Gold Coast Football Club takes another step forward
Roar Guru
By Michael C, 5 Sep 2009 Michael C is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- AFL, Dayne Beams, Gold Coast Football Club, Josh Thomas, TAC Cup
This weekend, the fledgling Gold Coast Football Club takes another stride forward as they contest their TAC Cup Under 18s Elimination final against the Northern Knights.
The squad thrown together has preformed promisingly. Who knows just how many will be drafted or at least rookie listed, not only by Gold Coast FC themselves, but by other clubs?
Already, Queensland local, Josh Thomas, has indicated that he wants to try his luck in the national draft – like Dayne Beams previously.
For the record, the squad includes (based on state of birth):
QLD 14, Vic 6, NSW 3, Tas 3, SA 3, PNG 2 and NZ 1.
For an elite under 18s AFL squad, this is a pretty interesting mix.
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onside said | September 5th 2009 @ 10:38am | Report comment
Does anybody think the new AFL team ,GC FOOTBALL club ,was so named because of the
GC United in its inaugaral A League season. At first glance this article confused me because
up our way the game is referred to as, AFL or Aussie rules.The kids for example play AFL .
Another roar article just listed, also confused me ,something about FOOTBALL being shown
live to air. Even though the article has a photo of AFL players, it still threw me for a moment.
Do I care ? not in the slightest. Shrewd positioning though.Well done AFL if it was deliberate.
Timmuh said | September 5th 2009 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
“AFL” is a competition, not a sport. Despite how the AFL likes to market itself, and local dialects of NSW and Qld, its just plain wrong to say “kids play AFL”. The sport is Australian Football, and was formerly known Australian Rules Football. Virtualy every club oin the country is the someplace Football Club, even on the Gold Coast. Kids kicking the round ball around are playing Association Football, not World Cup.
Michael C said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:14am | Report comment
“Australian Rules” is just a nickname as well.
The game is played by the “Laws of Australian Football”
AFL is the “AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL League”
“Australian Football” has always been just one thing…….the DELIBERATE actions are now the clubs that used to have the “SC” (soccer club) suffix who are now changing it to “FC”.
THAT is the ‘deliberate’ action.
Likewise the organisation previously known as “Soccer Australia” who have come out and rebadged as “FFA” and run advertising campaigns like “Football, but not as you know it”
There’s absolutely nothing ‘shrewd’ or the like re AFL clubs – - – or is there? Reality is that Melbourne FC have decided to emphasis the “FC” in their logo. And why not – becuase since Melbourne Victory came along, the original Melbourne Football Club has every right to defend it’s turf.
Pippinu said | September 5th 2009 @ 11:31am | Report comment
onside
I have to be honest, but your post doesn’t make much sense.
All the AFL clubs are officially called Whatever Football Club – all of them – without exception.
The Melbourne Footbal Club was formed on May 14, 1859, for 150 years it has played the game it helped formed continuously for 150 years, in fact, it has played in the top league of its game for far more years than any other football club in the world.
So 150 years later, the newest AFL club, Gold Coast Football Club, uses the same style of name that all if its predecessors have used on a continuous basis for 150 Years – why on Earth would any Australian find that confusing?
In fact, we’d all be confused if they didn’t do that.
AFL is actually the name of the governing body.
The official name of the game is Australian Football.
The papers in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania shorten the name to just Football.
onside said | September 5th 2009 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
Pippinu
I am more used to knicknames like Hawks or the Demons.
I still think of The Western Bulldogs as Footscray.But then
again it was only yesterday I learned Nixon is out of office.
I suppose it doesnt matter how things are said ,so long as
the people you communicate with understand what you
are saying. No doubt in time the Gold Coast Football Club
will develop a moniker.In the meantime,good luck to them.
As an aside ,adjacent to this post is a photograph of a very
attractive woman.Selling sunglasses actually.I have reached
the stage in life where, if our paths crossed, she would hold
open the door for me and say, ‘after you sir’. I’m invisible.
Michael C said | September 5th 2009 @ 8:21pm | Report comment
I’m biting my tongue a bit here.
Let me just point out, Australian Football (there IS only one true ‘Australian Football’ I hope you realise, then, there’s also the Australian Assocation Football that the soccer fraternity keep abbreviating by leaving out the ‘Association’ bit) – - anyway, Australian Football has ALWAYS had it’s clubs called ‘FC’s.
Anyway, Pippinu has covered it pretty well, and hopefully you do not see this as some dileberately combative positioning/marketing. It’s just the way it always has been. You just hadn’t noticed before.
Pippinu said | September 5th 2009 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
That’s true – they will eventually develop a nick name and will be known as that (I imagine). For instance, the Blues is more more common as a name than the Carlton Football Club (although you definitely do hear the latter) – and in fact for at least a century, Carlton has had the white CFC monograph on their navy blue guernseys (just as Fitzroy used to carry a white or yellow FFC monograph on the front).
Westcoast929406 said | September 5th 2009 @ 2:02pm | Report comment
Well spotted about the origins of the GCFC Squad. IMHO a mere forerunner for the future as our game spreads further around this great country and Internationally.
