Would you mind backing that up with this so called fact.

I live in Sydney and every bit of research and fact says one thing. Sydney is the most expensive place to live period!

http://www.allianz.com.au/home-insurance/news/most-expensive-areas-live-australia

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2013/07/28/the-worlds-most-expensive-cities-for-expats/

BTW that last link is to Forbes magazine, the most informative business magazine in the world. But if you want to try and come up with something more impressive than that, good luck.

Useless!

As an AFL fan I will give my two cents on how you guys really should be looking at this. I’m also willing to have a bet with anyone here that your league will look something like this in 30 years.

First expansion team will be Brisbane based – most like the Bombers
Seconds Expansion team most likely Perth Based – possibly the Pirates
Third Expansion team most likely Wellington Based – NFI what it would be called
Disbanding of Cronulla Sharks, Manly, Roosters, Bunnies, Tigers or Penrith, which ever one has not got it’s sh…..t together in 5 years time off the field.

Start of the 2019 season will have 18 teams. Should all 6 of these teams mentioned have their sh….t together they live to fight another day and Wellington is put on hold for 5 more years.

By the start of the 2024 season I’m guessing Cronulla will be gone, along with the Tigers and possibly Manly. Manly is disbanded and replaced with a central coast expansion, whilst Cronulla is nuked and replaced with the Wellington Back door Bandits.

2029 sees the inclusion finally of an Adelaide team and Christchurch team bringing the Comp to 20 teams.

2034 the bunnies or roosters will have fallen along with Penrith. Both are disbanded with the inclusion of a third Brisbane team and second Melbourne Team maintaining a 20 team competition which is now Truly national and one that can hold its head high!

Not really, both teams wont be playing their fulll strength teams most likely.

Hawthorne will finish 1 or 2 and it really doesn’t matter since some argue that finishing 2nd is actually better.

Not hard enough as far as I’m concerned.

You are absolutely right Nigel.

I did an article a year ago on this exact thing making reference to Australians not wanting to follow substandard sport.

We are privileged in this country to say we have the best AFL competition (by default of course :)), best League comp, best rugby comp, best cricket comp (not so good at the moment though :(), but the soccer comp is just, well embarrassing.

I lived in the UK for seven years, love Soccer and are a huge United fan, just like most turn coats around the world are. You couldn’t pay me to watch an A-League game, it’s terrible!

Children may play soccer more here, but when they get to the tender age of 14-15 the really talented athletes switch the game which will give the best career opportunity. For many that is AFL, NRL, RUGBY and cricket.

You NRL guys make me laugh.

This is a thread started about a soccer team affecting a NRL team and the AFL somehow has again been dragged into this taking up most of the conversation.

What I find more amusing is the usual suspects that beef up the NRL (which I would expect on this forum) are always trying to talk down how the AFL is not a threat, yet on a post about how soccer is becoming a threat (which is my understanding of this post) the AFL seems to still be the talking point.

You have to love it, you guys don’t even realise you are actually promoting the AFL to people on your own site.

Hell look at that guy called okayed who is always in constant denial now. This was the guy who was telling everyone 12 months age how the NRL is going to steam roll the AFL, yet nearly every comment he makes is negative and talks about how poorly this game is run compared to the AFL.

You see it is simple minded people like this that will lose faith in your code and jump on the winning band wagon.

Back to the actual subject though.

You people do realise before the last A-League season there was a very good change they were going to have to reboot the entire comp because it was failing drastically?

It had a very good season indeed the A-League last year, but lets see how they go in another 5 years. Frank Lowrey has stated an many occasions that the one thing he wants to do before he pulls the plug from the A-League, is to make sure it is self sustainable. This is a competition that loses millions of dollars a year, along with the Wanderers, so we are far from seeing a team that is self sufficient, along with the league in general.

The Storm are reported to lose close to 6 million a season and this has always been funded by News Limited to keep them afloat. This club is a long way from self sufficient either.

The AFL released a statement 2 years ago when defending the actions of financing the GWS and Gold coast franchises to the tune of 200 million dollars over 5 years by reminding everyone that the Swans cost them over 200 million dollars across 20 years to get them to where they are.

Look at them now, they are the most powerful FOOTBALL team in Sydney by a LONG shot!

It doesn’t matter how much the AFL spent on them, they had vision and it has paid off in spades.

