News NMFC AFLW 2019

[Roogal]

I think that North are over-reaching. For the last ten years we've heard nothing from the club except that we have to get the club's debt down and back into the black. They've reached deep into our pockets through the Box On Campaign, endless raffles and promotions, and now we are all to forget this and add our own stand alone VFL team. A full VFL team is not cheap, just ask North Ballarat Roosters. North Melbourne are going to have to find at least an extra million dollars per year on top of the club's operating budget to fund that. We also want an AFLW team in 2019 in order to apparently broaden our club's appeal, so more money needed for player payments and support staff. On top of this the club is to spend millions upgrading Arden Street for VFL games.

For a club with struggling membership, poor support at games, with limited resources and which hasn't retired its debts yet, it's all very alarming.

 

[ArchKing Carey]

As long as the deal is seperate and doesn't include stipulations of playing more AFL games in Tassie, it should be ok. Walk away if it does

 

[discomute]

I think that North are over-reaching. For the last ten years we've heard nothing from the club except that we have to get the club's debt down and back into the black. They've reached deep into our pockets through the Box On Campaign, endless raffles and promotions, and now we are all to forget this and add our own stand alone VFL team. A full VFL team is not cheap, just ask North Ballarat Roosters. North Melbourne are going to have to find at least an extra million dollars per year on top of the club's operating budget to fund that. We also want an AFLW team in 2019 in order to apparently broaden our club's appeal, so more money needed for player payments and support staff. On top of this the club is to spend millions upgrading Arden Street for VFL games.

For a club with struggling membership, poor support at games, with limited resources and which hasn't retired its debts yet, it's all very alarming.

You're assuming that the AFL Women's game is going to be a drain on resources. Whilst this might be true in the very short term (and it might not be - because of the very successful ratings it got on television and therefore the money coming into participating clubs via a broadcast deal) it is a long term investment that will bring more women to support the AFL, which is 50% of the population after all.

 

[Egga]

Ginourmous, but y'know how it is.

Anything to get the goth make up out.

Really? The AFL has been clear it wants one team in Tassie. It has been clear it will not be starting a new franchise. It has given north sole academy access. It is encouraging north to go with a Tassie women's team. As reported above, it wants North to be the sole Tassie team.

North also wants to be the sole AFL team in Tassie. I doubt you'll find anyone with inner scrote sources to say otherwise.

Given all the above; it would seem very plausible indeed that North will be playing more games in Tassie when the next deal is struck. To ignore this as a possibility is head in the sand stuff.

 

[Roogal]

You're assuming that the AFL Women's game is going to be a drain on resources. Whilst this might be true in the very short term (and it might not be - because of the very successful ratings it got on television and therefore the money coming into participating clubs via a broadcast deal) it is a long term investment that will bring more women to support the AFL, which is 50% of the population after all.

I sincerely hope that you are right, but it just perplexes me that we are going from zero to a sprint in just two seasons and that we are not doing this from a present position of strength. Time will tell.

 

[Roogal]

Really? The AFL has been clear it wants one team in Tassie. It has been clear it will not be starting a new franchise. It has given north sole academy access. It is encouraging north to go with a Tassie women's team. As reported above, it wants North to be the sole Tassie team.

North also wants to be the sole AFL team in Tassie. I doubt you'll find anyone with inner scrote sources to say otherwise.

Given all the above; it would seem very plausible indeed that North will be playing more games in Tassie when the next deal is struck. To ignore this as a possibility is head in the sand stuff.

I'm inclined to agree with you.

 

[King Corey]

I don't think some supporters being concerned about North Melbourne being associated with a team branded primarily as Tasmania is exactly Chicken Little stuff.

 

[Quivorir]

Yeah no thanks.

 

[Kimbo]

I don't think some supporters being concerned about North Melbourne being associated with a team branded primarily as Tasmania is exactly Chicken Little stuff.

It's called "the thin end of the wedge".

 

[KillaKanga]

Not keen on a Tassie Kangas team. Would NOT follow.

North Melbourne on the other hand would have me and my 2 boys watching and rooting for them!

 

[Roogal]

Not keen on a Tassie Kangas team. Would NOT follow.

North Melbourne on the other hand would have me and my 2 boys watching and rooting for them!

We need to go back to the original story here, which of course is that it is only the Women's team that is being suggested for branding as the Tassie Kangaroos, not the male seniors. I'm not getting too excited or alarmed at this stage.

