Suns to play in Darwin, replacing Melbourne

Johnny Bananas

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Given the rumours that the AFL will add Darwin to the Suns academy zone, I reckon this was one of the conditions of the deal. Alice is a shorter flight for the Demons and has cooler winter weather than Darwin, so I wonder if they'll be upping their Alice games to two per year instead.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Given the rumours that the AFL will add Darwin to the Suns academy zone, I reckon this was one of the conditions of the deal. Alice is a shorter flight for the Demons and has cooler winter weather than Darwin, so I wonder if they'll be upping their Alice games to two per year instead.

Is this one off, a home game or is it just a change of Melbourne club - cant access your link (me?)
Is it an extra game being moved out of the oversupplied Melbourne market.

Given the NT Govt kick the $can, as the Tas Govt purse underwrites the funding of the Hawks & North, do you think the NT would see the appeal of the Suns, the tourism, the TV coverage.
 
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But not content with this, the NT News offer a ridiculous theory of the Suns moving to Darwin full-time. If the Suns can't make it work in a city of 650 000, why would they suddenly make it work in a city of 150 000?


Ballarat has a population of 100,000 plus only, the Vic Govt is underwriting games (2pa) there. They arent suggesting moving there though.
 
Is this one off, a home game or is it just a change of Melbourne club - cant access your link (me?)
Is it an extra game being moved out of the oversupplied Melbourne market.

Given the NT Govt kick the $can, as the Tas Govt purse underwrites the funding of the Hawks & North, do you think the NT would see the appeal of the Suns, the tourism, the TV coverage.

According to the gc board, one off in 2020 and potentially more in 2021

Front page alludes to a big Melbourne club being the away team. Given dons have tiwi islands as their zone, maybe them??
 
But not content with this, the NT News offer a ridiculous theory of the Suns moving to Darwin full-time. If the Suns can't make it work in a city of 650 000, why would they suddenly make it work in a city of 150 000?

Darwin would be more passionate IMO. What they lack in crowd behaviour they make up for in top end pride.
 
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According to the gc board, one off in 2020 and potentially more in 2021

Front page alludes to a big Melbourne club being the away team. Given dons have tiwi islands as their zone, maybe them??

Cant see the Dons giving up a home game - not sure how the Suns can ever get a regular following by the AFL ignoring its home base.
Anyone likely to question WHY this would even be considered.
 
Cant see the Dons giving up a home game - not sure how the Suns can ever get a regular following by the AFL ignoring its home base.
Anyone likely to question WHY this would even be considered.

Speculation it's a precondition of GC getting NT as a permanent zone.
 
Sep 28, 2011
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Cant see the Dons giving up a home game - not sure how the Suns can ever get a regular following by the AFL ignoring its home base.
Anyone likely to question WHY this would even be considered.
Talk of NT becoming an academy zone in our 'concessions' of ours and this would be one of conditions of it. Again, none of this has been confirmed, so who knows.
 
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What they lack is numbers and businesses. That can't be made up.
The demographic of a population is what’s Important not the total number putting a team in Darwin would be no more stupid then what the afl are trying to do on the Gold Coast they would at least have some indigenous players wanting to go there how many of those 650,000 on the coast have any interest in afl what so ever western Sydney is a great example have an area of over 4 million people to draw from and average just 12,000 to home games people need to get away from this obsession with posting these population and potential growth figures that have proven so far to be absolutely worthless
 
Moving the chess pieces around at HQ, benefit to GC nil.

Bullshit, get your vicco conspiracy theory beer goggles off (for once this doesn't even involve Victoria)

Gold coast are getting Darwin for free, a zone all clubs currently get access to (if the AFL interactive map I read is up to date). In return, they are being asked to invest in the region and take it over.

Personally if I was the gc I would wa nt us playing there and not Melbourne anyway, to better enhance the likelihood of academy kids kicking on with you
 
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The demographic of a population is what’s Important not the total number putting a team in Darwin would be no more stupid then what the afl are trying to do on the Gold Coast they would at least have some indigenous players wanting to go there how many of those 650,000 on the coast have any interest in afl what so ever western Sydney is a great example have an area of over 4 million people to draw from and average just 12,000 to home games people need to get away from this obsession with posting these population and potential growth figures that have proven so far to be absolutely worthless
A post questioning GC as a club and look who turns up...
 
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Bulls**t, get your vicco conspiracy theory beer goggles off (for once this doesn't even involve Victoria)

Gold coast are getting Darwin for free, a zone all clubs currently get access to (if the AFL interactive map I read is up to date). In return, they are being asked to invest in the region and take it over.

Personally if I was the gc I would wa nt us playing there and not Melbourne anyway, to better enhance the likelihood of academy kids kicking on with you

So is it some conspiracy or simply muddle headed thinking at HQ. Dum as doggy do AGAIN by AFL House dealing with the Suns ignoring the need to build their base at home.

As for the zone, not sure how its anticipated they will service it, its only days since HQ moved the deck chairs in NT without telling the NT Govt who help fund the programs.

