Expansion If the AFL expanded, where would the next team/s be?

[scarecrow2k1]

1. Van Diemens Devils
2. Perth City Dolphins
3. Riverina Rams
4. Northern Marlins (North QLD/NT)

22 teams. 21 round season. Final series contested between top 10 teams at the end of the home and away rounds.

This would be great to get to. But if patterns remain we're probably looking at another 2 teams in 15 years, then perhaps another 15 year wait.

I think by that 30 year time frame we might have seen a relocation of two.

Northern Marlins sounds great and the North Qld/NT venture could yield success like GWS/Canberra has

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

Whatever you think about expanding, the AFL have (rightly) gone where the people are. That would mean we would see the ' Southern Sydney Shitducks' or the ' Northern Sydney Nomads'. Whatever they are the voting at the commission will now be even split Victoria vs the rest. Then there may be pressure for mergers or relocations.

 

[Van_Dyke]

The Kalgoorlie Brawlers.

Armadale Punchers
Midland Fighters
Kwinana Bogans

 

[FootyJunkie]

Kwinana Kwinanies

 

[BF Tiger]

The league needs less teams, not more.

 

[AliceCat]

People do realise NT doesn't even have half the population of Tasmania, right? If the AFL aren't thrilled by the financial viability of a Tasmanian team, you can be sure the NT is rightly not even on their radar.

And do we seriously need *another* thread on this?

People also may not realise that the NT's economy is currently almost the same size as Tasmania's and will pass it in the next couple of years although it's population is much smaller.

Maybe more of a reflection on the long term sustainability of a tassie team than the possibility of Darwin getting a term.

I would love to see a Tassie team but also hope to one day see a team up here. No doubt a territory team is a generation or two away.

 

[Damon_3388]

I'd remodel the league like this:

Australian Capital Territory
1. Giants (Rebranded/permanently relocated GWS Giants)

New South Wales and NZ
2. Sydney Swans (alternate home games between Sydney and Blacktown)
3. Saints (Rebranded/relocated St Kilda) (alternate home games between Newcastle and New Zealand)

Northern Territory
4. Bulldogs (Rebranded/relocated/merged Melbourne and Western Bulldogs) (alternate home games between Alice Springs and Darwin)

Queensland
5. Brisbane Lions
6. Gold Coast Suns (alternate home games between Gold Coast and Cairns)

South Australia
7. Adelaide Crows
8. Port Adelaide Power

Tasmania
9. Tassie Hawks (Rebranded/relocated/merged Hawthorn and North Melbourne) (alternate home games between Hobart and Launceston)

Victoria
10. Carlton Blues
11. Collingwood Magpies
12. Essendon Bombers
13. Geelong Cats
14. Richmond Tigers

Western Australia
15. Fremantle Dockers
16. West Coast Eagles

I'd also re-introduce an AFL Reserves competition, with the same teams, fixture and travel schedule as the main league. I'd also reduce things to a 15 game H&A season (each team plays each other once, alternate bi-annually between home and away), and a six-team finals series, too (single elimination, top two teams getting a bye).

This would obviously be extremely controversial and re-shape things massively from both a supporter and financial perspective, but this would also truly nationalise the national league, have every major population centre represented, and balance things out all-round a lot better IMO.

 

[AliceCat]

If 30yrs ago you said we would have a national competition with teams on the Gold Coast, Western Sydney, Fremantle etc you would have been laughed out of town.

No doubt history will repeat itself and the AFL will have teams in Tassie, another in WA, possibly another in Sydney and a team for Nth QLD. Newcastle is a fascinating one, it wouldn't surprise us if a team was plonked there after we get Tassie and WA3, despite the fact that its a one-eyed league town.

 

[The_Reaper]

If 30yrs ago you said we would have a national competition with teams on the Gold Coast, Western Sydney, Fremantle etc you would have been laughed out of town.

No doubt history will repeat itself and the AFL will have teams in Tassie, another in WA, possibly another in Sydney and a team for Nth QLD. Newcastle is a fascinating one, it wouldn't surprise us if a team was plonked there after we get Tassie and WA3, despite the fact that its a one-eyed league town.

I know what you mean but why is Fremantle lumped in with Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

Not only is Fremantle part of metropolitan Perth but it's historically been a massive football area.

Any national competition with more than one WA side was going to have a Fremantle side.

