Victorian club relocation to Tasmania.

[Sir_Loin]

I think a better option would be to re locate Tasmania to Victoria
We get some big chains on a couple of tug boats and pull tassie up to the mainland
This way the tassie games will get larger crowds

Build a bridge mate

 

[Snake_Baker]

It won't

The likelihood of a club relocating isn't even the major factor in all of this.

Tasmania simply cannot sustain a football club. Period!

 

[boncer34]

The likelihood of a club relocating isn't even the major factor in all of this.

Tasmania simply cannot sustain a football club. Period!

Pure hypothetical because North aren't going anywhere.

North gets relocated to Tassie, would you support them?

I'd still probably support the Tassie Bombers if we got moved.

 

[Snake_Baker]

55k would indeed be great, but we believe. If you looked how the Swans have tracked since their Sydney move two things I'd note.

1. It took them a long time, and remember they were arguably close to going under, albeit with the influence of the Edelsten period when they lost their way.

2. They have very healthy growth since our inception and I think that's great.

The energy a new club brings to town has clearly invigorated the game in the more staid and stagnant parts of Sydney.

Seriously I think it's great we aren't competing with them for members, but growing the game.



YearMembersFinishing position²Average Home crowd
19827th15,993
198311th12,025
19842,75010th12,497
19852,77710th10,137
19864,9274th25,819
19873,5944th22,032
19882,5167th12,311
19892,6317th12,317
19902,62413th9,178
19912,90712th11,521
19923,02015th9,881
19933,09715th9,423
19943,32715th9,813
19956,08812th15,949
19969,5252nd24,996
199722,1097th36,612
199831,0895th31,549
199931,1758th30,586
200030,17710th25,308
200128,0227th27,556
200227,75511th25,270
200321,2703rd32,244
200425,0105th30,964
200524,9551st31,516
200630,3822nd32,877¹
200728,7647th35,632¹
200826,7216th32,834
200926,26912th30,506
201028,6715th31,586
201127,1066th26,615
201229,8731st27,663
201336,3584th29,104
201440,1262nd32,579
201548,8365th32,217
201656,5232nd40,430
201758,8385th34,475

They can thank the AFL for those numbers.

I imagine your club is in for a 30 year arm chair ride to viability also.

 

[The_Reaper]

If Tassie do get their own team (which I don't think the economics justifies) they deserve a home grown team.

Particularly when the Western Australian taxpayer is stumping up a couple of Melbourne teams.

Edited for accuracy

 

[Sir_Loin]

No team has relocated in the history of AFL. Why would it start now?

You’re probably being a bit cheeky here but there is precedent with Sydney and Fitzroy/Brisbane merger

North was a near miss. Although I agree probably won’t happen now, it’d be more likely a club folding than a relocation

 

[Tandy]

Why should Gold Coast go? I'd argue there is some upside for them with Dew at the helm.

I don't think they'll ever make money, probably will never get to 20-30k members and have been a basket case so far. Can only go on what we've seen. They could potentially win a flag in 2 years as could any club. If GC are relocated hardly anyone will notice and would create less of a mess in the process. Whereas moving North or the Saints would cause riots at AFL house with supporters suddenly coming out of their deep sleep to protest. GC ultimately wasn't Gil's idea in the first place so he can save face with that. The AFL would save money in the long term and keep 80% of Aussie rules supporters happy.

 

[Sir_Loin]

I don't think they'll ever make money, probably will never get to 20-30k members and have been a basket case so far. Can only go on what we've seen. They could potentially win a flag in 2 years as could any club. If GC are relocated hardly anyone will notice and would create less of a mess in the process. Whereas moving North or the Saints would cause riots at AFL house with supporters suddenly coming out of their deep sleep to protest. GC ultimately wasn't Gil's idea in the first place so he can save face with that. The AFL would save money in the long term and keep 80% of Aussie rules supporters happy.

They’ve got massive structural problems. Including a fairly hefty stadium levy.

If they did fold, would anyone be surprised? The Gold Coast is the graveyard of pro sport expansion in this country

 

[Snake_Baker]

I don't think they'll ever make money, probably will never get to 20-30k members and have been a basket case so far. Can only go on what we've seen. They could potentially win a flag in 2 years as could any club. If GC are relocated hardly anyone will notice and would create less of a mess in the process. Whereas moving North or the Saints would cause riots at AFL house with supporters suddenly coming out of their deep sleep to protest. GC ultimately wasn't Gil's idea in the first place so he can save face with that. The AFL would save money in the long term and keep 80% of Aussie rules supporters happy.

