16k at etihad tonight

[BigBadCam]

At the end of the day, teams must be competitive to survive. Try as we might, Melbourne cannot continue to support as many teams as it currently is in a national competition. Other teams and their supporters at various times have had to pull their finger out, but North haven't. They have been teetering on the brink of decimation for years but save for a few tin rattles and a constant barrage of finger pointing and cries of 'not fair', North have done little to rectify the problems.

They were given a lifeline, but rudely snubbed it and spat in the AFL's face. As a result I'm sure the AFL will very happily watch them die. Tasmania could have been an option, but after burning their bridges through their involvement with the Tasmanian VFL side, this is no longer the case.

 

[wedgetail]

When are people going to realise that North don't as many supporters as the majority of other clubs.

West Perth Falcons probably have more supporters than north.... but they dont get to ride the coat-tails of the national competition into a drip fed top-league slot.

 

[Lionel Lyon]

They were given a lifeline, but rudely snubbed it and spat in the AFL's face. As a result I'm sure the AFL will very happily watch them die.

I pray that's not the case. NMFC are a GREAT club, and I particularly love the fact that there are some "weaker" clubs like it still in the mix. They're inspirational. Moreover, as a relocation choice, Gold Coast just did not seem to me to be a good fit. For starters, Gold Coast Kangaroos made about as much sense as Alaska Tropicanos: a complete mismatch of images and cultures, although, I admit, much of this is often just a matter of getting used to it. So who knows!

Be all that as it may, if push really came to shove--and many here seem to suggest it will--would there be any chance of reviving a Canberra bid? National capital-'n'-all goes perfectly with the Kangaroo mascot, Can'bra Roos just rolls off the tongue, surrounding southern NSW is traditional AR territory--NM legend Wayne Carey is from nearby, no?--and, in the end, Canberra is not as far from Melbourne as, say, the other migration options offered in the past like West Sydney or GC, so Melbourne-based NM faithful could get to a Canberra game every now and again. Googlemaps puts the Melb.-Canb. distance at 666 km. An ill omen? Providential?

 

[JeffDunne]

Very ordinary effort from the North supporters (that didn't attend).

Gold Coast looking like a very healthy option now.

Yet they'd never attract 16K on the Gold Coast.

In fact if the AFL was drawing 16K on the GC they'd be bragging about it.


Can't people just accept North have a smaller supporter base than the other clubs? Someone has to be last in this respect and currently North are it.

Do we really need this sort of thread every time they play against an interstate team? We get it.

I would much prefer to watch a team like North that generally battle their hearts out rather than a lifeless Richmond that simply rolls over, safe in the knowledge they can be shit for another generation and people will still turn up.

I like North - they earn their keep!

 

[Crow-mo]

Our crowds will grow, but it will take time.

why?

seriously, why will things change when they haven't up til now?

 

[Crow-mo]

North Melbourne's problem is their supporters do turn up. They just don't have that many supporters.

see, that's what I think.

they're not a new club.

 

[Perry Pie]

Can't people just accept North have a smaller supporter base than the other clubs? Someone has to be last in this respect and currently North are it.

And they will stay "it" too. There is limmited prospect of that changing, even when they have had success they have not been able to build much support.

If they can make enough money to survive - great, good luck to them. I really do hope they continue and with fair fixtures and treatment by the AFL I expect they will have no problems. However (we have seen it before) if the leaders of the league need to save money at some time (to pay for GWS/GC?) in the future North will be the first Melboune based side up against the wall.

 

[JeffDunne]

And they will stay "it" too.

And by design.

Until the competition rewards performance with access to a better fixture and scheduling, some teams will always have less scope for growth than others.

It's the AFL's dirty rotten lie.

It is by design and it's why people like Eddie make me want to vomit. He knows full well the consequence of a rigged draw, yet he talks up what his club does for equaliastion and their 'helping' of smaller clubs like North & Melbourne.

The competition is designed so some clubs succeed and others fail.

However (we have seen it before) if the leaders of the league need to save money at some time (to pay for GWS/GC?) in the future North will be the first Melboune based side up against the wall.

I think they're used to it.

Melbourne could just as likely be in the gun.

Yes the current fixture and management of the game ensures some teams will prosper and others will live off the smell of an oily rag while trying to remain competitive.

 

[utility]

Until the competition rewards performance with access to a better fixture and scheduling, some teams will always have less scope for growth than others.

It's the AFL's dirty rotten lie.

It is by design and it's why people like Eddie make me want to vomit. He knows full well the consequence of a rigged draw, yet he talks up what his club does for equaliastion and their 'helping' of smaller clubs like North & Melbourne.

