WA Football

[BullsEye]

Firstly, I am a big fan of big footy. I am not a big contributor but I enjoy the many opinions!!! I am sharing my view of WA football with you probably just to get it off my chest but also I am interested in your comments.

WA football is as important as football in all the other states. However, we are literally in a mess!
Whether you think the Eagles or Fremantle will finish 16th or 12th is irrelevant.

Prior to the Eagles we had a vibrant competition with suburban teams and rivalries that matched any city. I am a Royals supported and the Perth Derby was for us as big as Carlton/Collingwood. The only problem we faced was that as soon as our clubs put a good team together the best players were pinched by the VFL. WA loyalties to VIC clubs generally arose because a large number of players from a local club went to a particular VIC club. Hence Carlton, Hawthorn North, Essendon and Collingwood support in Perth. Personally, I couldn’t name all the VIC teams until the Eagles started.
I realise we cannot return to the past but it needs to be understood what we have lost so that the AFL doesn’t do the same to the Victorian teams in the AFL

When the Eagles came we thought, fantastic at last we can have a representation and our players won’t need to leave the state. Don’t be fooled the Eagles (and the Crows) are State Teams they are not like other clubs.

However, the WAFL died, the crowds have dwindled, my own club has become the Eagles 2nd team. Footy discussions at work are boring – everyone supports either the Eagles or the Dockers – we have lost the rivalry. Now with the draft system, the Eagles are even loosing the ‘State’ team attraction. Our best WA players end up anywhere and we get players from anywhere (nothing against these players it just means that it is not a state team anymore).

Now to my points:
1) We need to support tribalism, the draft system needs to include some zone component (eg. First two picks come from a clubs zone). Clubs can benefit from funding junior footy.
2) WA representation at the AFL (now that Terry O’Connor has been kicked out);
3) There should be no reduction of teams in Melbourne (I regret the loss of Fitzroy)

Apologies for the length!

 

[Rob]

I agree with most of that. I think there definitely needs to be some sort of zone system so that the top WA players are more likely going to end up at WA clubs.
Although how should the AFL ensure that there is no reduction of Victorian teams? By propping them up, thereby meaning AFL spending on development is greatly reduced?

 

[WCE2000]

Originally posted by BullsEye:
We need to support tribalism, the draft system needs to include some zone component (eg. First two picks come from a clubs zone). Clubs can benefit from funding junior footy.

When i first came to big footy, i wrote a post saying that the AFL needs to introduce a rule where a side must have 20 (half) of their players come from their home state.

Of the 6 interstate teams, Adelaide, Port Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle all had over 30 players from their respective states. But Brisbane and Sydney had around a dozen players from their home state.

So they're basically Victorian footballers playing in either Brisbane/Sydney.

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[eagleskickass]

I don't know what should be done but something has to be done to save the good old WAFL( the commission took a step in the right direction going back to this name). I personally have only been the one WAFL game, but thats not my fault, I live in Albany and don't get to Perth much. This year I will be going to a few Eagles games and hopefully on these weekends WAFL games. I do agree with an element of zoning though.

 

[Blue Blood]

Problem is Sydney/Brisbane are rugby states and without other states players they would struggle to field competitive sides and pretty much kill the sport in those states.Which would be silly for the amount of time and money the AFL has spent on them.

 

[Frodo]

I dislike the draft system where players are slave traded to far off states. A player that is brought to fruition through his states development programs should have the right to choose to stay in his state. If an interstate club wants him they need to convince him to join them. It should be the players choice.
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Prior to 1987 when the Eagles joined the VFL the WAFL was in continual financial messes. Crowds were pathetic except for the Freo Derby. Something had to be done or the WAFL would have folded. The Eagles were the saviours of the WAFL and still prop the WAFL up financially.

 

[Balip]

I also agree with a zoning system in the AFL, all to often our players end playing all over the country while we import players from other states.

What really worries me about football in this state is how it is run. The powers to be seem to make one stuff up after the other. The introduction of Peel was a mess, it looks like the removal of the ninth club (probably Peel) will also be a mess. Changing the WAFL name was supposed to do wonders to the comp. now they have decided that it was a bad idea, the introduction of the host club arrangement was going to increase the crowds, that never happened and in its original form it fell apart.

Im not sure of the state of the competition in 1987 as I wasn't that old but its not that great now. Most of the clubs are broke and unless something drastic happens I can't see it improving.

I often used to go to the WAFL games with my father and over the years you could see the support slowly dropping away. Year after year the commision would try something new to improve the crowds but what they didn't realise was that the were upsetting the die hard supporters in the process, the people that were going every week (generally the elerly or young families) didn't want to be stuffed around. Night games and having the bye didn't improve the crwod but from what I saw drove many away.

Im not sure whos to blame for the situation we are in, the clubs are only interested in themselves they can't see the big picture while the commision is made up of politicions who seem to have their head in the clouds. Hopefully the powers to be will realise that something has to be done and soon.

I feel that a few things can be done to help the situation, Firstly having members elect some of the directors of the Dockers and Eagles will give the general public some involvement in our AFL clubs, the WAFL competition needs to be eight teams, I would get rid of Peel (the commision would need to do something to fill the void in Mandurah if the got rid of Peel), finally a bit of advertising of the WAFL would help. (I haven't even seen a fixture card yet this year) If I didn't follow the WAFL closely I wouldn't even know whaen it started.

Sorry for getting on my high horse, but this is a pet topic of mine.