AFL to expand to 18 clubs

[Stripes]

Sounds a bit far fetched but often the truth seems that way. 

I couldn't imagine Demetriou being so unprofessional especially to Gale of all people! He may well be thinking that but I'm guessing it is more than likely just a story generated to sell papers.

In the unlikely senerio that it is true I think 6 months is well off the mark. 5 years is more believable especially considering the initail emotion and profile the club will experience which will generate a rush of temporary members, sponsors and exposure. Once this dies down after 3 years the real assessment needs to be made.

I hope they are successful on field during this time for their sakes

Stripes

[mightytiges]

Agree Stripes, we'll know if North will survive in 3-5 years.

The story itself doesn't have any credibility as the journo even admitted he heard the info 2nd hand. Even so the AFL has moved quickly to punish the Roos for saying no to the Gold Coast.

[julzqld]

Demetriou is starting to sound more like Hitler every day.

[Stripes]

Agree Stripes, we'll know if North will survive in 3-5 years.

The story itself doesn't have any credibility as the journo even admitted he heard the info 2nd hand. Even so the AFL has moved quickly to punish the Roos for saying no to the Gold Coast.

What's your thoughts about the extent of the 'punishment'? Do you believe they will strip them of all assistance eventually?

Stripes

[Fishfinger]

Demetriou is starting to sound more like Hitler every day.

So that's why I can't work him out lately. I don't speak german.  

[Ramps]

north should have moved on the condition the new club be called "Northern Kangaroos" and wear the same traditional North jumper/s. theyll be gone eventually...you see the shinboner spirit is worth a truckload of poo, its not worth jack...shinboner spirit doesnt generate cash...supporters do and the kangas dont have enough.

[mightytiges]

Agree Stripes, we'll know if North will survive in 3-5 years.

The story itself doesn't have any credibility as the journo even admitted he heard the info 2nd hand. Even so the AFL has moved quickly to punish the Roos for saying no to the Gold Coast.

What's your thoughts about the extent of the 'punishment'? Do you believe they will strip them of all assistance eventually?

Stripes

I guess it depends on how they survive from here on. If Brayshaw's plan works then the Roos will probably still get AFL assistance in the form of compensation for a poor stadium deal (as a number of Vic clubs do). Part of continuing to receive AFL assistance is North moving from a shareholder controlled club to a traditional membership-based one. However if Brayshaw's plan falls over and the Roos keep making heavy financial losses then it won't surprise me if the AFL revisits relocating North (or forcing a merger with a new 17th club a la Fitzroy) by pulling the legs from underneath then. 

[WilliamPowell]

I guess it depends on how they survive from here on. If Brayshaw's plan works then the Roos will probably still get AFL assistance in the form of compensation for a poor stadium deal (as a number of Vic clubs do). Part of continuing to receive AFL assistance is North moving from a shareholder controlled club to a traditional membership-based one. However if Brayshaw's plan falls over and the Roos keep making heavy financial losses then it won't surprise me if the AFL revisits relocating North (or forcing a merger with a new 17th club a la Fitzroy) by pulling the legs from underneath then. 

Personally I cannot see them surviving in Melb longer than 2 years. I reckon they will be on the Gold Coast by 2010 or 2011

I've said this all along that their biggest problem is the one they've been facing for what seems like forever now and that is the support is always short term. Their fans and supporters get complacent and think everything is Oki Doki and they just drop off again. I have no doubt they will have record membership in 2008 but what about 2009 and beyond? That's their problem.

The other problem is the guaratee under the TV rights that there must be 16 teams - some clubs have seen this as their indirect saviour which IMHo is foolish. There is massive money in the game but the likes of North still struggle.

Look at the Bulldogs they are boasting about making a 500k profit but take out the AFL CBF money ($1.5mil approx) and they have again made a loss. The Bulldogs will survive in Melbounre because fortunately for them they service a region that is solely theirs = the Western region

North on the other hand don't have that. Although they could have if they had said yep to the Gold Coast

[mightytiges]

I have no doubt they will have record membership in 2008 but what about 2009 and beyond? That's their problem.

True WP. It's unrealistic to think those fans of other clubs who have bought a Roos membership as a sign of solidarity will do so again in 2009.

