Gillon McLachlan adamant all clubs will survive coronavirus shutdown

......of course that's only the potential market you refer to Nick, a one dimensional model of growth given the sole criteria is again, Television. Tasmania is Australian Footy heartland while it has an established real market, as has Canberra and the NT. NZ will never realise this sort of capital truth be told, how ever much you exploit the heartlands to this end. The strength of our game is inherent of its domestic culture while NZ is an alien sovereign nation, undeserving to be mentioned in the same breath. The real question is whether or not the AFL 'value' a Tasmanian type capital or a plastic NZ type capital. Sadly the latter is probably the case and that is a large part of what's wrong with sport at this tier today, whereby price, cost, profit et el are the criteria that underpin any growth model, rather than 'value'.

........there are an influential faction of NZ'ers behind a push to appropriate our game, integral to having an AFL entity based in Auckland. This is conditional to the AFL dropping ALL reference to 'Australia', so rebranding our indigenous code to make it more appealing to the anti Australian, NZ market. Are the AFL willing to sell our souls to this extent - I believe they probably are.

......concur. I would love to have the Shinboners re locate and re brand to the Nations Capital (Canberra Kangaroos) but they have worked so dillengently to sustain their Melbourne identity and by all accounts have been successful to this end. They should stay put - for now.

.......bring it on and may the Saints return to the Junction Oval.

.......I herd Gillon at the National Press Club in Canberra about 3 years ago allude to this. He was asked by some journos whether the nations capital are in the mix to be afforded a stand alone team. in the future, given the solid patronage for the Giants and more than 100 years of playing the code in the ACT. He was quite arrogant in his reply, saying Canberra already had their own team, its called GWS (an acronym for Greater Western Sydney, so no symbology to Canberra whatsoever). He then went onto to insist, like Tassie, that Canberra was not financially viable in this respect. In the next breath he was going the hard sell for a NZ based side. Now this tells you a lot about the gross double standard of the AFL and exposes their single minded intent that is born out a of a corporate culture of avarice and empire building, paying little more than lip service the codes historical DNA.

.......socialism in this context, would imply that the code is owned by the people which it most certainly is not. The AFL are an autocratic multinational marketing behemoth, in the guise of custodian.

.......sadly todays game at the elite tier has naught to do with honour boards and the like. It's only about potential plastic markets. The AFL are willing to throw good money after bad as seen with GWS, to create the illusion of footy culture just about anywhere on the planet, even a backwater i.e. NZ, so long as they get the sponsors, tele rights and the cattle from their already well established historical heartlands.

.......unfortunately I believe that so. It's all about potential tele markets at this multi national tier of sport. Of course that will involve an even bigger money pit of expedience on the domestic culture than has been the case with GWS, GC Brissy and Sydney. It would be the ultimate insult to the code to go to a philistine and undeserving market i.e. NZ.

Bunga has at least one more year in him after this. Rotham is a perfect replacement for Schoey and he’s ready now. JK is the tough one but he has missed quite a few games in the last few years and played underdone while Darling and others have lifted to help spread the load. JK’s most likely replacements seem to be Oscar Allen, Jarrod Brander and Bailey Williams. All young players but all very talented in their own ways.

There have been lots of great AFL players come from NZ (I just can't think of one off the top of my head). Conversely, Tasmania has never produced anyone any good (although there were a few half decent blokes like Ian Stewart, Peter Hudson, Darrell Baldock, Royce Hart ……..). Also, NZ are looking for another football game - they are not much good at rugby and it hardly generates any interest from their population. Might as well put a team in Salzburg - at least Jesaulenko was from there!

Good point. One issue that will have to be debated is does this season count on the contract. For example, if it does then those on their last year of the contract can leave, but if it does not then they still have a year left. Further, what impact will a lost season have on recruitment. Will there be a draft or will it be moved back a year, or 2021's mid season draft becomes larger so as to give players who would have been in the frame to be drafted get some games in the VFL etc. In the US the MLB players - the season has not started - agreed they would get minimal wages, but the year would count as time served. This means those on the last year of a contract will be free agents at the 'end' of the season. Further, in the college system, the NCAA have told all spring sports - baseball, lacrosse etc - that players get an extra year to stay in college, and that their scholarships can be extended, and that the total number of scholarships a college has can be increased.

Window closing for WC? You just can't replace blokes like Kennedy no matter how good you think your young fellas are. Interesting times ahead. I'd be a little more concerned though if I was a Cats supporter. Their window may finally, once and for all, be slammed shut!

good comment Johnno. This year is a shambles for everyone and every team. The Eagles were primed for a shot at the title with the engine room full of stars and the mature fellas like JK, Bunga, Schfield etc.. probably playing their last year. Now with all this going on who knows what will eventuate for any team or how the season will play out

Yes. Could not agree more. WC will certainly be impacted. Geelong may suffer big time. Pies? Tigers maybe not so much. Giants may find themselves in the box seat in 2021.

garbage!

Not sure if I’ve missed an article on this, but how about an article on the impact on clubs list with potentially no games this year. How does this affect their list strategy. As an example, WCE got Kelly & are really in the window now. They also have a few stars who are getting close to the end. How does it impact on a club with a young list and what about a club with an old list.

Yeah right. Setting up a team in NZ and calling them the Kangaroos. That would go down well.

Well that's just outrageously untrue. Any evidence to back that claim?

Neoliberals would make the clubs sort themselves out. The AFL is a big socialist organisation.

Hahaha, there's no chance of that. The ACCC is the weakest regulatory body in the country. Just look at what they've allowed Colesworth and the banks to get away with.