No Oppo Supporters 2023 General AFL Discussion - incl. AFL Grand Final

[BloodySwan]

Seriously, the sooner we are independent of the AFL, the sooner we can kick the tire out of Vic clubs.

I feel it's only a matter of time before there is a breakaway league. Whether it's the Vic clubs or non Vic clubs which do it.

 

[bedford]

I feel it's only a matter of time before there is a breakaway league. Whether it's the Vic clubs or non Vic clubs which do it.

Probably one of the ####### posts ive ever read

 

[Callipygian]

Seriously, the sooner we are independent of the AFL, the sooner we can kick the tire out of Vic clubs.

Interesting comment. What do you mean? Do you mean a breakaway league as BloodySwan suggests? Or do you mean transitioning to being a member-owned club? Or something else?

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Interesting comment. What do you mean? Do you mean a breakaway league as BloodySwan suggests? Or do you mean transitioning to being a member-owned club? Or something else?

the latter.

 

[Membling]

Probably one of the ####### posts ive ever read

It isn't out of the realms of possibility.

Completely impossible at the moment bit a lot can change over 10-20 years

 

[Callipygian]

the latter.

Do you hold some hopes? If so, are they based on anything apart from wild optimism?

I specifically asked Andrew Pridham about this at the last AGM. I was careful with my phrasing of the question. I said something like: "our constitution envisages the club progressing from its current "transitional" arrangements (with the AFL being the "transitional member" and having sole voting rights) to returning to a member-owned model. When is it anticipated this might happen? It's been 30 years already." Pridham replied pretty much that there is probably no reason for the AFL to change the status quo. Which makes perfect sense, at least from the AFL's point of view. And they hold all the cards, or most of them.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Probably one of the ####### posts ive ever read

People said this 25yrs ago about NRL then super league happened.

It does happen look at Liv Golf.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Really struggling for content Jon Ralph picking his ladder after round 5 lol , has us 3 3

I would take that start our draw is extremely difficult.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Do you hold some hopes? If so, are they based on anything apart from wild optimism?

I specifically asked Andrew Pridham about this at the last AGM. I was careful with my phrasing of the question. I said something like: "our constitution envisages the club progressing from its current "transitional" arrangements (with the AFL being the "transitional member" and having sole voting rights) to returning to a member-owned model. When is it anticipated this might happen? It's been 30 years already." Pridham replied pretty much that there is probably no reason for the AFL to change the status quo. Which makes perfect sense, at least from the AFL's point of view. And they hold all the cards, or most of them.

Nope. I hold no immediate hope. Terrific you asked the question. Sounds like Pridham politely deflected. A Board with a little more gumption would be working on a plan to move on from the current model.

An independent Board would have taken the AFL to court over the trade ban.

 

[bedford]

People said this 25yrs ago about NRL then super league happened.

It does happen look at Liv Golf.

Won't happen

 

[BloodySwan]

People said this 25yrs ago about NRL then super league happened.

It does happen look at Liv Golf.

EPL, Super League, Liv Golf, IPL,

 

[Callipygian]

Nope. I hold no immediate hope. Terrific you asked the question. Sounds like Pridham politely deflected. A Board with a little more gumption would be working on a plan to move on from the current model.

An independent Board would have taken the AFL to court over the trade ban.

Who knows about the trade ban but definitely the board is not independent. It's hard for the board to have gumption because they're all approved by the AFL and serve at the AFL's pleasure. The AFL is their only shareholder. The Board is legally bound to do the AFL's bidding. The club doesn't have an independent existence any more except in the minds of fans. The AFL owns it all.

As far as I can tell, the club's allegiance to fans is comparable to a company's allegiance to its customers.

 

[robbieando]

A breakaway league won’t happen. AFL has control over too many clubs either via the board or via their handouts to make a breakaway league viable. They control 6 of the 8 non-Victorian teams from board level so any breakaway would be a new VFL if anything and unappealing to TV broadcasters.

The other factor is that the AFL own and control all of the club trademarks. So if clubs did find a way to breakaway, they would have to do it under new club identities and colours. Not the easiest way to market a breakaway league.