Look at the Storm, they won the premiership in their second season, not to dissimilar to what the Wanderers may perhaps do. The Storm by in large have been a very competitive team since their inception , unlike the Swans who by in large have been a very poor team. In fact the Storm have probably been the most spectacular team to watch for the past 5 years, so when they lose all those wonderful players and head down the ladder (which will happen sooner or later), we will see just how well they do in the next 20 years!

The Swans have just started to release the true power of that investment and some of that WILL rub off on GWS.

As far as the Wanders. I always find a team that can nearly wins a premiership in it’s first season doesn’t say much about the team, more so the quality and evolution of the league it self. The A-League is in it’s infancy and may never grow up and leave the god fathers nest in Lowrey. He knows this and doesn’t want to go to his grave with this failure.

NRL is an evolved product, but it is limited in it’s capacity to truly excel. This is shown by a team in Melbourne being able to dominate other teams ON the pitch within the first two years of existence. It’s heartland just doesn’t have a HEART or sole. Melbourne’s HEART is AFL and it always will be. Sydney’s HEART is up for sale and the AFL and SOCCER are after it

The AFL is similar to other more evolved codes around the world and is why it is seen as one of the best run organisations in the world. You can’t deny this because many of the most avid AFL haters here admit it.

No real problem with the current system.

If the bowler is stupid enough to cross the line then… well they are just plain stupid.

Should Siddle do it again he would most likely get dropped for again… stupidity.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Choko Williams is their man. Not many people in the history of the game have as good a win/loss record as Choko and a premiership to boot.

Go with him, he will not disappoint.

Hmm Sheek, you are starting to sound like the POMS of yesterday years. The team that manages their weaknesses best will most likely lose, just like most people who think like this.

The team that extracts the best out of under performing players will win this series and most of the entire Australian team are under performing.

The entire top order has stunk for a while for Australia, but there are glimpses of hope. Forget about this rubbish moving players in and out of positions every test just because you have a bad game. If we did that then Warne and Waugh would never have become the great players they are recognised as today. For years it was Australia policy for it to be harder to be dumped from the Australian team than to get in it. Just look at the number of Australian test players capped ever compared to England, along with number of captains. Stability is key for Australia, always has been and it will be a success again if we can regain this mentality.

If their are structural problems then I agree to move players and the only two changes I would make are the following.

Cowan needs to be dropped for team structure. He didn’t just have a bad game, he just doesn’t look like a number 3 batsman to me full stop. I would have stuck with Khawaja, but my suspicion is he probably banged the captain or coaches squeeze to not be considered, just like Kadich most like did also.

Ryan Harris needs to be considered. If we can’t score the runs then we sure as hell can bowl this England batting line up out. It’s tough one, but personally I would drop Agar and put in a full pace attack. The boy is not paid to make runs, he is paid to take wickets and although he took 2, I don’t think he looked that dangerous.

If you don’t have a world class spinner then don’t play them just because you think it brings balance. It never bothered the West Indies in their haydays, nor South Africa of recent. As crazy as it sounds a 4 prong pace attack might get the wickets we need if your batting is inept at getting the job done.

As far as Anderson and Swann being top shelf? Anderson is, Swann is a good bowler but nothing special. he has taken not that many wickets per test and his average stinks. Only the POMS think he is great, which is good for us!

Tough one for the NRL, but I have said it for years being a neutral supporter and being from Melbourne that the SOO does just as much good for the game as it harms it.

It’s good to see each year that more and more league commentators are at least starting to echo that the current system does not work and that club football is losing out big time, which for a Melbournian just seems incomprehensible.

One reason they probably won’t go to stand alone weekends is because the ratings for SOO would drastically decrease. There is a huge perception that SOO is bigger than Ben Hur. Now don’t get me wrong, SOO is big (in NSW and QLD anyway), but the reality is many programmes dish out pretty good ratings in the middle of winter on a Wednesday evening when there isn’t anything else to do.

It would be interesting if it was played on a Saturday afternoon by itself how it would fare. Saturday night would rate not so bad, but no where near as good as Wednesday. It would have to be a Sunday evening game to really rate the socks off and make it worth it for the networks, but then it’s kind of like a waste of an entire weekend for everyone waiting for it to come on.

Tough one indeed, one I don’t have an answer for other than saying (maybe 20 years to early) that SOO in my opinion doesn’t have a place in a national competition (if thats what the NRL) wants to become.

