The AFL - a national competition? (split thread)

[Boddo]

Followed South/Swans and footy for close to sixty years. Because of the lack of integrity, especially in regards to Trade ban on us and unfair nature of MCG GF, for the first time in my life, thinking about giving the game away. Probably won't, but the injustices stick in my throat.

For me it just got to the stage where the AFL felt like it had no integrity from a compromised draft to an uneven draw to a salary cap that’s not really a reflection of the TPP and that it’s just a money making business for a select few. Eg McGuire. Without the game does anyone seriously think he’d anything more than a ambulance chasing sports reporter? Because that’s what he actually was, look at the clip of Lockett throwing a crutch at him. It tells you everything.

Like I said I still have a soft spot for Sydney n will watch if they’re on FTA n ive got nothing on but I will not put one cent to that sports entertainment company.

[0918330512]

I lot of people outside victoria feel like that.

barry, out of interest, is your anti-Victorian sentiment exclusive to football? And what inspired it?

[barry]

barry, out of interest, is your anti-Victorian sentiment exclusive to football? And what inspired it?

Poor diversion attempt 'numbers'.

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For me it just got to the stage where the AFL felt like it had no integrity from a compromised draft to an uneven draw to a salary cap that’s not really a reflection of the TPP and that it’s just a money making business for a select few. Eg McGuire. Without the game does anyone seriously think he’d anything more than a ambulance chasing sports reporter? Because that’s what he actually was, look at the clip of Lockett throwing a crutch at him. It tells you everything.
.

Very truem. He got run out of Sydney pretty quick smart a few years back. Being Collingwood president meant squat up here.

[Vonsteinman]

I lot of people outside victoria feel like that.

Membership numbers suggest otherwise.

[Bloods05]

I lot of people outside victoria feel like that.

A lot of people inside Victoria feel like that. This paranoid siege mentality gets us nowhere. The way the AFL is being run is deeply unsatisfactory, has been for a long time, and has to do principally with the favouring of corporate interests over those of the fans and supporters. The issue of Victorian clubs being favoured is a trivial sideshow by comparison.

[Sandridge]

Another * Grand Final

When Eddie McGuire was attacking what he perceived to be advantages to non-Victorian clubs – COLA, academies – he kept saying that all he wanted was “a level playing field.”

So, I wonder what he will make of the fact that, this week, his team will be playing in the Grand Final on their home ground against a non-Victorian team who:

- finished the season above them on the ladder.
- has one day less to prepare
- has to travel across the country for the match.

The fact that the MCG is the only venue that can cater for the large crowd that wants to view a Grand Final is irrelevant if “a level playing field” is what you want. Our game is severely compromised by a number of things, a major one being the fact that the biggest game of the year is played on a ground that some teams from one of five footballing states call their home ground.
Is there any chance of a concession by McGuire that Collingwood is hugely – and unfairly – advantaged this Saturday? Probably not. Whenever I think of McGuire’s campaign against non-Victorian teams, I think of the quote from George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Substitute “AFL teams” for the word “animals” and you have McGuire’s attitude to our national game.

[Blood Fever]

When Eddie McGuire was attacking what he perceived to be advantages to non-Victorian clubs – COLA, academies – he kept saying that all he wanted was “a level playing field.”

So, I wonder what he will make of the fact that, this week, his team will be playing in the Grand Final on their home ground against a non-Victorian team who:

- finished the season above them on the ladder.
- has one day less to prepare
- has to travel across the country for the match.

The fact that the MCG is the only venue that can cater for the large crowd that wants to view a Grand Final is irrelevant if “a level playing field” is what you want. Our game is severely compromised by a number of things, a major one being the fact that the biggest game of the year is played on a ground that some teams from one of five footballing states call their home ground.
Is there any chance of a concession by McGuire that Collingwood is hugely – and unfairly – advantaged this Saturday? Probably not. Whenever I think of McGuire’s campaign against non-Victorian teams, I think of the quote from George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Substitute “AFL teams” for the word “animals” and you have McGuire’s attitude to our national game.

Great post Sandridge. In addition to the three West Coast descriptors, above, add-' who have already beaten them in a QF in Perth'. You couldn't make this up!

[Boddo]

Great post Sandridge. In addition to the three West Coast descriptors, above, add-' who have already beaten them in a QF in Perth'. You couldn't make this up!

Who is this West Coast you speak of? I’d never heard of them until I saw a blue n yellow side run onto Optus Stadium yesterday. For all of last week I actually thought Melbourne were playing Melbourne with Melbourne being the obvious winner.

[rb4x]

Remeber Eddie complaining that Collingwood had one day less to prepare for the preliminary final. He won't say anything about West Coast having one day less to prepare for the Grand Final. So much for his level playing field.

[barry]

As said in the other thread, this is the 4th year in a row a non-Vic team has earned gf hosting rights, but lost them to Vic MCG tenant club.

The AFL has f'ed this up, but we all expect that because the commission never leave Victoria.
It's time the non-Vic clubs formed an alliance. I'd pies win, all non Vic clubs will forfeit the first round. Send a shot across the bow. What could the AFL really do?

[YvonneH]

As said in the other thread, this is the 4th year in a row a non-Vic team has earned gf hosting rights, but lost them to Vic MCG tenant club.

The AFL has f'ed this up, but we all expect that because the commission never leave Victoria.
It's time the non-Vic clubs formed an alliance. I'd pies win, all non Vic clubs will forfeit the first round. Send a shot across the bow. What could the AFL really do?

If the AFL got wind of this they would schedule round 1 so all non Vic teams played each other, putting them behind the 8 ball for the season.

[goswannies]

As said in the other thread, this is the 4th year in a row a non-Vic team has earned gf hosting rights, but lost them to Vic MCG tenant club.

Well, that doesn’t sound right. The Bulldogs home ground is Etihad Stadium IIRC

The AFL has f'ed this up, but we all expect that because the commission never leave Victoria.
It's time the non-Vic clubs formed an alliance. I'd pies win, all non Vic clubs will forfeit the first round. Send a shot across the bow.

And that is, quite frankly absurd. Cutting off one’s nose to spite the face

What could the AFL really do?

Well, they could do nothing. Just let the non-Vic clubs forfeit the first round. Lose the chance at 4 Premiership points and start one game behind the other teams. No winners there. Silly talk IMO

[goswannies]

Remeber Eddie complaining that Collingwood had one day less to prepare for the preliminary final. He won't say anything about West Coast having one day less to prepare for the Grand Final. So much for his level playing field.

I’d love a journo to bring that to Chins’ attention in a well publicised interview!

[barry]

It's not silly talk. If you don't take a stand, injustice will prevail. Bad things happen when good men do nothing.
Sure, the AFL could schedule non-Vic to play each other, but imagine the political fall out. It would be huge.

[goswannies]

It's not silly talk. If you don't take a stand, injustice will prevail. Bad things happen when good men do nothing.
Sure, the AFL could schedule non-Vic to play each other, but imagine the political fall out. It would be huge.

Ok, sorry, in my opinion it’s silly talk. 4 point behind in a competition where every win counts. Lost revenue. And I think you overrate the political fall out (or I don’t rate it). And the league could easily fine every participating club for bringing the game into disrepute. So, IMO silly talk