Sporting apartheid??

[Pekay]

Came across this lovely article in the Herald this morning...

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/ground-zero-why-commission-must-tackle-sporting-apartheid-20110822-1j6tr.html

Considering Gipps, Purser and Blacktown are AFL Standard, and have had significant money spent on them for that purpose, you can hardly argue with 'investment protection', although, Purser & Blacktown also have top shelf turf pitches for cricket as well.

[Kirkari]

Cry me a river. Suck it up NRL.

[Norris Lurker]

To use the term "sporting apartheid" is a rather disgusting, grubby cheap shot; conceived in malice and born in ignorance.

If I were to wander down to Chatswood Oval during summer with a few mates, pull up the pitch covers, put our own stumps in and start playing our own unofficial game of cricket, we wouldn't last long before getting in deep @@@@. The cricket club has a continuous booking, and the oval is off-limits; the pitch kept in condition for the weekend's cricket match.
This is exactly the same. The AFL has a booking over those ovals. Gipps Rd, Bruce Purser and Blacktown were booked for the AFL International Cup, and remain booked to host this weekend's Sydney AFL finals. It's not about favouring one code over another, it's about protecting grounds to honour their pre-existing reservations.

But why let the facts get in the way of a good rant? Anything to whip up a baseless paranoia that the big bad AFL is coming to eat your babies.

[BeeEmmAre]

And as Rafters said on facebook, hasn't that sign been in place at Gipps for 25 years? Interesting that it is being used now.
But, even as a member of the (backblocks) Sydney media, I've gotten used to the shameless bias shown by the big papers down there in the ivory towers.

[strapper]

Lets look at how many MORE grounds will be Exclusive AFL in the next 5 years