Mega Thread VICBias - Genuine Discussion Part 2

[PenfoldsFan]

Who's they

Correct, the ones controlling the narrative are controlling for their own self interest. It's not a collective conspiracy wanting to punch down on non vic, which seems to be the theory around here.

Eddie's interest is likely self, one of those interests would be for Collingwood, not the sole one.

Agreed, but when Eddie acts on his(Collingwoods) best interest, and the Vic media act on their(Geelongs) best interest, and the Umpires act on their(Hawks/Dogs) best interest, etc. etc. and it all benefits Vic clubs, then the outcomes collectively punch down on non Vics.

Its the old death by a thousand cuts.

 

[Pistol Night]

We have traded our 1st picks for experienced players. Many thought we were crazy to do so.
However, apart from one year, we haven't had the opportunity to secure a high draft pick, unlike many clubs, including Fremantle. Where would you be without Serong and Brayshaw? Now, you are trading high picks for guys like Bolton.

Look at Hawthorn, Geelong.

But, your question reinforces the argument. There are numerous ways to build a list. The opportunity is there. The difference is that the good clubs make the most of a strategy, while the poor clubs fail.

Carlton and Essendon destroy any Vicbias weight to this argument

 

[VinnieB]

Carlton and Essendon destroy any Vicbias weight to this argument

Yeah, and interstate fans still don't realise that with Nick Daicos coming, we traded out our 1st pick to GWS, which would have been pick 2.

Or that no-one rated Josh Daicos, and we picked him up with pick 57.

Father-sons are available to all clubs. GWS and GC are the 2 that miss out. Maybe clubs need to look at how they support past players' families, and it may be possible that they also land some good father-sons. The Pies have had their fair share of busts as well.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

If he'd been keeping relatively straight and sober then had one big lapse that knocked him about badly

Or if he had some personal circumstances in his life that led to his lapse

Or the fact he wasn't DUI-ing and hadn't been dumb enough to openly pose with whatever he was taking and send it out publicly.


All three of those are reasons I can immediately think of as to why the media and AFL didn't make as big as fuss than at Adelaide.

And all three are far more believable and understandable than "VicBias" claims or "New Hocking Order" conspiracies....

Oh, yeah, im sure theres an excuse why it wasnt ok then, but it is now.
Its the AFL, consistently inconsistent when it suits.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Agreed, but when Eddie acts on his(Collingwoods) best interest, and the Vic media act on their(Geelongs) best interest, and the Umpires act on their(Hawks/Dogs) best interest, etc. etc. and it all benefits Vic clubs, then the outcomes collectively punch down on non Vics.

Its the old death by a thousand cuts.

So what do you want vic fans to do about it? Acknowledge it? Been done.

 

[WilloTree]

Freo(Henry) - without actually having genuine academies

Blimey. Clontarf opened officially in 2000.

clontarf.org.au

 

[PenfoldsFan]

So what do you want vic fans to do about it? Acknowledge it? Been done.

Theres nothing you can do about it, nor should you as it would be counter productive to your fortunes.

The onus is on the rest of us but unfortunately we're too busy fighting each other over the scraps to encourage genuine change.

Divide and conquer.

 

[Pistol Night]

Theres nothing you can do about it, nor should you as it would be counter productive to your fortunes.

The onus is on the rest of us but unfortunately we're too busy fighting each other over the scraps to encourage genuine change.

Divide and conquer.

Basically it’s like arguing with your wife? You can’t fix anything but it’s all your fault somehow

 

[sr36]

Blimey. Clontarf opened officially in 2000.

clontarf.org.au

Just looked it up. It was opened by Neesham (he's a legend), but is a seperate entity not run by Freo at all. It's not the Freo NGA academy.

 

[thistimeforsure]

We have traded our 1st picks for experienced players. Many thought we were crazy to do so.
However, apart from one year, we haven't had the opportunity to secure a high draft pick, unlike many clubs, including Fremantle. Where would you be without Serong and Brayshaw? Now, you are trading high picks for guys like Bolton.

Look at Hawthorn, Geelong.

But, your question reinforces the argument. There are numerous ways to build a list. The opportunity is there. The difference is that the good clubs make the most of a strategy, and poor clubs fail

Complete and utter twaddle

Carrying on like it’s a zero sum game and Pies only get ahead through being ‘ better at it ‘ than everyone else is exactly why this thread exists

Of course the Pies will maximise their advantages*…. Why wouldn’t you

Really pains you guys to admit they exist though

*and NO I won’t list them for you there 200 pages of it in here

 

[VinnieB]

Complete and utter twaddle

Carrying on like it’s a zero sum game and Pies only get ahead through being ‘ better at it ‘ than everyone else is exactly why this thread exists

Of course the Pies will maximise their advantages*…. Why wouldn’t you

Really pains you guys to admit they exist though

*and NO I won’t list them for you there 200 pages of it in here

You whinge far too much.

