Expansion Proposals for a Truly National AFL

Remove this Banner Ad

big_e said:
How many would you get to the LA Coliseum for LA vs the Wangaratta Bilbies?

And how do the Division 4 Bilbies afford this trip to the US?
Click to expand...
How many would you get in 2040, for LA Stars V Sydney Swans?

Open your mind big_e_bubbleboy
 
The Irish have played a massive part in our game and the synergy is evident with the international rules series.

Again, let's say via club consensus, that the AFL earmark $10M of revenue p.a for 5 years to fund a Div4 entry from Ireland, called, Ireland Fighters, playing out of Dublin.

The local Gaelic competition provides a bulk of the players, supplemented with some Irish AFL established players.
As the Gaelic League is amateur, many premium talent switch codes to the new lucrative offering.

TV audience and attendances are strong from the outset, based on decades of historical synergy.

The Irish team quickly excel, and win Div4 in their second season, and quickly progress to Div3 finals, where support and interest accelerates as they win the DIv3 premiership and launch into the bigtime in Div2, hosting home games be against say Stkilda, Collingwood & Carlton.

however, the fighting Irish are called the Ireland Fighters for a reason, and with 10 years in the AFL, the win a Div2 premiership, and backed by local Irish population aswell as internationally based expats, the Ireland Fighters make their entry to Div1 as a potential powerclub.

GAME ON!!!!!!!!

all while, the folk in London who are well familiar with Aussie Rules Footy, look on with admiration and interest, and plans are made to fund a new London entry on the back of the Irish success.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Tonatopia said:
The Irish have played a massive part in our game and the synergy is evident with the international rules series.

Again, let's say via club consensus, that the AFL earmark $10M of revenue p.a for 5 years to fund a Div4 entry from Ireland, called, Ireland Fighters, playing out of Dublin.
Click to expand...

lol thats not going to happen. ever.
 
Why create a new team. Just relocate the Irish Town Football Club, the most successful football club in Australia(39 premierships to date), to actual Ireland.

To save costs though, they probably should play in Irish Town until they reach Div 1 and become that powerhouse. Would be cheaper than flying halfway across the world to play the Wellington Windy Wizards
 
The biggest soccer club in Ireland, Shamrock Rovers gets about €2 million in revenue. But sure, the Dublin Leprechauns are going to get $10 million playing on a national division 5.

You can't convince me this isn't a well done troll. Nobody can be able to be educated to the extent to be able write and spell coherently and yet think any of this stuff is even remotely realistic.
 
The thing that Tonatopia can't seem to understand is that the free market has already decided to engage in the current system, as people have pointed out. We can exactly trace backward through history the "free market" steps clubs have taken to get to this point.

1860's - 1870's - clubs freely decide to divide themselves into groups of senior, junior, minor, country and schools teams, with the market freely deciding which group a club belonged to

1877 - The free market of the clubs decides that a VFA should administer senior, junior and some country clubs. Minor, remaining country and school football freely evolve into their current markets ie suburban and VAFA can trace their lineage however dubiously back to the non-VFA clubs of these days

1897 - 8 VFA clubs freely decide to breakaway and create a structure without relegation and different equalisation methods of which the principle of equalisation exists in some form to today.

1908, 1925 - clubs freely vote to admit various clubs

1985 - clubs freely decide that their competition should be managed by directors appointed by the clubs, rather than delegates of the clubs, in some areas

1987, 1991 - clubs freely admit more clubs

1993 - clubs freely decide that the directors should run almost all of the competition except in some areas like inclusion of clubs

2010/11 - clubs freely choose to admit more clubs

Etc.

So essentially - there was a point in time in the 1860's where everything was free and the free market existed - and the clubs and people of football freely chose over the next 160 years to get to the current system we're in. The free market and democracy, huh?
 
threenewpadlocks said:
The thing that Tonatopia can't seem to understand is that the free market has already decided to engage in the current system, as people have pointed out. We can exactly trace backward through history the "free market" steps clubs have taken to get to this point.

