Expansion Third WA-Based AFL Club ??

[LordLucifer]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...-sound-out-royals-about-being-third-afl-club/

West Perth are preparing an audacious bid to become Perth's third AFL club as support builds for another team to rival West Coast and Fremantle in WA.

President Brett Raponi revealed the Falcons had held informal discussions with the City of Joondalup about a joint bid for an AFL licence and would approach arch rivals East Perth to strengthen their case.

East Perth chief executive Alex Wilson said the Royals would "never say never" to the idea of banding together with West Perth.

The proposed club already has a working title - the Joondalup Royal Falcons - incorporating the history and tradition of both WAFL clubs and the local council in the expanding northern corridor. It would be based at Arena Joondalup and games would be played at Perth's major stadium.

Now this would make things interesting !!!

Don't mind the idea at all but would prefer to see one of the Melbourne clubs disappear for it to happen.

The size of the competition should not go over 16 teams as it makes it too hard to schedule matches and an equal draw.

GWS & GC make it 18 and if this bid was successful it would take it to 19 - just way too many clubs and too much of a stretch on the talent pool.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

Sounds like they have come up with a pretty viable option for a 3rd WA side and are prepared for if the AFL goes to 20 teams with Tasmania

 

[mobitout]

Will they make it after 2012?

 

[Subprime]

Perth is a bit more identifiable than Joondalup no?

Why not get the Perth Demons involved as well and call it the Perth Royal Falcons?

sounds a bit IPL but everyone's got a piece of it

 

[RUNVS]

Looking at the crowds West Coast and Fremantle get i think the AFL could easily justify Western Australia needing another AFL team.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Apparently West Perth and East Perth are putting bids in on it

 

[drummond2fevola]

If this did happen, it wouldn't be until at least 2018 or thereabouts.
They would do the same thing as they're doing now, bring in 2 new teams over 2 years.

 

[bighit006]

A long way away if it does happen.

 

[Danog]

Perth and Tassie in 2017/2018. Sounds alright to me.

 

[mehow2g]

New stadium please

 

[HSSB]

Although I like the idea, why should they make another Perth team when Freo hasn't even won a Premiership? Tasmania before WA for sure, and maybe a NT team, not sure how that would go though..

 

[wce4premiership]

Would mean i could get a membership. WA can handle an extra team though we get great crowds.

 

[Spluff]

Won't happen for a while, the AFL will want to let the waters settle after GC/GWS. I'd expect there would be at least an 8 year gap between the introduction of GWS and any new teams, if only to inject some talent back into the remaining teams.

 

[Vaders_2nd]

Perth and Tassie in 2017/2018. Sounds alright to me.

Agree.

I think Western Sydney will fail though.

 

[kane249]

New stadium please

Step 1 should be this

After we've got a new stadium let's then talk about a new team

 

[blues4flag]

Can we really handle an extra 4 teams in the competition over the next decade?

Would only result in a lower quality game as we'll have an extra 88 players each weekend.

I'd be thinking 2020 at the absolute earliest and probably closer to 2030 before we expand again beyong WS and the GC. 10-15 years of being in the competition will hopefully see a larger grassroots presence in both those areas and see an increase in the number of players being drafted from there.

We need to see a substantial increase in players drafted from NSW in particular before a further expansion becomes plausible, for mine.

Besides, I don't think the AFL will want to be propping up 4 teams in their early years.

 

[Billy Hunt]

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/af...-would-kill-wafl/story-e6frg1wu-1225849322427

KEVIN Sheedy has warned of the perils of introducing a third WA side into the AFL, saying it would destroy the WAFL and harm football development in the state.

The coaching legend said bringing in a new WA team - flagged by AFL boss Andrew Demetriou in the off-season - would damage the production of talent in one of the country's most fertile recruiting areas.
But Sheedy said WA football should focus on having two strong clubs.

"That would push the WAFL back to somewhere nearly being like the Sunday amateurs," Sheedy said.

"I think the WAFL's crucial. Along with the SANFL, it really underpins the game. You've got to have strong talent flows coming through WA.

"It would be probably more important to stick a third team in Sydney where there's six million people."

Sheedy, coach of the Greater Western Sydney team to enter the AFL in 2012, said West Coast and Fremantle were positioned to become competition forces but their future prosperity was threatened by uncertainty over the building of a new stadium.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

If they are to have a third team, it really needs to be in the Mandurah area, the only think though is that they'd have to build a Kardinya Park size stadium to accommodate it.

 

[blue gunslinger]

The problem I would have is it hurts other sports. With a limited number of sponsors we have seen it difficult to get $$ into other sports eg basketball, motor racing etc
Footy esp AFL is the big monster that is really putting the screws on other sports financially. A 3rd team would really hurt an already struggling market.

 

[honkster7]

just the thought of merging with the garlic munchers has ruined my day , its bad enough playing at leederville

 

[Rob]

The problem I would have is it hurts other sports. With a limited number of sponsors we have seen it difficult to get $$ into other sports eg basketball, motor racing etc
Footy esp AFL is the big monster that is really putting the screws on other sports financially. A 3rd team would really hurt an already struggling market.

Yeah, because that's something the AFL should consider.

And Perth aint a struggling market.

 

[Duskfire]

New stadium first, and then we can talk about a third team. Although it doesnt seem like W.A needs a third. Maybe if one of the Vic Teams was to fold.

 

[Mr Eagle]

I'm all for forward planning, but I would have thought the WAFL clubs had better things to worry about than going all Port Adelaide on us...

 

[craxzydan]

I hate the idea of a 3rd team ...... North of River v South of River against what?

Further North (Joondalup?) / Further South (Mandurah?)

Andrew Shitface is business man he's for the MONEY and NOT for the AFL!

all this $$$ should be put into helping clubs like melb and rich from going bankrupt not giving out new licenses making a NBA style W v E?

I reckon he should focus on making the AFL stronger by reinforcing clubs e.g. Melb, Rich, NM port etc... not expanding trying to destroy the NRL... kill soccer yeh but not the NRL

 

[Wanbli]

I'd personally rather see a new team in Tassie, North Queensland or even a team representing the country's interior and NT (not sure where they'd be based though, Alice is too small and Darwin perhaps too far away). And these options only if another team folds.