Demetriou at it again

[mopsy fraser]

I think its more to do with television and a delusion belief that AFL is Australia's number one game. How can you promote AFL football when it is so fractured and the birth place of some of the greatest names ever does not have its own team. How B1 can announce an expansion of this scale while ignoring an Aussie Rules state is beyond me. I cant accept a second team anywhere else before Tasmania. Perth I can understand as well as Backwaterville but not Western Sydney and the Gold Coast.

We need to embrace Tasmania and consistently promote the game there at the highest level not spasmodically when Hawthorn play there or with the VFL.

But I can see what B1 is on about I guess........Money Money Money....makes the spreadsheet look good but bugger the supporters.

Nice one Andrew!

of course it`s australia`s number 1 game. :

you`d have to be deluded to think it`s not.

but i completely agree that tassie should have their own team.

i think it would be a very easy thing to do to start a team there.
you wouldn`t have to prop them up with millions for 10 or 20 years either because the support is already there.

 

[newyorktiger]

hawthorn can move there. There are too many melbourne teams anyway.

 

[hopper]

3 things spring to mind. demographics stadium and loyalty to existing afl teams.

when you think of tassies weather a 30k 40 k multi purpose seat stadium with a roof is a must. this stadium should be built on hobarts domain at the site of the old tca ground. basically its in the city and would have ample parking. hobart also has the largest concentration of people.people will not travel for 2 hrs to see a game of footy.
as for loyalty you would have a hard time getting taswegians to support a team. most of us support passionately a melb based side and nothing would make us change.

Completely agree. This is not about just whether the team will be supported in the area. I'm sure an Oodnadatta based team would have most of the town there every weekend. It's about how many support in the big scheme of things. Simple facts are that there isn't the growth potential in Tassie that there is in West Sydney and on the Gold Coast. And you need $ in the bank to pay the bills/players not a loyal little band of supporters. I'd love a team here in Darwin, put the population and demographic simply doesn't support it. North Melbourne have many loyal supporters, but they're in deep shtook.

 

[Chiang Mai Tiger]

People dont talk, MONEY DOES!

Dementriod is only chasing the dream of bucks, more bucks and lots more bucks.

Tasmania from a financial point of view doesnt stack up against NSW or QLD whether they contain footy fans or not. The promise of more money is there.

Besides the booze, hookers, nightlife and sleaze is much more appealing in Sydney and the Gold Coast than Hobart.

 

[the claw]

I understand where you're coming from tigerstar but Tasmania differs from Queensland and Sydney in that it is a traditional AFL/VFL state with a rich tradition. There would be plenty of people who love their football who relsih the chance to attend AFL games.

I didn't so much post to say I think the team should be in Tassie but rather to dispute santa's claim that people will not travel 2 hours to see a game of footy. Some Melbourne people travel around an hour to a game without even leaving the urban sprawl.

damn right its different to other places the parochialism in tassie is fierce. the south hates the north and the north hates the south. it would be interesting to do a survey on how many travel to the hawks games in launceston i bet its few. they get a maximum of what 18k to afl games in launceston thats from a state with 450 to 500 k. dont get me wrong i would love to see a tasmanian side but it just isnt viable tassie is just a reflection of melbourne when it comes to afl.

what i find funny about demetriou and others talking about west sydney and gold coast in comparison to tassie is they talk about having to prop up tassie financially. well what the hell are they doing with the swans. they have been probably the most propped up club in history there is clearly a limited support base and thse supporters are not going to jump of the swans.sydneys supporters drop of in droves when they do poorly what does that tell you. all i can say is if its good enough to prop up sydney and brisbane because of telly rights its good enough to prop up tassie a true football state.

 

[happytige]

The Ccapacity of Aorora Stadium in Launceston is only 23,000. There was nearly that number when I watched Hawthorn humble the tiges ther a couple of years ago. There was a high percentage of Richmond supporters, and the atmosphere was fantastic. The locals threw themselves into the spirit of the game.

