Four teams From Melbourne

[Port Adelaide 1870]

Dave and Richmond,
How do you stop an AFL commission that is hellbent on reducing the number of Melbourne based teams.

Their logic will be...

We brought about the demise of the SANFL and WAFL, we turned what were outstanding competitions into frail second rate leagues,
Then presented their fans with top quality football again only this time VFL / AFL
and they took it up in droves.

i.e. Adelaide Crows, West Coast Eagles.

What the AFL commission is banking on is a similar principle, that is you may go back to coburg or williamstown or one of them, but you will soon tire of that and start following one of the new composite melbourne sides...

The principle worked in Adelaide were there was a wholesale abadonement of SANFL and the WAFL.

So I suggest the AFL would expect the same to occur in Melbourne..

Your thoughts ?

 

[Richmondfan#1]

Port,
O.k. We can merger only 2 teams as long as one of them isn't Richmond

! But then , every time I watch afl, i will feel a sense of emptiness. Nothing would be the same without the 10 victorian clubs.

 

[sainter]

Exactly right Dave!

If the saints were forced to merge or relocate, that is the end of any support I will have in the AFL.

Thousands of supporters will be lost to the game. And believe it or not Port 1870, there are a lot of Victorian's already disenchanted with the AFL and where the game is heading.

It is far too simplistic to think that getting rid of a few teams will solve everything.

 

[Guest]

I don't know how many clubs will eventually be left in Melbourne but I am certain of three things:

1, I'll always pay too much tax.

2, I will certainly die.

3, In the year 2010 no way will there be 10 teams in Melbourne.

 

[Peter]

Fantastic idea!!!!! Let's get rid of some traditional clubs. It will make Football much stronger. There is a blueprint - it's called the National Rugby League!!!!!!! They have completely alienated supporters of most clubs by merging teams, getting rid of Souths, paying millions of dollars to get a premiership for Melbourne and generally proving the theory that it is nearly impossible to run a shithouse Football competition in any code. News Limited has tried hard to completely stuff up their game. Souths used to get about 4,000 people to their games and were about the most hated club, but now every rugby follower I speak too hopes they win their court case.
While Clubs remain viable and competitive they will not be tipped out. I guess the next step will be relocation of one Melbourne Club when it becomes that or extinction. At this time that can only be to Sydney and then maybe Brisbane. These are the only places where the population would support another team - in time. Tasmania just couldn't support a team. Nor could Darwin. At this time it would be difficult in Sydney without help but I believe in time it will be possible. When fans in this town get used to going to the footy every weekend another team will be needed.
I hope all the teams survive, and I agree with Kevin Sheedy that this shoud happen. Adelaide and Perth are served pretty well with two teams each and I don't think the Clubs there would wnnt more competion. Sure they don't like the travel, but they realise they need the structure of the old VFL to have a viable National competion.
Let's not confuse Teams that we like to see beaten with a desire to see other fans lose the club they love. Collectivly we all love Footy - only the Colours are different.
Let's hope the hated Roos put up another big finals effort.

 

[Dave]

PA,

there's a slight difference between what happened in SA/WA and what you propose happens here. What they did was give you guys a team to follow and an opportunity to watch them play the hated vics every week (don't deny it, we know you guys hate us!). You still have the teams you used to follow in the SANFL/WAFL well mostly too).

In Victoria, we've never given a stuff about beating the croweaters or sandgropers, we were only interested in our club footy, so the advent of a national comp wasn't as big a deal. Whilst a composite side in WA/SA gave the locals a team to follow against the hated foe, a composite team here would not generate anywhhere near as much interest as we just don't care. I can guarantee you now that if they merged my club I would never go back to watch an AFL game.

(BTW the local footy I was talking about wasn't the new VFL either. I meant local surburban footy, the real grass-roots stuff)

 

[Drakey]

Now you all know what we have had to put up with for all these years. Bloody stupid swampies.

They either all wish they lived in kings park like pa18whatever or have an IQ of a door mouse.

Get rid of the brownlow, 4 teams in melbourne. We know how to run the comp. We've been in it for 5 minutes. If you don't agree it's because we are from SA & you hate us.

Look in your own backyard boyo. Still if I lived in the port I wouldn't look too hard.

You get shit crowds & if things don't improve the next team to go may be yours.

Why would it be to anyones advantage for a club to fold? The only thing I can think of would be to allow us to have an even draw with each side playing the others twice. Dump the ansett cup & play 30 rounds.

 

[Rooboy 96]

Drakey, I normally think you are a twit.

But that was a very good post.

 

[sainter]

Great post Drakey!

I agree 100% with your thoughts on retaining the status quo and particularly the even draw.

