AFL Ruined?

[Phantom Gossiper]

Here's a question that i'm sure will create debate.

Do you think the AFL have let their ego run away with them and in their quest to become the most dominate sport across Australia have expanded far too big too quickly? It appears to me the talent pool in the AFL has been spread far too thin, resulting in a lob sided, predictable, boring competition.

On top of that the AFL appears keen to talk up the close blockbluster games i.e yesterdays Hawks v Cats game, which only then masks the fact that almost half the other games in the round were decided by 90+ points.

People talk about GWS & GC being in their infancy as a football club, but if that were a valid reason then why didn't sides like Port Adelaide, Adelaide, Fremantle get punished from pillar to post each week in their early years?

Like a sugar daddy, their ego is going to prove costly in the long run. Where would the Power be without the financial propping up of the AFL & SANFL?

Toss in the rule changes and interpretations and its becoming a ticky tac, non contact event. This weekend I seen more 50m penalties given than I had for an entire season!

Add into the equation free agency at the close of the season, the richer clubs - which are generally the more powerfull and successfull - will only become stronger

I would rather see a competition with 14 STRONG clubs where results aren't a foregone conclusion before the 1st bounce than an 18 club competition with a divide between the best & the rest the size of the Grand Canyon..

[Psyber]

I'd like to support a 12 club competition, with a maximum of 6 based in Melbourne, and the administration not in Melbourne...

[Phantom Gossiper]

Melbourne recent seasons:
2011 - 13th
2010 - 12th
2009 - 16th
2008 - 16th
2007 - 14th

Nth Melb recent seasons:
2011 - 9th
2010 - 9th
2009 - 13th
2008 - 7th
2007 - 3rd

Essendon recent seasons:
2011 - Finals
2010 - 14th
2009 - Finals
2008 - 12th
2007 - 12th

Brisbane recent seasons:
2011 - 15th
2010 - 13th
2009 - Semi Final
2008 - 10th
2009 - 10th

[gadj1976]

Yes, it's expanded too quickly IMO.

Remember Brisbane in their early days were the whipping boys too. They did go with recycled players so they in effect meant that they were going to be ordinary for many years.

The talent pool is currently too thin but the thinking is obvious. Get kids playing Aussie Rules (instead of NRL etc) because you (10 year old kid) can make a lifetime's money in 10 years playing the sport YOU love!

I've read a few stories of players deciding to play footy over cricket because only 25 players make it to the top in cricket whereas with footy you can be 1 of 6 or 700 to make it to the elite level.

Expansion will happen so we'd better get used to it. I think the AFL got blindsided with the NRL's expansion to the Gold Coast and wanted to get back some ground before it was too late. The whole GWS thing just makes zero sense to me. It's the heartland of NRL out there and when I went to Blacktown records some years ago I realised how multicultural it is out there. To win them over from soccer and NRL (if there are NRL faithful out there) will be generations in the making.

[gadj1976]

I'd like to support a 12 club competition, with a maximum of 6 based in Melbourne, and the administration not in Melbourne...

Why?

Does it matter where BHP's, Origin Energy, Transfield's headquarters are?

A question I keep asking that no one will answer - if you are part of a profitable organisation and you are in charge, why would you not try and expand that organisation?

[Phantom Gossiper]

Geelong recent seasons:
2011 - 1st
2010 - 3rd
2009 - 1st
2008 - 2nd
2007 - 1st

Collingwood recent seasons:
2011 - 2nd
2010 - 1st
2009 - 4th
2008 - 6th
2007 - 4th

Hawthorn recent seasons:
2011 - 3rd
2010 - 7th
2009 - 9th
2008 - 1st
2007 - 6th

[Psyber]

I'd like to support a 12 club competition, with a maximum of 6 based in Melbourne, and the administration not in Melbourne...

Why?
Does it matter where BHP's, Origin Energy, Transfield's headquarters are?
A question I keep asking that no one will answer - if you are part of a profitable organisation and you are in charge, why would you not try and expand that organisation?

1. It would matter where a corporations' headquarters was if that shaped their decision making to the overall detriment of the product and the product's viability.
2. Of course you would, even if you were stuffing up without knowing - it was logical for the VFL to seek to expand into national dominance and irrational for the rest of us to go along with it.
(Because of the predictability of the outcome in 1.)

[Phantom Gossiper]

I'd like to support a 12 club competition, with a maximum of 6 based in Melbourne, and the administration not in Melbourne...