 

[bedford]

A breakaway league won’t happen. AFL has control over too many clubs either via the board or via their handouts to make a breakaway league viable. They control 6 of the 8 non-Victorian teams from board level so any breakaway would be a new VFL if anything and unappealing to TV broadcasters.

The other factor is that the AFL own and control all of the club trademarks. So if clubs did find a way to breakaway, they would have to do it under new club identities and colours. Not the easiest way to market a breakaway league.

Thank you once again , seriously we are not badly off in the modern era , but some have no FI

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Thank you once again , seriously we are not badly off in the modern era , but some have no FI

crumbs off the table

 

[The King!]

Every clubs board on bigfooty thinks their club is the hard done by one

 

[bedford]

Every clubs board on bigfooty thinks their club is the hard done by one

But some have been around 2 minutes

 

[caesar88]

Every clubs board on bigfooty thinks their club is the hard done by one

Yep but 14 of them are wrong

 

[Kiama Chris]

Yep but 14 of them are wrong

Definitely.
WA get killed on travel.
SA, NSW and QLD have a shallow pool plus travel.
NSW and QLD have NRL
NSW have COL
Everyone else gets the go home to mummy.
VIC gets NGA and kissed on the duck.

 

[sataris]

Who knows about the trade ban but definitely the board is not independent. It's hard for the board to have gumption because they're all approved by the AFL and serve at the AFL's pleasure. The AFL is their only shareholder. The Board is legally bound to do the AFL's bidding. The club doesn't have an independent existence any more except in the minds of fans. The AFL owns it all.

As far as I can tell, the club's allegiance to fans is comparable to a company's allegiance to its customers.

it's somewhere between buckley's and **** all

 

[caesar88]

bedford your mate spoke well here

 

[S120]

The argument by Mark Evans that we should allow "heartland" clubs the same access to NGA prospects as the Northern states is disingenuous IMO. If you give the "heartland" clubs more rope, they'll take it and completely take the piss with bending rules to get the most talented players into their academies because they already exist within states where football is the dominant sport. They're not competing for players like QLD and NSW clubs are - competing for players against other elite sports (NRL in particular) that can sign them up as 18 year olds to huge contracts because they don't have a draft.

The dummy-spitting by the non-Northern clubs about this is beyond even what I thought was possible. Plus the loud-speaker, uncritical adoption of those attitudes by media lapdogs. Nice to see Morris push back a little against it with some sensible thought.

 

[caesar88]

The argument by Mark Evans that we should allow "heartland" clubs the same access to NGA prospects as the Northern states is disingenuous IMO. If you give the "heartland" clubs more rope, they'll take it and completely take the piss with bending rules to get the most talented players into their academies because they already exist within states where football is the dominant sport. They're not competing for players like QLD and NSW clubs are - competing for players against other elite sports (NRL in particular) that can sign them up as 18 year olds to huge contracts because they don't have a draft.

The dummy-spitting by the non-Northern clubs about this is beyond even what I thought was possible. Plus the loud-speaker, uncritical adoption of those attitudes by media lapdogs. Nice to see Morris push back a little against it with some sensible thought.

I still don't even think the Victorian, South Australian & West Australian clubs should have any prioritised access to NGA picks at all. What do they need them for? Their academies are their states, which between the three of them have accounted for an average of 88.1% of the last ten national drafts. And in a complete rejection of the Great Northern Invasion mythology, that number is actually higher in the last five drafts (92%) than in the five drafts before them (84.2%)

 

[sataris]

I still don't even think the Victorian, South Australian & West Australian clubs should have any prioritised access to NGA picks at all. What do they need them for? Their academies are their states, which between the three of them have accounted for an average of 88.1% of the last ten national drafts. And in a complete rejection of the Great Northern Invasion mythology, that number is actually higher in the last five drafts (92%) than in the five drafts before them (84.2%)

Do you think there's anyone at AFL house who can actually understand this?

 

[caesar88]

Do you think there's anyone at AFL house who can actually understand this?

No. I just picture everyone at AFL house walking around with little spinning wheels that say 'Not Responding...' above their heads.