How would a Northern Territory team go in the AFL?

[AliceCat]

Would love to see it happen one day - not viable until Darwin's population gets to 500k which won't happen for another 30+ years.

The 'Thunder' would have an awesome home ground advantage and wouldn't have any probably getting local talent.

There are a couple dozen exAFL listed players and rookies nocking about up here. I dare say that if Darwin had a team they would still be playing AFL.

 

[Ari]

GC license should be moved to Tassie but if it were to be moved it would go to WA you'd think

Yep, GC is a deathbed for sporting teams. NT would do no better.

 

[Professor Knowall]

... Plus AFL's not the preferred code. ...

It isn't! News to me. What the hell is the preferred code then? Gaelic?

... In saying that the scouting is starting to pick up in the NT. Maybe in a few years they can produce constantly 4-5 players

Actually the opposite is correct. 5 years ago there were over 25 NT players in the AFL. Now it's under 20. But it could always pick up again

Apart from these quibbles, I totally agree that given it's small population, there's no hope for a NT AFL side for the foreseeable future.

 

[seanoff]

It isn't! News to me. What the hell is the preferred code then? Gaelic?
.

Maybe, he's counting fishing as a code.

Of the footballs its by far the most powerful code.

 

[thegreig]

There wont be any expansion for at least a decade and when it does happen it'll be another Sydney team somewhere in the south west as thats where all the untapped population is. Only othere options will be a third WA team playing out of Perth if theres a big enough demand from the local public or possibly the ACT if the population keeps growing but thats more then twenty years away.

 

[Gibbke]

I don't get the love affair with Tasmania getting a footy side.

Then you don't understand Australian football.

 

[Gibbke]

Noone's getting rid of the Gold Coast, so get that idea out of your heads, people...

The big difference between the GC now and the GC back whenever is that it is now a major Australian city, and that's only really occurred this century. When I moved there in 1996, the pop was 225k, and when it left in 2000 it had grown by 200k. I only ever met two people the entire time I was there who were genuine Gold Coasters, everyone else an immigrant. Over a decade later, there are another 150k living in the city, which now views itself as one big city and not a bunch of little townships, and most importantly, there are a huge number of kids who identify as Coasters and will represent...

The teams based on the Coast have all suffered either from being nothing sports to begin with (basketball, baseball), or through being run by f###wits. This is the fault of the boards, not of the fans. The Bears were Skase's toy, soccer was run by Clive Palmer (says it all), the Titans endured megalomaniacal presidency from Searle and stupid real estate investment from his successors, and the previous ARL teams had no chance of competing against Super League backed franchises due to their amateurish administrations...

The Gold Coast will succeed as a business, especially if the AFL keeps its hands on the wheel while they find their feet, and its just a matter of building a club culture that works. There is little difference between the current Suns and the old Freo Dockers, so it certainly can be turned around. The AFL knows it's sitting on a gold mine, and they'd be stupid to give it up. I'd be backing GC to have a BBL side as soon as expansion occurs, and in our lifetimes to have enjoyed NRL, AFL and cricket success...

 

[HowYouDoin]

good luck recruiting players to the nt

This.
There isn't enough money in the world that would convince anyone to move up to that shithole. Would be a disaster right of the bat.

 

[Power Raid]

Then you don't understand Australian football.

One of the first stories in google if you type in "tasmania economy", is about a barber shop and people who couldn't afford to live in melbourne.

that's not a great platform for a business..............and footy is a business

 

[underthestars]

The only way it could work is if the AFL have a true reserves division, add a Tasmanian team and a NT team to that - be a mix of youngsters and experience, and those that prefer not to live in the cities. Obviously there's no problem with affording airfares as the NT Thunder currently fly east to qld and nsw all the time.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Joondalup Sharks

Freo would complain...

Joondalup Falcons

 

[FootyJunkie]

if you go back to 2008, the general consensus then was that Gold Coast made more sense (expat Vics/Lions 3-peat) than West Sydney (RL heartland/soccer rising) ... times certainly have changed

 

[Crowbots are dead]

No more teams

 

[FootyJunkie]

No more teams

for the next 10 years

if there was an NT side, it would be the Thunder getting promoted from the NEAFL (probably keeping their reserves side in the NEAFL)

 

[jt_mcleod]

Don't have a list but could rattle a few off:
Steven may
Shaun Burgoyne
Steven Motlop
Nakia cockatoo
McDonald-tipungwuti
Curtly Hampton
Ben long
Brandon parfitt
Cyril Rioli
Willie Rioli
Daniel Rioli

That's all I got off the top of the head.

Anyway, there is no way a team would work in the NT any time soon. Lack of population, location and funds would mean that the team would never be able to be self sufficient and would need to rely on AFL handouts to stay afloat.

You could argue that is what the GC and GWS are doing but reality is that they have a market which could potentially be tapped, eventually, just due to sheer weight of numbers.

