Kangaroos say no to Gold Coast

[smac]

To look at the debate from another perspective.

Will this decision by the Kangaroos have a significant impact on the SANFL?

A newly created team on the Gold Coast (which seems probable) will take a significant number of SANFL players. Perhaps not as many as Crows or Port upon entry, but the second best comp will certainly be hit hard.

[Dutchy]

A historic day when the Kangaroos reject the prospect of becoming the Gold Coast Kangaroos in favour of their likely future as the North Melbourne Major Mitchell Hopping Mice in the VFL competition.

[Somebody has to go - Melbourne can't sustain so many teams.]

Courageous but correct decision by the board. By moving to the Gold Coast they would have remained the same coporate entity but ceased to be the real Kangaroos. Abandoning Arden street would have been abandoning everything that Nth Melb ever stood for to become a marketing tool of the AFL. At least now their club has a chance to survive.

I believe the board has erred big time on this, quite possibly negligent in their duties as directors. I wonder if Brayshaw etc voted with their brains or their hearts.

Much more to running a footy club then just footy.

Sorry Dutchy, but I fear the Roos have probably missed a decades worth of free kicks right in front of goals.


No one else they can blame when the club has folded in 5 years time.

Did you want Footscray to merge? your club was in a worst spot than us yet there is no mention of them folding these days?

[Rik E Boy]

A strange comment indeed from our Bulldog above. I would have thought a little more empathy for our Marsupial mate would have been the order here.

Interesting to note that the club has renamed itself North Melbourne but that smacks to me of a drowning man waving frantically before he goes under. I hope I'm wrong - I reckon they should get rid of West Coast ha ha.

regards,

REB

[Texas Rattlesnake]

I would urge all North Melbourne supporters, who are not memebers, or are thinking about signing up, do so now. We need you more than ever if this is going to work!

[Rushby Hinds]

A historic day when the Kangaroos reject the prospect of becoming the Gold Coast Kangaroos in favour of their likely future as the North Melbourne Major Mitchell Hopping Mice in the VFL competition.

[Somebody has to go - Melbourne can't sustain so many teams.]

Courageous but correct decision by the board. By moving to the Gold Coast they would have remained the same coporate entity but ceased to be the real Kangaroos. Abandoning Arden street would have been abandoning everything that Nth Melb ever stood for to become a marketing tool of the AFL. At least now their club has a chance to survive.

I believe the board has erred big time on this, quite possibly negligent in their duties as directors. I wonder if Brayshaw etc voted with their brains or their hearts.

Much more to running a footy club then just footy.

Sorry Dutchy, but I fear the Roos have probably missed a decades worth of free kicks right in front of goals.


No one else they can blame when the club has folded in 5 years time.

Did you want Footscray to merge? your club was in a worst spot than us yet there is no mention of them folding these days?

Not at all, and yes we were in worse spot (or were we?)

But the dogs weren't offered untold wealth and on field advantages. And we were going to be the minor partner in a merger. This is (i fear) the Kangaroos last chance to remain an entity in their own right.

[Andy #24]

I believe the board has erred big time on this, quite possibly negligent in their duties as directors. I wonder if Brayshaw etc voted with their brains or their hearts.

Much more to running a footy club then just footy.

Maybe one of their purposes in the constitution refers to playing for the people of Nth Melb. Can't remember the specifics but once a corporation goes away from its purposes I think a member can apply to have it wound up. That would be funny.

Your last statement above is why everyone hates AD. Changing the game for the worse just to make money is not the way to go. Some things have an intrinsic value completely removed from $.

[Dutchy]

lets be honest AD has profit goals he has to reach for the commision to pay his bonuses therefore he is always talking for a $ persepctive....

People say we will lose out identity if we dont move to Qld, I say what g'tees we retain our identity and culture by moving up there? Fitzroy and South Melbourne only get mentioned 1% of the time when discuss Brisbane and Sydney

[Macca19]

Kudos must definately go to the Kangaroos supporters for getting behind this and making it work. I know a lot of people from BigFooty and elsewhere have put in hours upon hours of work to try and make their football club stay in Melbourne and make this situation work.