1860's - 1870's - clubs freely decide to divide themselves into groups of senior, junior, minor, country and schools teams, with the market freely deciding which group a club belonged to

1877 - The free market of the clubs decides that a VFA should administer senior, junior and some country clubs. Minor, remaining country and school football freely evolve into their current markets ie suburban and VAFA can trace their lineage however dubiously back to the non-VFA clubs of these days

1897 - 8 VFA clubs freely decide to breakaway and create a structure without relegation and different equalisation methods of which the principle of equalisation exists in some form to today.

1908, 1925 - clubs freely vote to admit various clubs

1985 - clubs freely decide that their competition should be managed by directors appointed by the clubs, rather than delegates of the clubs, in some areas

1987, 1991 - clubs freely admit more clubs

1993 - clubs freely decide that the directors should run almost all of the competition except in some areas like inclusion of clubs

2010/11 - clubs freely choose to admit more clubs

Etc.

So essentially - there was a point in time in the 1860's where everything was free and the free market existed - and the clubs and people of football freely chose over the next 160 years to get to the current system we're in. The free market and democracy, huh?
Click to expand...
Now it is time to shift gear, and truly open up the game.
 
threenewpadlocks said:
The biggest soccer club in Ireland, Shamrock Rovers gets about €2 million in revenue. But sure, the Dublin Leprechauns are going to get $10 million playing on a national division 5.
Click to expand...
Yet, Connor McGregor gets btween $30-130M for a one off Boxing fight, even though he is not a boxer???

Soccer is boring. And the Irish know it.
We are already half way there with the international Gaelic series. Why not base an AFL team there, however, it is Only possible with a divisional format.
Nb. VFL is a dead end comp. Please don't compare.
 
Last edited:
Lets jump ahead to the year 2050.

Based on predicted strength of the clubs, the divisional table below could represent what the league table could look like in 2050;

Div 1
12 teams, 1 Premier, 5 finalists, 2 relegation


[TD valign="top"]Richmond Tigers[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Essendon Bombers[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Adelaide Crows[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]West Coast Eagles[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Collingwood Magpies[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Sydney Swans[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Carlton Blues[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Brisbane Lions[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Melbourne Demons[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Fremantle Dockers[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Geelong Cats[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Hobart Pirates[/TD]


Div 2
12 teams, 1 Premier, 5 finalists, 2 relegation, 2 promotion


[TD valign="top"]Western Bulldogs[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Los Angeles - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]St Kilda Saints[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Canberra Federals[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Perth Utd[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Port Adelaide Power[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Darwin Crocodiles[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]*Ireland Fighters – AFL sponsored[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* London FC - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Launceston Devils[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Hawthorn Hawks[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]GWS Giants[/TD]


Div 3
12 teams, 1 Premier, 5 finalists, 4 relegation, 2 promotion


[TD valign="top"]Cairns Reefers - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Houston - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Gold Coast Suns[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]North Melbourne Kangaroos[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Bendigo Pioneers[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Fitzroy FC[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Ballarat Utd[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Werribee Tigers[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Bunbury - Fremantle Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* New York - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Sunshine Coast - Brisbane Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Alice Springs All Stars - NIAA Gov. Funded[/TD]


Div 4
24 teams, 1 Premier, 8 finalists, 0 relegation, 4 promotion


[TD valign="top"]Albury Wodonga[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Gippsland Power - Traralgon[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Northern Rivers - Lismore[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Southport Sharks[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Tokyo - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Cape Town - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Aspley Hornets[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Port Moresby – BSP Funded[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Shepparton Utd[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Wagga Wagga - Canberra Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Port Melbourne Boroughs[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Bayside Dolphins - Frankston[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Auckland - Privateer[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Central Coast – Newcastle – Sydney Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Mildura Murrays[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Wollongong - GWS Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Richmond Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]* Fiji - Suva - FNPF funded[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Essendon Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Collingwood Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Warrnambool - Geelong Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Horsham - Bulldogs Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Carlton Reserves[/TD]

[TD valign="top"]Geraldton Dingoes[/TD]
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

The_Wookie said:
what are you possibly even basing the predicted strength of currently non existent clubs on?
Click to expand...
Firstly, we have the most exciting and dynamic football code on the planet. it is full contact, we roost the ball with 80m torpes, take speccies, go for field long runs, massive hits, twists and turns, heaps of goals and action. its got everything, and its evident by the way the fans watch the game. We sit on the edge of our seats for much of it. Nothing else compares.

