Expansion Canberra

[Walshawk]

Unfortunately the ACT government has not lobbied strongly for a standalone Canberra AFL team in contrast to the Tasmanian and even the NT government. I think this lack of strong explicit support and Manuka upgrade issues make a WA3 team more likely as Team 20 over Canberra

WA has shown even less support for another team.

 

[Canberra Pear]

WA has shown even less support for another team.

I was pretty much about to say this.

The NRL and A-League go for bids, the AFL goes where they want.

Tasmania is a unique situation in that they pretty much got the AFL over a barrel.

The ACT Chief Minister said "If the AFL are financially able to support a 20th team, Canberra would be a logical choice", which is more than I've heard from the WA government.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Thanks for the information- interesting that our population growth rates exceeds all other states and NT.

With all our public servant jobs, we continue to have a good net flow of interstate migration.

Not sure if we have more (percentage-wise) interstate migration than Queensland, but we're getting millennials and they're getting the retirees. So we get that double bump when many of our new residents then settle and have families.

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

Unfortunately the ACT government has not lobbied strongly for a standalone Canberra AFL team in contrast to the Tasmanian and even the NT government. I think this lack of strong explicit support and Manuka upgrade issues make a WA3 team more likely as Team 20 over Canberra

Yeah the ACT gov really need a rocket, not sure if they’ll get a better opportunity than when (hopefully) a 19th team comes in.

After reading the views of West Aussies and looking at the situation over there, I’m unconvinced that there’s a logical option for a 3rd WA club at the moment. Where could it be based? And how would it have an identity that’s distinct from the current two clubs to build a supporter base? The Peel region could fit the bill in the future, but I don’t think it’s big enough yet.

 

[Aussie in exile]

Yeah the ACT gov really need a rocket, not sure if they’ll get a better opportunity than when (hopefully) a 19th team comes in.

After reading the views of West Aussies and looking at the situation over there, I’m unconvinced that there’s a logical option for a 3rd WA club at the moment. Where could it be based? And how would it have an identity that’s distinct from the current two clubs to build a supporter base? The Peel region could fit the bill in the future, but I don’t think it’s big enough yet.

I think the ACT are happy just having GS play on the road games there

 

[Rob]

I was pretty much about to say this.

The NRL and A-League go for bids, the AFL goes where they want.

Tasmania is a unique situation in that they pretty much got the AFL over a barrel.

The ACT Chief Minister said "If the AFL are financially able to support a 20th team, Canberra would be a logical choice", which is more than I've heard from the WA government.

There's no votes in a 3rd WA team, so there's no reason the government would get involved. If it was to ever happen it would need to start with a bunch of people getting behind it first, or maybe a council (or group of councils).

 

[MelbourneGWS]

I was pretty much about to say this.

The NRL and A-League go for bids, the AFL goes where they want.

Tasmania is a unique situation in that they pretty much got the AFL over a barrel.

The ACT Chief Minister said "If the AFL are financially able to support a 20th team, Canberra would be a logical choice", which is more than I've heard from the WA government.

Note that this is the same Chief Minister who said” Canberra has established a long-term partnership with the GIANTS, and this unique co-located model has been highly successful”!

 

[Canberra Pear]

Note that this is the same Chief Minister who said” Canberra has established a long-term partnership with the GIANTS, and this unique co-located model has been highly successful”!

Of course he's supportive of the GWS relationship. He likes AFL, and GWS is the best AFL fans in Canberra have had, so far. Doesn't mean we can't do better.

Barr's supportive of the current GWS deal, and would be stupid to jeopardise it, but he also recognises how amazing a full-time team would be for Canberra.

 

[Canberra Pear]

I think the ACT are happy just having GS play on the road games there

If you ever read a comments section regarding the deal under a Canberra Times/RiotACT article, we're not.

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

Note that this is the same Chief Minister who said” Canberra has established a long-term partnership with the GIANTS, and this unique co-located model has been highly successful”!

It’s an absolute joke to refer to that as a co-located model. With each game, GWS would be in and out of Canberra on a bus within the space of 2 days.

 

[Aussie in exile]

If you ever read a comments section regarding the deal under a Canberra Times/RiotACT article, we're not.

Well i say yet again all the while GS are paying games there Canberra are not going to get their own team

 

[CURVE]

I think the ACT are happy just having GS play on the road games there

What a weird thing to say, I don't know any Canberran who would be happy to forgo the opportunity of our having our own AFL team to stay with the current deal with GWS.

 

[CURVE]

Well i say yet again all the while GS are paying games there Canberra are not going to get their own team

Just like Tasmania.

 

[Aussie in exile]

What a weird thing to say, I don't know any Canberran who would be happy to forgo the opportunity of our having our own AFL team to stay with the current deal with GWS.

Andrew Barr seems ultra keen to have GS keep playing games there

 

[CURVE]

Andrew Barr seems ultra keen to have GS keep playing games there

He is keen to have AFL played here, GWS is just the best option at the moment.

 

[Aussie in exile]

He is keen to have AFL played here, GWS is just the best option at the moment.

Cui bono?

