Smokey, you say that we still have our local competition to follow down here. But it's not Richmond, it's Coburg, an old VFA side with its' own history, colours and traditions. I only used to have a passing interest in the old VFA, but I used to follow Port Melbourne in the days of Fred Cooke.
This uneasy alliance with the Burgers is light years away from the win-win situation I mentioned, where the average South Aussie fan can go and watch his Crows or Power, as well as his original team, be it Sturt or Glenelg. Ditto in Perth.
This is a luxury I sure wish that I had as a Richmond supporter.
The fact that the league set up the competition the way it did, without due thought as to how it would properly and fairly construct the model was a HUGE MISTAKE, which cannot be dismissed lightly.
First up it cost South and Fitzroy their clubs. I know supporters of these two teams who are still devastated by this and, far from feeling compensated by Brisbanes three flags, simply gave the game away.
Secondly, the supporters of Melbourne-based clubs that survived were dragged, through the love of their teams, into a competition that was rigged against them on many levels.
First we had 10 teams in this town fighting for sponsors and members,while strong footy States like SA and WA shared their resources between only two sets of fans.
Then we had a governing body so hell-bent on conquering Rugby markets that they were prepared to ride roughshod over any considerations like equity to make Sydney and Brisbane successful.
Hence,things like Tony Lockett never making it to Tigerland, and the greater salary caps for Sydney and Brisbane.
And now they're doing it to us again with ridiculous and unwanted franchises like GC17 and Western Sydney coming in and stealing the cream of our draft picks at a time when we need to re-build after being decimated by a snake-oil merchant.
National Competition the best thing that happened to the game????
PIG'S A***E!!
