Bounce of the ball wrote:Agreed JK. However there seems to be a few that are so ANTI it they want to say it has a part to do with their or other clubs debt. Did SANFL supporters ABANDON their club when Woodville came in ? Did they ABANDON their club when Central came in ?
They are just doing their club and the competition a disservice . If their argument is accurate I assume them not staying away clubs would make a profit ? So in actual fact it's these people to blame from their logic. Hasn't there been clubs make a profit recently ?
To make it clear ...........I AM AGAINST THE AFL TEAMS IN OUR COMPETITION.
Mate, I didn't even abandon MY Club when they were forced to MERGE with Woodville, let alone abandon them when they were robbed of a heap of their Zone, due to Woodville fitting in between Port & the 'Port Natives' (WTFC), ultimately resulting in their slow demise over 3 decades.
Don't preach to me about 'loyalty' & 'sticking it out' - ONCE is enough FFS!
The Club I loved, the Club I played for, the Club I spent the 1st 20 yrs of my life supporting, DIED in 1990.
Ironically, due to the advent of the Crows & the fear of the further impact financially on WTFC & the SANFL as a whole.
(Go back & read the history of what happened in 1990 due to PAFC's lies & deceit & their forcing of Basheer's & Whicker's hands).
Despite this, I began supporting the 'new' entity. In 2006, finally embracing the 'One Club' - up until then, there was still West Torrens & Woodville Fans.
To be fair, I discussed the AFL Reserves issue
face-to-face with Kurt Slaven, I wrote letters to the Club, I even stated (to Kurt) that should the Club put the decision (to vote Yes or No) to its MEMBERS & the Members came back 51% in favour of allowing the Cows & PAPs into the Comp, (although not happy with the decision) I would CONTINUE to support the Club, both financially & vocally/in person.
He & the other 'Leaders' didn't even allow the Members to vote. As a result, I left the Club - on principle.
Please don't preach to me about "... self-fulfilling prophecies", when those of us who could see through the lies peddled by Trigg & Chapman from the beginning, alerted everyone including the Media (who incidentally CHANGED their position, to 'tow the Party line') that there were huge holes in their figures. Sturt were in trouble, as were Westies. They voted Yes for selfish reasons, fair enough. Norwood 'flip-flopped' because they managed to negotiate a better deal for salary cap breaches - again, understandable to a degree. But WWTFC, NAFC & GFC had the chance to block the vote but their so-called 'Leaders' made decisions to 'feather their own personal nest', not in the interests of their Clubs or the Competition. By no means are they solely to blame, but because they were conned by the lies, here they are - in worse shape than when they began.
Yes, Clubs have contributed to their own demise in making some poor financial decisions - one of which was 'buying' the empty promises of increased revenue as a result of the AFL Teams entering the Competition. Even the 'pro' lobby must recognise that the 'Walker Match' (which has been used by so many as a positive example), what we all said at the time - it was a one off, unlikely to be repeated, & distorted the Crowd figures of 2014 (as was the Grand Final that year) - it, like the empty promises based on hypotheticals, was UNSUSTAINABLE.
It is very sad what is happening to out 150 yr old competition, even sadder what has happened to the WAFL.
The WAFL is now officially dead, it is the WAFL in NAME only.
We can still save the SANFL from the same demise by kicking them out. Granted, the damage may already be done.
But you can bet your life, that should the SANFL continue as it is, it WILL be dead in 5 yrs, just like our Western cousins.
Kicking the AFL Teams to the kurb, might breath life back into the SUPPORT of the Competition.
Regardless, due to the principle, I won't return to WWTFC - but with the AFL Scum kicked out, I WILL return to watching more SANFL Games & spending my money over the bars & through the Food stands.
Rant over... Cue the 'pro lobby'
