Wallaby Chris Latham (left) of the East Coast Aces (Gold Coast) and Melbourne Rebels captain and former Wallaby David Croft share a joke at Olympic Park in Melbourne, Friday, Aug. 17, 2007. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
As the dust settles on the flurry of announcements that followed Melbourne Rebels’ clearance to join what will become the Super 15 rugby competition in 2011, there is still a heavy silence surrounding their fellow expansion side in the Victorian capital, the A-League’s Melbourne Heart.
In their embryonic stages, the Rebels have achieved more traction in 2010 than the Melbourne Heart, despite the fact the Heart debut six months (approximately) earlier than the Rebels.
With an announcement predicted to come this week from the Heart franchise – hopefully to confirm its name, strip and a website (currently only a syndicate site exists – with the term syndicate in the title!) – the long wait for news from the A-League franchise will finally come to an end. But it’s unlikely the Heart’s announcement will cause as much of a raucous as the Rebels’.
Fuelled by the scepticism and doubts about Melbourne’s ability to sustain a rugby franchise (especially alongside an NRL club), the Rebels announced some impressive signings in quick succession to form the nucleus of their structure – coach Rod Macqueen and former Melbourne Storm NRL chief executive Brian Waldron.
Importantly, as opposed to the Heart, the Rebels already have an identity – a name, colours, website, and a forum for their fans to engage and rally online.
The Rebel Army, the unofficial supporter group of the franchise, is already building an impressive following on their corresponding social networking sites.
Such interest was undoubtedly helped by the speed of announcements following their acceptance into the competition, which created enormous hype – featuring prominently in the sporting headlines and causing much debate in the state.
In contrast, the Heart franchise has been conspicuous by its silence.
Their snail-paced approach in deciding and announcing its branding, particularly the incredibly drawn-out name saga, has failed to generate any tangible signs of excitement, be it in the football community and the press.
It appears almost certain the franchise will stick with the Heart name, despite the Herald Sun poll put to Victorians to name the club.
As discussed previously, this was probably the only option considering the recognition that’s built around the Heart name.
Uninspiring for many, Heart lacks imagination and certainly doesn’t help the franchise significantly differentiate itself from the Melbourne Victory. Judging by the whole naming debacle, you sense the franchise has been forced to stick with the working name that they were unconvinced about to begin with.
And even that name is causing some consternation amongst the AFL fraternity.
Heart is, sadly, yet another intangible name, joining the ranks of Glory, Power, Fury and Roar.
The Rebels branding and name, meanwhile, is certainly noteworthy.
The name Rebels, and use of the Eureka flag by the supporter group, reflects the state’s history.
As Harold Mitchell, the owner of the franchise, made clear in the Fairfax press: “The name the Rebels had its origins in the goldfields of Ballarat in the 19th century in the uprising at Eureka Stockade. The rebel miners were fighting for a fair go, and in many ways Eureka represented the beginnings of the Australian egalitarian spirit.”
The association with the Eureka Stockade gives the club meaning. It stands for something; it matters.
And by sticking with the branding and name of the Melbourne Rebels franchise that played in the now defunct Australian Rugby Championship (ARC), there is continuity in terms of recognition.
The names and brandings may be for the eye of the beholder to judge, but the traction the Rebels have achieved in their comparatively shorter existence (since being accepted into Super rugby) has highlighted the flaws in the Heart’s slow approach.
There’s no definitive time-frame or guidebook for an expansion franchise to follow in terms of building the club’s structure, generating publicity and building a fanbase. But you sense Heart have stagnated for too long, and have left themselves with an awful lot of work to do before their debut in next season’s A-League.
The Rebels certainly have the edge on their compatriots at present.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
Westy, One of my biggest gripes was when Jack Gibson changed the nick name on Newtown RL club from Newtown Blue Bags to the Newtown Jets...
Westy
Guest
Reckon the supporters group shouldve been "The Rebel Alliance" at least they can get a couple of headlines/saying from the nickname... still better than some of the headlines ive heard from melbourne heart... I reckon that the heart name is kinda weird. arent nicknames supposed to be 'threatning' or something, but, just my opinion
rugbyfuture
Roar Guru
well somebody obviously doesnt appreciate monty python and took my post down regarding the people's front of judea
bob
Guest
Actually, A-League clubs do not give away free tickets to regular matches. There are occasional promotions with free tickets, but those generally rely on existing tickets example: Adelaide had a promotion where each member/season ticket holder could pick one night to bring 4 friends along for free. Sydney FC did a double-header type deal when buying a ticket to a match got free entry to a second match (iirc, it was buy a ticket for Adelaide, get free entry to the Central Coast match). I believe North Queensland have a policy of allowing free entry to children under 16 for free with any adult ticket. But to suggest they give away "free tickets" is just plain wrong. The closest most teams get to real, free tickets is giving 2 or 3 junior club teams free entry to be part of the half-time entertainment.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
It's for folk just like you-----but for the Football purist like me and my comrades, it's the "Australian National Football Team" ~~~~~~ AF
ilikedahoodoogurusingha
Guest
If its called Football, why is our national team the Socceroos?
mitzter
Guest
yes unfortunately the waratahs and reds never leave sydney or brisbane respectively. We even have a hoohar whenever the tahs play at homebush because it's further from the eastern suburbs (but hardly western sydney)
Michael C
Roar Guru
where did I say I didn't like it??? and I'm not the only one to think of the Merc Mutual Cup signs.