But let's talk about an even bigger 'Elephant in the Room':

Even if North ends up as the sole Tassie franchisee, something that is not being openly discussed in the halls of power at either NMFC or the AFL HQ is the poor crowds in Tassie this season, and the downward trend in support over the last five years. To date in 2017 Blundstone Arena has averaged 9,411 at its two games so far and 12,760 at Aurora Stadium over three games (Source: http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/2017.html). It is disturbing because the average crowd attendances at Aurora Stadium (for Hawthorn) have dropped by about 5,000 for the last few years to where they were between 2001-2012. The numbers at Blundstone Arena in Hobart have dropped by nearly 6,000 to last year and are the lowest that they have ever been since North started playing there in 2012.

We should ask, 'are these the numbers that we would be looking at for Tasmanian games as a sole franchise perhaps eventually playing up to six games per season there?' Is it worth North Melbourne giving up six games per season at Etihad to play in front of average crowds of 10,000 people in Hobart?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I'll follow a women's team representing our club, whatever they are called.

If I can do that while supporting a senior team called North Melbourne and a VFL team called North Melbourne, both training out of a soon-to-be-upgraded Arden St, even better.

The AFL is desperate to give Tasmania some good news and get boy and girl players, and fans, sticking with the game. I don't mind North Melbourne getting some commercial and drafting advantages from working with them to do that.

Always vigilant but we need to also keep perspective. We can't be afraid to do good things for the club because of what some trolls might say about it.

 

[D23D]

I'll follow a women's team representing our club, whatever they are called.

If I can do that while supporting a senior team called North Melbourne and a VFL team called North Melbourne, both training out of a soon-to-be-upgraded Arden St, even better.

The AFL is desperate to give Tasmania some good news and get boy and girl players, and fans, sticking with the game. I don't mind North Melbourne getting some commercial and drafting advantages from working with them to do that.

Always vigilant but we need to also keep perspective. We can't be afraid to do good things for the club because of what some trolls might say about it.

Always a sound and reasoned response H to h.
OK I will stay vigilant but my trust levels on this matter a very very low.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Always a sound and reasoned response H to h.
OK I will stay vigilant but my trust levels on this matter a very very low.

Fair enough. I trust only that the AFL will do what's in its own financial interests. They would love to have their cake and eat it too with Tasmania, I'm assuming, and will try to get the upside available without the fallout of another attempted relocation. Above all, I want as much success and positivity as possible from all North's ventures - it can only further the transformation since Dallas Brooks Hall and consign that period further into history.

 

[Pykie]

I'll follow a women's team representing our club, whatever they are called.

If I can do that while supporting a senior team called North Melbourne and a VFL team called North Melbourne, both training out of a soon-to-be-upgraded Arden St, even better.

The AFL is desperate to give Tasmania some good news and get boy and girl players, and fans, sticking with the game. I don't mind North Melbourne getting some commercial and drafting advantages from working with them to do that.

Always vigilant but we need to also keep perspective. We can't be afraid to do good things for the club because of what some trolls might say about it.

I get what your saying, but it isn't the same club im afraid if it's not called North Melbourne and based out of Arden st.

I'd consider it something similar to Werribee or Nth Ballarat, a separate entity, an affiliated club of the NMFC and I'd have a passing interest in its structure and success, but probably even less so as it would have no impact to the NMFC senior team like a VFL side would.

If it was a side named North Melbourne, based out of Arden st and played a chunk of games in tassie id get fully behind it.

A "Tasmanian" football side, branded in our colors and using our Melbourne facilities and playing home games in Tasmania is cutting far to close to the bone imo. If this eventuates, I'll be bringing it up at the AGM. The Tasmanian Kangaroos aren't a North Melbourne football side of any description.

The way the current AFLW sides are set up are like any other woman's side in local football club, you have a seniors, reserves and women's side all under the one clubs history, rhe Tasmanian Kangaroos can be their own club, they can't jump on the coat tails of our history with that branding.

Like others, I'd rather have no side at all.

 

[shintemaster]

Fair enough. I trust only that the AFL will do what's in its own financial interests. They would love to have their cake and eat it too with Tasmania, I'm assuming, and will try to get the upside available without the fallout of another attempted relocation. Above all, I want as much success and positivity as possible from all North's ventures - it can only further the transformation since Dallas Brooks Hall and consign that period further into history.

Well, we've now outlasted Dallas Brooks Hall as well...

The reality is that we have to do everything the hard way and I can see why the club doesn't want to miss out on getting in early with the AFLW league - we're still paying for it in the AFL. I'm sure they would love to have a NMFC AFLW team. They also clearly believe that the only chance they have of not missing the boat early on is by playing the Tasmania card...

 

[Kimbo]

I'll follow a women's team representing our club, whatever they are called.

Always vigilant but we need to also keep perspective. We can't be afraid to do good things for the club because of what some trolls might say about it.

