We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. It's either a national competition or it isn't. I think it's arrogant when Victorian clubs to try to retain inherited advantages whilst pretending to run a national competition. Again, I think it's about integrity. This is not the VFL, and the days when I used to jump on a tram at 11 o'clock on a Saturday morning to take a short ride across town to catch the second half of the reserves, and then enter the quarter by quarter scores from all six games into the Footy Record... long gone.
A couple of years ago I used frequent flyer points to go see my team play an interstate final. There was no reserves game. It's the AFL, not the VFL.
I agree with you completely that aspects of history and culture are well worth preserving and celebrating, but perpetual advantages to Victorians because of Victorian football traditions undermine the fairness of a national competition.
You really are Mr Likeable
It's funny how most Victorian's (not you, if you are one) bleat that us interstaters have chips on our shoulders or paranoid when we dare mention how Vic Centric the AFL is, then on the other hand will say how perpetual Victorian advantages are because of tradition or because us Johnny Come Lately's joined their comp.
Sure the argument that the Vic clubs are the foundation of the comp are true, but did any Victorian dream that the V (A)FL comp would be what it is today? The sheer money involved? Without the "interstate" teams virtually none of this would have been possible. It would still be a provincial comp spending more money than it earns. AFL House should keep this in mind when constyantly pandering to Victorian interests.