The AFL wants 22 teams. Name your next four.

[Coolangatta]

It’ll be quite some time before the NT or NQ is ready so until then they just need to have better outcomes as secondary markets. A long-term arrangement like the Giants in Canberra would be good for now.

I really think WA3 is inevitable too. Especially if the NRL expand there. Imagine a new NRL club having to compete against 3 AFL clubs in Perth, it would surely blow them out of the water. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in this space because if the NRL dither with team #18 then I can see a scenario where the AFL could push ahead with WA3 to make the NRL’s task that much harder.

I don’t know WA well enough so maybe I’ve got it wrong. Would there be enough expat Poms, Kiwis and South Africans in Perth to make it worthwhile irrespective of what the AFL does?

A Perth team could absolutely work, if it isn't affiliated with a WAFL club and appeals to parochial West Aussie themes like Quokkas mascot and black and gold colours with a catchy theme song.

There's enough that could sign up initially and then the new kids born in the next decade or two not tied to Eagles or Freo might get on board with team 3 for the same reason they migrate to TikTok cause their parents are on Facebook.

That or if they're willing to wait 15-20 years, a South-West Sharks team based in Bunbury. It could work but it isn't risk free and it doesn't grow the game. Like you said, though, the AFL might do it if the NRL makes a move west. These expansion wars have all the makings of a tragic comedy.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Yeah, not bad.

Tbh as long as NT-FNQ and Canberra can get in I don't care if there's anymore expansion after that, whether it's 20 or 22 teams.

20 team comp would probably be better for quality and chances of winning a flag but that would mean one Vic club burns to to the ground or moves to Canberra or the Giants fail and reboot in Canberra (I'd prefer NT-FNQ to have their own unique team with Indigenous flag colours).

Ideally we would have a true national competition for the only Australian invented sports code. Tasmania, Canberra and NT-NQ with a relocated or merged Victorian team to stay at 20 teams. But I don’t think any Victorian team will merge or relocate, so it might be WA3 to make it 22, and the struggling Victorian teams selling games to regional secondary markets?

 

[Coolangatta]

Ideally we would have a true national competition for the only Australian invented sports code. Tasmania, Canberra and NT-NQ with a relocated or merged Victorian team to stay at 20 teams. But I don’t think any Victorian team will merge or relocate, so it might be WA3 to make it 22, and the struggling Victorian teams selling games to regional secondary markets?

Exactly my thoughts.

Can't see any Vic side moving or merging. But one of them could go bust? Is that even possible? The AFL could just continue keeping them alive if they wanted.

So if that's the case, I'd go with:

19. Tasmania
20. Canberra

20 year wait

21. South-West WA
22. Northern Australia

I still think the AFL will have their eye on Sunshine Coast, Hunter region, Illawarra region, and maybe Sydney 3 and NZ, though. Don't ask me how they fit all of those into one league, though.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Exactly my thoughts.

Can't see any Vic side moving or merging. But one of them could go bust? Is that even possible? The AFL could just continue keeping them alive if they wanted.

So if that's the case, I'd go with:

19. Tasmania
20. Canberra

20 year wait

21. South-West WA
22. Northern Australia

I still think the AFL will have their eye on Sunshine Coast, Hunter region, Illawarra region, and maybe Sydney 3 and NZ, though. Don't ask me how they fit all of those into one league, though.

I think the biggest obstacle, and I know it’s been discussed in the AFL 20th team thread, is that the AFL goes for WA3 after Tasmania. I also doubt that the AFL will let any of the Victorian team go bust and will continue to financially support Norths, St Kilda, Bulldogs and the Dees.

 

[Coolangatta]

I think the biggest obstacle, and I know it’s been discussed in the AFL 20th team thread, is that the AFL goes for WA3 after Tasmania. I also doubt that the AFL will let any of the Victorian team go bust and will continue to financially support Norths, St Kilda, Bulldogs and the Dees.

If that's the case, then:

19. Tasmania
20. Perth (too soon for SW-WA unless you go for a long-term investment)

21. Canberra
22. NT-NQLD

I'm afraid Canberra could miss out altogether though if WA3 gets in before them.

Alternatively, they wait 10 years after Tasmania and go early for Newcastle/Hunter. Then next expansion, Illawarra/Wollongong, Sunshine Coast or NT-FNQ. If they weren't going to expand beyond 22 teams, that's probably what they'd do, ignoring Canberra and NT-FNQ (the NT will probably only get up cause of NQLD interest), and just having the capital as a secondary market.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Relocation of sides or mergers would have to be on the table again to get to 22 sides, I feel. Gives them the best opportunity to get a foothold in the comp.

Obviously, there’s a few Melbourne based sides that are continually brought up due their financial position, and I can only imagine that the jungle drums will be beating a lot more in 3-5 years time, if their bottom lines don’t improve.

Tasmania
NT Thunder
South Sydney
Perth

Would be the sides that I think make sense.

