If you think there were clubs that didn't need $40k in 1989, you'd probably need to look back in history. Even the Maggies were struggling financially in the 80s (when Russell was coaching?). Heck, the VFL evolved into what it is today because clubs were in financial strife.
As for $40k, our clubs sold out for a pittance. $40k is not going to solve the problems of those clubs in financial strife. Clubs will always be and always have been in strife - then and now. But they will keep going on and then it will be another club's turn to face financial stress. That's the way it's always been - then and now.
The financial dividends to go to the clubs are being over played when discussing the reasons for what has occurred. There was self-interest and pressure to do as the big boys, for the 'bigger picture', asked - for mine, these were the main reasons clubs caved.
From what I can gather, of the clubs that held meetings to discuss the issue, their boards went against the wishes of the supporters of their club anyway, so a greater noise than "sit ins at Woodville Oval" or a "printed banner" wouldn't have done anything. Furthermore, there is no way that the SANFL fans could compete against the sheer noise, media or fan base, made by those with an investment in the AFL clubs.
I won't, as stated earlier, tell you what your club is, I won't even call you Warfie Scum, but to think we, as fans, could've stopped what was preordained is hard to stomach.
There's no doubt clubs have always struggled financially, but there is no doubt that none of the clubs ever thought in 1989 that there demise was a possibility. They now know that it is a stark reality. They also know the best way to avoid such a disaster is to not bite the hand that ultimately feeds them and that, sadly, isn't the members or supporters. It's the SANFL circa 1980's and now the SANFL as a subservient slave to the AFL circa 2014.
Don't for one minute think promises of all you can eat's and drinks in the members at AO didn't sway the odd self serving president or board member either.
And yes, what was in all reality a preordained matter is not one that I'm going to lose sleep over. If I could do nothing about it in the first place, why would I spend time being angered by it now? For mine it's the reality of the situation and little 'ol me wasn't gonna stop it. I'm not happy about it, I don't agree with it.....but where to now?
You can give it away, some have. You can go support someone else. Some have. You can try and make the most of whats left. I am.
Life's too short for me to spend time getting cranky over it. I'm married with kids, work full time and have plenty of other commitments, I've got plenty of cranky pills to swallow as it is!! :lol: