Roast Chris Fagan: 'Gold Coasters aren't interested in footy'

Sun_Tzu

Draftee
May 18, 2018
13
38
AFL Club
Gold Coast
the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.
For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.
He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague."
 
Aug 17, 2010
12,794
17,058
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Fagan really has no idea and very surprised he was dumb enough to say that s**t. I’ve lived on the coast and in Brisbane and the footy “culture” is probably about the same in both areas. If anything, the culture on the coast used to be much stronger. Remember when a team called Southport entered the QAFL and proceeded to beat up on all the little pissy Brizzo teams? I would also wager the percentage ratio of ex-Vics living on the coast compared to Brisbane is much higher.
 
Nov 17, 2009
10,327
15,237
Gold Coast
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Fagan really has no idea and very surprised he was dumb enough to say that s**t. I’ve lived on the coast and in Brisbane and the footy “culture” is probably about the same in both areas. If anything, the culture on the coast used to be much stronger. Remember when a team called Southport entered the QAFL and proceeded to beat up on all the little pissy Brizzo teams? I would also wager the percentage ratio of ex-Vics living on the coast compared to Brisbane is much higher.
He's Tasmanian
Enough said
 

Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
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I don't agree with him about there not being support or passion for the game on the Gold Coast. This much is obvious from the support base of Southport, Broadbeach and other clubs with long histories.

The bigger question is whether there's enough support in terms of numbers, that's the implication. I don't consider Brisbane to be immune from this argument either mind you, I'd say that the statement can be equally applied to Brisbane. And Fagan didn't ever say that it didn't apply to Brisbane. Queensland is not a passionate AFL state as a whole (yet), even though passionate supporters exist. The reality is we're a bandwagon state, and this is as true of Brisbane as it is of the Gold Coast. I certainly haven't forgotten the exodus that occurred before Fagan showed up.

I think he is spot on with the remainder of what he's saying though. He gave three conditions:
- the people of the area are passionate about the game in significant numbers
- the club is well-run
- the player development is great

I'd say that you need at least two of those conditions to get players to stay, and even then it can be a struggle. Sydney is the only Northern club with all three of them, they don't lose a lot of players. GWS has the last two but not the first. They retain good players like Coniglio and Kelly. They lose talent too, but this is partly due to salary cap pressure. Brisbane had none of them between 2009 and 2016, and had a big exodus in that time. We're not likely to be losing a lot of players in the next few years, since we now fulfil the last two conditions. But like Gold Coast, we don't fulfil the first one to a sufficient level.

It's hard to say whether Dew, Cameron and Cochrane are on track to develop those last two conditions, it takes a few years to be able to tell. The Lions finished last in 2017 and Rockliff left the club, but things turned around very rapidly after that. And similar things could happen for Gold Coast if they have the right people on board. The departure of Martin and Ah Chee could be like the Rockliff departure for us, as in not an indicator of the future, and also a net gain in terms of culture. Time will tell.

So I can understand the negative response, it isn't fair to come out with a blanket statement like saying that there isn't any passion for the game on the Gold Coast. But the rest is correct.
 
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Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
12,674
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Next door
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Fagan really has no idea and very surprised he was dumb enough to say that s**t. I’ve lived on the coast and in Brisbane and the footy “culture” is probably about the same in both areas. If anything, the culture on the coast used to be much stronger. Remember when a team called Southport entered the QAFL and proceeded to beat up on all the little pissy Brizzo teams? I would also wager the percentage ratio of ex-Vics living on the coast compared to Brisbane is much higher.
To be fair he said nothing at all about Brisbane in that context, he certainly didn't say that Brisbane was a passionate city for AFL. I agree with you that the culture is the same in both areas. If anything the Gold Coast has a better AFL culture, since it has 1/3 of the population of Brisbane but got more than 1/3 of Brisbane's average attendance when both teams were struggling.
 
Nov 17, 2009
10,327
15,237
Gold Coast
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I don't agree with him about there not being support or passion for the game on the Gold Coast. This much is obvious from the support base of Southport, Broadbeach and other clubs with long histories.

The bigger question is whether there's enough support in terms of numbers, that's the implication. I don't consider Brisbane to be immune from this argument either mind you, I'd say that the statement can be equally applied to Brisbane. And Fagan didn't ever say that it didn't apply to Brisbane. Queensland is not a passionate AFL state as a whole (yet), even though passionate supporters exist. The reality is we're a bandwagon state, and this is as true of Brisbane as it is of the Gold Coast. I certainly haven't forgotten the exodus that occurred before Fagan showed up.

I think he is spot on with the remainder of what he's saying though. He gave three conditions:
- the people of the area are passionate about the game in significant numbers
- the club is well-run
- the player development is great

I'd say that you need at least two of those conditions to get players to stay, and even then it can be a struggle. Sydney is the only Northern club with all three of them, they don't lose a lot of players. GWS has the last two but not the first. They retain good players like Coniglio and Kelly. They lose talent too, but this is partly due to salary cap pressure. Brisbane had none of them between 2009 and 2016, and had a big exodus in that time. We're not likely to be losing a lot of players in the next few years, since we now fulfil the last two conditions. But like Gold Coast, we don't fulfil the first one to a sufficient level.

It's hard to say whether Dew, Cameron and Cochrane are on track to develop those last two conditions, it takes a few years to be able to tell. The Lions finished last in 2017 and Rockliff left the club, but things turned around very rapidly after that. And similar things could happen for Gold Coast if they have the right people on board. The departure of Martin and Ah Chee could be like the Rockliff departure for us, as in not an indicator of the future, and also a net gain in terms of culture. Time will tell.