Australia have to sort out one thing and one thing only.

Well 5 things actually, their top 5 batsman to be precise.

There is just too much fragility at the top and I’m afraid to say, but we can not fix this in the time we have to snatch the Ashes back.

It is not quite as simple as that Tony.

WADA is the governing body for this, not the AFL. Yes, the AFL hand down the penalty, but if WADA is not happy with it and it is not in line with what the recommendations for such an act, then WADA can and will over rule that decision from the AFL. It will then be taken to the high court for the AFL to then contest if they chose to do so, which in turn they would probably lose!

Should the AFL not be happy with this then tough, they don’t run a professional organisation such as Australian rules football and perhaps start a cup cake making organisation instead.

Remember one thing, WADA don’t just provide recommendations, they ARE the rule makers. You can’t go any higher than WADA when it comes to issues involving drugs in sport. You can’t go any higher than the high court and if WADA’s recommendations were not held up in such a proceeding then what would be the point of WADA in the first place?

I am disgusted with the AFL on this, along with Essendon. If my son was playing for this club I would be forcing him as best I could to go play for someone else or find a new job… period!

lol a draw.

QLD is so much better it isn’t funny.

I would expect NSW to get belted by 20 plus points in game 3 just to rub it in.

I agree to remove the captain from the selection process.

It takes personal decisions out of the equation and bad blood between players and the captain, irrespective of how well Clarke can differentiate the two.

They way Ponting and every other captain has done it in the past is the way to go. I have no doubt previous captains have had tremendous say in the selection, the only difference is is wasn’t official, which can only be a good thing.

no.

It not about the off field behaviour any more for Melbourne peter.

Games are what are going to matter, simple as that for Melbourne and Choko has as good a record as anyone out there at the moment.

Lets not forget two things about that team which lost in the 2007 grand final.

One that team wasn’t even expected to make the 8, let alone the GF.

Two that team got beatne by quite possibly the best team in the history of the AFL VFL.

No team could have or did stand up to that great Geelong team, simple as that.

You make one massive assumption?

Paul Roos is on the market???

He has made no claims to even remotely wanting to coach again, unlike many other prominent coaches who have. I don’t think Roos is in the market to coach again at this stage and if he was do you really think he would want to coach such a rabble?

Michael,

I can see your point on all of those issues, except the competitive part.

Irrespective of the opposition, I do not think it is acceptable for even the bottom team to be this non-competitive in a competition that has both a salary cap and draft in place.

This is gross mismanagement and yes Neeld is not soley to blame here.

However, I believe this is what happened two years ago.

Bailey was also next to useless, but everyone knew that Mick Malthouse was going to be available the following year. What the board of Melbourne didn’t know was that Ratten would come under fire at Carlton because at the time he was going quite well. Todd Viney did not want to take the care taker job so they appointed Neeld. I have no doubt he probably had a short term contract and when Malthouse went to Carlton they then realised they were stuck with him with no better option. He was probably then given an extension and the rest is history.

They need a coach who can after all coach.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Choko Williams is waiting for the opportunity to shine again. He did very well at Port and the only reason he got shafted there was because of Fat ar….se Scott who didn’t like him, who at the time was their major sponsor.

You obviously have a soft spot for Mark Neeld in the way you have written this piece, but I don’t so I will point out the obvious reasons why he has been given the boot.

1. Mark Neeld does not have a game plan. When you listen to the most respected commentators in the land and they also have no idea where this club is heading then something is wrong.

2. He had some pretty good players at hand, but it was his decision to get rid of a lot of that experience. You live and die by your sword and it is Neeld’s list, which in many peoples eyes is actually worse than when Bailey was in charge.

3. This club has been rebuilding now for 7 years, when is enough enough?He shot himself in the foot 3 weeks ago when he said it would take at least 5 years to turn this club around. No one in there right mind says this, unless you are GWS who have more money than GOD backing them up. Melbourne doesn’t have this luxury and for this comment alone he should be sacked.

4. Neeld has zero charisma and zero confidence in front of a camera. He oozes weakness and just looks out of place as an AFL coach. He is a behind closed doors man at best, the lackey who gets the coffee for the real coach, something I’m sure Mick Malthouse misses from him.