The AFL will be the bait for more and more International players as that game matures in PNG, NZ and SA.
Norm said | September 5th 2009 @ 4:13pm | Report comment
according to Michael C afl has gone backwards in PNG & NZ.
Westcoast929406 said | September 5th 2009 @ 5:56pm | Report comment
We strongly doubt that Michael C said that.
No the game is not going backwards in those countries.
Do you want proof? or are you just fishing.
Michael C said | September 5th 2009 @ 8:39pm | Report comment
What? where/when has anyone said that??
Although, to be fair to Norm, variously, the game HAS gone backwards at times in the past – - it’s just that presently, that’s not the current trend.
Redb said | September 5th 2009 @ 9:42pm | Report comment
not correct.
Timmuh said | September 5th 2009 @ 9:54pm | Report comment
It has. Australian Football, a few decades back, was the #1 code in PNG – or at least so I was told by a few people from there. With more widespread television, and only rugby league broadcast, RL has taken over. Its taken longer outside of Port Moresby, but RL is clearly now the main game in PNG.
Redb said | September 5th 2009 @ 11:15pm | Report comment
over the last two decades but recently the AFL is on the rise again. RL still number one.
What is relevant is the recent pathway being provided to promising PNG juniors thru AFLQ.
Redb
Norm said | September 5th 2009 @ 11:17pm | Report comment
Quite so Timmuh. Michael C himself has previously described the extent of the melbourne game in NZ 100 yrs ago & in PNG in the post WW2 period. Today the game is practically non existent in both those countries. That’s decline not growth.
Redb said | September 5th 2009 @ 11:21pm | Report comment
wrong again in terms of PNG, it is hardly non existent. NZ is growing again.
Without nurturing most sports fade if ignored by their governing body, the VFL was ridden with self interest in the 60s and 70s and it is why it was replaced by an independent commission in the 1980s.
It has still taken the AFL a long time to actively seek opportunuties in PNG, Pacific Islands,etc.
Thanks for your interest in AFL.
Redb
Norm said | September 5th 2009 @ 11:25pm | Report comment
my interest is keeping in check hysterical fantasies.
Redb said | September 6th 2009 @ 12:08am | Report comment
the only thing that is hysterical are your non-constructive contributions to the Roar.
Basicially your an oxygen thief.
Norm said | September 6th 2009 @ 9:00am | Report comment
hit the “report comment” button & let’s see if the moderator agrees with your opinion.
Michael C said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:22am | Report comment
Norm – partially correct,
the non existent comment re the current situation is quite false.
It’s exciting times ahead for AFL in PNG and Pac Islands…..finally. The AFL had never shown interest before, but, is finally showing……some!
If RL is number 1 in PNG, the recent disclosure of their ‘numbers’ actually illustrates that Aust Footy in PNG is coming along very nicely, thankyou very much.
btw – in September, the national regional junior champs will be held in PNG (in Lae), with U13s, U15s, U17s and U15 girls. The AFL-PNG talent regions are Highlands, Islands, North and South. This is important obviously because it A. shows a healthy junior base that is continuing to grow, and B. shows an organisational ability to actually run and make work such tournaments in PNG (a country with it’s own challenges).
And this year in NZ, we’ve had the National Provincial Championships for juniors, the big thing is again, getting into schools and getting new regions/cities into the ‘network’.
Norm said | September 7th 2009 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
When can we expect to see the afl equivalent of Kangaroos v Kumuls?
Michael C said | September 7th 2009 @ 8:47pm | Report comment
Norm – Kangaroos vs Kumuls?? I guess you’re being facetious, but, I will continue to show more respect than some posters perhaps deserve and provide a decent answer:
Well, firstly, the PNG national team is the Mosquitos. We’ve seen them get past the NZ Falcons, the South African Lions, the US Revolution and Canadian Northwind, the Swedish Elks and the Finland Icebreakers, the Danish Vikings etc etc.
Just what the Australian National AFL team would be called…..dunno. The Galahs is a nice traditional name of sorts. And kinda works.
At any rate – the PNG national team, given that the successful 2008 IC side included a wide number of 16-20 yr olds, and variously around Australia many of these lads are playing quite good standard footy – - including as mentioned previously, 1 rookied to Essendon, and 2 up at GCFC TAC squad.
Well – that implies that over the next 3-5 years – we could expect to draw together a very damn useful PNG national team. Good enough to take on the Australian full AFL team……nah…..the Indigenous all stars…..nah, the Tassie or NSW-AFL ‘origin’ teams – - quite possibly. Add another 5, 10 or 15 years and you just never know.
BTW – all this is using IC eligibility rules, i.e. the Mozzies only using ‘native’ PNG talent. There are and have been PNG born AFL players and using the more expansive RU,RL or Soccer World Cup eligibility criteria based on parentage etc – means that many of the IC better teams could be ‘bulked up’ a tad with Australian born/raised talent……but, the Aust Footy fraternity hasn’t gone down that path (yet – - there’d be no real point…..but, perhaps sometime soon it might be??)