I'm nowhere near Zondor like levels of reactiveness around this, but it raises concerns.

Not concerns about what trolls say - though the weight of public opinion may be influenced by repetitive troll claims - more about what the AFL plans and does.

Ideally, we remain a Victorian based club, with sole 'rights' to Tassie so to speak. An old-fashioned zone if you like. You'd expect, if the Hawks get turfed out of Tassie the club will have to play more games there. I'm not opposed to co-location, if you can call it that, but have always said 4 games max (2 in each city).

I don't think it's beyond the pale to suggest having a North Melbourne owned women's team (required to be) called the Tasmanian Kangaroos is a softening up process en route to greater and greater presence there. How far it goes is the question.

 

[The chorus]

Well, we've now outlasted Dallas Brooks Hall as well...

The reality is that we have to do everything the hard way and I can see why the club doesn't want to miss out on getting in early with the AFLW league - we're still paying for it in the AFL. I'm sure they would love to have a NMFC AFLW team. They also clearly believe that the only chance they have of not missing the boat early on is by playing the Tasmania card...

Yes, Carlton and Collingwood were given AFLW licences first time round ahead of us, even though their previous support of womens' football was minimal compared to our support via Melbourne Uni. We would probably miss out again except for playing the Tasmanian card. As for people worrying about the cost, the fact that teams like Hawthorn that didn't bid the first time around are now trying to push in (in Tasmania no less) indicates to me that clubs see it as a source of future growth and income rather than a drain on resources.

 

[Snake_Baker]

I get what your saying, but it isn't the same club im afraid if it's not called North Melbourne and based out of Arden st.

...........A "Tasmanian" football side, branded in our colors and using our Melbourne facilities and playing home games in Tasmania is cutting far to close to the bone imo. If this eventuates, I'll be bringing it up at the AGM. The Tasmanian Kangaroos aren't a North Melbourne football side of any description.

Then it isn't the same club. So what? Who cares?

The NMFC is the administrative arm of the Tasmanian Kangaroos WFC, just in the same way thet is the administrative arm of the Tasmanian Junior Football Academy. I don't see too many people going all "chicken little" about the junior development academy.

The entire womens football competition is little more than a marketing exercise anyway.

 

[Pykie]

Then it isn't the same club. So what? Who cares?

The NMFC is the administrative arm of the Tasmanian Kangaroos WFC, just in the same way thet is the administrative arm of the Tasmanian Junior Football Academy. I don't see too many people going all "chicken little" about the junior development academy.

The entire womens football competition is little more than a marketing exercise anyway.

The Tasmanian Academy aren't a football side like the Northern academies.

They are merely a training group, they don't wear our jumpers, or play in a competition.

I'm just saying I don't like what it will symbolize.

 

[Snake_Baker]

The Tasmanian Academy aren't a football side like the Northern academies.

They are merely a training group, they don't wear our jumpers, or play in a competition.

I'm just saying I don't like what it will symbolize.

Okay.

I'm tipping that the Tasmanian AFLW will eventually break away, and stand on it's own, as part of the long process of getting Tasmania a stand alone side in the AFL.

 

[The chorus]

Okay.

I'm tipping that the Tasmanian AFLW will eventually break away, and stand on it's own, as part of the long process of getting Tasmania a stand alone side in the AFL.

I agree. I think Tasmania will eventually have its own AFL and AFLW teams (they should have been given an AFL licence before now) but it won't be happening for quite a few years. I don't think any team will be relocated there unless a Victorian team becomes bankrupt and loses control of its own destiny. In the meantime the AFL is desperate to keep the support of Tasmanians through an academy and AFLW and it is a good opportunity for us to leverage to our advantage. We have a good reputation for our community involvement and we can enhance that reputation in Tasmania ; hopefully at the same time we can build our supporter base, be part of the next AFLW expansion and pick up some good players from the Tasmanian academy

 

[Pykie]

Okay.

I'm tipping that the Tasmanian AFLW will eventually break away, and stand on it's own, as part of the long process of getting Tasmania a stand alone side in the AFL.

Which im fine with.

 

[Zondor]

Agree it's bullshit and weak.
I'd rather not have a women's team at all.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

Yep. And I post this dressed in my Goth Make Up. :stern look

 

[Kimbo]

Then it isn't the same club. So what? Who cares?

I do because...

The entire womens football competition is little more than a marketing exercise anyway.

...this is the very point!

If there isn't a team playing under our name it won't have the marketing impact.

Additionally, just because some have expressed wariness it doesn't make it "chicken little". More like well-placed suspicion. "Let's keep watching that sky" not "the sky is falling".