5. HIs record stunk last year and it again sticks even worse this year!

6. He appointed 2 captains that not only look 12 years old, play like 12 year olds. Since they have taken the captaincy their games have stunk also. This is the real tragedy, because the next decision made will be to dump these two and if it isn’t then that is the next big mistake the D’s will make. Not only did it just not make sense, it alienated the senior playing group. I don’t care if the player group voted them in. Why? Because AFL football is not a democracy and that is where Neeld went wrong the most. He is not a leader, he is a follower who allowed this idiotic decision to take place even when it wasn’t his own idea. That alone again deserves a sacking!

7. Forget about the wins and losses. This club is just not competitive. For crying out loud, GWS has a better percentage and the only reason they have that one win is because GWS (an inexperienced team) allowed 11 goals in the last quarter). I don’t think that is going to happen often, which means this club affectively has won nothing this year apart from record beltings. This is embarrassing for players, sponsers and supporters. It’s one thing to lose, but 100 point floggings is not acceptable at AFL level consistently and for that he most go!

I could go on and on at how pathetic this man has been as a coach.

Let’s now hope the AFL completely take over this club for the interim period or get rid of them entirely. It is not in the best interest of the game, so disband the club or get some pros in to fix it.

yes he is…

I personally think he is the best, just like a believe is father was before him.

I also believe for him to be considered the best ever he has to achieve one more thing.

Captain the Gold Coast Suns to glory in September. This is the ultimate accolade, one the great Wayne Carey did twice. This man in many peoples eyes IS the best footballer to play the game and I have no doubt should Gary Ablett Jr accomplish this he will be the best we have ever seen.

It’s simple…

They have a better team period!

And there lies the biggest problem Brendan.

Will they play for anyone?

Well guess what, it was Neeld who picked these so ultimately the buck stops with him. It doesn’t matter whether he picked a group of players that are failing because of lack of talent or lack of mindset, both result in the same thing. Poor performance is poor performance and as such is his responsibility, it matters nothing whether they will play for someone else. There is no effort level from these players and there is no excuse for that.

A good coach doesn’t just make good tactical moves on the day. A good coach does all the hard work in the preseason, liaises with all the right people outside the club, puts great people in and around them to build a strong team. A good coach has a game plan and builds on it, I don’t think you will find any expert in the country that can break down Melbournes game plan and tell you what it is because they don’t have one.

I see nothing like the with Neeld. He is poor in press conferences, he has no confidence and at times looks slightly simple if you ask me! He appointed 2 captains which were 20 and 21 years old at the time. I don’t care who voted them in, the coach at the end of the day authorised this ridiculous appointment and for that a lone he should be sacked.

He is not competitive, again no excuse for this. I wouldn’t mind if they lost 22 games in a year, but by an aggravate of nearly 100 points this year is a disgrace! You can always be competitive on a week on week basis. They occasional game they will get thumped, but not by teams like POrt Adelaide in Melbourne, come on seriously!

The worst thing tat has happened to Melbourne this year is winning the last quarter against GWS. Had they lost that game Neeld would be gone, I have no doubt. For this they are going to set the club back even further.

I also have no doubt Neeld was initially taken on as a care taker coach, depsite what anyone says here. Mick Malthouse was out for a year thanks to Eddie and Melbourne knew this. Todd Viney didn’t what to care take for a year in case Malthouse did what the job. What they were not expecting was Ratten getting the arse from Carlton since he was looking quite good at the time Neeld was appointed. This is now their undoing.

I would be going after choko williams, he has an excellent track record and is a premierhsip coach. Pick up the phone and see what he thinks D’s.

Look at the Cats draw for the second half of the season. Most of their games are at home and the only really tough game is against Hawthorne, who they clearly have the wood on.

Don’t be surprised of the cats do with 21, but I think they will probably drop another 2 games coming in at 19 mins and finishing second. They will throttle down and rest players, just like they did in 2011 to win the flag.

As a Melbournian, you New South Welshman should be embarrassed not only by 7 years of torment, but the likely prospect of getting your a….ss handed to you for a decade more.

Pretty much the entire QLD team is the Australian team, you have no hope of winning this series what so ever!

Considering the population advantage and number of professional teams you have compared to QLD it is quite sad really. You kind of remind me of England, a country with a 3 to 1 advantage in population and resources yet for 100 years have been consistently between by Australia. Great job guys, no wonder Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia and not Sydney, lol.