Newcastle

[cos789]

Looking at the Newcastle league site and they voted against admitting any new teams within their existing area even though there were more players and a possible need for it .

What would the chances be of an existing club putting together a team to play in Sydney , like Woollongong ?

[BeeEmmAre]

I see this as an excellent idea that would build the profile of the Sydney AFL beyond its present boundaries.
While a 10 team competition is probably ideal, I think there is room for 12 should Newcastle, Western Sydney and Sydney University come in over the next, say, five years.
That is assuming no one will drop down, which I couldn't see happening at this stage.

[Northern_Swan]

Looking at the Newcastle league site and they voted against admitting any new teams within their existing area even though there were more players and a possible need for it .

Incorrect. The club in Question (Singleton) applied for membership of the senior league (they already have a strong juior base) prior to the 2003 season and were knocked back. The article refers to a meeting over 12 months ago where the idea to start new clubs was discussed and decided against.

The Singleton club has again applied for membership in the Under 18 competition an the back of having great success at Under 16 level over the past 3 years. They have also applied to join the First Division (reserve grade) comp. For the record, a majority of clubs are in favour of the proposal. The League is yet to decide on the suggestion.

There is also an interest from Maitland to join the First Division comp. This however is not backed up by a junior club and seems unlikely.

What would the chances be of an existing club putting together a team to play in Sydney , like Woollongong ?

It has been tried and failed once, and unless a club decided to wholly leave the BDAFL to play in Sydney, it would be very unlikely to occur again. The Prohibiting factor in the main is transportation and the money required to fund a team. Clubs up here run on about $50K per year and virtually no clubs pay players. Never say Never, but really I can't see it happening.

[Old Dragon]

Newcastle

I don't honestly know why a team or club from Newcastle would want to play in Sydney. The Black Diamond FL is a far better run competition.

Of course on the surface it would appear that having a side from the north playing there would compliment - who or what? In reality, whats the point? There are so many down sides to the proposition. And people tend to look at these ideas through rose coloured glasses.

When a local league is well run, conducts a three grade competition and itself is looking to expand, a move to play elsewhere when there there are a plethora of problems associated with the concept defies logic and only serves to support the egos of a few.

Over the years Open Age football in Sydney (Firsts - U18) has not kept pace with the increasing population, now hovering around 4 million.

1970 36 teams
1980 49 teams
1990 65 teams
2000 53 teams
2005 58 teams

What we need are more clubs in Sydney. Develop on junior clubs becoming open age sub district teams and into local competitions the same as the development of the game in the Hunter.

[cos789]

I totally agree with your comments OD , especially if you're looking from Newcastle's perspective .
A few notes though .

I'm suggesting an existing club form an additional team , not alter the present setup .
The SFL has to lift it's profile and a elite state competition is what we with rose coloured glasses do see as the ultimate goal .
A Newcastle side could not help but lift the profile , like a Woolongong side or Canbera side(s) .
You're right in that this is more to do with lifting the SFL than doing much for Newcastle , but the closer you are to a state based competition the easier it is to promote and attract sponsors .

As a question of logististics and costs what is the most effective transport method . Car pooling , bus or train ?