It’s fair to say there’s been a lot of talk of the inequities of the national comp in favour of the Victorian clubs and there is some fair arguments to back that up.
Let’s be frank, whether or not it is a level playing field is irrelevant, the AFL is borne out of a state comp and by and large, some opinions rightly or wrongly still see the competition as Victoria-centralised.
Back in the late 80s, to simplify, the West Australian football commission bailed out the VFL – financially – in exchange for a licence to bring in a club from the West, enter the West Coast Eagles. This is how it looks externally, because of the financial situation it was a fait accompli – feel free to correct me if warranted.
I’m not going to get into arguments here, I’m here to state facts. Let’s look at the competition if it was completely and undeniably fair.
There would be an even amount of teams spread across the nation, all clubs would get equal access to draft and each team has equal travel (even though this is geographically impossible).
I’ll state clearly that this is how I think it would look like – make no mistake this is not what I would prefer it’s just how I think it would appear if it were to be completely fair.
Three teams from each state/territory (taking into account ACT is NSW), the West Australian, South Australian, Queensland and NSW teams would remain and the current Vic clubs would go back to the VFL and South Melbourne and Fitzroy would be reinstated into the VFL.
The desired result would be that there would be new teams from Victoria, Tasmania and the NT. There’s your 18 teams. Much like the big bash, new teams.
Obviously we can see numerous faults in this model. For starters it is highly unlikely that Tasmania and the NT could sustain three teams each. I’ll hazard a guess the crow eaters and sandgropers would likely go follow the WAFL and SANFL as well as their teams in the national comp.
A certainty would be that in Victoria the VFL would once again be the most attended and watched league in the land. It is more than likely the top end talent would go to the VFL teams in Victoria leaving the second tier players in the National comp teams representing Victoria.
Like it or lump it, clearly the bulk of football followers are in Victoria. It may leave a sour taste in your mouth but fact is the game began in Victoria – it is the home of footy, it’s impossible to argue that and the numbers are there to back it up.
Since the inception of the ‘AFL’ the attendance and TV ratings are that of a population three or four times our current 24 million. For example, only four years has the attendance been less than five million since 1990. It is regularly six million plus and there were even four seasons of seven million plus. Overall attendance of the AFL is around the 15th mark – take into consideration, our population and the lesser amount of games (by a lot!) compared to other leagues and on average attendance it is fourth. This is very healthy among the world leagues, regardless of sport.
AFL HQ are doing something right and it is not going to change anytime soon. Admittedly the league did lose a lot of supporters when Brisbane took over Fitzroy and South Melbourne left to go to Sydney, but those clubs have won premierships and are well supported.
Furthermore, the grand final is the largest attended single championship event in the world and that is why the grand final will stay at the MCG.
To be truly national? Not achievable. Luckily there is the choice as to whether you follow your local team or a Victorian one. So do you follow or snub?
mattyb
Guest
I'm well aware of what footy is guys and I'm well aware Victoria and Australia are changing. Somethings going to happen,we just need to decide what.
mattyb
Guest
Cat,I've included the dogs in the scenario? I've suggested the dogs merge with Essendon? I've explained the reason would be geographical? I've also suggested Collingwood and Geelong remain independent. My suggestion is completely independent of the club I support. My suggestion is for the game. I've also said it's only a suggestion,beats people who just mention the capacity of the MCG as an answer to everything every chance they get.
mattyb
Guest
Tricky,yes I do think any proposal risks losing fans,and I've said I've considered this. I think the sharing the pain type scenario or a total restructure is worth consideration. I'm certainly not even 100% behind my own idea,it's just an idea primarily. One thing I am convinced about though is the game will not grow to its full potential or succeed in the Northern parts of Australia being run as a Victorian centric competition. Another solution is to just get rid of the smaller clubs or the clubs that no longer perform,but I think getting rid of clubs as a whole might not be a good idea. I also think it's not as though there are one or two to many clubs in Victoria. The Victorian clubs need to be virtually halved. We need to not think of today or even tomorrow,but we need to try and ready the competition for ten years time.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
update
Tricky
Guest
In defence of Matty, he did option the dogs in a merger proposition. On the topic of financially struggling clubs I don't think that's an issue for HQ - otherwise they wouldn't be assisting them. Those teams are still attracting fans and getting dollars through the turnstiles, let's face it the league would've disposed of most of the Vic clubs if it was viable by now. That tells me it is not viable and the root of the current inequities of the so call AFL It's just impossible to cull teams as wanted by many and expect the fans to embrace that. As I stated in the article - if you were to keep fans going to the game, the only way is to start new franchises in Vic, Tas and NT. And the problem with that is that the all the Vic supporters (which is the bulk of the comp) would go follow their team and not the AFL, The other choice is the current model we have now which undoubtedly as I have mentioned is not what you'd call national
Cat
Roar Guru
Anyone else ever notice that mattyb is quick to throw every other Victorian side into mergers and forced relocation except for his perennially AFL supported side? Shouldn't it be clubs, such as the Dogs, who have been unable to support themselves without extra AFL handouts for decades, be the first to be forced to move/merge?
