't really know the full history of the Thunder, but they've obviously haven't been unable to tap into that support because there are a lot of footy lovers down this way.
What ??, in the Peel league ??
A lot of local players ( from all reports) jumped ship when it became the Dockers reserves, lose the local players, you lose the local players families etc.
i personlly think the Dockers and eagles should have either stand alone teams or their players filtered through the WAFL
- Oct 5, 2004
- 14,145
- 7,084
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- Rochester FC, Waroona FC, Pacers
According to this, yeah.
The impression that I get is that most Peel league players play out their time in the Thunder Colts and then go back to their Peel league club. Or they stick with the Thunder and play a year or two in the senior and reserves, get sick of losing by 100 points each week and then go back to their local club.
Ok, ..... i have a sneaking suspicion that at one stage or another the Belmont Bombers were very naughty boys and the WAAFL did not want them, i could be way off the mark though, Belmont is a hell of a long way from Peel, it is actually a inner city club really, although it is right on the polly pipe so it is all freeway.
I have seen them play Quinns a couple of years ago ....C3 in WAAFL from memory
Not sure what can be done about Peel, if the locals are happier with their traditional clubs, it is not going to change.