[mightytiges]

Mark Fine on SEN last night was going off about the AFL creating a super 17th club at the expense of well-supported traditional Victorian clubs like Richmond. He actually said the AFL treats Tiger supporters as fools because we still join up in large numbers to watch us lose  whereas the AFL only thinks people on the Gold Coast will be interested in footy if this new 17th club is successful from scratch and has a flag within 5 years. Fine rattled off 5 Vic clubs (including us, Pies, Dees, Dogs and Saints) where combined you just get 3 flags won over 250 years. No other major sporting administration creates a new team that is superior to its existing teams. Fine then mentioned Richmond again saying just at the time we'll see all our cubs hit their peak together after 25 years without a flag, we are going to have to compete with this new AFL-made super team.

He must be off his poor old Sainters bandwagon and onto ours  ???

[julzqld]

the AFL only thinks people on the Gold Coast will be interested in footy if this new 17th club is successful from scratch and has a flag within 5 years.

Dunno about that.  People got right behind the Titans before they had even played a game.

[mightytiges]

the AFL only thinks people on the Gold Coast will be interested in footy if this new 17th club is successful from scratch and has a flag within 5 years.

Dunno about that.  People got right behind the Titans before they had even played a game.

You don't need big crowds to run a NRL club though as it's such a tv sport. If they get 10-15k to a game they're estatic. Even if the AFL gets a renovated and upgraded Carrara stadium deal done (which doesn't sound likely at this stage), the Gold Coast club will need Kardinia Park size crowds (22k+) every week, arguably that many members and a Kardinia Park-like stadium deal where they have control over all revenue/profit streams. Are there that many hardcore AFL fans up there who will support and barrack for a new club week in week out?

[julzqld]

Hard to say.  It took a while for the Lions to get a good supporter base.  I know plenty of people who changed from their old Victorian team to the Lions - not this little black duck of course.  And it helped the Lions winning 3 premierships in a row.  Re the titans - everywhere you go you see people wearing Titans gear.  Very hard to buy AFL stuff up here - unless it's the Lions.

[mightytiges]

Hard to say.  It took a while for the Lions to get a good supporter base.  I know plenty of people who changed from their old Victorian team to the Lions - not this little black duck of course.  And it helped the Lions winning 3 premierships in a row.  Re the titans - everywhere you go you see people wearing Titans gear.  Very hard to buy AFL stuff up here - unless it's the Lions.

Perhaps the AFL has missed the boat already as the VFL did in Canberra 20-25 years ago when they sent the Swans to Sydney and left Canberra to the Raiders and later on the Brumbies. Very much a rugby town when I was there albeit 12 years ago.

[one-eyed]

Fitzpatrick: Two more clubs by 2012
| February 16, 2008 12:00am

AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick has hinted the league could become an 18-team competition by 2012, with new clubs established on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney.

It was reported last night that Fitzpatrick confirmed he had held talks with all three AFL television broadcasters – Ten, Seven and Foxtel – along with Channel 9, to signal the AFL's intention to expand by 2012.

It was reported that the league had been packaging a nine-game per round, home-and-away season to be sold as the "linchpin" of AFL broadcast rights beyond 2011. Fitzpatrick was said to have conceded that it would be "virtually impossible" to tempt Victorian clubs to move, particularly after the failure to lure the financially strapped Kangaroos to the Gold Coast.

"We've got to go flat chat now," Fitzpatrick was reported as saying. "We've spoken to the networks and they are very keen to get more content.

"It's quite clear the Melbourne clubs have emotional attachments and infrastructures they are not prepared to relinquish.

"It is an enormous task that lies ahead . . .

"We did a lot of work on the Kangaroos (North Melbourne) option last year but that wasn't all we were working on."

He also said: "If you can't get a team to relocate on the basis that North was offered, then I don't think it's ever going to happen.

"In a sense it has solved a problem for us.

"If we are looking at establishing a 17th team on the Gold Coast by 2010-2011, the 18th team out of Sydney could follow within a year."

A west Sydney club would take on the Swans in the battle to win fans, sponsorship dollars and grounds, and would be a rival to Sydney's rugby league teams, the three NSW-based A-League soccer clubs and rugby's Waratahs.

Blacktown was earmarked as the home base for the new Sydney outfit, although the Olympic Stadium at Homebush would be the venue for most of its games.

A spokesman for Blacktown Mayor Leo Kelly confirmed last night that he had been in talks with the AFL.

Kelly had been earlier reported as saying: "There is plenty of support for a second club in Sydney's west.

"This is the second fastest growing region in Australia after the Gold Coast."

There has been a proposal to build a new sporting complex on the old 2000 Sydney Olympic baseball complex at Blacktown.

Outlined in the proposal is a the inclusion of softball and baseball venues with an athletics track and two new ovals for football and cricket.

There has been speculation that a bidding process for the new Gold Coast team is to be placed on the market later this year.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23223219-19742,00.html