Mike Sheahan agrees, North must Relocate or Die

[FoxC]

Two-headed Kangahawks playing out of Tassie in brown and blue is fine by me.

 

[scottwade]

Gezz, the Kangaroos move around a lot. First Canberra, then Gold Coast and now Tasmania. Just stay in one place and build a following. Personally I think Hawthorn are doing a fine job in Tasmania ...

Exactly.

The ink is barely dry on the Hobart deal & yet launching the debt reduction campaign a week ago this is what Brayshaw had to say;

"We need to get the 250,000 people in southern Tasmania to be rusted on North Melbourne fans, and we need to get into the Warrnambool-Bendigo-Ballarat triangle - the fastest growing regional area in Australia - and really spend a lot of time and effort, hopefully getting those people to invest in coming to North Melbourne games in that area.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/126983/default.aspx

Selling your games to every city in Australia isn't a long term strategy. People generally know when a club is using them.

Hawthorn under Dicker played a couple of games in Launceston. Kennett developed that relationship into a partnership.

North have never stayed long enough on their round Australia odyssey to actually claim an area as their own, to grow membership in that community and to develop long term sustainable business relationships.

And Hobart/Ballarat/Bendigo/Warrnambool won't be any different if the people in those areas believe that North will just pick up their goal posts if a better offer turns up tomorrow.

getting those people to invest in coming to North Melbourne games in that area

suggests that Brayshaw still isn't thinking long term, merely short term bums on seats. Hawthorn did think long term and the benefits are clear to see.

 

[bombermick]

Hopefully North survives, as I'm sure everybody knows a Roys supporter who no longer follows a team. However, it's going to be very, very tough in a saturated market.

North's problem is a lack of good strategic vision. The Dogs aim to conquer the new migrants in the west. Hawthorn have claimed Tassie. What's North's niche? Even if they relocate to Tassie, the small population means the government would have to underwrite them.

 

[MaddAdam]

Sadly for all you types the AFL is behind us staying in Melbourne with $10m+ funding to make us more sustainable and pay off some of our debt.

Our attendances are up, our membership is up and we're making an excellent start on knocking off our debt. We've got a very good young squad who, on the back of a favourable draw, should be playing finals next year.

Perhaps instead of salivating over the death of North and inventing history and having mastubatory fantasies about worlds where North doesn't exist all on the back of a doddering old journo's view of thing (the same journo most of you scoff at on every other matter) you could do something more healthy and balanced, the pull the wings off flies, or loosen the nuts on your little sister's bike.

 

[bombermick]

Get off it. Most of us want to see North stick around, but agree the club has made some terrible decisions - and so may suffer the consequences.

Gee, there's a few North fans who could ask their doc to remove the giant chip from their shoulder.

 

[Comebackmick]

Re: Mike Sheahan agrees, Norf must Relocate or Die

exactly.

As a collingwood supporter we usually get good crowds but even 60,000 at the mcg isnt the best atmosphere. The problem is north might get 25,000 to ethihad but its a 50,000 seat staduim. It makes football boring.

Look at port adelaide vs melbourne at adelaide oval. Makes 10x the exprience in a packed staduim.

Well! Doesn't that say it all?
(Some of the most exciting things I do don't require any crowd.)
I rekon football is never boring when it involves my passion for the game and my team.
Takes all kinds I guess.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Those who believe the Western Bulldogs are soon to 'merge, relocate, or die' seem to think from a narrow-minded perspective. I see the Bulldogs as a club almost like GWS - but with a Premiership, history, and a nicer jumper. They're representative of the "west". Whatever that is, it's coyness is a win - Footscray? Or western Victoria?

The other benefit is the huge future catchment area. The western suburbs are sprawling. It's the place for new Australians. These people have no footy background. It is a clean slate. A 7-year old with migrant parents has no ties. He'll probably select Geelong or Collingwood. But with active community involvement (which every AFL club does), they can grasp this huge cross-section.

 

[Kwality]

Mikes story demonstrates the price Aussie Rules footy is paying for keeping too many teams in Melbourne.

 

[tazaa]

Mikes story demonstrates the price Aussie Rules footy is paying for keeping too many teams in Melbourne.

what price is that? please enlighten us to something innovative and well mannered.

 

[Jay-Z]

Exactly.