Pope Paul VII
Guest
You might as well try banning Islam. Melbourne footy is religion Mattyb. Not only would you lose the supporters you would lose future supporters.
Tricky
Guest
Some good points Matty B, yep the clubs were out of money but even then - even then - the support was there and like I said earlier someone somewhere was going to bail the league and that happened. However you want to boil it down, regardless of what anyone wants, a fair and equitable comp, it can not possibly be achieved. For argument sake let's look at 2 options that differ from the current model 1/ Merge all of those teams as you suggested earlier, and imagine what would happen Well you'd lose the bulk of those fans not only from the league but from the game. I know this 1st hand hearing the opinions of the Melbourne and Hawthorn supporters back in the 90s when their merger was proposed and ultimately defeated by the members. it's folly to argue that. 2/ As I stated in the article you could keep all the interstate teams and bring in new franchises in Vic, Tas and NT and the VFL as it was would be reinstated - at least with this option the fans would not be lost to the game. However the bulk of the fans - are in Vic- debate that if you will but it's fact, those supporters will be going to, attending and PAYING the VFL. So how do you possibly change the league to the ideal without losing the fans?
Liam O'Neill
Guest
Should Victorian draftees be allowed to stay in Victoria?
Reservoir Animal
Guest
It's all I need.
Milo
Roar Rookie
My point on the weather was referring to the US Superbowl. The major point you cant address is that by holding in Adelaide, Sydney, Perth you squeeze out between 30-50,000 people and associated $$ (esp corporates) with that. It aint gonna happen. Personally, $$ aside, I don't know how you replicate the roar of 100,000 people at the Melbourne Colosseum on that last Saturday and I'd love us to keep celebrating that. Anyways sure its good to speculate on all this around moving Grand Finals, having less Victorian teams et al but reality is a little different.
jeff dustby
Guest
its people not imaginary lines that count as population. the NT is the size of a sydney council
Reservoir Animal
Guest
What about the inevitable court challenges that these forced mergers would create?
Cat
Roar Guru
Whole bucket load of assumptions there Slane. A game at the end of the season when my team is done playing has absolutely no effect on my team. A game played now, at the start of the season certainly may affect my team. Is that really so difficult to understand? I also said I don't watch games where there isn't a side I can root for. I don't hate 17 sides. Some sides I am pretty neutral on and if they play a side I dislike, then I've no problem hoping they win. Sometimes I turn on games anyway, rarely lasts long before my attention drifts to something else. On Friday evening I turned the Pies v. Sydney game on and once halftime started I stopped watching. As for colouring everything in hoops, all I'll say is at least I admit it, unlike most here, including you.
Tricky
Guest
MattyB, I gather your suggesting that teams like Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn merge as well as Richmond and Geelong. As a Collingwood supporter I can guarantee that no Pie supporter would endorse this idea and knowing supporters of the other 4 teams you mentioned I can guarantee also they would vehemently oppose this thought as well. I am actually quite surprised that some would suggest merging teams for the sake of a National comp- it's not sustainable - if it were you could put your house on it that it would've already happened
Tricky
Guest
Paul D, yeah you could watch the old pears drop off as you say but don't forget that the new supporters are still coming through - the sons, daughters, nephews and nieces that you see in the stands currently. You could argue that those 2 teams don't have a lot of support yet currently they have combined more than 70K members and that's not counting the paying supporters on top of that. Too many bums on seats that HQ would give up If it were that those 2 teams were so lacking in support they'd already be gone, lets be honest HQ wants the AFL to be the AFL not the current V/AFL. To do that would mean disposing of the Vic teams and start fresh new teams in an even spread over the nation - and as a result you'd have empty stands in Melbourne and that is the whole point of the article
Tricky
Guest
Matty B,I agree that there are too many Vic teams and your model would be fair and equitable however it is not a risk that you'd lose all of those supporters - it's a given and therefore the gate receipts would not exist. You could argue that some in Vic would embrace it but that would certainly be a minority and not enough to sustain those teams in the comp
mattyb
Guest
Judy, I've very much tried to take this into account with my suggestion. I just cannot see the game expanding any further in the northern states under this current Victorian obsessed set up. In the same way I cannot see the game flourishing without being a national competition, and this expanded VFL comp can only take us so far into the future. Losing one or two Victorian clubs isn't really going to solve the problem either,it's far more excessive than that. The clubs and league need to be pro active. I believe the loss of support from the game will be minimised by merging eight of the teams into four. All the supporters will be going through the same thing which may help. One thing we should have learnt from the old VFL days is the size of the club didn't seem to make much difference. All the clubs,big and small were begging around for any loose change to be thrown their way. This solution also keeps all clubs in Victoria which is a good outcome I believe.
mattyb
Guest
Reservoir Animal,is ground capacity all you've seriously got?
Judy
Guest
I think whats missing with these ideas is the fact that all clubs have their own loyal supporters. What happens to them.? They won't roll over and follow another team . Why should they? Victoria has already lost 2 teams . I thought supporters are supposed to come first. Try to merge Collingwood or Essendon interstate and see what happens.