Gold Coast Franchise: My Fear About Losing Kurt Tippett

[Brenton Davy]

The title says it all.

We spend 3-4 years developing this lad into waht lookslike being a pretty handy player and we risk losing him to the Gold Coast franchise, who will have done nothing except sign on the dotted line and have a ready made that has cost us money and time, when (not if) that becomes a reality.

Thoughts?

 

[Mismatched]

Definitely worried, but definitely not a certainty that he would return home, if he did wish to return home, I would think if we played it correctly, we could probably get something decent out of him eg trading like we did to get Mcleod or a decent draft pick. Demetriou has come out and said that they would not be poaching players, but believe as much of that as you will.

 

[Sparno17]

Also a slight concern of mine.
Lets not get too worried yet though. Still has to prove his worth, which i have no doubts he will do.
Hopefully the club has the foresight to counsel him on the issue before it becomes and issue. Lock him in to a longer term contract through his mid to late twenties when the move is likley to happen so we dont end up with sweet f-all when the franchise boots up. Im guessing we will be contending with the concept of free agency around then as well

 

[Farmy]

Remember, most of the AFL teams have to vote in favour of a new team for it to become a reality.

That said, stuff the Gold Coast, they don't deserve a team.

 

[cocka]

His brother plays for Brisbane also.

The pull back to Queensland could come from several fronts.

 

[Mismatched]

Remember, most of the AFL teams have to vote in favour of a new team for it to become a reality.

That said, stuff the Gold Coast, they don't deserve a team.

And why would that be?

 

[crowman_23]

Wouldn't be a concern yet, it's all still a long way off happening. Certainly if the club plays their cards right through contracts and the like we should be able to hold on to him. But as I say it's all a long way off, if and when a Gold Coast team arrives we are still yet to know how it will all work, so will just have to wait really.

 

[Brenton Davy]

Remember, most of the AFL teams have to vote in favour of a new team for it to become a reality.

That said, stuff the Gold Coast, they don't deserve a team.

The belief is that with the Gold Coast and Western Sydney on board, the next broadcast rights bid will be over $1BN!!!!! The AFL says to the strugglers "Vote fo the new franchise and we will see you right financially!" Roos, Dogs, Saints, Dees and a couple of others all of a sudden are all in favour of the franchise..................

Whether the Gold deserve a team or not is irrelevant. Its whether the AFL THINKS they deserve another team. Another point altogether.....

 

[IddyBiddy]

If Kurt has the couple of years we all hope he will then he will be a target. It would be interesting to know how many decent players originating from the Gold Coast are currently on lists. I would suggest that any new team would be given a max amount of uncontracted players. Nick Riewoldt would be target no 1. He has recently signed on with the saints until 2010. The Sun today was susggesting the current QLD u/18 team will make the backbone of the squad.

 

[Farmy]

And why would that be?

Because the Gold Coast is a shell of an actual location.

While you might have enough people, Aussie rules states like Tasmania deserve a team more than the Gold Coast does, smacks of a fake team being purchased for a fake place to be supported by fake people.

 

[Macca19]

I think every club is going to lose some talent if the two new teams in two years eventuates. And thats not even mentioning the pillaging that will happen to the SANFL clubs

 

[crowman_23]

Because the Gold Coast is a shell of an actual location.

While you might have enough people, Aussie rules states like Tasmania deserve a team more than the Gold Coast does, smacks of a fake team being purchased for a fake place to be supported by fake people.

I agree with that, places like Tasmania and Darwin deserve a side before Sydney and the Gold Coast. IMO you would also have to question what sides in Sydey and the Gold Coast would do to the current sides in those states. I can't imagine it would have a positive effect. I especially wouldn't be confident that two sides could exist in Sydney.

 

[Farmy]

Brisbane aren't exactly taking the world by storm with their memberships.

 

[MickyCrow]

If we give these players- Kurt, Reilly Knighta VB Dangerfield etc etc etc a good environment and a successful culture eg premierships, then we are giving ourselves the best possible chance of retaining these players. If a player wants to go home, theres nothing we can do, but all we can do is give ourselves the best possible chance to retain them. Just cos a player is from said state, doesnt mean he will automatically return to that state- look at Kernahan, Platten, Cooney, Riewoldt, Pavlich, Reilly, Ottens, etc etc etc

 

[jenny61_99]

Brisbane aren't exactly taking the world by storm with their memberships.

Actually, in a traditional rugby league/union stronghold, the Lions have done very nicely. They continue to get good crowds to the Gabba. AusKick has gone ballistic up here.... what was a group of 20 odd at my sons' school last year has turned into 100+ this year. AFL is marketing itself very well up here at the moment. It may surprise you to know that AFL is played in more schools than Rugby League due to the perceived dangers associated with league! The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast has always been a traditionally strong AFL area. Lots of AFL grounds around the place and some strong clubs (ala Southport). They need to get better facilities though - Carrara is inadequate to get the crowds needed. Rugby League has just built and opened a new stadium down there so the AFL may have been too slow.

 

[crowman_23]

Actually, in a traditional rugby league/union stronghold, the Lions have done very nicely. They continue to get good crowds to the Gabba. AusKick has gone ballistic up here.... what was a group of 20 odd at my sons' school last year has turned into 100+ this year. AFL is marketing itself very well up here at the moment. It may surprise you to know that AFL is played in more schools than Rugby League due to the perceived dangers associated with league! The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast has always been a traditionally strong AFL area. Lots of AFL grounds around the place and some strong clubs (ala Southport). They need to get better facilities though - Carrara is inadequate to get the crowds needed. Rugby League has just built and opened a new stadium down there so the AFL may have been too slow.