There is that sense of too little too late though and I think the current board and management may pay for the mismanagement of those before them. I think guys like Aylett have a lot to answer for.

I also cant help but feel that it has put them in a risky position for their future. I wouldnt want to see my club move to the Gold Coast but there is that risk now that they may go under and the AFL wont bail them out. The AFL seem to have this vengence thing when they dont get their way. Im not sure for how long they will remain financially viable in this competition, but well done to them for fighting this out and giving themselves every chance to survive and hopefully prosper. Hawthorn got out of the doldrems so hopefully NM can as well.

[smac]

I think most people don't want North to disappear.

However I fear that the club, by taking control, have handed all control over to the AFL - at least a move now would have seen them control the move.

I, for one, wish them well.

[stan]

I think most people don't want North to disappear.

However I fear that the club, by taking control, have handed all control over to the AFL - at least a move now would have seen them control the move.

I, for one, wish them well.

I also wish them well, but still I question now if they can survive in melbourne.

[smac]

What I was attempting to say (politically correct version perhaps) was that I too doubt it - the AFL will now control the Kangaroos with a gentle pull of the purse strings being all that is required to undo them.

[Hondo]

The issue is what happens if Brayshaw and the Club can't achieve the financial goals needed for his plan to work

That's why I think we shouldn't assume the Gold Coast Kangaroos are dead in the water just yet

Having said that, calls to arms have been successful in the past sometimes a shot in the arm is what's needed - look at Sturt & North in the SANFL and Richmond, St Kilda in the AFL

[Dutchy]

November 2007
"The AFL is going to the Gold Coast, whether it's with the Kangaroos or anyone else, we will be there," he said.

"We will have no hesitation whatsoever in issuing a 17th licence. Demetriou said



December 2007
"You know our position on that - that is absolutely a very viable option and of course we will do the work required to explore the 17th licence as an option," Demetriou said today.

bit different from the threat only a month ago...tool

[Hondo]

Dutchy you're spot on that's why I think something is going on in the background that is being kept confidential

It all seems very non-acramonious and rehearsed all of a sudden - in both camps. Everyone's wishing everyone well it doesn't smell right.

They both seem to be leaving doors open my feeling is that a 12 month 'suck it and see' agreement might have been reached

Because the million $ question is still what happens if the Roos can't achieve their financial goals in the next 12 months? I reckon then the AFL will say 'well you said you could turn things around but you didn't so time to book the flights North'.

[smac]

They could be 'investigating a 17th licence' because they are actually intending to move a vacated 16th licence, perhaps.

[woodwt]

There days are numbered!

[Psyber]

I really can't see North Melbourne pulling this off and surviving - I understand the emotion, but I think they are now following Fitzroy to oblivion. At least Fiztroy got lucky and it wasn't total oblivion because Brisbane's success gave them some form of memorable link between the past and the present.

I'm not sure NM will be so lucky.

Of course this could all be about a face-saving better deal when they do agree to move.

[stan]

I really can't see North Melbourne pulling this off and surviving - I understand the emotion, but I think they are now following Fitzroy to oblivion. At least Fiztroy got lucky and it wasn't total oblivion because Brisbane's success gave them some form of memorable link between the past and the present.

I'm not sure NM will be so lucky.

Of course this could all be about a face-saving better deal when they do agree to move.

Well there was plenty of rar rar led by James Brayshaw the other night. But still, your membership is low and your attendence is low...But your going to stand on your on 2 feet.....

On a side note well done north on the 100k profit this year......I think the AFL gave them 2.5 mil.....long way to go boys

[Hondo]

Is it alarming that only 2000 members even turned up or is that all the place could hold?

I reckon the Roosters had more than that marching down Main North Road

[Strawb]

The roo's unfortunately to me have signed their death warrant. North Melbourne has struggled on and off field it took alot for them to win their first flag. St. Kilda has saved themselves going to Frankston and The AFL will not touch the Doggies not after what happened last time they tried. North will either be forced into a merger with another club or die. I don't want to see North go but I feel that they will drift off into the Wilderness. Fitzroy were supposed to move to Brisbane back in 1986 but a Fitzroy supporter found money to keep Fitzroy in Fitzroy.