1. Collingwood
2. Hawthorn
3. Geelong
4. Essendon
5. Carlton
6. Melbourne
7. Adelaide
8. Brisbane
9. Perth / West Coast
10. Sydney
11. Tasmania
12. Canberra (Nth Melb relocated ala Sth Melb - Syd)

There you have a 12 team NATIONAL comp that would no doubt prove competitive in both performance on field and marketing for clubs off field..

[Q.]

I'm remember reading last year that the margins were not statistically different to any other year.

The bottom sides are always bottom for a reason. There have been beltings every season.

[carey]

All very good points but the power of the almighty $$$$ will have this an 18 team comp for many many years to come.

[Phantom Gossiper]

I'm remember reading last year that the margins were not statistically different to any other year.

The bottom sides are always bottom for a reason. There have been beltings every season.

Because the top sides have their competitive games that are close? Of course over the course of a season, the average margin probably is statistically similar - probably around the 5-10 goal range I would imagine, further proof that the close games mask the blow outs..

The bottom sides are always bottom.. THAT SHOULDN'T happen.. Draft, Salary Cap, plenty of AFL $$ all introduced to "even" out the competition..

[CUTTERMAN]

I'd just like to see everyone playing everyone twice home and away, an equitable fixture where every team gets equal exposure, the Brownlow called something else and hosted in shared capital cities and the GF played in the city of the team that earns the right to host it.

[Trader]

They should expand it even more.

The more games we have the more close games we will get. And with more games, you can switch off when the blow-outs occur.

PS: I see Centrebet has set the GWS line at 105.5 this week, classic!

[Baron Greenback]

I'd like to support a 12 club competition, with a maximum of 6 based in Melbourne, and the administration not in Melbourne...

1. Collingwood
2. Hawthorn
3. Geelong
4. Essendon
5. Carlton
6. Melbourne
7. Adelaide
8. Brisbane
9. Perth / West Coast
10. Sydney
11. Tasmania
12. Canberra (Nth Melb relocated ala Sth Melb - Syd)

There you have a 12 team NATIONAL comp that would no doubt prove competitive in both performance on field and marketing for clubs off field..

No Darwin or Alice?

[Jimmy_041]

I'd like to support a 12 club competition, with a maximum of 6 based in Melbourne, and the administration not in Melbourne...

1. Collingwood
2. Hawthorn
3. Geelong
4. Essendon
5. Carlton
6. Melbourne
7. Adelaide
8. Brisbane
9. Perth / West Coast
10. Sydney
11. Tasmania
12. Canberra (Nth Melb relocated ala Sth Melb - Syd)

There you have a 12 team NATIONAL comp that would no doubt prove competitive in both performance on field and marketing for clubs off field..

You'd have to keep the Power in there or the AFL would have billions in the bank

[Strawb]

I think the AFL has shot itself in the foot with recent additions. Port was but was not a bad idea. Problem with Port is normally a team that only Port supporters will follow.
The Gold Coast is a money pit always has been so far you have had 3 different rugby league teams there all have been broke. They are on their 4th now and money issues are already happening. (The NRL is worried over the AFL at the moment on the Gold Coast.) 1 basketball team, 1 afl club kinda (Brisbane Bears) and one soccer club. Most of these clubs needed to be propped up over time and two still are.
GWS is a joke. Western Sydney is League, Union and soccer area it is more multicultural than most areas. There is a big middle eastern and Hispanic are from Bankstown to Fairfield. Down the south west there is a big Asian population. Parramatta and Penrith are more an Australian area. (not trying to be racist here). Will these guys pick up Aussie Rules I doubt it. The AFL has grown too big for its worth and its control of the game is putting more and more families off the game.

[LMA]

I think the AFL will be worried about the new A League side coming out of West Sydney next year. GWS will continue to get smashed and it won't take long for the fans in such a multi-cultural area to turn to a sport they're probably more familiar with and more passionate about.

[Jimmy_041]

The plan for the "national" competition is based upon maximising the TV dollars.
It's got nothing to do with making the sport national.
They can prop up clubs like GWS and GCS as long as the TV rights keep bringing in billions
The only people screwed by the AFL are the Tasmanians who have more right to hate the AFL administration than the rest of us put together
The only way they are going to get a team is to collectively turn their TV's to another channel for a couple of years

[Strawb]

I think the AFL will be worried about the new A League side coming out of West Sydney next year. GWS will continue to get smashed and it won't take long for the fans in such a multi-cultural area to turn to a sport they're probably more familiar with and more passionate about.

NRL memberships are up and it won't take long for the GWS soccer team to gain memberships. The GWS will end up merging with a Melbourne club to survive.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Well the latest tv rights money would say everything is going gang busters.