Too many Victorian teams - Kennett

[one-eyed]

Vic clubs in danger: Kennett
Jake Niall | May 29, 2007 | The Age

HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett has weighed into the debate about the struggles of Victorian clubs, questioning whether the game's heartland is capable of sustaining 10 clubs over the next five years.

Kennett said he was among those who had long argued that 10 clubs was too many for the Victorian population to sustain, tying the financial health of Victorian clubs to its lack of premiership success.

Kennett said "a lot of people" had argued that 10 clubs was was too many for one state. "It's a very obvious point. How can a population of 4-5 million support 10 clubs at the level of costs and professionalism that exists today?"

He said three or four clubs wouldn't survive without the AFL's additional financial support, explaining that "scarcity of product" was a major advantage for interstate clubs. This included "scarcity of seats" at their grounds, which created reserved-seat revenue, especially in Perth.

"I think the reality is I don't know how 10 clubs are going to gain the different sponsorships, and community support, over the next five years to keep them all viable. Now I might be entirely wrong. When you consider we have a competition of 16 clubs — two in the west, two in Adelaide, one in Sydney, one in Queensland, and the balance 10 in one state — then quite clearly there's an issue of supply and demand."

Kennett said the interstate teams' money was translating into finals success. "They have huge amounts of money, which they spend in providing the players with all the best coaching advice, medical advice support you can possibly imagine."

He said while there were four Victorian clubs in the eight today, "the real crunch is … particularly in finals, whether the Victorian clubs have the wherewithal to support their players etcetera in the same way that Sydney or a West Coast or a Fremantle, certainly Adelaide, Brisbane, and I suspect the answer to that is no.

Whole article at: http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/vic-clubs-in-danger-kennett/2007/05/28/1180205159515.html

[mightytiges]

Volunteering the Hawks to leave Jeff. You already play 4 home games in Tassie. Add North to the Gold Coast and that's 2 less already.

[one-eyed]

The bold bit is very apt for Richmond over the past 25 years

Imbalance is all about money
Jake Niall | May 31, 2007 | The Age

Vic clubs don't win premierships because, with two exceptions, they don't have as much money as the interstaters. Hence, they aren't as well coached, or conditioned, and they haven't recruited as wisely — particularly with the rookie list.

They are still lumbered with archaic ways and silly past players with no idea about modern managerial practices while West Coast and Adelaide are uber professional, corporate-structured monoliths that hand-pick their directors, doctors and sponsors from an entire state.

Geelong aside — and maybe Hawthorn in Tassie — the Victorians don't have home-ground advantages any more either, because the AFL herded them all into two grounds in the name of a '90s craze called "ground rationalisation".

Full article at: http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/the-future-of-victorian-clubs/2007/05/30/1180205337987.html