 

[thistimeforsure]

You whinge far too much.

It’s about my 5th post in here but yeah a good old whinge is top notch soul food

 

[Carringbush2010]

Theres nothing you can do about it, nor should you as it would be counter productive to your fortunes.

The onus is on the rest of us but unfortunately we're too busy fighting each other over the scraps to encourage genuine change.

Divide and conquer.

Who's fighting who? Are sa fans fighting wa fans?

In any case all that is irrelevant anyway given that the only way change will happen (or the changes you want) or in your words 'divide and conquer', requires growth of the market that you want tangible change for.

The reason for vic 'bias' is because of the size of that market, the population outnumbers all other footy states and territories combined. So those with vested interest in $, read the afl, will favour that market.

It's just something you have to come to terms with.

 

[VicBased]

Full-time professional athletes who jump on a 3 hour flight every few weeks......yeah that's difficult.

You have no idea.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Oh and if Q'ld is now the 2nd biggest AFL state after Vic, as mentioned by Tony Cochrane last night on Ch 7

 

[WilloTree]

For fun: this season

View attachment 2425839

View attachment 2425843


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source

State of the Game 2025: The AFL - SportsIndustryAU

This data is up to date to the end of the 2025 Home and Away season.

footyindustry.com

I love a good graph. Cheers

Considering Eagles had a 1 win season, WA punching well above it's weight.

 

[p4p1]

Regardless of any advantages that some clubs may or may not have, it was outlined here that the most important thing for a club is to be well run.

Brisbane is a good example. We were a basket case then with the arrival of Swann, Noble and Fagan the club turned around, eventually becoming more of a destination club. Before that, our recruiting and recruiting strategies improved out of site.
The 2016 national draft netted us McCluggage and Berry, 2017 Rayner, Bailey, Starcevich and Payne. Those are 5 of our best 22 taken in 2 drafts. Then we were able to get some good to elite players through FA because they could see that the club was heading in a good direction. We have had some luck recently with F/S picks.
Brisbane went through a similar thing before Leigh Matthews arrived. The vast majority of our list remained unchanged from finishing bottom in 1998 to winning the premiership in 2001.

Whether you like Geelong or not, and whether they get some advantages compared to both non-vic teams and vic teams, they are undeniably a very well run club. Even if they take advantage of some rules regarding sponsorships, they are still being run well enough to skirt those rules. It is on the AFL to clamp down IF they are doing anything wrong.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Regardless of any advantages that some clubs may or may not have, it was outlined here that the most important thing for a club is to be well run.

Brisbane is a good example. We were a basket case then with the arrival of Swann, Noble and Fagan the club turned around, eventually becoming more of a destination club. Before that, our recruiting and recruiting strategies improved out of site.
The 2016 national draft netted us McCluggage and Berry, 2017 Rayner, Bailey, Starcevich and Payne. Those are 5 of our best 22 taken in 2 drafts. Then we were able to get some good to elite players through FA because they could see that the club was heading in a good direction. We have had some luck recently with F/S picks.
Brisbane went through a similar thing before Leigh Matthews arrived. The vast majority of our list remained unchanged from finishing bottom in 1998 to winning the premiership in 2001.

Whether you like Geelong or not, and whether they get some advantages compared to both non-vic teams and vic teams, they are undeniably a very well run club. Even if they take advantage of some rules regarding sponsorships, they are still being run well enough to skirt those rules. It is on the AFL to clamp down IF they are doing anything wrong.

But only some get help when they are badly run others just told they are badly run
Lions lost 5 players because they were badly run and got help
Freo lost more players but were just told that they need to do better
Freo were 9 years in without a final because they were badly run
Suns like wise and got pick 2 and exclusive access to Northern Territory
It easy to be on your high horse when your given a high horse

 

[p4p1]

But only some get help when they are badly run others just told they are badly run
Lions lost 5 players because they were badly run and got help
Freo lost more players but were just told that they need to do better
Freo were 9 years in without a final because they were badly run
Suns like wise and got pick 2 and exclusive access to Northern Territory
It easy to be on your high horse when your given a high horse

I don't think any club was more shafted that Fremantle when they came into the AFL. The AFL was terrified of a WCE mk2 so made sure you wouldn't be able to compete.

