Prediction Do you believe the AFL will ever be the same again?

[Blackas87]

I think most people know if we had a 12 team league at the top we would have a much stronger league with much more of the elite talent in those 12 clubs.
But this league didn’t get formed overnight and it was a Victorian league which expanded into a national comp and hence that carried forward all the Vic clubs.
In a different universe all those Vic clubs would not of made it to the national stage but that’s not what the reality is.
I don’t want any clubs to go at any level, I do however want clubs to pay their own way and live within their landscape, the AFL trying to have all clubs in an equal foot is where multi millions of dollars are wasted every year.
If Melbourne can afford 30 people in their football department and Collingwood can afford 70 the I don’t see what the issue is with that. Spend within your means and not try to be a club you are not.

100% agree with clubs living within their means. Every club could of paid The salary cap of $12.75 million in 2019

would less teams with more elite talent make a stronger league? Would it raise more money to put back into grass roots footy? I’m not so sure. Looking to the U.S they are always looking at expanding their leagues, not shrinking them. Less teams would create less tv dollars.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

100% agree with clubs living within their means. Every club could of paid The salary cap of $12.75 million in 2019

would less teams with more elite talent make a stronger league? Would it raise more money to put back into grass roots footy? I’m not so sure. Looking to the U.S they are always looking at expanding their leagues, not shrinking them. Less teams would create less tv dollars.

It’s all relative though, less tv rights but also less clubs to divide into it.
Anyway it doesn’t matter, we have a hurdle to get over all together and I want the game to survive across the board not just AFL clubs.

 

[Red Bull]

100% agree with clubs living within their means. Every club could of paid The salary cap of $12.75 million in 2019

would less teams with more elite talent make a stronger league? Would it raise more money to put back into grass roots footy? I’m not so sure. Looking to the U.S they are always looking at expanding their leagues, not shrinking them. Less teams would create less tv dollars.

Not sure less teams would create less tv dollars.
A 16 team competition could deliver a very good 22 game season.
The amount of games will drive the tv dollar return.

 

[Roylion]

There are simply too many clubs in Victoria. We need to consolidate them

That is neither necessary or desirable. 18 clubs will be around in 2021 and beyond.

 

[Minidisc MD]

History doesn't bring in the dollars.

If small Melbourne clubs were able to pay their own bills and pay their own way we wouldn't even be having this conversation. No one is talking about Richmond/Collingwood/Carlton/Essendon/Hawthorn merging or folding. They have been able to thrive in a competitive market in the national era.

Rationalising the competition and getting rid of a couple of Melbourne teams would make the entire competition stronger, contribute to a fairer fixture, and lift the standard of the competition.

Why does wanting that make someone a knob jockey (homophobic slur)?

Don't worry, if a Melbourne club folds, we will make sure they have a great spot in the MCG sports museum to showcase all their history from the state league era.

Fremantle are an economic club, but I feel like killing them off would have far less of an effect than deleting the Melbourne Football Club from the AFL.

there are intangibles at stake, things like confidence and brand loyalty come in if you want to be all commercial.

like why would you merge St Kilda and the Suns? they have nothing in common, clubs who have things in common are quite often prime rivals. no self-respecting Saints fan is going to support a watered down version of their team playing in a town full of water parks. and Queensland people, the weird provincials they are, are going to see the entity as some failed Victorian team.

take out the Kangaroos or Bulldogs and I could not tell you the insurmountable effect it would have on the competition. people would be angry. not just supporters of those clubs.

 

[Capriati]

Fremantle are an economic club, but I feel like killing them off would have far less of an effect than deleting the Melbourne Football Club from the AFL.

there are intangibles at stake, things like confidence and brand loyalty come in if you want to be all commercial.

like why would you merge St Kilda and the Suns? they have nothing in common, clubs who have things in common are quite often prime rivals. no self-respecting Saints fan is going to support a watered down version of their team playing in a town full of water parks. and Queensland people, the weird provincials they are, are going to see the entity as some failed Victorian team.

take out the Kangaroos or Bulldogs and I could not tell you the insurmountable effect it would have on the competition. people would be angry. not just supporters of those clubs.

