Expansion Canberra
- Thread starter Johnny Bananas
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MelbourneGWS
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When the new deal was signed, it was stated that there were around 6400 Canberra members - approximately 20% of total membership. But yes, the average crowd at Manuka is more than the average crowd at Giants Stadium
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Which in my opinion will further delay any Canberra team
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It would. It's really up to the AFL. If they want a team there, it could happen as soon as 2033. If not, the ACT will have to make their case and better have an upgraded Manuka ready.
GWS will never leave Western Sydney. They'd have to still be pulling in averages of less than 10k in the next decade, with Canberra membership rapidly outgrowing WS. Then they'll consider it.
MelbourneGWS
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GWS have been promoting themselves as GIANTS in all their branding and communications for the past few years
Mofra
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Tassie is footy-mad and are just scraping in to get a license some time in the future.
Canberra has the Raiders fairly well established and from my time there was pretty evenly split between RL & AFL (with a bit of RU presence too given the military personnel in Canberra). I'm not sure there's sufficient demand for an AFL team in Canberra while we have two expansion teams requiring heavy financial support, and a Tassie team will take time to get off the ground.
Canberra has the Raiders fairly well established and from my time there was pretty evenly split between RL & AFL (with a bit of RU presence too given the military personnel in Canberra). I'm not sure there's sufficient demand for an AFL team in Canberra while we have two expansion teams requiring heavy financial support, and a Tassie team will take time to get off the ground.
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Or Giants then
Canberra Capitals sounds fine to me.
Hmm, need something grittier, like Canberra Rams.
I think the funnest part of expansion discussions are team names. Bring on the Perth Pirates. Port Adelaide missed the boat on that one.
Rams (Male Bighorn Sheep) would be a great name. Not so sure the girls would like to be the Ewes though. (Female Bighorn Sheep).
MelbourneGWS
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Behind a paywall but states that 2 ACT soccer clubs (Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia) have applied with 21 other clubs to join the national soccer second division which starts in 2024. The decision on teams to be included in the expansion of the Aleague (national soccer first division) is yet to be determined, but Canberra is strongly expected to get a spot. If all of this eventuates, Canberra will have a soccer team in both the national men and women’s competition, as well as at least a team in the second division. Whilst I am happy as a Canberran if this eventuates, this means more teams competing for the sporting $.
www.canberratimes.com.au
Canberra clubs nominate for national second division
Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia have both put their hands up to join the national second division next...
Cunnington Cartel
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Behind a paywall but states that 2 ACT soccer clubs (Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia) have applied with 21 other clubs to join the national soccer second division which starts in 2024. The decision on teams to be included in the expansion of the Aleague (national soccer first division) is yet to be determined, but Canberra is strongly expected to get a spot. If all of this eventuates, Canberra will have a soccer team in both the national men and women’s competition, as well as at least a team in the second division. Whilst I am happy as a Canberran if this eventuates, this means more teams competing for the sporting $.
Canberra clubs nominate for national second division
Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia have both put their hands up to join the national second division next...
Let’s see how this second division goes first. They seem to think it will be the golden goose for Aussie soccer, although it could also be an unmitigated financial disaster for the sport. It’s feasible for the whole thing to fall over before the Giants 10 year Canberra deal is up.
Behind a paywall but states that 2 ACT soccer clubs (Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia) have applied with 21 other clubs to join the national soccer second division which starts in 2024. The decision on teams to be included in the expansion of the Aleague (national soccer first division) is yet to be determined, but Canberra is strongly expected to get a spot. If all of this eventuates, Canberra will have a soccer team in both the national men and women’s competition, as well as at least a team in the second division. Whilst I am happy as a Canberran if this eventuates, this means more teams competing for the sporting $.
Canberra clubs nominate for national second division
Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia have both put their hands up to join the national second division next...
Two clubs in a second division competition. Not too dissimilar to when Canberra had five teams in the NEAFL.
I don't think it'd have too much of an impact.
The more I hear the less Canberra is looking likely to be team 20, which is both sad and surprising to me. I was thinking that maybe third teams in WA, QLD etc aren’t the way to go not because of talent but 1/24 etc chance of winning a flag could be a bit much.Behind a paywall but states that 2 ACT soccer clubs (Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia) have applied with 21 other clubs to join the national soccer second division which starts in 2024. The decision on teams to be included in the expansion of the Aleague (national soccer first division) is yet to be determined, but Canberra is strongly expected to get a spot. If all of this eventuates, Canberra will have a soccer team in both the national men and women’s competition, as well as at least a team in the second division. Whilst I am happy as a Canberran if this eventuates, this means more teams competing for the sporting $.
Canberra clubs nominate for national second division
Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia have both put their hands up to join the national second division next...
In which case, ACT, NZ and NT would provide better symmetry, exposure and expansion closure. Two teams each in WA, SA, NSW, QLD and so on.
A third team in WA would make me think the AFL is going to keep expanding every 15-25 years and it’ll end up like the NFL or NBA, a massive juggernaut that evolves beyond single tier. Not good for premiership droughts.
