Sympathy for North Melbourne

[wolftone57]

I am about out of patience with the commentators, especially Bruce McAvaney, who whine on about what a hard time the Kangas are having. This club have been given all the options possible by the AFL. They have been continually propped up financially to the point that the AFL told them after they renegged on the Canberra deal no more! If you can't survive you die! Why don't I show the benevolence of the other clubs & the AFL by charting the options they were given.

1. Play games in Sydney & eventually be the second Sydney club; they tried to steal Swans members without making any firm commitment to a long term goal of a move to Sydney

2. Play games in Canberra with an eventual long term goal of a more permenant move there. The AFL was looking at the viability of building a stadium in Canberra: They wanted the AFL subsidy for playing games there but did not commit to any long term scenario.

3. There were several merger options on the table the first being Hawks/Demons which was rejected by the Hawks membership. The Kangas werec asked to consider several merger options as were the Bullies, Tigers & Demons. Some of the combinations were; Tigers/Demons, Tigers/Kangas, Bullies/ Kangas. The Bullies/ Kangas merger wasa very serious option & the bullies were open to negotiation but the Kangas refused to have anything to do with it.

4. Games in Darwin; Refused outright (they may have played a few there but I think they were either Port or Pies games

5. Games in Tassie which they are considering at the moment.

The Swans were given the option way back of moving to Sydney or being wound up, simple really no choice if you want to survive. The Lions were woulnd up & then ended up in Brissie. The Swans were a very unfortunate case of running out of followers in their zone as Soccer was the main sport in our Melbournew zone. The Roys were a basket case much like the Kangas with incredible mismanagement, I know as I worked for the caterer who was never paid & the Footy club went bankrupt & just reregistered in a different name.

I think the Roos have been given too many chances & it is about time the AFL took the same attitude the old VFL & the AFL took to us & the Roy boys respectively. The other clubs & the AFL can't afford to prop this basket case up for much longer.

The Roos should be in talks with Bullies to merge now as both clubs share the same adjoining areas & are constantly in financial difficulty. Failing that what other option is there for them? Tassie! I don't think Tassie want them, they want the Saints or Hawks as thaey are the two most followed teams down there.

The Afl should broker a merger between the two clubs & if the Roos refuse to deal they should delisence the

[ScottH]

Unless their membership base improves dramatically over the next few years, I reckon they are doomed.

Well thought out post wt57.

[wolftone57]

Unless their membership base improves dramatically over the next few years, I reckon they are doomed.

Well thought out post wt57.

They could beg the bullies for a merger and I mean beg in the position they are comd to the struggling but game Bullies

[Doctor]

I don't disagree with you w57 but considering the financial assistance Sydney has been given over the years, it would look hypocritical for us to be complaining about North now. I know it's a different situation because the AFL needs a club in Sydney and doesn't need 9 in Melbourne but the emotions around this will mean that people won't see it that way.

[nomae]

They could beg the bullies for a merger and I mean beg in the position they are comd to the struggling but game Bullies

...what?

[goswannie14]

I've said it elsewhere. I believe they will merge with Gold Coast in the next 5 years.

[Xie Shan]

I don't disagree with you w57 but considering the financial assistance Sydney has been given over the years, it would look hypocritical for us to be complaining about North now.

It's not hypocritical, we made an enormous sacrifice by moving to Sydney when we really didn't have a choice and the competition wouldn't be what it is today if we hadn't. The Roos had the chance to establish a presence in each of Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast but basically turned their back on all three. If they manage to grow their way out of their current predicament, good luck to them, but I fully understand the AFL's frustration.

[wolftone57]

I don't disagree with you w57 but considering the financial assistance Sydney has been given over the years, it would look hypocritical for us to be complaining about North now. I know it's a different situation because the AFL needs a club in Sydney and doesn't need 9 in Melbourne but the emotions around this will mean that people won't see it that way.

We took the help offered by the VFL & took the ultimatum & moved. The Roos haven't even tried to play fair with the AFL & move or merge. They are quite willing to take all the financial benefits but not to do the hard things like the Swans did by moving to Sydney. Most Footy supporters in Melbourne think the Roos are a joke & should disappear & stop embarrassing the other Melbourne clubs

[wolftone57]

Mind you they don't feel the same way about the Bullies. The Bullies struggle but have done everything asked of them by the AFL & other clubs & footy supporters have a soft spot for them.

[Big Al]

I think the fat controller has guaranteed the survival of the 18 clubs during the next TV rights period. 9 games a weekend is in the contract I believe.

After that if the haven't grown a sustainable club then I think they should be forced to merge or die.

[goswannie14]

I think the fat controller has guaranteed the survival of the 18 clubs during the next TV rights period. 9 games a weekend is in the contract I believe.

After that if the haven't grown a sustainable club then I think they should be forced to merge or die.

or relocate...

[Sauce]

And lets not forget the free ride they have been getting on ch 9. For the past 5 weeks the Footy Show has had nothing but north people as special guests or on the panel. James Brayshaw manages to always add extra PR for his Roos. People say Eddie was the same with the pies - but at least he used to give other clubs, the poor ones a chance too sell their memberships on TFS. No, not with that boofhead school prefect James Brayshaw.

And still they have no fans.

TBH if they did fold i don't think there woul be anywhere near the amount of public outcry or sympathy like when the roys were killed.

[Big Al]

And lets not forget the free ride they have been getting on ch 9. For the past 5 weeks the Footy Show has had nothing but north people as special guests or on the panel. James Brayshaw manages to always add extra PR for his Roos. People say Eddie was the same with the pies - but at least he used to give other clubs, the poor ones a chance too sell their memberships on TFS. No, not with that boofhead school prefect James Brayshaw.

And still they have no fans.

TBH if they did fold i don't think there woul be anywhere near the amount of public outcry or sympathy like when the roys were killed.

Now isn't much better having a go (I reckon your right btw) at other clubs other than your own.

[Robbo]

Should of gone to the Gold Coast, they were offered a great relocation package by the AFL, but stubbornly chose to stay in Melbourne where it's only a matter of time before they go bust.

[wolftone57]

...what?

Compared, my notebook tries to do things I don't want it to do like manufacturing words (butchering more like)