Who cares??? If you can't stand on your own two feet, GTFO!

 

[Minidisc MD]

Fox is just about to die in the arse I think. sacked a heap of pretty respectable (lol) sports journalists within a few hours of the coronavirus getting serious. basically waiting for any old excuse to turf the A-League.

wonder how much a free-to-air tv contract would go for if it was something like 17 teams (no Suns) but they're all on tele and staggered, something like:

Thursday 7.20
Friday 7.40
Saturday 2.10
Saturday 4.40
Saturday 7.50
Sunday 12.10
Saturday 2.50
Saturday 5.30/3.30 (WA)

 

[Minidisc MD]

Who cares??? If you can't stand on your own two feet, GTFO!

imo we should apply this to old people during coronavirus too, heavy agree!

 

[Aussie in exile]

Who cares??? If you can't stand on your own two feet, GTFO!

Does that apply to the 4 clubs in NSW and QLD?

 

[Capriati]

Does that apply to the 4 clubs in NSW and QLD?

No.

Once this whole financial crisis is over NSW/QLD teams will become more strategically important to the AFL than they are now. Here is quotes from GCS CEO (who used to be GM at Hawks and worked at AFL):

“Then, when you consider that Queensland and New South Wales are where more than 50% of Australians live, and that’s the biggest opportunity for AFL growth, the investment in Queensland is working.

“Last year 280,000 participants in Queensland, a 50% growth over a five-year period, I think there were only 100,000 participants when we started as a club, second highest number of female participants in the country, huge growth in school competitions, now the second-biggest in the country.

“So not only is the strategy working, but it probably becomes even more important in the future.

“The other thing to contemplate is that the broadcast partnership is built on nine games per round, and the growth of TV audience in New South Wales and Queensland is critical now and well into the future.

“So with all of those things, we would say that that investment is paying dividends and should continue.

 

[Ray Donovan]

For the short term they did.
I would say Manchester United alone would be worth more than all the AFL clubs put together.

I mean that would be close 4 billion Manchester would be worth estimates could be more or slightly less depending on the buyer.

But I looked through the AFL figures for 2018 the AFL revenue from broadcast deals ect was nearly 700million.

I think they only booked a 50mil profit

But looking through what they were spending in regards to marvel stadium 50million.

AFLW, clubs they were putting around 500 million back through the game per year.

So if you moved to a franchise tag system like soccer or NBA.

The AFL clubs would skyrocket. I mean people would be coming out of the woodworks to buy up a Collingwood. You don't think Eddie would fork out 300million if he could buy it.

And take all that revenue home for merch each year etc. The issue is clubs don't really own home venues so it kind of just doesn't really work

That's what's different about our league.

 

[Father Jack]

Fox is just about to die in the arse I think. sacked a heap of pretty respectable (lol) sports journalists within a few hours of the coronavirus getting serious. basically waiting for any old excuse to turf the A-League.

wonder how much a free-to-air tv contract would go for if it was something like 17 teams (no Suns) but they're all on tele and staggered, something like:

Thursday 7.20
Friday 7.40
Saturday 2.10
Saturday 4.40
Saturday 7.50
Sunday 12.10
Saturday 2.50
Saturday 5.30/3.30 (WA)

Why would there be no Suns? If they go it's because the AFL has gone too, which means the Dogs would be nothing more than a memory as well.

 

[mightymouse75]

There would no tears if some perennial beggers were to leave the honeypot.
They have had over 100 years to sort there affairs out.
I don't see why it's fans of other clubs that have to pay..

 

[greatwhiteshark]

There would no tears if some perennial beggers were to leave the honeypot.
They have had over 100 years to sort there affairs out.
I don't see why it's fans of other clubs that have to pay..

To be fair they have not ever had to get their backyards in order, the AFL set up a system where they could spend what they like and if they don’t have it the AFL would fund it. Not really any incentive been put in place to get their act together.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

The AFL can't guarantee 18 clubs will play next season because the simple fact is if no more games are played this year, and heaven forbid, this virus continues to spread and social measure restrictions continue in 2021, then there will be no more games next season either.

