The Great Sydney balls-up

[swansrock4eva]

Originally posted by floppinab
The push by Roos and the Swans to Sunday junior club football is purely driven to try and get those keen sportschildren to play AFL on a Sunday while maintaining school sport committments on a Sat. As I stated it will suit some but not all and the net effect is still to be seen. Although if more schools take up larger scale AFL programs I can't see too many of them allowing external clubs to use their ovals and facilities independantly of the school. It might happen, but I doubt it would on a large enough scale. I am aware of one club that is using an educations institutions facilities and has had a hell of time securing the ground at a reasonable rate for a junior club. They have moved on to a council facility this year.

I actually wouldn't say it was "Roos and the Swans" making the Sunday push, seeing as the Swans have no say in local footy scheduling. What probably has been a factor in the push, however, is the fact that the Swans only play 2 Sunday matches outside of school holiday times, making Sundays a "new" alternative for regular fixturing that hasn't necessarily been available in the past.

As to use of venues etc, it's more for scheduling of matches - there are very few grounds around Sydney capabale of hosting a season for football, especially compared to sports like league/union and soccer - if some of the private schools were to come on board with facilities that can be maintained, it relieves some of the pressure on other venues. A lot of clubs train at places they don't play at for whatever reason, but it's the matches that are usually a bugger to schedule.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
I actually wouldn't say it was "Roos and the Swans" making the Sunday push, seeing as the Swans have no say in local footy scheduling. What probably has been a factor in the push, however, is the fact that the Swans only play 2 Sunday matches outside of school holiday times, making Sundays a "new" alternative for regular fixturing that hasn't necessarily been available in the past.

I can categorically confirm that Roos has been pushing that agenda to junior football across Sydney, based pretty much on his own personal experience. Of course they don't have direct say but pretty much what they do say has a fair amount of weight, certainly enough for one comp move wholus bolus to Sunday footy this year. I can't confirm that this has also driven the Swans requests for less Sunday football this year but again given Roos influence it wouldn't surprise me if it was given high/highest weight among other scheduling issues.

As for the venues, as I said I still can't see a St. Pats, Joeys, Kings allowing an independant AFL club use their grounds , even for game days only, even if they had their own AFL teams playing somehwere in a comp.

[Nico]

2 teams in Sydney. Tell him he's dreamin".

Will kill the game in Sydney.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by Old Royboy
TTF, some terrific ideas on local development, but relocating Melbourne clubs is not I think an option.

The problem with the AFL is that is it is in reality not the AFL ? it is in fact still the VFL with six interstate clubs tacked on as window dressing. Relocating struggling clubs is NOT the solution. The core support of any club in a new area will be pre-existing Aussi Rules fans. If say North Melbourne or Footscray were to relocate they instantly alienate about 95% of those existing fans in whatever area they go to - because those fans have loyalties to other clubs and wouldn?t be seen dead supporting them. A brand new club with local affiliation would have a much better chance of success. This is the reason it took so long for our club to develop a decent Sydney supporter base. North Melbourne?s pitiful attempts in Sydney and now Canberra prove this point.

I reckon at least 4 of the Melbourne suburban clubs should be relegated back to the VFL. This would leave room for 2 NEW expansion clubs with the Gold Coast the most obvious first expansion club, then Western Sydney down the track. If a new expansion club on the Gold Coast was based around the Southport team or a relocated Footscray, which would generate more support?

Until the AFL rids itself of it?s Viccentric administration it will not make any significant progress to being the undisputed premier competition in the land. Impoverished Melbourne suburban clubs are millstones around the competition?s neck it can ill afford, but while Vlad and his gang of idiots are in charge correct decisions on the future of our competition will be ignored in favour of propping them up.

Sssssh! Don't say that! You don't want to start a thread like this one again.