SA Footy

From:
Coast circles AFL team
Andrew Hamilton

March 18, 2006

QUEENSLAND could soon have its second AFL club, with a Gold Coast outfit bidding for the North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The Southport Sharks football club wants to buy a majority shareholding in the Kangaroos and relocate the AFL team to the Gold Coast.

Southport CEO Paul Wyatt said the Sharks had earlier made an unsuccessful takeover bid for the Kangaroos.

The Sharks had proposed buying a controlling interest in the Kangaroos, which would have relocated to the Gold Coast but would have continued to play half its home games in Melbourne.

The ambitious power grab was vetoed by the Kangaroos' board, with then chairman Allen Aylett a particularly strident opponent.

But the landscape has changed with Mr Aylett's departure at the end of last season and with the AFL growing increasingly keen to secure a presence on the Gold Coast, the Sharks are compiling a fresh bid.

"This (previous bid) hasn't been public knowledge, but it has been canvassed behind closed doors over a couple of years," Mr Wyatt said.

"Out of all the existing Melbourne clubs, the Kangaroos would be the easiest to acquire a controlling share of because they are privately owned.

"They couldn't see the vision under the old regime, but it's something we've recognised would work and we intend to continue to pursue it."

The Courier-Mail understands some of the Kangaroos' owners are growing tired of the club's continued poor financial performance.

Selling a share to the Sharks or becoming a fully members-owned club based on the Gold Coast would not only ensure the Kangaroos survival, it would underpin long-term financial stability.

The Sharks have 45,000 members, annual pokies-driven revenue of $200 million and $26 million in capital.

Mr Wyatt said it was unlikely the AFL would grant Southport its own licence and the club considered its best chance of entering the national competition was to form a partnership with an existing club.

That meant buying a majority share of the Kangaroos or backing the relocation of a struggling member-based club such as Hawthorn or the Western Bulldogs.

Southport has the backing of the Gold Coast council.

Mayor Ron Clarke said it was time the AFL realised there were too many Melbourne-based sides to make the competition a truly national one.

The AFL is bracing for a territorial war with the NRL in the fast growing Gold Coast region.

The Titans enter the competition next year and the AFL is clearly concerned about losing what support it has in the region to rugby league.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou made his intentions clear this week when he said the Gold Coast was the No. 1 priority.

Probably the only reasonable chance of long term survival for the Kangaroos.
The die-hards will hate it, but at some stage you have to bite the bullet.

Bloody hell, how rich are the Sharks? Remarkably rich actually.
Can't see too many other groups putting up their hands.

I agree, the Kanga's were one of the most powerful teams in the ate 90's and still they have a poor supporter base, poor membership numbers and find it difficut to attract the corporate dollar, one day they will need to stand on there own two feet without AFL Financial assistance.

Relocation may be there best option.

I would be interested to hear people's view on the Gold Coast, my personal view is that the Gold Coast lacks something, great place to holiday but do we honestly believe it can sustain an AFL Club long term, my concern is that the the Gold Coast is also a stong League region and there may be too many swinging supporters depending on the level of success.........

Just for an arguement would Tassie or Canberra be more viable options, maybe in 5 years time, the Western Suburbs of Sydney may also be an option

Sounds like a good place for a team and with 45,000 members - loads of cash already they will probally become a powerhouse very quickly. I think Southport FC have also dominated QAFL comp for many years and with Carrara Oval upgraded to AFL standards why not move North Melbourne upthere.

Canberra couldn't support the Kangaroos or any other AFL club for that matter.

The market is maxed out with the Brumbies and Raiders.

Good post Sidney. What the Gold Coast lacks is a sense of community. It's full of empty or temporarily filled hotels and retirees and rich ar5eholes but SEQ is growing fast and so this might not always be the situation around the place.

The only other viable alternative for a relocation is in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. There is not enough Bums on seats for Canberra or Tasmania to have a side in the AFL (Quite suprising when you consider how many bums there are in Canberra LOL) on a permanent basis.

The West Sydney Blues...the Lebanese would love the Fev!!

regards,

REB

Southport would be a good choice. I could not believe the size of the place when I was up there last year, however the members numbers are not all football supporters, they are "pokies" members but with the influx of southerners moving North, perhaps it might work.

Carrara looked pretty packed for the Lions/Essendon match earlier in the NAB cup.

For the record here's the AFL listed ground capacities at present:

AAMI Stadium (Adelaide) - 51,515
Aurora Stadium (Launceston) - 24,000 (under construction)
Carrara Oval (Gold Coast) – 15,500
Gabba (Brisbane) - 37,500
Manuka Oval (Canberra) - 14,000
Marrara Oval (Darwin) - 14,000
Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne) - 95,000
Subiaco Oval (Perth) - 42,885
Sydney Cricket Ground (Sydney) - 43,386
Skilled Stadium (Geelong) - 28,300
Telstra Dome (Melbourne) - 53,355
Telstra Stadium (Sydney) - 81,000

The Gold Coast may not be the ideal 'community' to host an AFL club, but good enough (with plenty of ex-southerners as mentioned).
I get the impression Aussie Rules (real football) has made some big strides on the general Qld population (thanks to the success of the Lions of course).
So while Rugby Union/League still dominate, they have increased competition in a state of 4 million.

Will be interesting to see how many turn up for the Crows vs Melbourne game REB.

REB

GOOD POST

Western Suburbs is definitely a footy developing region, most importantly the main region for future population growth in Sydney wil be in this region, the west is also supported by heavy and manufacturing industries so there should be plenty of opportunity for the ever important corporate dollar

maybe move the Bulldogs there, they can keep there name and the Leb's will have two bulldog teams to support

I think you will find that was the theory behind the name change from Footscray.

I am told the AFL for some years has wanted two teams in Sydney and want them to eventually relocate to the working class western suburbs.

This is inline with the thinking that Melbourne needs to become an 8 team town.

The relocation of existing clubs rarely is successful in the short term.It,as Sydney have shown,takes time to develop a new supporter base.On the other side is the likes of West Coast and Adelaide who,as new franchises,have made huge in roads into sponsorship and supporter base.I would hate to see a club dissapear only to re-emerge as a new entity,losing the tradition assosciated with the original club,ie: Brisbane's swallowing of Fitzroy.

Maybe the league needs to be a 14 team league. No NAB bull5hit, 26 games plus finals, everyone plays each other twice. Not a good time to be struggling for members or to be in massive debt.

regards,

REB

Here it is drebin,