 

[MelbourneGWS]

What a weird thing to say, I don't know any Canberran who would be happy to forgo the opportunity of our having our own AFL team to stay with the current deal with GWS.

Yes, but are we going to have a standalone AFL team here? I think that upgrading Manuka and significant lobbying and financial support by the ACT government must occur before this happens. I am pessimistic about this occurring. GWS has made a 21 year commitment to Canberra to play 3 AFL and 1-2 AFLW matches here, much longer than any other club, and I think that’s the best we can get.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

If you ever read a comments section regarding the deal under a Canberra Times/RiotACT article, we're not.

Agree with you on the comments by Canberrans whenever the GWS funding deal us mentioned. But note that there will always be people who will complain about $ being given to sports (instead of roads, schools etc), and there are Raiders, Brumbies and soccer supporters who will bag any deal Barr makes with the AFL

 

[Canberra Pear]

Agree with you on the comments by Canberrans whenever the GWS funding deal us mentioned. But note that there will always be people who will complain about $ being given to sports (instead of roads, schools etc), and there are Raiders, Brumbies and soccer supporters who will bag any deal Barr makes with the AFL

That's true when talking about a huge investment like a new stadium, but I haven't really seen the same comments regarding regular funding for the Brumbies and Raiders. The negativity around GWS is that they aren't a Canberra team (despite the deal actually making Canberra money).

For instance, I found this comment, which I think sums up a lot of Canberrans' feelings.

I'd support a Canberra only AFL side, but the Giants I find are hard to support and are really a team no one (other than some hardcore Canberra supporters) in Sydney cares about, uses the money from Canberra and a token effort to make it seem like they are Canberra's team when in fact no one outside of Canberra ever mentions the link the Giants and the ACT have.

Were you in Canberra in 2019 when the Giants and Raiders both made the grand final? I found that to be the most stark indicator of real Giants support.

I remember there were offices, doctors' surgeries, doughnuts, all covered in lime green, but I don't remember any orange. I remember a few token media efforts, but the Giants were an afterthought. Coming up against a real Canberra team, it showed that the Giants weren't a real Canberra side.

 

[kranger]

If Newcastle get this new Oval Stadium, move the GWS games from Canberra to Newcastle, and give Canberra team 20.

Cricket NSW calls for 15,000-seat Newcastle stadium

The governing body of cricket in NSW has identified Newcastle as an infrastructure priority and wants to see a new 15,000-seat oval stadium built in the city, while it also says a SCG Masterplan is needed.

www.austadiums.com

 

[Bjo187]

If Newcastle get this new Oval Stadium, move the GWS games from Canberra to Newcastle, and give Canberra team 20.

Cricket NSW calls for 15,000-seat Newcastle stadium

The governing body of cricket in NSW has identified Newcastle as an infrastructure priority and wants to see a new 15,000-seat oval stadium built in the city, while it also says a SCG Masterplan is needed.

www.austadiums.com

Good news, let cricket lead the way, you won't hear as much whingeing from the leaguies and the AFL will be able to reap the benefits off the back of these works. I'd love for north sydney to be redeveloped to an AFL size oval and the giants to play some games there each year, would really increase their supporter base imo.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

That's true when talking about a huge investment like a new stadium, but I haven't really seen the same comments regarding regular funding for the Brumbies and Raiders. The negativity around GWS is that they aren't a Canberra team (despite the deal actually making Canberra money).



Were you in Canberra in 2019 when the Giants and Raiders both made the grand final? I found that to be the most stark indicator of real Giants support.

I remember there were offices, doctors' surgeries, doughnuts, all covered in lime green, but I don't remember any orange. I remember a few token media efforts, but the Giants were an afterthought. Coming up against a real Canberra team, it showed that the Giants weren't a real Canberra side.

Yes, agree there were way more Raiders support in Canberra compared to us in the 2019 GFs. However unlike GWS who debuted in 2012, the Raiders had been in existence more than 30 years ago (albeit in nearby Queanbeyan) and had won 3 premierships. I think that the Raiders would be the most popular of all teams playing in Canberra.

 

[Bjo187]

Yes, agree there were way more Raiders support in Canberra compared to us in the 2019 GFs. However unlike GWS who debuted in 2012, the Raiders had been in existence more than 30 years ago (albeit in nearby Queanbeyan) and had won 3 premierships. I think that the Raiders would be the most popular of all teams playing in Canberra.

Giants got unlucky that they made their only grand final in the same year as the raiders made their gf. They were also unlucky they came up against Richmond, that thumping damaged any momentum they were gathering, then covid was a double whammy.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Giants got unlucky that they made their only grand final in the same year as the raiders made their gf. They were also unlucky they came up against Richmond, that thumping damaged any momentum they were gathering, then covid was a double whammy.

And if Canberra gets an Aleague men’s team as our media predict, that means another entity in Canberra that will draw media, government funding, sponsorship $ and fans

 

[Bjo187]

And if Canberra gets an Aleague men’s team as our media predict, that means another entity in Canberra that will draw media, government funding, sponsorship $ and fans

The a league would be nuts to expand though wouldn't they? Already struggling.