With investment and a larger stadium (possibly in Hobart), I have no doubt that they would get bigger crowds,

 

[mld]

Tasmanians seem happy supporting their Melbourne clubs, good on them. I know the horrible hawks play some home games there, but perhaps the AFL could organise to have game of every round or two played down there.

I'm not sold on the extra teams in Sydney and Brisbane. I think the AFL missed the boat on the Gold Coast, it is notoriously difficult to crack. A lot of ex-pat Vics there, but again, they are rusted on to their Melbourne teams. That said, intra-city/region rivalries help drive interest in the game.

 

[Leysy Days]

Dunno about an AFL team folks but we're darn'd good at cricket.

 

[Streak]

hawthorn can move there. There are too many melbourne teams anyway.

You must hate Tasmanians.

 

[blx]

Completely agree. This is not about just whether the team will be supported in the area. I'm sure an Oodnadatta based team would have most of the town there every weekend. It's about how many support in the big scheme of things. Simple facts are that there isn't the growth potential in Tassie that there is in West Sydney and on the Gold Coast. And you need $ in the bank to pay the bills/players not a loyal little band of supporters. I'd love a team here in Darwin, put the population and demographic simply doesn't support it. North Melbourne have many loyal supporters, but they're in deep shtook.

People dont talk, MONEY DOES!

Dementriod is only chasing the dream of bucks, more bucks and lots more bucks.

Tasmania from a financial point of view doesnt stack up against NSW or QLD whether they contain footy fans or not. The promise of more money is there.

but thats exactly my point guys.

YES money does talk, but then why keep saying that the AFL want the competition to be a true NATIONAL competetion and then place another team in sydney and another in brisbane when clearly if you wanted it to be a TRUE national competition then the NT and Tasmania are the missing states!

He doesnt give a **** about a true national competition. He just wants to relocate 2 more victorian sides to wherever the most money will be made.

TRUE NATIONAL COMPETITION MY A*SE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tigion]

but thats exactly my point guys.

YES money does talk, but then why keep saying that the AFL want the competition to be a true NATIONAL competetion and then place another team in sydney and another in brisbane when clearly if you wanted it to be a TRUE national competition then the NT and Tasmania are the missing states!

He doesnt give a **** about a true national competition. He just wants to relocate 2 more victorian sides to wherever the most money will be made.

TRUE NATIONAL COMPETITION MY A*SE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you forgot canberra lol
im sorry but its a slap in the face for Tassie , NT and Canberra *smile* the money its more about what already these states have done for the game plus were way behind look at other sports they have teams in new zealand , singapore, A league gets to play best of asian club teams , V8's get to go to new zealand and bahrain and now our cricketrs get to make a mint in india for 6 weeks work hmmmmmmmmm isnt AFL ment to be our national sport????? they say money talks but what would you do if you had the choice money wise ? AFL is doing nothing but robbing themselves, structure is there to be probaly the number 1 sport in oceania / asia but Demetriou and the AFL thugs rather shoot themselves in the foot

 

[TigerMasochist]

Tassie corporate dollars cannot carry a full time AFL club for starters, so a permanent part timer is about all they'll get.
Their North South rivalry will always cause problems as to where to locate a team.
The population of about 450,000 already have a strong commitment to various AFL teams and hand the tradition on to the next generation as we do in Victoria.
There little population growth comparatively in Tassie and most importantly.

NO NEW fans to convert to the game.

NSW and QLD are traditional rugby states with teams based up there and games live every week plus development work through the schools etc. then gradually you are going to build generational support.
The AFL is happy to spend a truckload of money now to get a more solid grip on a national basis because in twenty plus years time it will be impossible. Half a nation game won't survive against the world game if it keeps expanding the way it has in recent years.

 

[Tiger74]

what i find funny about demetriou and others talking about west sydney and gold coast in comparison to tassie is they talk about having to prop up tassie financially. well what the hell are they doing with the swans. they have been probably the most propped up club in history there is clearly a limited support base and thse supporters are not going to jump of the swans.sydneys supporters drop of in droves when they do poorly what does that tell you. all i can say is if its good enough to prop up sydney and brisbane because of telly rights its good enough to prop up tassie a true football state.