 

[madmug]

I know what you mean but why is Fremantle lumped in with Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

Not only is Fremantle part of metropolitan Perth but it's historically been a massive football area.

Any national competition with more than one WA side was going to have a Fremantle side.

Unless maybe you had 2 teams called Perth. ie Sharks & Rays for example.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

the ACT and WA3 will be the next lot of expansions.
shores up the future of the league as it starts to head towards the inevitable divisions.

 

[papabear]

the ACT and WA3 will be the next lot of expansions.
shores up the future of the league as it starts to head towards the inevitable divisions.

Why bother with the ACT when its already covered by GWS, if you want more NSW representation, you would just stick another side either north or south of sydney. Where there is a shitload more population.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Why bother with the ACT when its already covered by GWS, if you want more NSW representation, you would just stick another side either north or south of sydney. Where there is a shitload more population.

North Sydney is too removed from the main population, it has no grounds and bugger all public transport and councils that actively try to discourage "outsiders" visiting the area while gauging rate payers. Its not viable unless they are playing completely outside their area. South Sydney is the Swans area with over half of the Swans, Sydney base coming from rabbits zoned suburbs, they would have to play at the SCG and both clubs would cannibalise each other.

the AFL will choose ACT over NSW for several reasons:
1 there's actually viable grounds they can upgrade.
2 they can attract significant government backing.
3 the giants cannot and will not be able to maintain selling games to the ACT its never worked for any club long term and wont work with them either sooner or later they have to look after their primary market which is Western Sydney.
4 it opens a new market up to footy all season which attracts more tv $$$.
5 your eddie types will not be opposed to an ACT team, The same way they will a third Sydney club.

the AFL needs to rethink its entire GWS stratergy before another Sydney team can be introduced the North West, South West and Outer West/blue mountains could all be tapped but not while the giants insist on trying to represent an area the size of perth.

additionally by avoiding Sydney it will prevent a sudden surge in suicides from mouth breathers.

 

[sherb]

Tassie needs to be the next club, coupled with one from (I don't really care - maybe WA).

It's not a national competition with one state not having a club. (Rent-a-clubs milking said state for money don't count).

 

[Slax]

Why bother with the ACT when its already covered by GWS, if you want more NSW representation, you would just stick another side either north or south of sydney. Where there is a shitload more population.

Given that GWS and Gold Coast are going to require long term financial support, Brisbane mid-term financial support as well and the money for the Vic clubs, why the hell would they go into the market north of Sydney. The money the AFL would need to pump into the side would make GWS & Gold Coast like financial success stories. The marketplace is flooded by soccer and league, grounds are already at capacity from these sports with councils trying to build new complexes to keep up with demand, so where the hell would the AFL find the space given that an AFL field takes up almost as much space as two rectangular pitches.

Canberra/Riverina I'm not sure can financially support a stand alone AFL team. The stadium would need to undergo a massive redevelopment to double capacity. Seeing that the ACT government is more interested in getting an A-League side it is doubtful that they would want to be more involved than they already are given they have a Super 15 side and NRL side.

Really only places for new sides are Tassie first, then 3rd team out of WA.

Can see anything changing from current structure in next 5 years. The AFL will monitor GWS & Gold Coast finances and if they don't start to break even by 2020 then one of them could well be targeted for closure/merger. I suspect they'd pull the pin on Gold Coast before GWS and either just shut them down or merge in with Brisbane to have one Queensland club who play 3 games a season at Metricon. Then set up a new Tassie from scratch, a new side in Tassie will do a lot better than a relocated side in garnering support as there is a much stronger parochialism in Tassie than there is in other states.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Regional NSW: Rugby League hot spots like Newcastle, Wollongong etc... could be the 'GWS' of the 2040s if the AFL so dares
Canberra: AFL secondary market, perhaps in 10-15 years depending on what the Giants' intentions are with ACT at the time
Sunshine Coast: SEQ is growing, but probably too crowded with Lions and Suns already there
Hobart/Launceston: for gawd sakes, give Tassie a side FFS
Cairns/Townsville: North Queesland is a chance, especially Cairns, good AR participation up there
Darwin: AR territory... market slowly growing up in the Top End
Regional Victoria: very big long shot considering Victoria is crowded, Ballarat and Bendigo is AR heartland for sure, but...
Regional WA: i think another WA side needs to be outside Perth but perhaps stay in the SouthWest...Bunbury, or if you really want to stay sorta closer to Perth, Mandurah? Joondalup?