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
Watching all this Heart stuff unfold from afar, I can't help thinking that the extra year afforded Rovers will be an absolute godsend for us. Make no mistake - we will hit the ground running with a good deal of committed support from the word go - and there won't be any mistaking our team with the Bling.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Froar - re "You are right about football though. That is what other people call it so we should be like them. " the problem though is that this issue seems an Australian invention - the dreaded 's' word and the loathing of it. 'Soccer' - variously has been labelled an American invented put down term........obviously wrong - we know it's the Brits on abbreviation of 'Association'. It is a cool word, it is fine to use interchangeably and is done so even in the UK - where one of the longest and most respected publications is "World Soccer". Just ask Les Murray about his "October 1960 copy of World Soccer magazine, the very first issue of the monthly that has since become the world’s most prestigious English language football publication and is going stronger than ever today". Do you reckon he's scribbled over the 'Soccer' in title and changed it with "it's called football"......no, of course not. "That is what other people call it so we should be like them" - but who are we talking about. In the English speaking world, the US, Canada, Ireland all have local variants of football such that soccer is very widely used. Around Australia - likewise (other than the SMH!!). Why should we be like any body else outside of that selection? Noting that 'soccer' has been used widely in NZ and South Africa - - but, from a marketers perspective, there does appear a battle for ownership of the term 'football'......and that's really just sad. So - celebrate difference rather than seek uniformity and mono-culture. Celebrate the Italians where Associazione Calcio Milan, or AC Milan is their unique phrasing - - - none of this cultural cringe to suggest they should be just like everybody else. Bugger everybody else!!!
Midfielder
Guest
In my humble opinion the Heart have not been good at promoting themselves ... they always said Heart was not going to be their names etc...
Redb
Roar Guru
It's in the back pages of the Herald Sun today. Rubbish logo IMO.
Redb
Roar Guru
Therein lies their Ace card. Play that card, Melb Heart will go well from the start. I'd go to a game to see Dukes. Redb
James
Guest
So Melbourne Heart have unveiled their logo and announced the name as Melbourne Heart and there has been little to no fanfare. Where's the big launch, photos, media, anything? I couldn't even find the story of the name and logo on the Herald Sun website and they ran the comp to name the team!
Towser
Guest
If Viduka starts for the Heart it may give them an initial leg up:- http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26664377-5000940,00.html
Redb
Roar Guru
Yet both areas bid for their own Super 15 licence.
Froar
Guest
Welll there are significantly more people at the Aus open and a bulldogs game to begin with. You are right about football though. That is what other people call it so we should be like them. They thing I find funny about it is how upset Australian association football supporters get when you use the dreaded soccer word. You can use it throughout Europe and people won't even blink. It is a non-issue. You won't even get a funny look. Especially when a number of the football related television shows and newspaper lift outs include soccer in the name. Both sides need to get over it. Perhaps AFL could be tweedle dee and soccer could be tweedle dumb.
Froar
Guest
I am no AFL fan. Only ever been to see one game.
jeznez
Guest
As a rugby union football fan 'd be with 20K in the first couple of years. Definitely agree that a suggestion that you'd get the same crowd for the Rebels in their six or seven home games as the Wallabies pull once every couple of years is wildly optomistic. I think the Rebels have made some great announcements but they went through some trauma and comedy capers to get this far. Hardly a model birth to the new club but the last couple of weeks looks like they have gotten the ship in order. And to Harry Kimble, I don't want to start a big debate but every rugby club I've ever been in has been a RUFC, the English are still the RFU. Most rugby fans actually differentiate their codes by the League or Union descriptive to try and avoid confusion. Us Union lads (and lasses) are hopefully not too precious and don't mind other codes sharing terms like Football or Rugby.
Mr Real Australian it's called Football Man formerly known as Kurt
Guest
Even by the standards of The Roar this is weird line of argument from the soccerinas. To quote from the linked article: "My understanding from the FFA is that we have been permitted to proceed provided there is sufficient differentiation in the name to avoid any confusion," Munn said. "That if we want, just as an example, to call ourselves Melbourne Jets FC, with Jets clearly being a point of difference, then we can." So there is no 'legal challenge' from the AFL, no attempt to stop the new soccer club from using the term 'FC' in its name, nothing of the kind whatsoever. So please everyone move along, nothing to see here.