Anyway, the 'high-horse' I am supposedly on knows that we were given one priority draft pick at the end of the second round not exactly a massive helping hand.
The Lions lost 5 players in the one season that all came from 2 drafts. They were called the go home 5 because it was in the one off-season from two drafts, 4 x 1st round picks and one end of first round compo pick. We also lost Mitch Clarke, Jack Redden, Matthew Leuenberger, among others around that time. Another important thing is this is in the context of GWS and Gold Coast coming in and taking a large amount of the young talent from those two drafts that we lost talent in.

The Suns (and GWS) have been raided for talent in past years like no other club.

 

[sr36]

But only some get help when they are badly run others just told they are badly run
Lions lost 5 players because they were badly run and got help
Freo lost more players but were just told that they need to do better
Freo were 9 years in without a final because they were badly run
Suns like wise and got pick 2 and exclusive access to Northern Territory
It easy to be on your high horse when your given a high horse

Freo played in a GF 10 years ago and currently have as good a list as any team in the comp. Do you think you're as well coached as the team in the Prelims? Or is that the AFL's fault too.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Freo played in a GF 10 years ago and currently have as good a list as any team in the comp. Do you think you're as well coached as the team in the Prelims? Or is that the AFL's fault too.

No because we’ve continually had players leave we are 10 years in to the rebuild and have the third youngest best 22
our fwd line in the finals has ave age of 22
All four prelim teams have ave age of 25+
Pies 31yrs
Cats 28 yrs
Lions 26yrs
Hawks 25yrs
Even suns is 26yrs
Experience is key in finals but if you can’t keep players because conditions are better in the east you never have an experienced team.
We give guys like Shultz an opportunity that no other club was willing to give
Trained him in to our leading goalkicker over the 3-4 years before he left then he wanted to go to pies.
If you swap Dudley out for Shultz
We beat suns and who knows after that.
I won’t discuss further because you don’t understand.

 

[Mr Meow]

Freo played in a GF 10 years ago and currently have as good a list as any team in the comp. Do you think you're as well coached as the team in the Prelims? Or is that the AFL's fault too.

I guess he might argue that Fremantle have a poor selection of coaches to choose from. How else do they end up with Connoly, Harvey and Longmuir? Lyon was their only foray into the big leagues. Still, you'd hope they unearth a Scott or McRae at some stage. They've been in the competition a long while now to only have had one half decent coach.

 

[RonnieRaven]

I guess he might argue that Fremantle have a poor selection of coaches to choose from. How else do they end up with Connoly, Harvey and Longmuir? Lyon was their only foray into the big leagues. Still, you'd hope they unearth a Scott or McRae at some stage. They've been in the competition a long while now to only have had one half decent coach.

Because no one wants to be away from their family every second week unless they are paid more which was stamped out with stupid luxury taxes.
I have two job ops with a young family paying the same.
My missus and kids would be adamant I’d be taking the one that I’m away for 6 weekends a year rather than 12-14
It’s just stupid that people expect otherwise.
We get good coaches like Boyd then they get pinched by pies
And if they are local like merriman who has totally fixed our fitness and conditioning eagles poach them.
you can’t see the forest from the trees
And you can’t smell your own shit on your knees!

 

[Mr Meow]

Because no one wants to be away from their family every second week unless they are paid more which was stamped out with stupid luxury taxes.
I have two job ops with a young family paying the same.
My missus and kids would be adamant I’d be taking the one that I’m away for 6 weekends a year rather than 12-14
It’s just stupid that people expect otherwise.
We get good coaches like Boyd then they get pinched by pies
And if they are local like merriman who has totally fixed our fitness and conditioning eagles poach them.
you can’t see the forest from the trees
And you can’t smell your own shit on your knees!

Yeah that's fair enough.

 

[sr36]

No because we’ve continually had players leave we are 10 years in to the rebuild and have the third youngest best 22
our fwd line in the finals has ave age of 22
All four prelim teams have ave age of 25+
Pies 31yrs
Cats 28 yrs
Lions 26yrs
Hawks 25yrs
Even suns is 26yrs
Experience is key in finals but if you can’t keep players because conditions are better in the east you never have an experienced team.
We give guys like Shultz an opportunity that no other club was willing to give
Trained him in to our leading goalkicker over the 3-4 years before he left then he wanted to go to pies.
If you swap Dudley out for Shultz
We beat suns and who knows after that.
I won’t discuss further because you don’t understand.

You're only looking at one side of the ledger. Look at the blokes you've recruited as well.

Ordinary teams with a sense that they're not going anywhere lose players. That's just the AFL landscape regardless of state. Whether they're a big Vic club like Carlton and Essendon or the Lions and Freo. The difference is that Freo can still attract them when they're ordinary as there's only two clubs in WA and a lot of players who hail from there.

Player wise, Freo are set for a good period. If they're as good off field as the other clubs with good lists it'll be an excellent period.