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IMO in the last paragraph Leigh addresses what I consider a major change in attitude of the AFL to a National competition as distinct to a narrowly focussed Victorian approach . I believe the ascendacy of Eddie to a position of power and influence has driven this change in attitude and is detrimental to the long term development of the game . eg the NRL are seriously looking at granting salary cap concessions to the Storm while the AFL will remove the concessions granted to the Swans and Lions. I am glad a person of Matthews stature is around to highlight the problems.
Matthews ponders second team for Brisbane
7:56:21 AM Fri 14 March, 2003
A second AFL team for Brisbane was "pie in the sky" now but may be possible in the future, Lions coach Leigh Matthews said.
Back-to-back premier Brisbane has benefitted from greater crowd support in recent years at the Gabba but the club has still battled financially.
Matthews said as Brisbane's population continues to grow a second AFL team could be based in the Queensland capital "one day".
But he said a second team would require substantial financial support to get started.
"I guess we expect if a city's big enough that there might be more than one team in the dominant code," he told a sports lunch in Brisbane.
"To go and find another $20 million for an AFL team in the Brisbane market is probably a bit pie in the sky.
"But from that point of view you hope that one day, and I would have thought rugby league as well, as Brisbane got bigger and bigger and bigger, there might be a second national team based up here."
Basing two rugby league teams in south Queensland has already proven a failure following the demise of the South Queensland Crushers and teams on the Gold Coast.
Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett quipped a second NRL team would "just make your job a bit harder because the players can go down the road and play."
Meanwhile, Matthews warned the AFL that it needed to look at the game from a "national" rather than a "southern" point of view despite the majority of clubs being based in Victoria.
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=new...rticleid=78789 [URL]]
Matthews ponders second team for Brisbane
7:56:21 AM Fri 14 March, 2003
A second AFL team for Brisbane was "pie in the sky" now but may be possible in the future, Lions coach Leigh Matthews said.
Back-to-back premier Brisbane has benefitted from greater crowd support in recent years at the Gabba but the club has still battled financially.
Matthews said as Brisbane's population continues to grow a second AFL team could be based in the Queensland capital "one day".
But he said a second team would require substantial financial support to get started.
"I guess we expect if a city's big enough that there might be more than one team in the dominant code," he told a sports lunch in Brisbane.
"To go and find another $20 million for an AFL team in the Brisbane market is probably a bit pie in the sky.
"But from that point of view you hope that one day, and I would have thought rugby league as well, as Brisbane got bigger and bigger and bigger, there might be a second national team based up here."
Basing two rugby league teams in south Queensland has already proven a failure following the demise of the South Queensland Crushers and teams on the Gold Coast.
Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett quipped a second NRL team would "just make your job a bit harder because the players can go down the road and play."
Meanwhile, Matthews warned the AFL that it needed to look at the game from a "national" rather than a "southern" point of view despite the majority of clubs being based in Victoria.
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=new...rticleid=78789 [URL]]