The ink is barely dry on the Hobart deal & yet launching the debt reduction campaign a week ago this is what Brayshaw had to say;

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/126983/default.aspx

Selling your games to every city in Australia isn't a long term strategy. People generally know when a club is using them.

Hawthorn under Dicker played a couple of games in Launceston. Kennett developed that relationship into a partnership.

North have never stayed long enough on their round Australia odyssey to actually claim an area as their own, to grow membership in that community and to develop long term sustainable business relationships.

And Hobart/Ballarat/Bendigo/Warrnambool won't be any different if the people in those areas believe that North will just pick up their goal posts if a better offer turns up tomorrow.


suggests that Brayshaw still isn't thinking long term, merely short term bums on seats. Hawthorn did think long term and the benefits are clear to see.

What a crock of sh*t. Anybody who has been actually following the facts about what the club has been doing in the last 4 years could tell you that harnessing the Ballarat region is something that is a BIG long term project for North. Tasmania is a temporary arrangement only (as it is with Hawthorn) as Tasmania is simply not interested in a team being relocated down there. Countless times they have said they want their own team, eventually they will get it. For now, both North and Hawthorn are using this region to make a bit of extra money.

Whilst they obviously can't come out and say it now, it would not surprise me if the current administration are working on a 20-year plan to basically move the club to Ballarat and harnessing that Ballarat-Bendigo-Warrnambool region to become the regional club of Victoria. The Bulldogs are clearly trying to do a similar thing with the name change in the 90's and now the ad campaign basically saying they are the team for all of "Western Melbourne". Many people on here have said that long term we can't maintain this number of teams in Melbourne, but Victoria is a hell of a lot bigger than just Melbourne and the reality is there is plenty of football loving people in this state to support the current allocation of teams, we just have to expand the league to play in suitable stadiums rather than the disaster that has been Docklands/Telstra Dome/Etihad Stadium.

Were the club ever to decide that staying as "North Melbourne" was unsustainable and become the "Northern Kangaroos" or even the "Ballarat Kangaroos", I would still support them because I could still drive to games and see my team play and the reality is from where I live, it would only mean an extra 30 mins each way (compared to driving to Etihad). If the AFL in all their wisdom decided to relocate the team to Tassy, nobody (current north supporters or general Tasmanians) would support them and the team would effectively die out.

Thankfully for me (not so much for some of the idiots in this thread who want us to die), North is the most resilient club in the league and we won't let anything kill us.

 

[Kwality]

what price is that? please enlighten us to something innovative and well mannered.

• an uneven draw that casts doubt on the credibility of the competition
• players getting a game that arent up to standard
• reducing the competition from the elite of the game
• preferential draw for some clubs at the discretion of the AFL
• an unrepresentative AFL dominated by Victoria claiming to be national (as demonstrated by an AFL commissioner replaced for holding views unacceptable to Victorian clubs, the reason Australia has a Senate)
• financial compensation for an uneven draw (clubs play for premierships not money in my sheltered experience)
• absolutely no attempt to produce a credible draw whilst favouring some clubs at the expense of others

 

[tazaa]

• an uneven draw that casts doubt on the credibility of the competition
• players getting a game that arent up to standard
• reducing the competition from the elite of the game
• preferential draw for some clubs at the discretion of the AFL
• an AFL dominated by Victoria claiming to be national (as demonstrated by an AFL commissioner replaced for holding views unacceptable to Victorian clubs, the reason Australia has a Senate)
• financial compensation for an uneven draw (clubs play for premierships not money in my sheltered experience)
• absolutely no attempt to produce a credible draw whilst favouring some clubs at the expense of others

The credibility of the league was finished when it shipped off two teams to the northern states. Yet a further culling of Vic clubs is how the AFL gets its credibility back?
Part of the mission and aim of winning a premiership is to do it by building a list and finding the right combination to do so. This method of having a draft and teams going through success cycles is how the AFL wants it and how footys been for a while. Well never see the day of having 8 strong even teams. I just dont think its possible with how the system of footy works.
The draw is s**t but so is the AFL admin so what do we expect.

 

[MaddAdam]

12 months ago the same suspects here were telling me the AFL wanted North out.

I said the AFL needed 9 games a round under the new TV rights and would tip lots of money to guarantee our long term futures.

Fast forward to a few months ago and what happens?