The AFL carried Sydney through 2-3 bankruptcies, why would the Gold Coast be any different?

They aren't a short term proposition. They will get supported for as long as it takes.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

They can thank the AFL for those numbers.

I imagine your club is in for a 30 year arm chair ride to viability also.

We're actually moving much quicker in the right direction so far.

The fundamental error in your assumption is we are trying to, or need to move quickly. We aren't and we don't. Steady growth will bring long term success.

 

[Bulldog1954]

I'm not sure a Tassie team in 50 years would have the amount of members that North do now.

 

[Sir_Loin]

I'm not sure a Tassie team in 50 years would have the amount of members that North do now.

There’s been a push for an a league team in Tasmania for some time. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes if it gains a licence. Being first could make all the difference

 

[Muddiemoose]

The likelihood of a club relocating isn't even the major factor in all of this.

Tasmania simply cannot sustain a football club. Period!

Agree mate

We all have a joke about north heading down or float the idea but at the end of the day financially there is just no reason for the afl to do this

People from tassie already love footy and already support their side so by a team starting or relocating any gain will be minimal in terms of “new” afl fans and expanding the afl brand

The best option is to have more games played down there maybe even have some times that aren’t north or hawthorn have a home game over the pond and put some
Money into the local footy or even a stand alone but afl backed “vfl” side
To support grass roots and talent development

 

[captain cotch 9]

I was in Tassie a couple of weeks ago and naively didnt know how many people lived down there.
I was shocked when I found out there is only just over 500 thousand in the whole state.
I dont think a perminate team would survive down there.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

I don't think they'll ever make money.

Can you explain what you actually mean by this?

 

[BRWB]

There is clearly a preference from the AFL to have North more tied to Tassie. That isn't reason enough to move though.

North have also applied and received priority access to Tassi youth through the Academy system. North will therefore already be putting training and development infrastructure into Tassie. Embedded youth could well be a future massive factor in a potential North move to Tassie.

North also has volunteered to play matches in Tassie for money.

So it can't be said that North aren't already massively committed and indebted to Tassie. At the same time the AFL will starve North of Vic based resources.

I don't understand the argument that Tassie can't support an AFL team when Geelong with half the population and a similar regionally diverse demographic does it comfortably.

I would say that the AFL will move heaven and earth to shift Hawthorn out and have North as the sole Tassie team at the end of Hawthorn's next contract, and North will take on these games. Its ironic, but if not for Hawthorn, North's relocation to Tassie would be much further along.

Eventually, as North's catchment is squeezed by Essendon, Carlton and the Dogs, more and more pressure will be on them to base themselves out of Tassie with a guaranteed number of Vic games.

It won't happen overnight, but in taking the cash for Tassie games and the exclusive access to Tassie youth deals, North is making it easier, if not conceding, that a permanent move to Tassie will happen.

 

[B4Bear]

Why the moderators allow the same s**t to be perpetuated on the main board of BF is beyond me?

We are four games into the new season, and here we are with a rinse and repeat thread that has all the characteristics of the previous thousand ones before it. There is nothing new here.

Take this s**t to the Bay where it belongs, again.

 

[Handsuper47]

I am a fan of the idea of North Melbourne playing 9 games a year in Tasmania and the AFL making sure that North always get around 8 or 9 games in Melbourne too.

I'm not, AFL is meant to make sure Brisbane play a couple of games in Melbourne each year and we all know how that went

 

[Andre]

For a start GC (and GWS) aren’t going anywhere. The cost to the AFL of propping them up is much less than the extra from TV rights for games for two QLD and NSW clubs. For a similar reason it’s not going back to a 16 team competition.

A Tassie side could work, it’s not a big jump in number of games from 7 to 11 (a Tassie side removing the need for any others to play home games there).

If it was a relocated Victorian side, they’d still play 5-7 games in Victoria. It’s hardly analogous to a supporter of a QLD, NSW, SA or WA fan who may not see their team each year, if they live outside their teams state (and Victoria).

