Port and Roos to divorce - opportunity for ACTAFL?

[Snowy]

I think the cost might be prohibitive for the Kangaroos.

[cheersquadsteve]

the main issue was that port was unhappy that the kangas wanted more players in the side and port wanted less, i doubt that kangas would enter a team in the actafl simply due to the cost of the whole thing they tried playing as the Murray Kangaroos when the VFL was restructured but the cost was far too much

what they should do is form a league with the swans reserves, lions reserves, a team from canberra, gold coast newcastle and other selected areas of the northern states

there might'nt be enuff player to form a top class league in the northern states but if u combine them it could be a real good stepping stone for the region

[DST]

The papers in Melbourne has the costs as follows to run a VFL side.

* A minimum of $300,000 to put the team on the park
* $90,000 per year for the licence fee

If we wanted to enter a team we would be looking at the above plus 26 or so airfares per week to get the team and coached to Melbourne. You would also have the occasional overnight expense when playing in Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo etc

So looking at it, it could easily go over a $1 Million for us if we decided to do it.

No small lose change that money.

DST

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by satchmopugdog
It has been on the news down here that the Tasmanian VFL team, the Tassie Tigers are interested in becoming the Kangaroos affiliated club, and games to be played at York Park(Aurora Stadium).

Aren't they called the Devils? And don't they play out of Hobart?

JF

[satchmopugdog]

You're right,they are the Tassie Devils. The Tigers are the cricket team and theAshes have confused me. Even though they mostly play out of Hobart they are meant to be a whole of Tasmania team(cough,splutter). They do play some games up here north of the Mason/Dixon line,but the administrators have to strap on an oxygen tank to survive out of the rarified air of Hobart. The facilities at York Park are far superior to the south so the Roos would probably push for more games there. All hypothetical,of course.

[msabenny]

The Tassie side in the VFL play all games out of Aurora Stadium.

msabenny
(still drinking Tiger beer in hot and steamy Shanghai)

[dimelb]

Originally posted by Charlie
So what? It's not our responsibility. Even if it were, a Swans premiership is just about guaranteed to have more incidental benefits for NSW football than having the Swans ressies playing in Canberra.

I agree that a Swans premiership would be the biggest imaginable boost to AFL in NSW. And that it's not our (primary) responsibility to promote the cause - but it is the AFL's, and that's what I'd like to see happen, the AFL support a Kanga twos move. It would be good for them, good for us, good for AFL in NSW/ACT - a win/win /win situation.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by dimelb
I agree that a Swans premiership would be the biggest imaginable boost to AFL in NSW. And that it's not our (primary) responsibility to promote the cause - but it is the AFL's, and that's what I'd like to see happen, the AFL support a Kanga twos move. It would be good for them, good for us, good for AFL in NSW/ACT - a win/win /win situation.

Having one half decent team to play won't make a scrap of difference. The ACTAFL isn't good enough for our reserves, and the Kangaroos won't change that.

It's the VFL or bust.

[footyhead]

I agree Charlie, I think people are clutching at straws, hoping that the Canberra league can be brought up to par with the VFL. It can't and the Swines must act accordingly.

[Damien]

Originally posted by msabenny
The Tassie side in the VFL play all games out of Aurora Stadium.

msabenny
(still drinking Tiger beer in hot and steamy Shanghai)

No they don't.

They use North Hobart and Bellerive down south, and Aurora and Devonport up north.

Their biggest crowds have been at southern venues - plus the finals they played at Bellerive.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Charlie
It's the VFL or bust.

But how???

I think people calling for the VFL don't understand the problems surrounding us going back there either merging with Tassie, Port Melb, Frankston or North Ballarat (each with their own issues to overcome, from Port hateing us to Frankston rather staying as a stand alone club) or creating our own stand alone team in a way that Geelong has, except we wouldn't be allowed to play home games in Sydney thus pushing the costs of such a move though the roof, when you add in flights weekly, cost of top up players and the like.

Like it or not we are stuck in Canberra for the time being.

[Charlie]

Why couldn't we play in Sydney? The VFL certainly couldn't disallow it - the mere fact that Tasmania is in the league means they have no leg to stand on.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Charlie
Why couldn't we play in Sydney? The VFL certainly couldn't disallow it - the mere fact that Tasmania is in the league means they have no leg to stand on.

Easy - they have told us no in the past. Tasmania being in the league has little bearing on Football Victoria's view that another out of state stand alone side in the VFL is unacceptable for them and that as it stands they view a Tasmanian side without any AFL links different to a Sydney Reserves side playing out of Sydney.

The fact is we weren't allowed to have a stand alone team playing out of Sydney in 2000 when the AFL Reserves first merged with the VFL, thus forcing us into a merger with Port Melbourne. Then when our merger with Port brokeup in 2002 we were again refused (when Tasmania had already joined the league) thus forcing us into the Canberra League.

But don't get me wrong I would love to see our reserves play in the VFL rather than the ACTAFL, but at the same time, I understand the factors that make such a move very very unlikely.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by robbieando
Easy - they have told us no in the past. Tasmania being in the league has little bearing on Football Victoria's view that another out of state stand alone side in the VFL is unacceptable for them and that as it stands they view a Tasmanian side without any AFL links different to a Sydney Reserves side playing out of Sydney.

I don't think you get what I'm saying. We appear to have a water tight case to enter the league. They can't just say 'no', if we chose to challenge.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Charlie
I don't think you get what I'm saying. We appear to have a water tight case to enter the league. They can't just say 'no', if we chose to challenge.

I get what your saying Charlie, but I'm fully aware of what Football Victoria's thoughts on this subject are because they have twice rejected the Swans attempts to play out of Sydney as a stand alone Sydney based team. Once with Tasmania playing in the VFL and once without Tasmania playing in the VFL.

If we have such a water tight case as you claim, then why didn't we challenge the decision of Football Victoria in late 2002 when our deal with Port Melbourne brokedown, to reject our moves to join the VFL once again as a stand alone team playing out of Sydney when Tasmania were in the league at that stage and why haven't we in the 2 and half years since?

I want the Swans reserves to be playing against the best possible opposition every week and like most understand that the ACTAFL just doesn't provide that like the VFL could. However what I think people are forgetting is that the costs involved with having our reserves in the VFL are high and contributed to our financial losses in 2001 and 2002. If we can find an option that gets our reserves quality opposition and doesn't cost the club an arm and a leg then go with it, but until then we are stuck with where we are unless Football Victoria changes its mind on a stand alone team playing out of Sydney (giving that new ground in Blacktown a regular use).