MelbourneGWS
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Good news for Canberra sports fans and soccer. Canberra will have a men’s Aleague team for 2024-25. We already have Canberra United playing in the Aleague women’s, and will also probably have a Canberra team playing in the second division from 2023-24 (Canberra Croatia and Gunghalin United both had applied).
amp.smh.com.au
A-Leagues to add Canberra, Auckland teams in $50m expansion
MelbourneGWS
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Under a paywall, but more info on the Canberra Aleague team that is expected to start on 2024-25. From what I understand, they are looking for approx $50million investment for expansion clubs, and an ownership consortium that incorporates both the men and Canberra United women’s team. Presumably the ACT Government will give some $ incentives as well.
www.canberratimes.com.au
A-League of our own: Canberra to have men's soccer team by 2024-25
The 15 years of waiting is almost over. Canberra has been locked in as one of the A-League...
Good news for Canberra sports fans and soccer. Canberra will have a men’s Aleague team for 2024-25. We already have Canberra United playing in the Aleague women’s, and will also probably have a Canberra team playing in the second division from 2023-24 (Canberra Croatia and Gunghalin United both had applied).
A-Leagues to add Canberra, Auckland teams in $50m expansion
Nice! "Canberra and Auckland were the clear standouts to become teams 13 and 14".
An article also just came out about Canberra being a preferred NBL expansion side (alongside Gold Coast), also around 2024/25. I can't access the article, but it was posted on the Gold Coast board. It's going to be an interesting summer if they both get teams in the same season.
It shows how desirable the city actually is on a national level (and that the AFL can't just take us for granted).
That pretty much just leaves the AFL, BBL and Super Netball out of Canberra.
MelbourneGWS
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Yes! I don’t understand how people think NT, North Queensland, Newcastle etc are better candidates for AFL Team 20 than Canberra. We are ahead in almost all metrics. Almost all the other sport codes recognise this as seen by the national elite teams that Canberra (will) have
The NT is a romantic option. I get it. It doesn't make the slightest sense in the real world, but to those who haven't done the maths or know geography, it makes sense.
North Queensland is the most ridiculous one to me. People seems to think because Cairns is more AFL-friendly than the rest of Queensland that it's some Aussie Rules oasis. It still has fewer Aussie Rules clubs than rugby league, and the city is barely bigger than Darwin. Townsville? Not a chance with the Cowboys.
Newcastle is just the biggest city without a team. But it's barely even bigger than Canberra, but with much less AFL activity. And the use of the "Hunter Region" as a big city is pointless. The Hunter's area is 28 times bigger than the ACT-part of Canberra. It extends 185km inland. By that measurement Canberra could count the southern half of Wollongong.
The other leagues recognise Canberra's importance, hopefully it can get us on the AFL's radar, too.
Bjo187
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The AFL should consider a joint bid with a BBL franchise if the timing is right. Have the club in everybody's face all year long, helps in getting stadium upgrades and potential crossover support.
The Educator
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Canberra in the BBL would be awesome, as well as the AFL, of course.
Cubs2Lions
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Also the NBL that needs a team in Canberra (again) as well
MelbourneGWS
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An interesting article from the RiotAct. Whilst the Canberra Aleague team is not a done deal it’s very close with a licence deadline of June 2023. I know it’s different sports, but still amazing that unlike the AFL, soccer can grant a licence by June 2023 and have a team that can play at the élite national level in 2024-25. Also Soccer just want a “stadium deal”, not necessarily a new stadium. Article states that this investment will not have a detrimental impact on other codes which is good news (“potential investors don’t have an interest in rugby league, rugby union or AFL, but have a passion for football, so to suggest that there is little left in the corporate bank lacks an understanding of the support the code has in the city”)
Canberra closer than ever to securing an A-League Men’s team | Riotact
The Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League competitions in Australia, has moved a step closer to awarding Canberra an…
the-riotact.com
I contacted the Sounding Board with Damo and Hutchy about Canberra getting the next team.
This was their response on air:
I also contacted Nat Edwards. She said:
The prevailing opinion of AFL journos seems to be the NT, which I find a bit confusing. I get that it's publicly popular, but I don't get how anybody with a supposedly intimate knowledge of the footy landscape can think that it's feasible. Is it just because they're all in the same circles so they regurgitate it once the idea is out there?
Yes, I'm biased towards a Canberra side, but none of them even raised WA3, which is still a much better option than the NT.
While Canberra would absolutely get behind a team better than the NT, we're too quiet about it. Too many polite public servants. We really somebody to commission a feasibility study to show how well a team would likely do.
This was their response on air:
I also contacted Nat Edwards. She said:
The prevailing opinion of AFL journos seems to be the NT, which I find a bit confusing. I get that it's publicly popular, but I don't get how anybody with a supposedly intimate knowledge of the footy landscape can think that it's feasible. Is it just because they're all in the same circles so they regurgitate it once the idea is out there?
Yes, I'm biased towards a Canberra side, but none of them even raised WA3, which is still a much better option than the NT.
While Canberra would absolutely get behind a team better than the NT, we're too quiet about it. Too many polite public servants. We really somebody to commission a feasibility study to show how well a team would likely do.