 

[FootyJunkie]

Can see anything changing from current structure in next 5 years. The AFL will monitor GWS & Gold Coast finances and if they don't start to break even by 2020 then one of them could well be targeted for closure/merger. I suspect they'd pull the pin on Gold Coast before GWS and either just shut them down or merge in with Brisbane to have one Queensland club who play 3 games a season at Metricon. Then set up a new Tassie from scratch, a new side in Tassie will do a lot better than a relocated side in garnering support as there is a much stronger parochialism in Tassie than there is in other states.

Queensland Sun Lions

 

[The_Terminator]

The only reason the ACT would want a team of their own is because Sydney has 2 teams. Manuka Oval can barely handle 10k for a GWS home game. If the ground expanded to accomodate 20k, parking would be a nightmare & all latte slurpers would have to walk in from Kingston. Or worse, take public transport.

I'm starting to have my doubts about WA3. I just sounds like they would be bullied by Weagles & Dockers for 20 years and have to play out of 'old' Subiaco for while the older siblings got richer in the new stadium.

Which leaves Tas1. Economy is not well. Public health system is apparently poor. But it does have a devoted football following crowd.

If I had to pick. Tas1.

 

[Gigantor]

And the winner is: nothing changes for at least the next 15 years.

Amen.

 

[telsor]

Hawthorn looking to move to Dingley - which is next to Moorabbin!

In addition, Collingwood have decamped down Punt Rd. to Melbourne. Essendon meanwhile are based in Tullamarine!

Richmond has never been located in Richmond.

 

[telsor]

Tassie needs to be the next club, coupled with one from (I don't really care - maybe WA).

It's not a national competition with one state not having a club. (Rent-a-clubs milking said state for money don't count).

NT gaining statehood has been in the news lately.

If/when they do, does the AFL have to put a team there to be a 'national competition'?

 

[sherb]

NT gaining statehood has been in the news lately.

If/when they do, does the AFL have to put a team there to be a 'national competition'?

It's hardly a surprise that your definition of a national competition only requires the mainland states having representation.

 

[AliceCat]

I know what you mean but why is Fremantle lumped in with Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

Not only is Fremantle part of metropolitan Perth but it's historically been a massive football area.

Any national competition with more than one WA side was going to have a Fremantle side.

Totally agree..I should have listed All the non-Victorian teams.

I guess my point was that a not that long ago a good portion of Victorians couldn't imagine a national aussie rules comp. Now we have a least two teams in each of the mainland states. No doubt some still have that VFL mindset.

No doubt history will repeat itself again and we will have more teams (WA3, Tassie, Newcastle, Nth QLD, Canberra) and the AFL will be better and stronger for it.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Given that GWS and Gold Coast are going to require long term financial support, Brisbane mid-term financial support as well and the money for the Vic clubs, why the hell would they go into the market north of Sydney. The money the AFL would need to pump into the side would make GWS & Gold Coast like financial success stories. The marketplace is flooded by soccer and league, grounds are already at capacity from these sports with councils trying to build new complexes to keep up with demand, so where the hell would the AFL find the space given that an AFL field takes up almost as much space as two rectangular pitches.

Canberra/Riverina I'm not sure can financially support a stand alone AFL team. The stadium would need to undergo a massive redevelopment to double capacity. Seeing that the ACT government is more interested in getting an A-League side it is doubtful that they would want to be more involved than they already are given they have a Super 15 side and NRL side.

Really only places for new sides are Tassie first, then 3rd team out of WA.

Can see anything changing from current structure in next 5 years. The AFL will monitor GWS & Gold Coast finances and if they don't start to break even by 2020 then one of them could well be targeted for closure/merger. I suspect they'd pull the pin on Gold Coast before GWS and either just shut them down or merge in with Brisbane to have one Queensland club who play 3 games a season at Metricon. Then set up a new Tassie from scratch, a new side in Tassie will do a lot better than a relocated side in garnering support as there is a much stronger parochialism in Tassie than there is in other states.

if the AFL is looking for the suns or gws to be breaking even on a consistent bases without financial support by 2020 every single member of the commission should be sacked immediately because they are dumber then anyone predicted.

 

[telsor]

It's hardly a surprise that your definition of a national competition only requires the mainland states having representation.

So you can't answer the question....