Norm said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:25pm | Report comment
I’m not quite sure why you would accuse me of being facetious. My question was directed at finding out from you when the best of Aust aussie rules would take on the best of PNG aussie rules because that’s what is already happening in rugby league. So if the melbourne game really is on the rise in PNG that is a match up I would expect to eventually see. And your answer seems to suggest somewhere between 5 yrs & never.
Michael C said | September 8th 2009 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
5 years and never,
it’s all depends on how competitive one wants the game to be,
but, then, so long as you can get 18 on the field and a bench, it’s a bit redundant how much ‘depth’ you have sitting on the sidelines watching a once off game.
over the years, Tassie had a glorious victory on June 13th 1960 over the ‘second’ string Big V, and likewise, in 1990 when a motley collection of NSW players got over the ‘second’ string Big V team.
The important factor though is that unlike the more negatively geared games with off-side and other impediments to free scoring (RL with no forward passes by hand, and soccer with goalies and a x-bar etc) – Aust Footy is very unforgiving of a talent gap. A PNG rep team might be a very, very good side, but, still get down by 20 goals.
Mossy said | September 5th 2009 @ 10:52pm | Report comment
Two from PNG and one from NZ is interesting. It provides an insight into where the AFL is looking at making an impression over the next decade.
The signing of Karmichael Hunt is more than signing a supreme athlete from a rival in the so-called “code wars”. It’s about providing a big foot in the door across the ditch. Hunt will show kiwis that they are welcome in AFL, and league mad PNG will get their first exposure to the 18 man version of the oval ball.
Looking forwad to watching the growth of GCFC with an eye on the markets their players will open the AFL up to.
Redb said | September 5th 2009 @ 11:17pm | Report comment
Agree. Gold Coast and its recruits are exciting addition to the AFL on many levels.
Redb
Michael C said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:24am | Report comment
Interesting to see a kid like Josh Thomas up there elect to enter the draft. A bit like Dayne Beams – it illustrates how ‘staying/playing at home’ is only so attractive to so many kids.
Pippinu said | September 6th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
GCFC would want to get its hands on Tippett I’d reckon.
Redb said | September 6th 2009 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Pip,
Tippett has only signed until 2010, I think Adelaide have conceded they will lose him to GC.
Redb
Dave said | September 7th 2009 @ 5:15pm | Report comment
if we stop saying it out loud, maybe it wont happen.
Westcoast929406 said | September 7th 2009 @ 4:36pm | Report comment
In another significant move the very wealthy AFLQ Club The Southport Sharks have tipped in 11 million bucks to the new Gold Coast Club. No this is not AFL spin or hysteria just plain facts.
Apparently this with the GCFC main sponsor will put them in a solid position. There will be some crossover memberships between the two groups and it seems the Sharks have a nominal 50,000 members – Note we said nominal for club entry purposes. Some of them may get on board the AFL Express that is rolling into the Gold Coast. As the man said ” Its all good”.
Link to article–
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/09/04/133715_gold-coast-afl.html
A brief note on AFL Mt ISA – Our old friend Joseph Gutnick ex AFL Melbourne Demons has agreed to tip in 100,000 to the AFL Mt ISA league. This puts them at the top of the tree in that town they say. Gutnick has mining interests in the region.
albatross said | September 7th 2009 @ 5:21pm | Report comment
Are you suggesting that all the social members of the pokie palace are all rabid kick ‘n’ giggle followers?
Westcoast929406 said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:27pm | Report comment
We spelt it out pretty clearly we thought – The use of the word NOMINAL places those members in the right context. To repeat – Some of them may get on board the AFL Express – To put it in plain english they “may” join the new club.
Nowhere does it say” All of them”.
Pippinu said | September 7th 2009 @ 5:36pm | Report comment
Not sure – but a few of them might like Australian Football.
Dave said | September 7th 2009 @ 5:24pm | Report comment
Are you suggesting that all the social members of the pokie palace that is Canterbury leagues are all rabid Bulldogs followers?
The 1 and Only Master said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:50pm | Report comment
Whatever the numbers of members, there is certainly 1 guarantee and that is the new Gold Coast Football club will draw a lot more people than the dwindling soccer can draw.
Norm said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:33pm | Report comment
speaking of dwindling masterless you still haven’t explained the melbourne game’s international implosion.
westy said | September 7th 2009 @ 9:15pm | Report comment
Timmuh I really do not have a problem with most of the poster’s input. on here. However it would be highly inaccurate to ever describe Australian Football as the NO 1 code in PNG at any time in the past. This is just a falsehood pure and simple. That more Aussie Rules was played in the 70′s may be true but it never ever was the No 1 code.
We all have our biases including me but this is a gross distortion. Rugby league was commenced in PNG before WW2 amongst expats but reinforced by the large number of QLD and NSW soldiers there during and after the war. These troops played there natural game not Australian football.
That exclusive broadcast of rugby league into PNG in the 70′s /80′s /90′s obviously reinforced rugby leagues position and affected Australian football. I think Australian football will grow but to in any way insuate that rugby league was not the dominant code from 50′s onwards is a gross distortion of historical reality.
As a visitor to PNG from the 1970′s I find such assertions highly unrealistic to say the least.