IF thats anti Vic bias, I'll take it every time, its dum as doggy do management practice.
 
So is it some conspiracy or simply muddle headed thinking at HQ. Dum as doggy do AGAIN by AFL House dealing with the Suns ignoring the need to build their base at home.

As for the zone, not sure how its anticipated they will service it, its only days since HQ moved the deck chairs in NT without telling the NT Govt who help fund the programs.

IF that anti Vic bias, I'll take it every time, its dum as doggy do management practice.

Less govt are involved in development programs IMO the better, no sure why you think they are awesome

As for funding, the NGA are base funded by the AFL, and the rest by the club (so the AFL in the GC case)

GC case isn't getting punters on board. Membership and attendances are holding in spite of some horrid games. Their issue is retaining talent. Getting them more access to top end talent (they also have FNQ) will reduce their dependence on Victoria are a talent source, and hopefully reduce the go home effect.

Also gws has shown this Canberra you can develop a supporter base in two regions of you plan Well and do it properly
 
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Less govt are involved in development programs IMO the better, no sure why you think they are awesome

As for funding, the NGA are base funded by the AFL, and the rest by the club (so the AFL in the GC case)

GC case isn't getting punters on board. Membership and attendances are holding in spite of some horrid games. Their issue is retaining talent. Getting them more access to top end talent (they also have FNQ) will reduce their dependence on Victoria are a talent source, and hopefully reduce the go home effect.

Also gws has shown this Canberra you can develop a supporter base in two regions of you plan Well and do it properly

Missed the point if there is one.
 
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Might want to check your facts mate pretty sure it was johnie bananas who posted Darwin wouldn’t work if the suns can’t make it work with 650,000 population I was just giving a response to his comment why don’t you send a smart arse response to him 🤫
While sticking the boot into GWS and GC could have easily made the point without putting in 'how many of those 650,000 on the coast have any interest in afl what so ever'. Maybe I misunderstood what you were getting at, if so I apologize.
 

Johnny Bananas

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Might want to check your facts mate pretty sure it was johnie bananas who posted Darwin wouldn’t work if the suns can’t make it work with 650,000 population I was just giving a response to his comment why don’t you send a smart arse response to him 🤫
I'm not surprised your reading comprehension is incredibly poor. My comment was in relation to the NT News engaging in fanciful speculation that the Suns would move to Darwin. Darwin simply won't work for anyone due to a lack of population and businesses. For the record I believe the Suns will be successful on the Gold Coast. As Ned_Flanders said, their issue is talent and the NT zone will help with that.
 
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I'm not surprised your reading comprehension is incredibly poor. My comment was in relation to the NT News engaging in fanciful speculation that the Suns would move to Darwin. Darwin simply won't work for anyone due to a lack of population and businesses. For the record I believe the Suns will be successful on the Gold Coast. As Ned_Flanders said, their issue is talent and the NT zone will help with that.

How does the NT zone help?

TERRITORY Thunder’s representative face may be gone, but AFLNT boss Stuart Totham is still confident better player pathways can be created from the wreckage of the 11-year NEAFL operation.

A separate issue should be whether the Gold Coast Coast Suns should be used to fill the void.
 
How does the NT zone help?

TERRITORY Thunder’s representative face may be gone, but AFLNT boss Stuart Totham is still confident better player pathways can be created from the wreckage of the 11-year NEAFL operation.

A separate issue should be whether the Gold Coast Coast Suns should be used to fill the void.

The thunder and the NGA are two seperate things, the NGA is about getting to kids BEFORE they are age eligible for the likes of the tac cup, neafl, etc

The issue of where nt juniors play pre-draft is a separate question, and one that needs a solution.
 

Johnny Bananas

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How does the NT zone help?
Shouldn't it be obvious? It represents a bigger talent base to work with. Obviously it will require some investment from the Suns and the AFL to increase the number of draftable players. But fewer draftable players at present doesn't mean zero. Malcolm Rosas Jr coming through this year is a draftable prospect, I'm sure some others will emerge in years to come too.
 
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I'm not surprised your reading comprehension is incredibly poor. My comment was in relation to the NT News engaging in fanciful speculation that the Suns would move to Darwin. Darwin simply won't work for anyone due to a lack of population and businesses. For the record I believe the Suns will be successful on the Gold Coast. As Ned_Flanders said, their issue is talent and the NT zone will help with that.
Maybe it’s your comprehension that isn’t great read a post in full before getting on your high horse I said you posted I didn’t say it was your opinion re the suns topic as I already know where you stand on the suns as for them taking on the nt zone to get more talent in I don’t think it’s a great idea having groups of young indigenous players based on a party strip is a recipe for diaster really ahhchee and Bennell two examples the wa and sa clubs would be much better placed to take on that zone and as for there not be much talent coming through in the territory it’s the Same as Tasmania the AFL have had tunnel vision only putting resources into nsw and Queensland now were seing the results in the under resourced areas!
 
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