So I can understand the negative response, it isn't fair to come out with a blanket statement like saying that there isn't any passion for the game on the Gold Coast. But the rest is correct.
Point is he didn't need to mention us at all
The dwarf should be concentrating on trying to beat Richmond
 

Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
12,674
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Point is he didn't need to mention us at all
The dwarf should be concentrating on trying to beat Richmond
True, he didn't have to mention the Gold Coast. I suppose he just picked an example of a place that isn't AFL heartland to contrast it to Tasmania. And the Gold Coast is a pretty convenient punching bag for all and sundry at the moment. Yes, it isn't a good look to be punching down in any context.

He concentrates on Richmond the rest of the week, and he was asked questions about Tasmania specifically, so I'm not worried on that front.
 
Sep 28, 2011
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Injury trolling is a bit much lads, isn't it?

Yeah I didn't like his comments, and feel it is slightly hypocritical coming from the coach of Brisbane. QLD in general doesn't have a massive AFL culture.

Also, pay no attention to the flogs that just like a few posts. The lamest way for someone to try and get a rise out of you.
 
The football culture on the GC is a reflection of the GC culture as a whole. As someone who grew up on the Coast, I definitely experienced my fair share of 'GayFL' etc and when I finally started playing club footy at the Surfers Paradise Demons, a lot of our talented players would end up moving interstate as the Coast isn't a place with a great record of keeping young residents. Most people - myself included - move away and most people who stay around are usually not the type to follow AFL or are retirees who for the most part have their club already.

With that said, it's undeniable that the Suns and Lions academies have been HUGE for junior participation and those kids who are kicking a Sherrin around will be looking for teams to follow. I know many people don't believe in the Suns as a club, but I am very bullish about the future of AFL in Queensland IF we can have two successful clubs. Success is imperative.

While I think Fagan is spot on in some ways, I think the same can reflect Brisbane - in particular the Bears before we joined Fitzroy and had success. It takes success to build your fanbase and convert fans of other clubs and other codes and I truly hope the Suns succeed. As a Coaster and inaugural member it is something I'd absolutely love to see. I am sure Fagan does too and his relationship with Dew is reflective of that. I'm sure if he could choose his words again he'd approach the subject differently.
 

Peel67skin

Norm Smith Medallist
May 21, 2017
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Injury trolling is a bit much lads, isn't it?

Yeah I didn't like his comments, and feel it is slightly hypocritical coming from the coach of Brisbane. QLD in general doesn't have a massive AFL culture.

Also, pay no attention to the flogs that just like a few posts. The lamest way for someone to try and get a rise out of you.
I get confused, if you paid no attention how can you know about a few post before that. Eg I don't paid attention to your post but I did read your post.
 
Injury trolling is a bit much lads, isn't it?

Yeah I didn't like his comments, and feel it is slightly hypocritical coming from the coach of Brisbane. QLD in general doesn't have a massive AFL culture.

Also, pay no attention to the flogs that just like a few posts. The lamest way for someone to try and get a rise out of you.

It wouldn't be Big Footy if people didn't get personal when they disagree with a statement a football personality makes. Happens on every board.
 
Would have been more accurate if he had said QLD as a whole rather than focusing on Gold Coast as the example. Heck its still true about brisbane, when you're winning there seems to be people everywhere talking about footy but when you're not it can be a ghost town. I seriously doubt that Fagan meant what he said in a demeaning way, nothing he's said while up here has been along that line against either Brisbane or the Gold Coast. He's no doubt had an extremely busy week preparing for the clubs first final and was asked a few questions as a Tasmanian and someone who has actively worked hard to get a team in Tassie. I get the outrage in response but I would highly doubt it was meant the way it sounded or has been interpreted.
 

Mini GF

Norm Smith Medallist
May 21, 2017
7,471
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Southern GC-the beautiful city
AFL Club
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And with the above in mind, an injury troll is a bit of a dick move.

Particularly when it was sustained during an activity for The Big Freeze, if I'm not mistaken?

I trump your injury troll by a member of the Suns BF Board who pays money to be a fan with a Death Troll by the Head Coach of the BrisC Lions AFL Club who’d be paid exceptional money to be the public leader of the entire organisation.

Fan v Head Coach
Injury Troll v Club Death Troll

Yeah I know which side of the fence I prefer

Go the Disgusting Bedwetter RICHmond trio
#anyonebutBrisC
 
Jun 14, 2014
1,497
1,834
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Jesus. Get with the program, Fagan. We don't cannibalise our own in QLD.

It's one of the things I don't like about the way the AFL try to market football in QLD. The Q-Clash.

It's like the Cowboys vs. Broncos. It's okay, but it's not a REAL rivalry. It's nowhere near as heated and interesting as the Maroons vs. the Blues. If we're going to slam any team in the media, whether you're Brisbane or Gold Coast, it should be squarely focused on GWS or Sydney. Those are our state's REAL rivals.

If the AFL truly had their finger on the pulse of QLD and NSW culture, they'd know this.
 
Nov 4, 2011
15,479
22,088
Melbourne
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I trump your injury troll by a member of the Suns BF Board who pays money to be a fan with a Death Troll by the Head Coach of the BrisC Lions AFL Club who’d be paid exceptional money to be the public leader of the entire organisation.

Fan v Head Coach
Injury Troll v Club Death Troll

Yeah I know which side of the fence I prefer

Go the Disgusting Bedwetter RICHmond trio
#anyonebutBrisC
I'm having a lot of trouble translating this post, but you seem to have a lot of misdirected anger.
 
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