As my interest in American sport grows, the daunting task of choosing an NBA side looms larger and larger.
Do I pick a side with an Aussie? The best team? The worst?
The pros and cons ultimately always lead to the same conclusion: I’ll decide next season.
A similar predicament arises for those new to AFL, or the young ‘uns yet to choose a side. While I was lucky enough to have my team forced upon me from an early age (in the most loving, fatherly way possible), many don’t have this luxury. This is why I’ll make the decision easy for you, from both ethical and self-fulfilling perspectives.
North Melbourne, a club which almost followed the fate of Fitzroy, is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the pokie-fueled competition.
Having ditched the one-armed bandits 11 years ago, it took until 2017 for even one other Victorian club to take the same initiative. Now, almost half the competition are initiating financial plans to free themselves from pokies, thanks in part to the glass ceiling – or should I say glass slot machine – broken by the Kangaroos.
It is remarkable that a club previously derailed by such financial troubles has been the trailblazer for progression.
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And progression it is, with North’s Arden Street facilities now among the best in the competition. The club is also now attracting the finest coaches and trainers, most recently Cleveland Cavaliers’ high-performance coach Alex Moore.
Financially, the club’s remaining debt is now very manageable, and on the field, the Kangas seem committed to playing attacking football. North ranked ninth for points scored in 2017, despite a lowly 15th ladder placing, and have carried this offensive game style into 2018, to now be ranked fourth for points scored.
Their real piece de resistance, however, is The Huddle.
This not-for-profit program was established in 2010 to bring young people of all cultures together. It gives more than 60,000 young people opportunities to participate in sport, community work and support programs that help guide their learning and career paths.
The club has opened their arms to refugees, with success stories aplenty. Asma Kassem’s journey, just one example, will melt your heart.
In a time of such disunity across cultures and religions, one football club is using its resources to help bring people together with the almighty power of sport.
The cliched ‘Shinboner spirit’ was founded upon aggression that would likely see players front the match review officer in 2018, but North Melbourne has formed a new legacy to adhere to modern expectations, one which gives supporters a reason to be proud.
Nev
Guest
Last time I checked the Saudis and the Turks weren't styling themselves as 'leader of the free world' , nor did fight wars alongside them.
Republican
Guest
......the Hawks epitomise JK's ethos of commerciality. He would send them to NZ if it were to improve their coffers, to be sure. Melbourne would be trammels, Flinders Staion less et el had he been given free reign. Love those mighty Shinboners and had hoped they'd be the Canberra Kangaroos years back but far better they remain true to their historic DNA. Collywobbles have recently exorcised their gaming ways, have they not?
Lucas Lewit-Mendes
Roar Pro
Thanks for the support! Hopefully Melbourne will follow suit soon enough!
Lucas Lewit-Mendes
Roar Pro
My theory is that on-field stuff changes dramatically from decade to decade. For example, Hawthorn have been the best side to support over the last decade, and in the 1990s, but in the 2030s they could be bottom. Who knows. However, no team can ever get the credit that North has off-field, simply because they were the trailblazers in these areas. For a supporter new to AFL, potentially unaware of the very best players or game styles, off-field stuff can be a distinguishing factor.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Oooof. Nice. I was more aiming my insult at North, but I'm actually pretty impressed with that Freo-burn.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
But Floyd the Pies headquarters is like East Melbourne-Richmond not really anywhere near Collingwood?
RT
Roar Rookie
Huh?
RT
Roar Rookie
I am pretty certain problem gambling is worse now and that the Vic govt is making a lot more money out of Victorians gambling that the NSW govt ever made out of the pokies tours. These were mainly old aged pensioners crossing the border for a week once a year. That sort of spending was also a lot easier to control (limit). \Yes it is better that some revenue goes to state governments than some illegal operator and I also take Aligee's point about freedom on how we spend our money, but in truth, state governments have unnecessarily legalised something that is addictive and of no net benefit to society. I have played poker machines but I doubt I would have ever bothered if it was in an illegal den. The majority of pokies profits come from a minority of players. Some people have highly addictive personalities or are just not that intelligent and it seems they are paying an unfair price.
Raimond
Roar Guru
WOWEE! That's a big call!
Raimond
Roar Guru
There's no guarantee that they'll keep winning premierships. I doubt any Demons folk thought in 1964 that they wouldn't even play another Final for 23 years, after ten premierships in a quarter century.
John Ryan
Guest
If you don't live in Melbourne why support any of the AFL sides, you have a choice of a good number of international sports why play AFL and see Melbourne if your any good
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
With all respect Pete, I think they’re called ‘North’ Melbourne for a reason. By all accounts, their new Arden St facility is pretty good.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Pokies are rigged in such a way as to promote the most addictive elements of gambling. The machines designed to rake in as much cash as possible, so it barely feels like their taking the money at all. To draw equivalence with the level of gambling pre pokies is a bit like saying there was movie piracy before higher bandwidth internet and that the internet shifts has made no difference to movie piracy.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Also likely to be relocated to Tasmania in the future
Alicesprings
Guest
Would be apprehensive about supporting North Melbourne as their very existence in the AFL continues to come under question. Give them a few years and they may well find themselves in Tasmania/Canberra/Sydney..who know!
Davo
Guest
The Pies location is great but Arden Street is also a great location and on the up. It’s a far better location that the majority of other club facilities in Melbourne. The Roos have a strong hand to play with the new train station development in the coming years.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Melbourne Storm?!
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Listen up ..... i am not for a second suggesting that poker machines have not ruined lives, or broken up families or stopped people from buying a skateboard for their sons birthday, i am suggesting the vast vast bulk of people and i know a lot of people from a stack of different clubs that have had poker machines over the last 30 plus years play poker machines responsibly which means within their means!!. I don't want to be told by you or the Government or NMFC that playing poker machines leads somehow to the downfall of society and is akin to smoking or irresponsible parent hood etc or that not having poker machines somehow gives them some sort of moral ascendancy on everyone else. Its not, its just another form of whittling away the time before they put you 6 foot under and if people want to play them they should be allowed.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I just wonder if the appeal of a North Melbourne would be better if they had changed locations like the Pies did. If North were situated somewhere near the Pies set up in Melbourne's premier sporting precinct , would that have more appeal? If the Pies had built their multi-million dollar facility out the back of Victoria Park in the back streets of Collingwood instead of a ten minute stroll to the G or the Tan Track, would they have as much appeal? I doubt it. Hawthorn may well find out stuck out the back of windy Dingley is no Glenferrie Road or Waverley as well.
Tom M
Roar Rookie
Id rather watch the A League than support North