Difference between Sydney and Tassie though is there is some fair dinkum corp support within Sydney, and once the AFL got their act half right in NSW this has gone reasonably well.

In Tassie, the major sponsor for an AFL activity to date is the state Govt. I would like to see a full time side in Tassie, but the lack of growth, the current lack of population, and the nearly complete lack of local corporate representation will mean its nearly impossible to locally maintain a side in the long term. I think the latte version currently offered by the Hawks is as good as it gets (and to given em credit, the Hawks are running it in a way that seems to be benefiting both the HFC and Tasmanian footy supporters).

 

[daniel161]

This guy is a a-grade tosser

 

[the claw]

Difference between Sydney and Tassie though is there is some fair dinkum corp support within Sydney, and once the AFL got their act half right in NSW this has gone reasonably well.

In Tassie, the major sponsor for an AFL activity to date is the state Govt. I would like to see a full time side in Tassie, but the lack of growth, the current lack of population, and the nearly complete lack of local corporate representation will mean its nearly impossible to locally maintain a side in the long term. I think the latte version currently offered by the Hawks is as good as it gets (and to given em credit, the Hawks are running it in a way that seems to be benefiting both the HFC and Tasmanian footy supporters).

if they were serious about taking the game to all tasmanian supporters they would play a game out of tassie every week.
one week a game at launceston alternate week a game out of hobart.
a smart afl club would step into the hobart market the only thing holding this back is a big enough ground in hobart.

we uused to get 20 000 to gfs way back in in the 60s and 70s at nth hobart oval. its my opinion if a club were to go to tassie or if a tassie side were to come into being the tca ground should be developed into a multi purpose stadium. its on the hobart domain you could walk to the ground from the citys centre quicker than you could walk to the mcg from the city cente. its all parks it has room for total car parking.
it was short sighted state and footy politics that saw the bellerive oval developed instead of the tca ground.

i will say again tasmanians wont travel 2 or more hrs to see a team they dont really barrack for. atm if you dont barrack for the hawks and you live in the south why would you travel to launceston to watch a game of footy.

 

[Bill James]

damn right its different to other places the parochialism in tassie is fierce. the south hates the north and the north hates the south. it would be interesting to do a survey on how many travel to the hawks games in launceston i bet its few. they get a maximum of what 18k to afl games in launceston thats from a state with 450 to 500 k. dont get me wrong i would love to see a tasmanian side but it just isnt viable tassie is just a reflection of melbourne when it comes to afl.

what i find funny about demetriou and others talking about west sydney and gold coast in comparison to tassie is they talk about having to prop up tassie financially. well what the hell are they doing with the swans. they have been probably the most propped up club in history there is clearly a limited support base and thse supporters are not going to jump of the swans.sydneys supporters drop of in droves when they do poorly what does that tell you. all i can say is if its good enough to prop up sydney and brisbane because of telly rights its good enough to prop up tassie a true football state.

Have always thought Tassie would be the only location where a relocation actually made some sense. The club would still play 30-40% of its games in Melbourne and Tassie is not too far for a weekends football supporting for the diehards. That way the club could both retain some Melbourne and gain some Tassie financial dollars. Can't see it supporting a new standalone club financially.

It would be fun to build a stadium in the Midlands and watch visiting teams freeze their nuts off in winter, in fact better still build a stadium at Tullah, now theres a ground that wont be impacted by climate change for a long time.

 

[Odduna]

I wouldn't worry about the AFL expanding to 18 teams.

It will remain a 16 team comp.

AFL will make another bid to the Kangaroos at years end, they are currently trying to tie up proper ground factilies. If they secure the ground - revamp Cararra (QLD Government, Gold Coast Council, Federal Government adn AFL pitching in money), the Roos will relocate.
Special membership deal for Victorian based Roo supporters - allowing them to have access to AFL members section at MCG (when capacity allows) for the first 5 years.

Team in Western Sydney will also be a relocated team: its out of Bulldogs or Melbourne