Bendigo/Ballarat AFL teams

[Resigned]

At what point do you think the AFL should place teams in Bendigo & Ballarat, whether that be a new team or relocated teams from elsewhere in the country. 2021 census data show that Ballarat has a population of 105 thousand and Bendigo a population of 100 thousand, with each city having grown by 45% in population over the last 20 years. At this current rate both cities will be over 200 thousand each in population by 2061.

 

[Canberra Pear]

200k isn't enough to start a team now.

It'll be even further from enough as the rest of Australia continues to grow to 2061.

So no time this century.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Tasmania has nearly 600 000 people, yet they're still only getting a team because their government is building them a new stadium and subsidising the team on top of that. Why would Victoria do the same for Ballarat or Bendigo? Neither place is particularly vital to a state election,. Even if they were, would an AFL stadium really be the pork barrelling the people there want, rather than cost of living measures, transport infrastructure or hospital funding?

 

[Fambam84]

Never. But I'd like to see either a redeveloped or new ground in Bendigo (something similar to Mars Stadium in Ballarat) and a team like North perhaps playing a couple of games there each season.

 

[The_Reaper]

Needed to have happen mid last century.
Interestingly if you look at the records at one stage they were looking at the possibility of pro/rel VFL and VFA which would have been a very different dynamic to what we got

 

[Kappa]

These places should be targetted by the smaller vic teams like Bulldogs/North, play 2-3 home games there a year

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Dogs just need to continue to capitalise on Ballarat. North should take a look at Bendigo.

 

[RightWingRoo]

Dogs just need to continue to capitalise on Ballarat. North should take a look at Bendigo.

Main problem with Bendigo, is the lack of a potential venue.
QEO is in a great position, but has virtually no room in the outer for redevelopment.

Mars always had a larger outer and the room for expansion.

 

[Plantos]

Ballarat Bulldogs has a nice ring to it...

 

[Fambam84]

Main problem with Bendigo, is the lack of a potential venue.
QEO is in a great position, but has virtually no room in the outer for redevelopment.

Mars always had a larger outer and the room for expansion.

I wonder if they'll ever look at building a new venue and relocating one of the Bendigo clubs there, similar to what happened with Barossa Park in SA? With the promise of there being 2 or so AFL games there a year, would this be enough to shore up government funding?

 

[RightWingRoo]

I wonder if they'll ever look at building a new venue and relocating one of the Bendigo clubs there, similar to what happened with Barossa Park in SA? With the promise of there being 2 or so AFL games there a year, would this be enough to shore up government funding?

I agree!
To build an AFL standard oval in Bendigo, you'd need a greenfield or re-purposed site.
If Allen is in dire straits to hold her seat come November, the cash may flow if there's a willing partner.

 

[Cmarsh]

Never. But I'd like to see either a redeveloped or new ground in Bendigo (something similar to Mars Stadium in Ballarat) and a team like North perhaps playing a couple of games there each season.

Perplexing that a place the size of Bendigo does not have an stadium the AFL would consider suitable.

 

[parano1a]

Both cities are smaller than a tenth of Melbourne, so they will never be able to sustain their own team.

 

[Obzerva]

Both cities are smaller than a tenth of Melbourne, so they will never be able to sustain their own team.

I don’t think they’d need to permanently relocate a team there, but if they were to play 2-4 games in Bendigo for example it could work.

Supporters aren’t stupid though, it would need to be a real commitment if they want public support, not a short term deal that could disappear in a year or so.