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TheBrownDog
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Vics are footy's poorer cousins
28 May 2007 Herald-Sun
Michael Horan
CARLTON chief executive Greg Swann said the one big difference between most Victorian clubs and their dominant interstate rivals was simple - money.
Speaking after the AFL revealed at the weekend it is conducting an inquiry to determine why Victorian clubs are failing to keep pace with their interstate rivals, Swann said it was wealth and the infrastructure that comes with it that was the difference.
Demetriou has raised the league's concerns at a series of breakfast meetings with Victorian club chief executive officers.
"His focus was on the way we develop our players and our facilities compared to interstate," Swann said.
"We've all been given some money to fix facilities but in the long term the whole key to running a successful club comes back to money."
Swann said there was no mention of reducing the number of Victorian teams but agreed it was obvious 10 teams trying to get the same financial viability as the two or one-team cities from interstate was virtually impossible.
"There's that but then there's that fantastic home ground advantage they have. You go interstate and it's bloody hard to win," he said.
"Then to make ends meet Victorian clubs sell home games interstate as well. Look at the Bulldogs in Canberra this weekend, there were more Sydney people there in support."
Demetriou last year claimed there was nothing wrong with the Victorian clubs, claiming clubs' fortunes went in cycles.
But at the weekend both he and AFL general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson said they now recognised the need for an inquiry.
"We are a little bit concerned the non-Victorian clubs have had a greater success in the competition and we're interested in looking at the structural differences between the Victorian clubs and the Victorian competition underneath the AFL to see if there are any structural issues related to that," Anderson said on the ABC yesterday.
"It may be a cyclical issue but what we're looking at is are there any structural issues that may explain that or perhaps the result of the work we do is that their aren't."
Despite four Victorian teams in the top four after round 9, Demetriou said the problem was deeper.
"I think we wanted to believe that it is a cycle, but history is now starting to go against that belief," Demetriou said. Neither Demetriou nor Anderson mentioned reducing the number of Melbourne teams..
Right now two Victorian clubs - Melbourne and Richmond - are sitting winless with nine straight losses for the first time and there has been no local side in the Grand Final since Collingwood in 2003.
Melbourne coach Neale Daniher last night welcomed any help the AFL could offer to balance the ledgers between struggling Melbourne clubs and wealthy interstate sides.
"Does he want to give us a hand does he? Anything he can give our way, we'll take it," Daniher said after the Dees' heartbreaking one-point loss to the Kangaroos.
"That's the reality. There's so many inequities . . . and they're addressing it in regards to some financial support.
"You go over to West Coast and they've got 48,000 (members) and they're making $300,000 extra a week in revenue alone. There's going to be inequities.
"I believe they (AFL) know the certain inequities and they've made some movement in the right direction."
Demetriou gave no hint to what conclusions may be drawn. "There is a whole range of things we need to look at and analyse to see what we can do to address the issue," he said.
"It is great for the national game but there are clubs in this town . . . the Bulldogs who haven't won a premiership for 50 years, Geelong and St Kilda 40 years, Richmond nearly 30 years. There is something going on in Victorian football that is just not cyclical."
Cry me a river, its pretty bloody easy - get rid of some of the clubs. ?
FFS - i'm sick of propping these ineffective clubs, or should be call them beggers
I would also like to add I have lost any respect I ever had for Daniher with those comments - yeah the victorian teams are so hard done by, geeze anyone would think they spend every second week travelling or have to play games at stupid times or even get there finals moved !
28 May 2007 Herald-Sun
Michael Horan
CARLTON chief executive Greg Swann said the one big difference between most Victorian clubs and their dominant interstate rivals was simple - money.
Speaking after the AFL revealed at the weekend it is conducting an inquiry to determine why Victorian clubs are failing to keep pace with their interstate rivals, Swann said it was wealth and the infrastructure that comes with it that was the difference.
Demetriou has raised the league's concerns at a series of breakfast meetings with Victorian club chief executive officers.
"His focus was on the way we develop our players and our facilities compared to interstate," Swann said.
"We've all been given some money to fix facilities but in the long term the whole key to running a successful club comes back to money."
Swann said there was no mention of reducing the number of Victorian teams but agreed it was obvious 10 teams trying to get the same financial viability as the two or one-team cities from interstate was virtually impossible.
"There's that but then there's that fantastic home ground advantage they have. You go interstate and it's bloody hard to win," he said.
"Then to make ends meet Victorian clubs sell home games interstate as well. Look at the Bulldogs in Canberra this weekend, there were more Sydney people there in support."
Demetriou last year claimed there was nothing wrong with the Victorian clubs, claiming clubs' fortunes went in cycles.
But at the weekend both he and AFL general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson said they now recognised the need for an inquiry.
"We are a little bit concerned the non-Victorian clubs have had a greater success in the competition and we're interested in looking at the structural differences between the Victorian clubs and the Victorian competition underneath the AFL to see if there are any structural issues related to that," Anderson said on the ABC yesterday.
"It may be a cyclical issue but what we're looking at is are there any structural issues that may explain that or perhaps the result of the work we do is that their aren't."
Despite four Victorian teams in the top four after round 9, Demetriou said the problem was deeper.
"I think we wanted to believe that it is a cycle, but history is now starting to go against that belief," Demetriou said. Neither Demetriou nor Anderson mentioned reducing the number of Melbourne teams..
Right now two Victorian clubs - Melbourne and Richmond - are sitting winless with nine straight losses for the first time and there has been no local side in the Grand Final since Collingwood in 2003.
Melbourne coach Neale Daniher last night welcomed any help the AFL could offer to balance the ledgers between struggling Melbourne clubs and wealthy interstate sides.
"Does he want to give us a hand does he? Anything he can give our way, we'll take it," Daniher said after the Dees' heartbreaking one-point loss to the Kangaroos.
"That's the reality. There's so many inequities . . . and they're addressing it in regards to some financial support.
"You go over to West Coast and they've got 48,000 (members) and they're making $300,000 extra a week in revenue alone. There's going to be inequities.
"I believe they (AFL) know the certain inequities and they've made some movement in the right direction."
Demetriou gave no hint to what conclusions may be drawn. "There is a whole range of things we need to look at and analyse to see what we can do to address the issue," he said.
"It is great for the national game but there are clubs in this town . . . the Bulldogs who haven't won a premiership for 50 years, Geelong and St Kilda 40 years, Richmond nearly 30 years. There is something going on in Victorian football that is just not cyclical."
Cry me a river, its pretty bloody easy - get rid of some of the clubs. ?
FFS - i'm sick of propping these ineffective clubs, or should be call them beggers
I would also like to add I have lost any respect I ever had for Daniher with those comments - yeah the victorian teams are so hard done by, geeze anyone would think they spend every second week travelling or have to play games at stupid times or even get there finals moved !