 

[Coolangatta]

Relocation of sides or mergers would have to be on the table again to get to 22 sides, I feel. Gives them the best opportunity to get a foothold in the comp.

Obviously, there’s a few Melbourne based sides that are continually brought up due their financial position, and I can only imagine that the jungle drums will be beating a lot more in 3-5 years time, if their bottom lines don’t improve.

Tasmania
NT Thunder
South Sydney
Perth

Would be the sides that I think make sense.

Maybe, we'll see.

As for your picks (and people of course can critique mine if they like):

Tassie? Yep, for sure.

NT Thunder? Maybe 30-40 years from now and probably better off as a joint team with FNQ. Thunder is too close to Power, go with Crocodiles I reckon, or Dreamtime, or something Indigenous themed, and black/yellow/gold colours.

South Sydney? Two teams in Sydney makes sense to develop a rivalry. Three? Nah. Better to have two strong Sydney clubs, long-term, than three with one of them probably struggling. Why South Sydney over Canberra? If I were going to add NSW3 and 4, I'd get outside of Sydney and look to the Hunter region and the Illawarra region.

Perth? Not really needed but as a local, if they're going to go with that, so be it. Make them state black and colours and something like Quokkas or Numbats or it won't work.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Maybe, we'll see.

As for your picks (and people of course can critique mine if they like):

Tassie? Yep, for sure.

NT Thunder? Maybe 30-40 years from now and probably better off as a joint team with FNQ. Thunder is too close to Power, go with Crocodiles I reckon, or Dreamtime, or something Indigenous themed, and black/yellow/gold colours.

South Sydney? Two teams in Sydney makes sense to develop a rivalry. Three? Nah. Better to have two strong Sydney clubs, long-term, than three with one of them probably struggling. Why South Sydney over Canberra? If I were going to add NSW3 and 4, I'd get outside of Sydney and look to the Hunter region and the Illawarra region.

Perth? Not really needed but as a local, if they're going to go with that, so be it. Make them state black and colours and something like Quokkas or Numbats or it won't work.

NT thunder already exist though. They’re a straight inclusion from that point.

South Sydney would be a relocated side in my mind. Not a stand alone.

 

[troybe]

NT thunder already exist though. They’re a straight inclusion from that point.

South Sydney would be a relocated side in my mind. Not a stand alone.

There’s no way a team would move to an existing market. Moving to Canberra, Cairns or Tassie would make more sense.

 

[bradfisher14]

Tassie
Third Perth team
Third Adelaide team
Canberra I guess

 

[bhoysdontcry67]

Tasmania Devils
NT Crocs
Margaret River Sharks
ACT Fury

 

[Canberra Pear]

You have a reasonable point there about getting in first, not sure if the risk v reward is strong enough to justify it though. I guess my concerns are that it’s taking Gold Coast a long time to become established with 700k population and a significantly stronger footy culture (granted the club was run poorly at the start of its existence).

Population projections for the Sunny Coast are to reach 500k by 2041, so it’s a long way off even being on the radar. SE QLD won’t need a 3rd club for a long time, but if/when it does, there could even be stronger arguments for a 2nd Brisbane club (e.g. based in the Moreton Bay/Ipswich regions) since they will be able to utilise a rebuilt Gabba and serve a much bigger population base. Like I said, there’s no rush to expand to the SC since it’s only 100kms away from Brisbane and the transport links between the cities are improving. The Lions and Suns both need to be rock-solid off field before a 3rd team can be contemplated.

If Team 20 comes in the early-to-mid 2030s, a Sunshine Coast team wouldn't come in before 2050. By that point they'll be about 650k (including Noosa which isn't technically included in the Sunshine Coast Region).

Plenty of time to lay the groundwork, but that's up to the AFL to decide their priorities.

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

If Team 20 comes in the early-to-mid 2030s, a Sunshine Coast team wouldn't come in before 2050. By that point they'll be about 650k (including Noosa which isn't technically included in the Sunshine Coast Region).

Plenty of time to lay the groundwork, but that's up to the AFL to decide their priorities.

SC would definitely be in a better position by 2050, but by the same token, Brisbane could possibly have 4 million people by then so why would it be considered above a second Brisbane club? You’d have the Lions serving a community of 4 million and the SC serving 650k (smaller than GC at present). For me, it just doesn’t make much sense when there are highway upgrades, new train lines etc heading to the Sunny Coast which will improve their accessibility to attend events in Brisbane anyway.

 

[Canberra Pear]

SC would definitely be in a better position by 2050, but by the same token, Brisbane could possibly have 4 million people by then so why would it be considered above a second Brisbane club? You’d have the Lions serving a community of 4 million and the SC serving 650k (smaller than GC at present). For me, it just doesn’t make much sense when there are highway upgrades, new train lines etc heading to the Sunny Coast which will improve their accessibility to attend events in Brisbane anyway.

