AFL Sydney 2024 - What's the Buzz

[justabaraker]

Long serving president has stepped down.

Huge issues with the University there that go back a long time. They get no funding at all and actually have to pay rent to the Uni for their ground.

There's been talk for many years about them stepping away from the Uni but the only local team (North Ryde juniors) are terribly weak. And whether they like it or not the facilities there are their best asset.

To all intents and purposes just a women's club now, will definitely struggle to get two teams on the paddock in 2024.

Very very sad as they were a very well run and successful club in the ;ate 90s and early nawties...

So sad to hear this Wombles. I know nothing about the club, nor University politics, but I have fond memories of the facility. They hosted our finals for a few years in the late 90s and the fans were quite packed in on the hill. I remember fantastic catering...ECE-style....and sponsor marquees outside the entrance. It was a struggle to battle the crowds to move around the front of the rooms - the place had a buzz, lots of atmos. The playing surface was rock-hard and looking down from up high, you'd swear you were looking at the surface of the moon. Green and yellow metal numbers on the scoreboard that hung by nails and got altered by hand when a team scored.
Those facilities were indeed an asset, especially when you compare them to the depressing lack of atmosphere of BISP.
Go Mac Uni - get us back to those good ole days !

[WomblingFree]

So sad to hear this Wombles. I know nothing about the club, nor University politics, but I have fond memories of the facility. They hosted our finals for a few years in the late 90s and the fans were quite packed in on the hill. I remember fantastic catering...ECE-style....and sponsor marquees outside the entrance. It was a struggle to battle the crowds to move around the front of the rooms - the place had a buzz, lots of atmos. The playing surface was rock-hard and looking down from up high, you'd swear you were looking at the surface of the moon. Green and yellow metal numbers on the scoreboard that hung by nails and got altered by hand when a team scored.
Those facilities were indeed an asset, especially when you compare them to the depressing lack of atmosphere of BISP.
Go Mac Uni - get us back to those good ole days !

Commendable thoughts but the reality is that Mac Uni will only field Women’s AFL teams from 2025 with season 2024 being a sad decline.

It’s a sad situation largely driven by the politics and incompetence of the Mac Uni Sports Administration

[Pekay]

Commendable thoughts but the reality is that Mac Uni will only field Women’s AFL teams from 2025 with season 2024 being a sad decline.

It’s a sad situation largely driven by the politics and incompetence of the Mac Uni Sports Administration

That's rough, but I guess symptomatic of having that kind of structure. We had an opportunity with UWS years ago and didn't take it up - wouldn't have worked anyway given our numbers change dramatically year over year.
If Mac Uni mens are struggling for numbers and still need a trial game, tell them to contact me, I'd be happy to play them. They helped me put years ago.

[Drop Punt]

And here we are thinking the league has gone to a “competitive balance” model

[ootf]

With transfers now open, is there any way to see the player movements, like the old ‘Clearances’ listing?

[justabaraker]

I think it's meant be

play.AFL

but there's SFA going on there for now

[Pekay]

So there's this invitational pre season cup but not a lot of news about it, SWS seem to be driving it. Canberra and Sydney pools. What's the deal here?

[Nuttsy]

OOTF No you cant see anymore

[Old Puppy]

e Team (or “All” if same points) Total Team Points
AFL Sydney – Men’s Premier
Division
UNSW-ES Bulldogs 36
North Shore Bombers 38
Pennant Hills Demons 38
St. George Dragons 38
Sydney University 38
Manly Warringah Wolves 45
East Coast Eagles 51
Inner West Magpies 51
South West Sydney Blues 58
UTS AFC Bats 58

[Blinkers28]

e Team (or “All” if same points) Total Team Points
AFL Sydney – Men’s Premier
Division
UNSW-ES Bulldogs 36
North Shore Bombers 38
Pennant Hills Demons 38
St. George Dragons 38
Sydney University 38
Manly Warringah Wolves 45
East Coast Eagles 51
Inner West Magpies 51
South West Sydney Blues 58
UTS AFC Bats 58

Seems that a former staffer and Lord Farquaad still have lots of strings to pull at head office, looking at the number of points available for the Bats.

[Tom Wills]

I don't see the problem Blinkers... this is the ladder from last year at the end of H&A and it seems relatively fair.

1 North Shore Bombers MPD
2 UNSW-ES Bulldogs MPD
3 Pennant Hills Demons MPD
4 Sydney University MPD
5 Manly Warringah Wolves MPD
6 St George Dragons MPD
7 Inner West Magpies MPD
8 UTS Bats MPD
9 East Coast Eagles MPD

Given East's recent success they could be lower and probably a bit hard on St George, but they never get near their current points anyway.

[Nuttsy]

So East Coast win 1 game all year and get 7 less Points then UTS? Seems Fair

[Norris Lurker]

I see the Womens joint venture between Mac Uni & the Goannas is over; and the Goannas have the stand-alone Premier Division team.

[Nuttsy]

I see the Womens joint venture between Mac Uni & the Goannas is over; and the Goannas have the stand-alone Premier Division team.

Explains why they are offering Ladies massive money to play for them

[Blinkers28]

I see the Womens joint venture between Mac Uni & the Goannas is over; and the Goannas have the stand-alone Premier Division team.

I think this raises a question around a growing gulf between so called ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ clubs.

Mac Uni the example here. Were premiers in Women’s Prems not that long ago, plus continually being very competitive in both Platinum grades with some success. Now firmly entrenched in the divisional competition, with some chat I’ve seen suggesting the men’s program could fold altogether? No major financial backing.

Newtown, Southern Power and Magic other examples, both clubs experiencing recent success in high levels, now entrenched in divisional competitions with no major financial support.

On the flip side, you give credit South West for the success they’ve had recently and earned a shot at Prems. But would they have got there without major financial backing? Unlikely. Same with Parramatta, major financial backing