What he said.

And we will receive a cheque for $100k for the game last night. And four points. And the stadium owners make a loss.

 

[Lionel Lyon]

What he said.

And we will receive a cheque for $100k for the game last night. And four points. And the stadium owners make a loss.

I take it you don't want NMFC to play at Etihad? I think I read there is support for the return of AFL games at Princes Park. Do NM supporters want to be a part of that?

 

[AsianWithAFro]

I know a lot of Roos supporters yet they never show up to games

 

[Hodgepodge]

What he said.

What's wrong with Saturday night as a fixture?

And we will receive a cheque for $100k for the game last night. And four points. And the stadium owners make a loss.

You can't rely on charity forever.

 

[Crow-mo]

What's wrong with Saturday night as a fixture?



You can't rely on charity forever.

I don't know why you're allowed to post anywhere that's not bay 13.

 

[gaelictiogar]

Clubs do not relocate. That is a fiction. What happens is the old club dies and a new one is opened somewhereelse. That is what happened EG with the Swans who are not South.

North should resist all and every effort to relocate them since that means the end of their club. North outside melbourne would be meaningless. Relocation is euphemistic AFL speak for death.

Keep the faith Northies. You stay in Melbourne or you die.

 

[stickman11]

Must have made a huge loss on this game. Think they back up in two weeks time for another interstate match... reckon Time to push the panic button. And A'rocca wonder why he got overlooked for the collingwood job.

 

[stickman11]

And by design.

Until the competition rewards performance with access to a better fixture and scheduling, some teams will always have less scope for growth than others.

It's the AFL's dirty rotten lie.

It is by design and it's why people like Eddie make me want to vomit. He knows full well the consequence of a rigged draw, yet he talks up what his club does for equaliastion and their 'helping' of smaller clubs like North & Melbourne.

The competition is designed so some clubs succeed and others fail.



I think they're used to it.

Melbourne could just as likely be in the gun.

Yes the current fixture and management of the game ensures some teams will prosper and others will live off the smell of an oily rag while trying to remain competitive.

Could be but our membership is moving forward each year, sponsorship is up and debt is nearly wiped. 29,000 against a boring interstate team follwed by 36,000 against Brisbane who are equally boring suggests that North are in a league of their own. They are 4/4 not 0-8 like Richmond.

 

[Lionel Lyon]

Clubs do not relocate. That is a fiction. What happens is the old club dies and a new one is opened somewhereelse. That is what happened EG with the Swans who are not South.

North should resist all and every effort to relocate them since that means the end of their club. North outside melbourne would be meaningless. Relocation is euphemistic AFL speak for death.

Keep the faith Northies. You stay in Melbourne or you die.

Yes, it is a case of "choose your poison." But, looking back, I personally would've preferred Fitzroy to have relocated back in the 80s, before the formation of the Brisbane Bears. At least the records, premierships etc. would've stayed intact. Even so, the fact that there is a Lions, even in this merged form--I repeat, relocation would've been way better--is still better than there not being anything at all.

 

[Geoffa32]

Was live against the gate on Fox.

Something probably needs to be done that where this happens a % of the TV money goes to the home team.

All clubs get a share of the TV rights money. For most clubs it is half their annual revenue.

Hence all clubs voted to allow GC and GWS into the comp, to push TV rights money to $1bill, and increase their share. Clubs can not complain about live against the gate as they indirectly allowed it.

Live against the gate is here to stay, and will only get worse as the TV stations want value for their $1b.

 

[Arden]

Could be but our membership is moving forward each year, sponsorship is up and debt is nearly wiped. 29,000 against a boring interstate team follwed by 36,000 against Brisbane who are equally boring suggests that North are in a league of their own. They are 4/4 not 0-8 like Richmond.

And good for Melbourne, I'm glad they are on the up. Every healthy Melbourne club is a big **** you to the AFL.

But, do you think that after your recent period where you won very few games, that a couple of good wins on the back of some gun youngsters would provide a massive incentive to your supporters? Hence your sharp increase in crowds?

We have stagnated on field recently, but never bottomed out, so there have been wins on offer periodically for our supporters. We won't see a sharp rise in our attendances until we start knocking off the top teams.

And does anyone expect that Collingwood for example would have accepted four home games to start the season which include West Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide?

Massively riveting prospects for any undecided fan who may be weighing up whether to go to the game or not.

Not making excuses, our crowds have been shit and do need to pick up, but there are small contributing factors.