Everyone is banking on that by August some football will be played again. It simply might not happen and no bank is going to continue to bankroll a business of any sort if there is no guaranteed income going forward. The AFL would have to sell assets. Now, Marvel Stadium comes to mind, and so does selling a club, however, that would be a last resort.

So, unless the season can kick off in some form, and I can't see any games being played before, Friday, July 31st at the earliest, I don't see how Gillon McLachlan can guarantee any club's future.

 

[Glek]

The AFL can't guarantee 18 clubs will play next season ...... I don't see how Gillon McLachlan can guarantee any club's future.

The Big Victorian clubs are starting to wake up, many businesses and jobs won't survive this pandemic. The financial pie moving forward is going to be smaller - 10 clubs in Victoria cant survive, it is not a matter of if anymore its a matter of when.

 

[footyfan1978]

Some people here seem to think that after a few months away, the AFL will come back later this year, pretty much as we know it.

18 clubs, about 600 or 700 professional players, massive football departments, you name it.

Other seem to think that the AFL will never be the same again

As of March 2020, at the end of Round 1, what do you think the AFL will look like the next time we see professional Aussie Rules being played?

Do you foresee 18 clubs as we know them today? Or something rather different?

The league had far more changes between 1986 and 1996 than what we going to see now.
I went from watching a 12 club league to 16 club league in little time at all with most games played on Saturday in 1986 and some weekends no Sundsy game at all. Most clubs had their own true homeground and playing their reserves team as curtain raiser and still and under 19's team too.
Change is constant.
The biggest change will be in cutting back on club excesses of having much more staff than you even need.
This will just be another change like I saw in late 80's that happened from season to season.
1986 to 1987 season was probably biggest change I seen in one year of two clubs made up from scratch in off season and a salary cap starting to be brought in.
2020 to 2021 won't see that level of change unless we lose two or more clubs in one off season. If we do not play any football at all in 2020 that is when it might get close to that level of change.

 

[Boomerfan99]

Melbourne, St Kilda and North can survive...... In the VFL.

Dickhead.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Tragedy for perf fans with Gill backing in all 18 teams

 

[The Nostradamus]

Yes the question should be will state leagues ever be the same again

That answer is the one with a no to it

 

[Glek]

Tragedy for perf fans with Gill backing in all 18 teams

If I was Gil & AFL I would do exactly the same. Back the return of 18 teams until the day I stop backing an 18 team comp. I can hear Gill now at the press-conference ....Oh sorry, we tried to save all 18 clubs, we did our best but circumstances were far worse than we thought - things change. It is one of the oldest political tricks in the book.

 

[Billy ray]

Yes the question should be will state leagues ever be the same again

That answer is the one with a no to it

The question should be will life ever be the same again

 

[Engimal v3]

We will see a few pokies-reliant clubs fold, but the others should be fine.

 

[Quadzilla]

*****Breaking News******

From AFL.com.au

Gillon McLachlan has announced that the 2020 AFL has been completely abandoned! The AFL has decided that the best option is to reset the AFL competition in its entirety and start again in 2021.

This will have significant repercussions for the league in the Face of cost saving measures with six teams to be axed. Gillon has said the trimming of the clubs will see only one team in each state outside of Victoria. Clubs will be invited to tender for those spots. Gillon said while a sad day for the AFL it is a necessary one to save the competition.

More to come.....

 

[Dusty0004]

*****Breaking News******

From AFL.com.au

Gillon McLachlan has announced that the 2020 AFL has been completely abandoned! The AFL has decided that the best option is to reset the AFL competition in its entirety and start again in 2021.

This will have significant repercussions for the league in the Face of cost saving measures with six teams to be axed. Gillon has said the trimming of the clubs will see only one team in each state outside of Victoria. Clubs will be invited to tender for those spots. Gillon said while a sad day for the AFL it is a necessary one to save the competition.

More to come.....

That’s almost as good as all bottle shops are closing down