new AFL expansion?

[Tommax25]

I know this isn't league related but aren't the AFL getting ahead of themselves? Some competition, link below, where you write a story about the AFL's future, and I know its not run by the AFL but still, someone out there organsied this comp and is very confident of AFL's progress.

Got a team on the Gold Coast, next year they'll have one in Western Sydney, which will struggle big time. Fast forward two years and theres an AFL world cup, teams on every continent in the world with huge crowds, and its overtaken soccer as the world game. LOL! Try actually solidifying yourself as THE national sport in Australia before you start trying to take over Latin America :lol:

http://www.aflrecord.com.au/shortstory

 

[Perth Red]

TBF I wish the ARL was doing what the AFL are doing in South Africa. The Eagles and dockers are always over there running clinics. Always thought SA had RL potential if it could get some support for development.

 

[Tommax25]

I like that they automatically have the state set to Victoria and not 'select state' or something to that effect. Guess they aren't expecting anyone outside of Victoria to enter their comp about AFL becoming the most dominant sport in the world very soon.......

 

[Gidley Up]

I think you are reading way too much into this. It's a topic for a fictional short story...

 

[lolfail]

I really hope someone entered "Dying at the hands of the NRL" for lolz.

 

[Stormarekings]

The key to the expansion by the AFL into GC and GWS is the stadium deals that they have. THe GC have a stadium deal where they manage the stadium themselves and therefore maximize profits. When they get 20K people to the ground they make a nice profit, unlike some of the other teams. GWS will have a similiar deal I believe. I expect GC to make a nice profit this season and for them to be stable in regards to making money for the next 5 years.

 

[MARSHALL ZHUKOV]

why isnt there a team in Tasmania??- Tasmania Devils would be suitable name

 

[Twizzle]

its just not financially viable, its been looked at for many years and even AFL teams seem to struggle to get decent crowds in Tassie

 

[CyberKev]

Perhaps, but its a bit hard to draw big crowds down there when the stadium only holds about 17,000 people.

Give them a larger capacity stadium, coupled with their own team to follow, and they'd probably draw well enough.

 

[PaddyBoy]

its just not financially viable, its been looked at for many years and even AFL teams seem to struggle to get decent crowds in Tassie

I was at a Hawks game when I was in Launceston and it was pretty well sold out. I think the main issue is that they have little potential to ever reach the league average, and it's a pretty low socio-economic state so they can't overcharge or anything.

Whether or not the new teams will succeed is a different argument, because it is almost impossible for them to pull in a lot of people fortnightly in Tassie. Plus the TV money thing comes in.

Even if the expansion teams don't work, a team in WS has the ability to succeed on numbers and money, whereas the jury is still out on whether Tassie has the ability.

 

[Aegil]

I'm surprised there is no Tassie team yet. I'm guessing the AFL are holding out on one of the smaller Melbourne based teams eventually opting to move there. Kangaroo's?

 

[AuckMel]

I'm surprised there is no Tassie team yet. I'm guessing the AFL are holding out on one of the smaller Melbourne based teams eventually opting to move there. Kangaroo's?

They'd be the most likely target you'd think.

 

[Twizzle]

wont be financially viable imo

they've had about 120 years to find a team in Tassie and in this current financial climate it would be a huge mistake and they know it

 

[roofromoz]

Hawthorn's major sponsor is the Tasmanian government, which ties in with a number of home games being played in Launceston each year. When I was down there a few years ago, there was a big media campaign to get their own team (could have been before GWS were awarded the licence). Its economic viability would be obviously the driving factor, but the interest would be there given it's an AFL state.

A problem though would be if it ever did happen, where would they play? There is a fierce divide between the south (Hobart) and north (Launceston), so there would have to be a split between York Park and Bellerive (I assume). With that said, has there been any thoughts about having matches at Bellerive? Would it meet AFL stadia criteria, given it's not an all seater?

 

[intentcity]

Perhaps, but its a bit hard to draw big crowds down there when the stadium only holds about 17,000 people.

Give them a larger capacity stadium, coupled with their own team to follow, and they'd probably draw well enough.

No, it holds 34.000, they did a head count.

 

[intentcity]

I'm surprised there is no Tassie team yet. I'm guessing the AFL are holding out on one of the smaller Melbourne based teams eventually opting to move there. Kangaroo's?

Pretty sure the AFL have learnt from their mistakes, relocating a team to Tassie would be a disaster, they want their own team, and they'll get it within 10 years IMO.

 

[intentcity]

wont be financially viable imo

they've had about 120 years to find a team in Tassie and in this current financial climate it would be a huge mistake and they know it

I think they would hold their own financially, the trouble is the talent pool, AFL already have more teams than the NRL and it takes more players to play an AFL game, and, the AFL can't draw players from NZ and the islands, so they are very mindfull of not spreading the talent to thinly.

 

[Twizzle]

Tassie have provided some good players in the past, but yeah maybe not enough to provide a competitive team but neither does Geelong yet that manage to recruit well enough.

They also manage financially enough to attract players from outside of greater Geelong and I'd imagine the population of Tassie is much greater than Geelong.

Hawks and Roos cant seem to attract the crowds yet they play there regularly. Like I said they've had 120 years and I dont see what another 10 years will do.

I dont think Tassie will ever have their own team.

 

[intentcity]

Tassie have provided some good players in the past, but yeah maybe not enough to provide a competitive team but neither does Geelong yet that manage to recruit well enough.

They also manage financially enough to attract players from outside of greater Geelong and I'd imagine the population of Tassie is much greater than Geelong.

Hawks and Roos cant seem to attract the crowds yet they play there regularly. Like I said they've had 120 years and I dont see what another 10 years will do.

I dont think Tassie will ever have their own team.

I meant for the entire competion, the talent's spread fairly thin already, some think to thin, reckon they'll get their team in around 10 years or so though, the Tassie Devils!!

 

[elbusto]

and

I meant for the entire competition, the talent's spread fairly thin already, some think to thin, reckon they'll get their team in around 10 years or so though, the Tassie Devils!!

Nice sentiment Inentcity but Tassie is broke. The Government is inept and the economy is a black hole. The opportunity has been lost because we chose the Hawks over our own Team when we had the chance. The AFL knows we are a lost cause. The State Government put all its money (what little there was) into the Hawks and yet over 90% of people attending the games are from the North of the State meaning the Tourism dollars are not there.

The Kangaroos and the Storm are only coming to Tassie on the back of private sponsorship and my personal experience of being involved in the Storm process is that there is no money out there - not just because it is an NRL trial - there just is not any money out there - period.

I was in Perth for two weeks for work recently- it was a different world - the difference is tangible 9 (and I get a similar vibe in most other States I visit)- Tassie is stuffed and it will take a long time for us to recover.

Basically Tassie now has nothing bar its Cricket Teams and there is no way there is even 30% of the annual money around to prop up an AFL Team given our population base and the ridiculous ease with which we slip into our parochial brawls whenever any opportunity is presented.

If you saw the crap that went on when the Kangaroos first suggested playing a couple of games in Hobart you would see what I mean. It was pathetic and sad.