 

[Port Adelaide 1870]

Drakey,
your post was quite interesting in between
the personal abuse, I almost made out some sensible debate! Keep it up its good to see some worthwhile comments coming through, Thanks for your input and I hope to see more responses from you on other enlightening ideas for the AFL.

PA 1870.

 

[Richmondfan#1]

Port 18700000000000bc,
Have you given any thought about the 15 team competition???? And have your brains started grinding enough to figure out which team is missing?

 

[Port Adelaide 1870]

Richmond #1,
Thanks for following through on your previous post, I am most sorry I did not reply to it. I seem to have an enormous amount of personal abuse posts to get through first. I eventually hope to answer them all.
Thanks for all your interest in my Posts.

Some of the replies are quite intellegent, but unfortunately some just have no sense or reason to them except for enormous rage and abuse, perhaps even Violence at its verbal extreme.

Whwn all I ask are simple questions regarding AFL policy and the future of a National competition...
Not a Melbourne suburb named Victorian competition.

I dont have a problem with Melbourne based Clubs, despite all your countenances, you guys are not listening, just abusing at the very mention of change.

Not for Changes sake, but for the good of the game on a national stage. That includes all Australia not just Melbourne.

Yes the AFL grew out of a financially strapped VFL, I AGREE !!

But it encompassed other football states and therefore, became something NEW.
it no longer had 11 or 12 Melbourne based sides it became National.
The chief executive for all your abuse is South Australian, former West Torrens Footballer and Chief executive of SA Brewing
Wayne Jackson.


Eventually there will be an AFL hierachy completeley made up of people from all over Australia.
Their views will no longer be insular , but for the good of Australian rules football.

Perhaps then we will see changes that reflect the national nature of the game and not for the benefit of one city ( Melbourne )and its football traditions or its football going public.

By continuing to ram Victorian suburb traditions down peoples throats in Brisbane and Sydney and Adelaide and Perth, grows thin.
By continually discounting traditions outside of Melbourne, patronizing, belittling, diregarding etc will only continue to create an ever widening chasm between the other football states towards Victoria and more to the point , those in Melbourne who still believe the AFL is the VFL. Eventually, the pendulum will swing.

 

[Dave]

PA,

The pendulum wont swing becuase whoever is in power at the top level realises how much MONEY they will lose in Victoria if they do as you suggest. Rail against the vic-centric nature of the competition if you will, but it wont change in the manner that you describe because the minute this is forced on the victorian football public they will leave in droves. It's s simple business decision. The same sort that saw the AFL eveolve out of the VFL and not the WAFL/SANFL. It may not be "fair" but that's life.



[This message has been edited by Dave (edited 09 August 2000).]

 

[Port Adelaide 1870]

Dave,
I agree with you to a large degree !

Its not really Vic-centric, its the total discounting of anything non Vic by Vics that is more to my point.


In the early 80's, the SANFL and the WAFL sat togethor discussing the possibility of a National football competition that involved everyone but Victoria, the talks stalled whilst SA and several other states were putting togethor a feasibility & financial study, The linch pin was for SA and WA to go united togethor to Victoria to put a proposal to them for the good of the Game nationally. WA were spooked and within a few month period of these discussions a private group had organized the formation of the West Coast Eagles, which put paid to what could have been a truly national football competition...

WAFL followed like a puppy dog.

We can all argue as to what may have been.

what we must now do is accept Melbourne suburb traditions in cities 4000kms away i.e. Perth rather than share the rich tapestry of traditions that could of been shared by all Australians, Victorians alike.

The saving grace for SA is the inclusion into the AFL of South Australias oldest and most successful football Club. The Port Adelaide Football Club est. 1870
all Port members can revel in our rich traditions and club history.


I have admired the Melbourne Football club from afar My interest began in the late 80's
I hope they do well in the finals.


PA 1870

 

[Richmondfan#1]

Hey matey,
It's now WESTAR, not WAFL.

Can we get back to the point now?
I think we should leave the AFL how it is. We are increasing football interest around Australia. For example, people that live in Geelong might start to become more interested in the game as they have a local team. Although if we just dump teams then won't that DECREASE afl's popularity? I thought we were trying to get more spectators and fans not to boot them up the bum with the dumping of their team. You see, the afl will only get bigger if we make more teams not get rid of more teams.

 

[Port Adelaide 1870]

To richmond #1 ,

Hey Matey !!!
If you look at the post hard enough you will see that I was talking about the early eighties..
No such league as Westar existed back then
only a league in the west Known as the WAFL.

I acknowledge The league that controls
( Local Footy ) football in WA is no longer the WAFL but a new entity called Westar Rules.

thank you for your correction and input.


PA 1870