10m for North and the Dogs specifically tied to measures that will increase our long term viability.

But idiots here keep blethering.

Seriously, these people are the equivalent of people who thought the world was flat and are laughing at us for setting sail into the Atlantuc Ocean. Meanwhile, we have made landfall and are doing nicely.

 

[Kwality]

The credibility of the league was finished when it shipped off two teams to the northern states. Yet a further culling of Vic clubs is how the AFL gets its credibility back?
Part of the mission and aim of winning a premiership is to do it by building a list and finding the right combination to do so. This method of having a draft and teams going through success cycles is how the AFL wants it and how footys been for a while. Well never see the day of having 8 strong even teams. I just dont think its possible with how the system of footy works.
The draw is s**t but so is the AFL admin so what do we expect.

I understand where you are coming from & too many teams in Melbourne will never, ever be acceptable to you. I still follow Subi so I have some empathy.
For mine, the game remains paramount & I see others suggesting zones as a remedy for the problems BUT I cant wear it,e.g where a guy like Dean Cox from the Pilbara never, ever plays a game in WA as a solution because he is stranded in an uncompetitive Melbourne club.
Its a sop for Vics ever afraid to take a difficult decision (actively discriminate against those who dont hold similar views) - consider four (4) Melbourne clubs on a demotion/promotion basis with a lesser comp including the other Melbourne clubs BUT without access to the national draft, because thats the sort of hard decision needing to be faced in Vic IF you value a credible competition.

Too many teams in Melbourne is a cancer.

 

[scottwade]

Seriously, these people are the equivalent of people who... are laughing at us for setting sail into the Atlantuc Ocean. Meanwhile, we have made landfall and are doing nicely.

Oh dear God not another venue for North's games.

 

[MaddAdam]

Oh dear God not another venue for North's games.

Heh, I'll pay that.

But seriously, people need to ask themselves why the AFL would be paying off 20 per cent of our debt and funding us to expand our membership and marketing operations if they honestly thought we were going anywhere.

 

[sherb]

It will also ensure that you'll do whatever the AFL tells you. Hobart is waiting. You don't have the support out in the community. If it weren't for hosting games against Bombers, Pies and Blues you wouldn't have had an attendance over 40,000. No members and no income.

Tell me, why would all the Carlton, Essendon, Richmond, St Kilda, Collingwood, etc supporters living in Hobart suddenly start supporting a relocated North Melbourne?

 

[benno87]

Gotta love the off-season.

 

[PDJohnson]

Couldnt bother me, but if North were my side Id at least want
them to survive - instead of completely folding.
Tassie is an out, as was GC.
North arent bringing anything to the table, simple.
Mike Sheahans spot on, Relocate or Die.

True. But there is a big difference between the 2 options. Tassie has a football soul and will not / should not except a transplanted identity. The Gold Coast however could will do with the history & spirit the Kangas could bring them (a la Brisbane & the Lions). But tell North that!

 

[Father Jack]

Heh, I'll pay that.

But seriously, people need to ask themselves why the AFL would be paying off 20 per cent of our debt and funding us to expand our membership and marketing operations if they honestly thought we were going anywhere.

I'm guessing that they don't want an uncompetitive club in the competition. Doesn't mean the AFL would necessarily be happy with the current geographical distribution of clubs.

 

[MaddAdam]

the sort of hard decision needing to be faced in Vic IF you value a credible competition.

Too many teams in Melbourne is a cancer.

So you're saying the current comp is not credible?

Hand back those flags then.

 

[robaba]

I'm guessing that they don't want an uncompetitive club in the competition. Doesn't mean the AFL would necessarily be happy with the current geographical distribution of clubs.

So when are Adeliade,Port Adelaide, Brisbane, GC, GWS going to relocate?

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

They should relocate to Tassie, no dramas there.

Tasmanians aren't going to embrace a recycled Victorian team.

 

[GeordieRoo]

Mike had Carey as all time number one ahead of Leigh Matthews.

Hawks fans suddenly claiming he's a credible journo?

 

[lock33]

Tasmanians aren't going to embrace a recycled Victorian team.

totally agree, they need their own team.. They will still get to all games though, North and Hawthorn etc but thats because its the best they can get at the moment, they love football and the AFL, Hawthorn and North are taking advantage of this, Tasmania deserves better.