The reasons for the predicted strength of the following clubs are details below;

1. Los Angeles - Population of about 15M. Open minded people and I suspect would appreciate our product. Once local draftees start starring and we can pay them $5M per season, then I think the people in the USA will understand how good our product is, and once it gets a foothold, it will grow steadily purely based on the product offering. But see my post above for more details.

2. Hobart - The capital city of a footy state heartland. Once a 30,000 stadium is built for a local Hobart team, they will pack it out, week in week out. Without a doubt, Hobart will be a fortress and a powerful club.

3. Canberra is our capital and will continue to grow. by 2050, it will have 1 million people, and Footy is the national game. It will be a strong club with deep political and corporate support.

4. Perth Utd will eventually enter the league, mainly because there are not enough seats for Eagles members. Eventually parents will switch to Perth Utd, so they can take their family to a game. Perth is too big to be a one footy town.

5. Darwin is obvious. Our gateway city to Asia and with sublime indigenous talent. It would attract considerable TV audience and stimulate the town.

6. Ireland Fighters. See my comments in a post above. Ive played local footy with plenty of blokes from Ireland, and they love it. Footy belongs in Ireland, and over time, I can for see it overtaking Hurling and Gaelic. An AFL team in Ireland is a no brainer.

7. London FC. A town of about 12Million people and 65Million in England. The link between England and Australia is deep rooted. Heaps of Aussie expats in England, and the English know our game well. Again, based on the quality of the product, I think a London based team could attract considerable sponsorship, viewership and attendances. it could be a big club. I gave it a 68% 'strength' rating by 2050. Stronger than GWS.

8. Launceston. As mentioned numerous times, Nth Tasmania has a population of 250,000 people and footy is the dominant sport. Obviously they will field a competitive team, and subsequently become a viable club.

9. Cairns. A major growing city, expected to have 350,000 people by 2050. I have lived there and found the a vibrant footy culture. They will field a good Div 2/3 side.

10. Houston and New York are mere speculations. But if LA becomes a success, I think entrepreneurs will jump at the opportunity to have rights to a football team in a major US capital city, representing the most dynamic football code on earth.

11. Bendigo, Ballarat, Albury/Wodonga, Bunbury, Shepparton ect - All quite evident. Regional Football cities with populations of between 80-120k They will fill their local stadiums and fight for Div2 entry.

Do you want me to keep going?
 
Last edited:
Tonatopia said:
Firstly, we have the most exciting and dynamic football code on the planet. it is full contact, we roost the ball with 80m torpes, take speccies, go for field long runs, massive hits, twists and turns, heaps of goals and action. its got everything, and its evident by the way the fans watch the game. We sit on the edge of our seats for much of it. Nothing else compares.

The reasons for the predicted strength of the following clubs are details below;

1. Los Angeles - Population of about 15M. Open minded people and I suspect would appreciate our product. Once local draftees start starring and we can pay them $5M per season, then I think the people in the USA will understand how good our product is, and once it gets a foothold, it will grow steadily purely based on the product offering. But see my post above for more details.

2. Hobart - The capital city of a footy state heartland. Once a 30,000 stadium is built for a local Hobart team, they will pack it out, week in week out. Without a doubt, Hobart will be a fortress and a powerful club.

3. Canberra is our capital and will continue to grow. by 2050, it will have 1 million people, and Footy is the national game. It will be a strong club with deep political and corporate support.