 

[Mr--ShinBoner--#11]

I know a lot of Roos supporters yet they never show up to games

Likewise.. and i think i know why they never show up, and it happened in the final quarter last night.
One week we give up a 9 goal lead to just hang on against a struggling team, another week we get absolutely hammered by a top team. Its shit like that that pisses off some 'fans' and makes them stay away. Its a piss weak excuse and i cant begin to say how much it annoys me, but thats the attitude of some people.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Notwithstanding their resistance in moving to the Gold Coast, there's not a whole lot more the North Melbourne FC can do to generate interest. They appear as proactive as any club in marketing their brand, and have featured probably the most exciting era for any team over the last 20 years. On-field, they have been as successful as just about anyone, especially Melbourne-based clubs, and in that time have had consistently produced players who should be marketable commodities, and probably would've if they'd been wearing different colours.

It's not North's fault that they haven't been born with a silver spoon in their mouth in terms of a pre-existing supporter base or a string of sugar daddies willing to pitch in financially whenever the current admin couldn't cut it.

They have no control over their ancient history which, prior to the 1970's, was almost totally bereft of anything resembling success, and therefore didn't ever consolidate a large suburban or statewide supporter base. Instead, they've done as well as they could to create an enviable recent onfield history by winning big games, supplemented by generally astute trading (up until the Hay & Thompson fiascos, at least) and recruiting.

Should they have gone to the Gold Coast? I've always believed they should've, but then again I don't have the emotional investment in the club that a North supporter, so can only look at it from an objective and business-sense aspect. I can certainly understand their reluctance to relocate from a sentimental point of view.

Either way, North deserve more respect.

 

[snrub]

You can't rely on charity forever.

Yes the Greens politicians in Tassie are saying the same thing.

 

[mrpez]

But, do you think that after your recent period where you won very few games, that a couple of good wins on the back of some gun youngsters would provide a massive incentive to your supporters? Hence your sharp increase in crowds?

We have stagnated on field recently, but never bottomed out, so there have been wins on offer periodically for our supporters. We won't see a sharp rise in our attendances until we start knocking off the top teams.

I'm not having a go at North here, but I disagree with your logic. Our crowds have picked up a bit because we now go into games with some chance of winning, although if we have more days like yesterday they may drop again. Our crowds were crap, because we lost almost every game for 3 years.

Like you said, you guys have never bottomed out. But if you did, your crowds would most certainly attract crowds of below 14k like you got last night.

 

[1jasonoz]

Well done!

I wasn't!

 

[JeffDunne]

Could be but our membership is moving forward each year, sponsorship is up and debt is nearly wiped. 29,000 against a boring interstate team follwed by 36,000 against Brisbane who are equally boring suggests that North are in a league of their own. They are 4/4 not 0-8 like Richmond.

Not sure I'd pay too much attention to membership numbers and other club driven hyperbole but it's clear Melbourne have improved their position.

However, you're still playing catchup so it wouldn't take a lot to go wrong for things to go pear-shaped pretty quickly. You're not alone though, there's a few clubs in that position.

Until the AFL learns the meaning of the word equalisation, certain clubs will find it harder and harder to keep playing catchup. It currently suits the AFL for these teams to survive as the cost benefit is still in their favour. Once there's two more franchises, more competition for national time slots, players and the like, we might see a change in that balance. If we do it will tough shit for whoever is at that time in the weakest position. Musical chairs with an executioner.

Melbourne in fact are another classic example of what I'm talking about in terms of how the competition is skewed. If over the next few seasons Melbourne's onfield potential is realised, you won't reap the benefits of that in a growth sense because teams promoted by the AFL will grow faster.

As far as the AFL is concerned, kids in QLD only want to support the Lions & GC, in NSW they only want to support the Swans, in SA & WA the same there too. Auskick in those states is a massive marketing campaign for those respective teams.

In Victoria, Melbourne will still need to wait behind the 'blockbuster' clubs in terms of scheduling & fixturing. You are more likely to be the team from Melbourne that travels and hosts home games aganst non-Vic teams. Sure all have to do it, you'll just do it more than others. You'll get more Sunday games and timeslots like twilight games and other timeslots others don't want (that is, until those games are making enough money to attract the 'blockbuster' clubs). You won't get to open the season, you won't get Good Friday when it happens, you won't get ANZAC Day . . . it doesn't matter how well you perform.

And the classic part of all this?

You're supposed to be happy because 'Collingwood' lets you have a home game on the Queen's Birthday.

Look a little deeper and you'll see why 'Collingwood' allow this - it guarantees another of their 'away' games is shceduled in Melbourne helping to ensure they never travel more 4 times in one year.

I use Collingwood in this example because they are the team that benefits most. But the 'system' helps all the so-called 'blockbuster' clubs and every non-Vic AFL franchise.