Can Richmond succeed in an 18 team Comp

[Ramps]

Do you think Richmond in an 18 team comp can get any form of success. Since the 12 team comp was extended we have been no good. With the extra competition its going to be harder still. How confident are you of succss and what do you think our club will achieve consistently in an 18 team comp. How bad do you think it can get, are we in a hopeless position- do you think that we are a chance to be relocated or merged in the new environment if we cant get success in the next 3 or 4 years.

Comments and opinions welcomed.

[WilliamPowell]

Like all Clubs, I reckon it is going to have alot to do with what the AFL expects teams to give up.

Are Clubs going to have to give up players (like they did for the Bears all those years ago) to help establish these news teams?

If Clubs are forced to give up say 2 players each we are likely to have to give a couple of current young 'ens and that you would think would surely have some sort of impact on our performances.

And what about the raid on the uncontracted players ??? Any new team is surely to get some calary cap concessions early on

[Ramps]

I expect Raines and McGuane may end up at the Gold Coast.

[WilliamPowell]

First player of I thought as a possible loss ramps was McGuane.

I reckon the Gold Coast team will raid ex Qlders first

[mightytiges]

Jokingly they could be dumbing down the comp to our level  .

Seriously it's been the RFC itself that has been its own worst enemy over the past 25 years not the expansion of the comp. The VFL in the mid-80s was a financial rabble with most clubs on their knees. The truth is the $200k slice from the Adelaide licence we got along with the $1m our own supporters raised kept us alive as a club. Two new clubs mean two new licences and more money for the RFC.  

On-field it depends how the AFL goes about introducing the new teams. They want these teams to start around 2011-12. If they start building a side in the QAFL with a heap of priority picks from this year's draft and the next 3 then that will push us further back in the draft pecking order when we need all the new talent we can get.

Alternatively if they start building these new sides closer to 2011-12 then we should still gain the best youth in the next couple of years while we struggle before rising up the ladder. And the sides now up the top that age and fall away in the next 3-4 years could be the ones missing out on the best picks meaning we'd gain an advantage.

We could also see a couple of Melbourne-based clubs still get pushed north if the AFL decides next year to abolish the extra-funding for North, Doggies and Melbourne that is keeping them alive. Fewer other clubs in Melbourne would mean less competition for sponsor $$$.

Whether it's a 16, 18 or whatever number comp. it's up to the RFC to become the best.