As others have said, there just isn't the population.

hes from south australia grew up in port lincoln

 

[FootyJunkie]

hes from south australia grew up in port lincoln

his state of origin side will decide where he is from

 

[Proud SJW]

There's only 300,000 people in the entire bloody territory, and most of them are rugby folks. Tassie would be a better option.
Plus there's the weather thing people have already mentioned, and of course you'd have to keep the players well away from Mitchell St, or half of them would end up on the injury list or in the lockup.

Expected headlines:
"Darwin AFL player in hospital after being stung by Jellyfish: not expected to play for weeks"
"Club imposes sanctions on Darwin AFL player - missed training to go fishing"
"Five players from Darwin AFL club request trades back to Melbourne: "too hot, too wet, and too many things that might kill you. Including the locals" they say.


Some damn good local players though.
Might be a bit hit and miss trying to fit them into an AFL system.

 

[FootyJunkie]

what is this stuff i'm hearing in here about rugby league in the NT being a thing? if it so, it's all news to me, tbh

i always thought NT was Aussie Rules country that has been embraced by the indigenous community with the low population being the one thing that holds it back from being a "heartland" Aussie Rules territory

 

[Verdun]

One of the first stories in google if you type in "tasmania economy", is about a barber shop and people who couldn't afford to live in melbourne.

that's not a great platform for a business..............and footy is a business

Great research
Tasmania’s unemployment rate is below embattled South Australia (8 per cent), Queensland (6.3 per cent) and level with Western Australia and Victoria, the ABS said.6.2 Tasmania's economy is currently doing well,

http://www.smh.com.au/business/prop...he-way-in-latest-quarter-20170131-gu2rp9.html


I believe Tas will not get an AFL team not for any rational reason such as not being able to support a team (it can) but the AFL do not want it, we are a footy state and have subsidized two teams who were struggling financially for a long time. Business cases have been put up and completely ignored

Yep footy is a business, but reverse welfare occurs - Tas subsidises the AFL through ridiculous sponsorship of two teams to play here (yep we should be brave enough to say get stuffed and not pay it) while millions have been thrown at other states (and no I am not saying GWS, GS are wrong just that Tas has been absolutely shafted - fact)

 

[Verdun]

One of the first stories in google if you type in "tasmania economy", is about a barber shop and people who couldn't afford to live in melbourne.

that's not a great platform for a business..............and footy is a business

think I had my hair cut by this bloke yesterday up in Launy! He was loving it here

 

[Power Raid]

think I had my hair cut by this bloke yesterday up in Launy! He was loving it here

Tassie is a great place

 

[Gibbke]

One of the first stories in google if you type in "tasmania economy", is about a barber shop and people who couldn't afford to live in melbourne.

that's not a great platform for a business..............and footy is a business

There are many who say that about South Australia. A few months ago, the LNP opposition up here in Qld launched a blistering attack on the Labor govt because Qld's economy had slipped behind Tasmania to 5th. SA was 6th. Made me laugh.

Footy is a game. Your direct quote is "I don't get the love affair with Tasmania getting a footy side". Surely, of all people, a Port supporter would understand the passion that can come from involvement in this sport, and the pride in your own mob's achievements. That right there is the reason for the "love affair"...

Or you can wear a suit and count beans. GWS will always outperform every other market in every statistical and demographic area known to accountancy, but noone will ever admit to a love affair with the place in terms of Australian footy. And in any case, for Tassie, the AFL's position is no longer one of "they can't afford it" - it's "next cab off the rank", which was a direct response to the immensely professional proposal the govt lodged with the AFL in response to the AFL's badmouthing of the place. Noone said anything about financial goldmines, but according to internationally respected economists, Tasmania can handle the job. Even Bangladesh has a number of international sporting leagues - it's not that hard to find bucks for professional sport...

So wear the suit and conduct your dodgy Current Affair style, "one example will conclusively prove my all-encompassing stance" research (while you're at it, compile a list of rich hairdressers...shouldn't take long), and be happy with the perfect economic balance the AFL strives for...we are a capitalist country, after all.

 

[Killer Kowalski]

Too many teams already the standard is being lowered

 

[Bokonon_]

Or you can wear a suit and count beans. GWS will always outperform every other market in every statistical and demographic area known to accountancy, but noone will ever admit to a love affair with the place.

Ahemmm!
I've considered this proposition carefully, and given you every possible benefit of the doubt. I have to conclude you're badly mistaken though.

Doesn't mean other other places don't deserve a team, but a little respect for our supporters would be good.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Alice springs has a population of 25,000.. Even if literally every person in town rocked up to the game the crowd would be poor.

At least there theme song is already worked out with the darwin buffaloes song

http://websites.sportstg.com/club_i...D=111808&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=20510496

Probably the weirdest song ever

It's weird, but it's very long.