4. Perth Utd will eventually enter the league, mainly because there are not enough seats for Eagles members. Eventually parents will switch to Perth Utd, so they can take their family to a game. Perth is too big to be a one footy town.

5. Darwin is obvious. Our gateway city to Asia and with sublime indigenous talent. It would attract considerable TV audience and stimulate the town.

6. Ireland Fighters. See my comments in a post above. Ive played local footy with plenty of blokes from Ireland, and they love it. Footy belongs in Ireland, and over time, I can for see it overtaking Hurling and Gaelic. An AFL team in Ireland is a no brainer.

7. London FC. A town of about 12Million people and 65Million in England. The link between England and Australia is deep rooted. Heaps of Aussie expats in England, and the English know our game well. Again, based on the quality of the product, I think a London based team could attract considerable sponsorship, viewership and attendances. it could be a big club. I gave it a 68% 'strength' rating by 2050. Stronger than GWS.

8. Launceston. As mentioned numerous times, Nth Tasmania has a population of 250,000 people and footy is the dominant sport. Obviously they will field a competitive team, and subsequently become a viable club.

9. Cairns. A major growing city, expected to have 350,000 people by 2050. I have lived there and found the a vibrant footy culture. They will field a good Div 2/3 side.

10. Houston and New York are mere speculations. But if LA becomes a success, I think entrepreneurs will jump at the opportunity to have rights to a football team in a major US capital city, representing the most dynamic football code on earth.

11. Bendigo, Ballarat, Albury/Wodonga, Bunbury, Shepparton ect - All quite evident. Regional Football cities with populations of between 80-120k They will fill their local stadiums and fight for Div2 entry.

Do you want me to keep going?
Click to expand...

No.

And not one of those mentioned above gives any solid basis from which to predict team strength 30 years from now.
 
Kwality said:
Are the administrators dinkum or is it an excuse for a junket with the Commissioners asleep as usual.
Click to expand...

Oakley says they recieved a proposal for a NZ team in 1987 in The Phoenix Rises. I cant remember how serious it was, Ill have to get the book out when i get home from work.

Otherwise, no proposals have ever really been canvassed that Im aware of.

It was a thought bubble by Mclachlan in 2012 who essentially said that if the AFL was going to put a team anywhere overseas it would most likely be NZ.

Asked about the prospect of increased New Zealand matches and eventually a New Zealand-based club, McLachlan says it could not be ruled out.

"Whether it's a team in 10 years, I'd love to think it was," he said.
Click to expand...

www.abc.net.au

NZ just step one for expansion-keen AFL

The AFL hopes its first overseas match for premiership points in New Zealand next year paves the way for fixtures around the world.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au


In 2013, John Key - then NZ PM - evidently said that NZ should have an AFL team, as it had NRL teams, NBL teams and A-league teams already. Demetriou never moved on it after he said hed talk to him later.

''Let's get real,'' he said. ''We've got to get a New Zealand side in the AFL. We've got the Breakers and we've got the Warriors - well, they've been struggling a bit lately - we need our own AFL team.''
Click to expand...

www.theage.com.au

We want AFL team: Kiwis

Having achieved a long-held AFL dream of hosting a premiership match outside Australia, St Kilda, the team that sealed the deal, could not quite manage the fairytale.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au

About the same time, Tony Woods said they were keeping an eye on NZ, but nothing definitive, and the AFLs international strategic plan hasnt exactly been spectacular over the years in any case.

