The make up of the VFL/AFL alignments looks set for another shake up in season 2013. Already Essendon has announced their plans to cut ties with VFL affiliate, joining Collingwood and Geelong as AFL clubs with standalone sides in the VFL competition.
Richmond has also announced that 2013 will be its last year with Coburg before starting their own team in the VFL.
Now the rumour mill is turning with whispers that VFL club Williamstown is looking to go their own way and end the partnership with the Western Bulldogs at seasons end.
It has been speculated that this would lead to the Bulldogs also entering their own team to compete in the VFL.
The incentive behind this increasingly popular shift is that it gives clubs full control over the development of their younger players. Recently this has produced success at Geelong.
The Bulldogs and Richmond been interested in forming such a plan for some time, but the estimated cost of about $400,000-$500,000 a season has been seen as a major problem to these plans.
If the Williamstown rumours are true, however, the Bulldogs may have no choice.
Despite the costs there is no doubt that the venture holds significant advantages. Both Geelong and Collingwood have had success developing their kids, enabling them to play in the positions desired by the team.
Young players can be taught the game plan in actual match conditions without any other input from a partner.
The idea that games could return to Whitten Oval and Punt Rd would also hold great appeal for diehard fans.
The idea of a national reserves competition has been floated for some time, but the AFL seems to be cold on the idea.
Until then it seems we’ll see more and more AFL clubs favouring the stand-alone route.
Johnno
Guest
-Tasmanian footballl is one of the saddest tragedies in Australian sport. So much talant tasmanians, genetics are suited to AFL and uassie rules bring storng tassie slanders. Produced some great players in there day some of the greatest ever AFL players to lace on the boots. Men like the great Rodney Eade former hawthorn player one of hawthorns greatest ever players, and later on sydney swans coach and footscray coach . -It is shameful the AFL and VFL have ignored taste to much. It is there responsibility they should help islander football more. Putting a AFL team in Hobart, Lanceston,davenport, or burnie, or beaconsfield would be a start. Tassie want an afl team i have mates in taste and they are crying out for 1. So much talent in taste wasted , men who will not get a chance to play AFL footy coz of no taste team. -Also the AFL teams should butt out of VFL footy and have there own reserve grade comp, they will make the comp to uneven. Think sydney swans in the sydney comp beating teams by 100 points on average a debacle.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The Bulldogs would have choices other than their own side. These include Bendigo and Coburg, who look like losing their current partners. Bendigo will struggle without an AFL allegiance. Or they could try for some deal where North lose their partial alignment with Werribee, taking on Bendigo and the doggies align with Werribee again. That would keep the Dogs in the west, and give North more focus in the regions building on the partial alignment with North Ballarat. That does seem an unlikely course, and I'm not sure of the reasons behind the Dogs/Werribee split - other than Collingwood pulng out of their Williamstown alignment. It does show how much the VFL has been trampled upon though, becoming a plaything for AFL clubs has seen proud clubs lose their identities and control of their own fortunes. Still, the VFL is in far better shape than the debacle that is Tasmanian football.
Sainter
Guest
Sounds great for the traditionalists, however won't player lists need to be bigger to field 2 teams each week?