By AAP
February 17th 2008 @ 10:48am
View The Roar's top AFL writers.
AFL Tipping now live on The Roar. Join now.
Love new art, fashion, music? Check out Aussie site which unearths all things cool and creative.
AFL’s “leap of faith” with proposed expansion
The AFL admits its bold plans to start up teams on the Gold Coast and western Sydney in the next five years represent a “leap of faith”.
The winter code is planning on spreading its tentacles into NSW and Queensland by putting a team on the Gold Coast in 2011 and a side in western Sydney [...]
This article is over 2000 days old and has been trimmed.
Get Australia's best AFL opinion emailed daily.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...


![Earlier this year I attended a conference of sports historians talking about the history and future of rugby union.
The main speech was delivered by an English academic, Dr Tony Collins, an expert and passionate supporter of rugby league, and currently writing a history of rugby union in the 20th century.
Dr Collins’ main theme [...] Spiro Zavos: Does rugby league need a dose of the ELVs?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/eels-roosters-th.jpg)
![Last year’s Hong Kong Sevens revealed the prodigious rugby talents of James O’Connor. This year’s Under-20 Junior World Championship revealed the equally prodigious rugby talents of Aaron Cruden, the captain of the winning New Zealand side.
It would not be a surprise if the All Black selectors gave him a run in the New Zealand squad [...] Spiro Zavos: Aaron Cruden, New Zealand’s latest rugby star](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/aaron-cruden-th.jpg)
![While my wife was in labour at Hammersmith Hospital in London for the birth of son number one, we passed the long hours of waiting by playing Scrabble. Such is the word-power and determination of Judy that she only succumbed to a defeat, after many victories, just before she was wheeled away to give birth.
My [...] Spiro Zavos: Scrabble is a five-lettered SPORT](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/scrabble-th.jpg)
![After attending the last two World Club Challenges in Leeds, and after seeing the Rhinos take their third consecutive title at Old Trafford on Saturday night, I’ve decided its time to start the campaign to take the fixture to the southern hemisphere.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy a few Yorkshire ales, but rather, that it’s [...] Steve Kaless: World Club Challenge should be played in Melbourne](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/world-club-challenge-melbourne-th.jpg)
![When Martyn Williams placed the ball for Cardiff’s seventh and fatal kick in the penalty shoot-out to decide the winner of the Heineken Cup semi-final, the unctuous television commentator rabbited on about how ‘professional’ he was, and unlikely to miskick.
But how tragic it would be for him if he did.
Williams then proceeded to duff-hook his [...] Spiro Zavos: Rugby’s penalty shoot-out is a real winner](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/rugby-penalty-shoot-out-scott-hamilton-th.jpg)
![The Expert Determination Panel, otherwise known as Barry Paterson QC, a former New Zealand High Court judge, and David Kirk, former All Black captain, lived up to its grandiose title in allocating the fifth Australian Super Rugby to Melbourne.
The decision was a determined one, in that the madcap South African bid was rejected, and [...] Spiro Zavos: SANZAR finally gets it right on Melbourne](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/next-five-things-john-oneill-th.jpg)
![The sight of Clint Bolton in a Melbourne Heart polo shirt in the week he wore the gloves for Sydney FC as they began their finals campaign didn’t go down too well with Sydney fans and football purists. But it will go down as a significant moment for Melbourne’s second franchise.
It was the moment they [...] Adrian Musolino: Finally the Melbourne Heart starts pumping](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/melbourne-heart-th.jpg)
![Chris Payne channelled Thierry Henry on Saturday night at the Sydney Football Stadium to help ‘hand’ Sydney FC a berth in the A-League grand final, reigniting the debate over the ethics of an intentional handball.
Payne, an early substitute for the injured John Aloisi, reinstated Sydney FC’s lead in the 30th minute with what was a [...] Adrian Musolino: Can Payne be excused or is he the A-League’s Henry?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/sydney-fc-brosque-payne-th.jpg)
![Wednesday’s decision by the FFA’s Independent Match Review Panel to rescind Iain Fyfe’s red card from Adelaide’s 3-2 loss to Perth was staggering. It hints at an odd softening of the application of the laws by the A-League’s governing body.
Fyfe’s ‘game changing’ sending-off was a contentious moment for many, especially considering Mile Sterjovski’s poor first [...] Ben Somerford: Have the FFA suddenly gone soft?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gold-coast-expansion-mensink-bleiberg-buckley-th.jpg)
![There are a few perks in my line of work. One of them is mingling with your heroes, being in the inner sanctum of major events, in the presence of greats. Lance Armstrong ranks very highly among them.
Here in Adelaide for his return in the Tour Down Under, Armstrong is causing quite storm, and [...] Adrian Musolino: An audience with Lance Armstrong, one of the greats](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/lance-armstrong.jpg)
![Despite last week’s Indian debawcle (note Tony Greig-style pronunciation to commemorate his Bogong-like arrival for the summer), every pundit and his canine thinks Australia will thrash a New Zealand team missing Jacob Oram and the Bond brothers, Shane and James.
However, long-suffering Black Caps fans can take a quantum of solace from the following list [...] Andrew Jones: The Top 5 Kiwi Cricket Moments](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/shane-bond-2-th.jpg)
![Love him or hate him, you certainly couldn’t ignore him. Wendell Sailor, flamboyant and polarising, announced his retirement today and a move into a new role as an ambassador for the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Over a distinguished career (that wasn’t without its moments), Sailor electrified both league and union fans with his powerful surges on [...] The Roar: Big Dell hangs up his famous white boots](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/oh-unlucky-men-wendell-sailor-th.jpg)