Didn't Michael Voss say that he thought that only one team could survive in Queensland? Jenny how do you think an extra club would actually go there?

I still think two would be too many in Sydney.

 

[Jars458]

You don't have enough to worry about.

 

[Cap]

I agree with Macca19 - the SANFL is going to get screwed over in a big way in the early years, potentially all the decent SANFL players could head to QLD and West Sydney for their retirement income.

Personally I think the crows need to take the smart option into any expansion team.

Take who you want but be prepared to pay for anyone you take.

 

[jenny61_99]

Didn't Michael Voss say that he thought that only one team could survive in Queensland? Jenny how do you think an extra club would actually go there?

I still think two would be too many in Sydney.

He may well be right, and I personally think the second Sydney team should go ahead first... however, south east queensland has a population of 2+ million now, and there is no reason that the population couldn't sustain a second team. The biggest problem is - and I fear this may be the case - is that the Southport Sharks will win the license and this will alienate alot of supporters (they are like the Collingwood/Port Adelaide of AFL up here). I think a team ala Adelaide's inception would be more likely to succeed. And of course it is hard to know if it would work. You'd have to say that the experiment of Demons/Kangas on the Gold Coast failed dismally (ie. the two times we played there, our supporters outnumbered theirs). But that is more to do with facilities and also not having the team based there. People are more likely commit to a team that commits to them.

 

[jenny61_99]

I agree with Macca19 - the SANFL is going to get screwed over in a big way in the early years, potentially all the decent SANFL players could head to QLD and West Sydney for their retirement income.

Personally I think the crows need to take the smart option into any expansion team.

Take who you want but be prepared to pay for anyone you take.

I wonder if this is how other teams felt when West Coast and Adelaide joined the league?

 

[MickyCrow]

Didn't Michael Voss say that he thought that only one team could survive in Queensland? Jenny how do you think an extra club would actually go there?

I still think two would be too many in Sydney.

Before you know it we will have 10 Victorian teams, 2 SA teams, 3 WA teams, 1 NT team, 2 NSW teams, 1 Tas team, 3 qld teams (north qld- townsville, rockhampton and cairns divided) and a New Zealand team- with average crowds of about 15,000.... 35,000 to 40,000 at traditional games and about 5000 at the rest

 

[Alex99]

Actually, in a traditional rugby league/union stronghold, the Lions have done very nicely. They continue to get good crowds to the Gabba. AusKick has gone ballistic up here.... what was a group of 20 odd at my sons' school last year has turned into 100+ this year. AFL is marketing itself very well up here at the moment. It may surprise you to know that AFL is played in more schools than Rugby League due to the perceived dangers associated with league! The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast has always been a traditionally strong AFL area. Lots of AFL grounds around the place and some strong clubs (ala Southport). They need to get better facilities though - Carrara is inadequate to get the crowds needed. Rugby League has just built and opened a new stadium down there so the AFL may have been too slow.

I am not familiar with the AFL environment in Queensland now but what kind of marketing strategy did the AFL implement for ‘Auskick’ during the Lions premiership years?

If they have had a jump of approx. 400% (from 20 last year to 100 this year) over the summer months why didn’t this sort of marketing occur 6 or 7 years ago?

 

[Alex99]

I wonder if this is how other teams felt when West Coast and Adelaide joined the league?

Na – they would have only seen the $$$$$$ signs back then.


Footy was dieing in the late 1980s and real early 1990s, that’s why the Brisbane bears and West Coast Eagles were offered a licence and then they had talks with PAFC before luring the SANFL in with the licence offer to Port Adelaide.

Not sure about the WCE but we had limited amount of Victorian player we could sign and were not allowed to participate in the AFL draft for 3 years.

They only saw the money on offer.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Its all well and good for people to mention Tassie and NT as deserving of a team, and they would be right! However, the issue here is how would those teams actually survive. A club turns over some $25-$30 million per season. Can they generate that much revenue?! Highly doubtful!

On the other hand, Gold Coast and Sydney have enough infrustructure and business potential in place to actually generate that much money and possibly more, allowing them to live off their own account rather than AFL handouts.

As for Tippett, I am more worried about players in general. Tippett is one player of many that we could lose.

Demetriou said yesterday that the club wouldn't lose its top 10 players. Really when you think about it, that is not many players that are protected.

Lets hypothetically say that the QLD or NSW team has come in and we need to lose players. We would be left extremely vulnerable because the new team can't touch our top 10 players but they can take our promising youngster! So in essence we could lose Sellar, Tippett, Walker, Maric, Griffin, MacKay, Jacky, Vince, Douglas et al and be left over with the likes of Goodwin, Edwards, McLeod etc...

Tippett could well be our top 10 player by the time Gold Coast team comes into the competition but the teams would be looking to raid other teams by thaking their best youngsters who most likely won't be in their top 10 players at that point in time.

 

[IddyBiddy]

The growth of the game doesn't happen in isolation ie. more teams pillaging local playing stocks. We'll see increased player particpation, crowds, members and tv audiences over the next ten years. The move interantionally may exceed our current modest expectations. Teams in north queensland aren't crazy either as the popualtion is expanding, wealth in that area is growing and water (therefore potential facilties) is plentiful. The infrastructure and sponsorship opportunities in NT and Tas aren't there yet, but i wouldn't be surprised to see Tas with a Vic relocated team within 10 years.