Fair point. By 2050, the Sunshine Coast will pretty much be North Brisbane.

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

Fair point. By 2050, the Sunshine Coast will pretty much be North Brisbane.

Pretty sure this has been the NRL’s thinking with the Dolphins: the team for Brisbane’s Northern Corridor (Moreton Bay) extending up to the Sunny Coast.

A way that the AFL could potentially use Sunshine Coast for 3rd Qld club, is by calling them something like the ‘Queensland Crocs’ with 7 games on SC and 4 in Cairns. Getting regional and North Queensland on board might be a way to broaden the club’s supporter base and compete with the other clubs. You’d then have the Lions representing Brisbane, Suns GC and Northern NSW and the Crocs the rest of Qld. Might not work because the intrastate rivalry is genuinely the SE vs everywhere else, but something like this may be the only thing to make it viable in my opinion.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Pretty sure this has been the NRL’s thinking with the Dolphins: the team for Brisbane’s Northern Corridor (Moreton Bay) extending up to the Sunny Coast.

Getting regional and North Queensland on board might be a way to broaden the club’s supporter base and compete with the other clubs. You’d then have the Lions representing Brisbane, Suns GC and Northern NSW and the Crocs the rest of Qld. Might not work because the intrastate rivalry is genuinely the SE vs everywhere else, but something like this may be the only thing to make it viable in my opinion.

In the interim, I think Gold Coast should be playing the 2 games that they have sold to Darwin in Cairns/ regional Queensland, I know that Gold Coast currently has NT academy access, but this will help the Brisbane vs the rest of Queensland rivalry and grow the game in a crucial expansion state? In 2023 we have no AFL game in Cairns, as even financially struggling St Kilda, has decided to move that one game they play in Cairns to Melbourne. I would have thought that the AFL, as part of its financial support to St Kilda, would have insisted on them continuing to play in North Queensland to grow the game?

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

In the interim, I think Gold Coast should be playing the 2 games that they have sold to Darwin in Cairns/ regional Queensland, I know that Gold Coast currently has NT academy access, but this will help the Brisbane vs the rest of Queensland rivalry and grow the game in a crucial expansion state? In 2023 we have no AFL game in Cairns, as even financially struggling St Kilda, has decided to move that one game they play in Cairns to Melbourne. I would have thought that the AFL, as part of its financial support to St Kilda, would have insisted on them continuing to play in North Queensland to grow the game?

For sure. That makes too much sense. Suns need to be playing two games in Cairns. Gifting them the NT academy zone could only have been a ploy to turn their on-field fortunes around but it’s short term thinking that’s not in the best interests of footy in NQ or NT. It’s a disgrace that there aren’t any games in Cairns this year.

 

[Coolangatta]

I think the Tasmania multi-home ground model is a good blueprint for stopping expansion from going too far.

Top End round permanent addition if NT and NQLD can’t ever have teams. Otherwise, they’d have Darwin, Alice Springs, Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, and maybe Sunshine Coast covered. Suns and Lions could always sell a game each there.

Canberra can cover the Riverina.
New Perth side can perhaps do a game down south-west way. Joondalup is close enough to Optus…

North Sydney can cover Newcastle, Wollongong, maybe Central Coast.

You’d be looking at 22-24 teams max.

 

[smasha]

Two Richmond teams(too big for the AFL).

 

[Coolangatta]

Two Richmond teams(too big for the AFL).

Richmond Tigers
Richmond Bengal Tigers playing an annual game in India

 

[DaddyMac80]

Tasmania Uncle-Brothers
West Perth w***ers
Norwood Knob-Ends
Canberra Filth

 

[1990crow]

Tasmania Devils
Canberra Griffins
Sunshine Coast Sharks
NT Crocodiles

 

[troybe]

Tassie Thylacines
Darwin Dingos
Perth United Panthers
Cairns Copperheads

 

[Coolangatta]

Tasmania Uncle-Brothers
West Perth w***ers
Norwood Knob-Ends
Canberra Filth

Tasmania Terrorists
West Perth Pedophiles
Norwood Necrophiliacs
Canberra Child Abductors
Adelaide Arsonists
Brisbane Blackmailers
Carlton Child Killers
Fremantle Fraudsters
Collingwood Concealed Weapons
Geelong Genocide
Gold Coast Ghosting
Greater Western Sydney Serial Killers
Hawthorn Homicide
Melbourne Murderers
North Melbourne Needle Junkies
Port Adelaide Public Nuisance
Richmond Robberies
St Kilda Stalkers
Sydney Sucker Punchers
West Coast War Profiteers
Western Bitch Bulldogs
Essendon Bombers

 

[Tigerlaird]

Tassie Thylacines
Darwin Dingos
Perth United Panthers
Cairns Copperheads

I will be dissapointed if any future AFL team other than a South Australian one uses the Panther mascot.