Sure some would jump off, but a lot wouldn’t. And whilst not every Tasmanian would shift to the club, a fair number would, including those taking as a second team to see games regularly. And over time the younger Tasmanian fans would be predominantly following the Tassie based club.

The AFL and Tasmanian government would need to kick in, but given most of the big sponsors these days are national, not the local fish shop, they aren’t cut off from these. And for those lower level local sponsors they become the only choice for Tassie sponsors, versus one of ten for Vic. Centric ones (and hoping to beat the powerhouse supported clubs like Richmond, Collingwood and Hawks).

6 or 7 years ago you could have argued some clubs were hamstrung by external circumstances, but we now have the WA clubs at their new stadium, SA clubs out from the suburban 70’s Football Park to AO and the AFL owning Etihad to offer better returns there. There’s no excuse for any clubs now. We don’t need to try and force a club south, but equally there’s also no longer any justification for bailouts of any by the AFL. If a Vic club does struggle to the point of nearing death, then money and support to relocate should be on the table.

 

[JackFlash]

1) Any Victorian team that relocates to Tasmania must play 6 home games in Hobart and 5 in Launceston, maybe 7-4?
2) Any Victorian team that relocates to Tasmania must relinquish their past completely, embracing the Tasmanian colours of Bottle Green, Yellow and Maroon.
3) They must be named Tasmania. "Tasmania Devils" ?
Failure to do this will result in a lack of empathy from Tasmanian football fans...They want their own team name, their own colours and begin their own history in the AFL, while acknowledging almost 140 years of football in the Apple isle.
It will be the end of any Victorian team that relocates down there. It will be a new beginning, establishing a new legacy.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

For a start GC (and GWS) aren’t going anywhere. The cost to the AFL of propping them up is much less than the extra from TV rights for games for two QLD and NSW clubs. For a similar reason it’s not going back to a 16 team competition.

A Tassie side could work, it’s not a big jump in number of games from 7 to 11 (a Tassie side removing the need for any others to play home games there).

If it was a relocated Victorian side, they’d still play 5-7 games in Victoria. It’s hardly analogous to a supporter of a QLD, NSW, SA or WA fan who may not see their team each year, if they live outside their teams state (and Victoria).

Sure some would jump off, but a lot wouldn’t. And whilst not every Tasmanian would shift to the club, a fair number would, including those taking as a second team to see games regularly. And over time the younger Tasmanian fans would be predominantly following the Tassie based club.

The AFL and Tasmanian government would need to kick in, but given most of the big sponsors these days are national, not the local fish shop, they aren’t cut off from these. And for those lower level local sponsors they become the only choice for Tassie sponsors, versus one of ten for Vic. Centric ones (and hoping to beat the powerhouse supported clubs like Richmond, Collingwood and Hawks).

6 or 7 years ago you could have argued some clubs were hamstrung by external circumstances, but we now have the WA clubs at their new stadium, SA clubs out from the suburban 70’s Football Park to AO and the AFL owning Etihad to offer better returns there. There’s no excuse for any clubs now. We don’t need to try and force a club south, but equally there’s also no longer any justification for bailouts of any by the AFL. If a Vic club does struggle to the point of nearing death, then money and support to relocate should be on the table.

Good post.
I wouldn't discount the possibility if a club like GC or us seeking a merger with a struggling Melbourne club, if home games could be taken off the table. Every ckub has to play signifiant games in Melbourne and a supporter base there could be very attractive.

 

[MaddAdam]

What do you guys think?

I think it is astounding that Chief hasn't already got some code that prevents threads like this from being posted on the main board.

 

[Chief]

I think it is astounding that Chief hasn't already got some code that prevents threads like this from being posted on the main board.

Where would you like this thread.... relocated?

 

[MaddAdam]

Whole new team for Tasmania. North Melbourne to play with Fitzroy in the Ammos.

You've been posting this s**t for over ten years now. Ten years! A decade!

And still as wrong as ever.

Here's a tip bucko, find a new hobby.

 

[MaddAdam]

Where would you like this thread.... relocated?

The Footy Industry board would seem appropriate.

Then all the grouse posters like Papa G and RUNVS and Kram who post the same boring old proven wrong time and time again stuff can have a mass debate about it under the watchful eye of The_Wookie