''New Zealand sits prominently within our international strategic plan,'' says the AFL's international development manager, Tony Woods, who played for Hawthorn in that exhibition match against the Bulldogs in Wellington 13 years ago. ''The market conditions are ready.''
Click to expand...

www.smh.com.au

Putting the AFL boot into Wellington

Wellington has gone footy-mad. The mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, has a mannequin dressed up in St Kilda colours in her office. St Kilda is playing the Sydney Swans at Westpac Stadium, a boutique 35,000 seater nicknamed the Cake Tin.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au

asked again in 2016, Mclachlan was pretty vague


‘I don’t think people would have contemplated a lot of things that have happened in the last 30 years in our game,’ the AFL boss told Neil Mitchell on Friday.
‘If you take a 30-year view, New Zealand is the most likely opportunity for expansion.
‘The time zone is relevant, they’ve got ovals, they’re good athletes and after rugby union there’s no dominant second sport.
‘It’s not on the radar for tomorrow, but it’s visionary.’
Click to expand...

www.3aw.com.au

Gillon McLachlan says New Zealand 'most likely' country for international team

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says New Zealand is the most likely location for the league’s first internationally-based team. While not on the agenda short-term, McLachlan said it could happen within 30 years. McLachlan said there’d undoubtedly be critics of the idea, but you should never say never...
www.3aw.com.au www.3aw.com.au
 
It's not the job of the AfL to 'put' a side anywhere.
The AFL only needs to create a system where sides can enter organically.

This can ONLY be done with a divisional, free market league.
 
Tonatopia said:
It's not the job of the AfL to 'put' a side anywhere.
Click to expand...

Its literally part of the AFLs job to decide who gets in to the league and where they are located, with the consent of the clubs. Like, in its constitution and all. You not wanting it doesnt change it.

The AFL only needs to create a system where sides can enter organically.
Click to expand...

Which its not going to. rendering this pointless.

This can ONLY be done with a divisional, free market league.
Click to expand...

Well thats demonstrably not true.
Every professional league in Australia has done it for years. The AFL has done it since 1981. The NRL has done it since 1982. The A-league did it en masse in 2005. The NBL since 1979. SuperRugby since 2011. The BBL since 2011.

Overseas, The NFL since 1920, the NBA since 1946. The NHL since 1917. The CFL since 1981. The IPL since 2007. PSL since 2016. Im sure there are others.
 
Kwality said:
Are the administrators dinkum or is it an excuse for a junket with the Commissioners asleep as usual.
Click to expand...

Hawthorn did a lot in N.Z. and then they handed it to St Kilda.
Wellington was good result for a cold windy town of 400,000.
The AFL had various school participation programs with excellent numbers.
The target was Auckland but it stalled with lack of a stadium then covid came along.
 
The_Wookie said:
Its literally part of the AFLs job to decide who gets in to the league and where they are located, with the consent of the clubs. Like, in its constitution and all. You not wanting it doesnt change it.
Click to expand...
Unless the club's vote for change. Which may happen.

The more you say it's impossible and will 'Never' happen, the stupider you seem.

Of course liberation of our game will happen. It's the best way to grow the game.
 
Tonatopia said:
Unless the club's vote for change. Which may happen.
Click to expand...

It wont.

The more you say it's impossible and will 'Never' happen, the stupider you seem.
Click to expand...

The more you post, the more you demonstrate how little you understand how we got here.

Of course liberation of our game will happen. It's the best way to grow the game.
Click to expand...

In your opinion. theres no "of course" about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Seedsfan
National Reserves Comp
Replies
13
Views
2K
Breretonisahood
B
The_Wookie
  • Sticky
Play Nice 2024 AFL TV Ratings
2 3 4 5
Replies
113
Views
10K
The_Wookie
The_Wookie
The_Wookie
  • Sticky
Play Nice 2024 AFL and State League Attendance
26 27 28 29 30
Replies
730
Views
32K
MelbourneGWS
M
The_Wookie
  • Locked
2024 AFL TV Ratings and Streaming
2
Replies
46
Views
3K
The_Wookie
The_Wookie
The_Wookie
Play Nice 2024 Non AFL Crowds/Ratings and other Industry thread
13 14 15 16 17
Replies
400
Views
20K
weewilly
W
The_Wookie
Historic AFL/AFLW Joint CBA Signed
Replies
6
Views
772
Walshawk
Walshawk
The_Wookie
Andrew Ireland & Matt De Boer appointed to AFL Commission
Replies
15
Views
2K
Freomaniac
Freomaniac

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top