- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
It’s been a while since the last time an AFL club got involved in the round ball code, but if it’s going to come from anyone it has to be the Bulldogs.
A core expansion requirement of FFA is to have a market of a million people. The councils of Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Wyndham, Melton and Hobsons Bay have a combined population of over 700,000 people and will soon reach a million, similar in size to South West Sydney.
This makes the western suburbs the largest geographically distinct region of Melbourne after the south east, so anyone interested in starting a new A-League team will take great interest in Western Melbourne. It’s a region which is conspicuous by its absence.
With that being the case Western Bulldogs will need to decide whether they want to start their own team under their own brand or whether to let someone else set up a new team under a different one. A few groups have been sniffing around showing their interest.
The FC Tasmania consortium considered Western Melbourne as a potential location before eventually choosing Tasmania
The Victoria Patriots bid in Geelong have already targeted Melbourne’s western suburbs claiming it as part of their own catchment area.
In late 2016 a Chinese group took interest in Melbourne Knights who would act as a feeder to an A-League franchise and possibly a Chinese club.
So with people taking interest in the region it could be only a matter of time before someone else actually starts a new team there which could take away the professional sport monopoly that the Bulldogs currently enjoy in western Melbourne.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
So what challenges would a Western Bulldogs A-League bid face based on history?
There were two clubs which were associated with AFL teams in the old NSL. Collingwood Warriors and Carlton SC. Both of these clubs failed but this isn’t to say that a new attempt couldn’t work as long as appropriate lessons are learned from.
The failure of Collingwood Warriors began with it’s identity. It was a joint-venture with Heidelberg which meant that the Magpies name couldn’t be used and Heidelberg’s yellow had to be woven (awkwardly) inbetween the black and white stripes of Collingwood.
Collingwood fans didn’t see it as a Collingwood team and Heidelberg fans no longer saw it as representing Heidelberg either.
The Collingwood AFL club also had a few financial ‘issues’ of their own at the time and this was also a factor in the club’s failure.
Carlton SC were more successful, at least on field, but crowds were low since non-Carlton supporters wouldn’t give them time of day. Later on, financial abuse also played a role in the club’s demise, when player agent Peter Jess helped himself to over half of Carlton SC’s transfer revenue from the sales of Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano and Vince Colosimo.
I don’t think that these problems would be likely to affect a Bulldogs A-League team since the Western Bulldogs are proudly linked to their geographic location much in the same way as GWS Giants and Western Sydney Wanderers are.
They have a clear identity and an established brand. They don’t have to worry about drawing fans from across Melbourne, just those west of the Maribyrnong. Secondly, as long as finances are ring fenced neither team will be negatively impacted by any problems facing the other.
From a population of 700,000 people a West Melbourne A-League team would only need a 1.4 per cent turnout to reach 10,000 fans in attendance, or 14,000 fans with a two per cent turnout.
Crowds would be higher for matches against the two current Melbourne teams and also potentially South East Melbourne as well who have a different political leaning to those in the west with Hawks fans 33 per cent more likely to vote Liberal and Bulldogs supporters 34 per cent more likely to vote Labor.
They could also find a rivalry with Western Sydney which could carry over into the A-League from the AFL.
So with investors sniffing around having a look and demographics in it’s favour you have to ask the following question.
Will the Bulldogs launch their own ‘Bulldogs United’ A-League bid or will someone else get in first?
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.