AFL overtaking NRL in QLD

[Coolangatta]

Have a listen for yourself I posted a link to the Neil Mitchell interview.

Hmm. I listened, sounded more to me like, “Two teams is the right number for now until the Suns can find on field success.”

But if he meant permanently, and that was the consensus of the AFL, I’d stick with two teams each in WA/SA/NSW/QLD. Nice balance.

Get ACT in for 20, then either stop there or see if they can get a team in the NT and NZ in a few decades for one last expansion cycle of 21 and 22.

 

[Cmarsh]

Hmm. I listened, sounded more to me like, “Two teams is the right number for now until the Suns can find on field success.”

But if he meant permanently, and that was the consensus of the AFL, I’d stick with two teams each in WA/SA/NSW/QLD. Nice balance.

Get ACT in for 20, then either stop there or see if they can get a team in the NT and NZ in a few decades for one last expansion cycle of 21 and 22.

Even if he meant permanently, that would be moot anyway as he is leaving as CEO, so expansion will be someone else's decision.

 

[Coolangatta]

Even if he meant permanently, that would be moot anyway as he is leaving as CEO, so expansion will be someone else's decision.

Sure but his thinking was perhaps a window into AFL House consensus, which might be generationally stubborn.

I do think TAS -- ACT -- NZ -- NT could be a logical way to go for expansion, as VIC, WA, SA, QLD, and NSW already have teams, thus representation. It makes sense if you look at it from that angle, and NZ makes Friday night double headers easy to implement, with Fremantle or West Coast to host a Friday night game when NZ are playing away. 1 Thursday night, 2 Friday night, 5 Saturday, 3 Sunday is about as much value as you can squeeze of out broadcast revenue, you'd think.

If the AFL fails to make serious grassroots inroads with NZ, and there must be a 22nd team to go with the NT, by that stage, if I were to give any state a third team, it'd be QLD, based in Cairns, if indeed the AFL takes off in QLD, which it is already doing.

 

[Cmarsh]

We had just as many U16 AAs named as Vic Metro earlier this week (5) so you might be onto something. Keep an eye on Gold Coasters Beau Addinsall, Jai Murray and even Kalani White for the 2025 draft class.

Wouldn't Kalani White be a Father-son for Melbourne?

 

[GC2015]

Wouldn't Kalani White be a Father-son for Melbourne?

Even if he chooses Melbourne's F/S access over our academy access, he's still a Gold Coast product. Like Bailey Scott who went father-son to North a few years back. I was pointing out the strength of the Gold Coast in terms of producing draftable talent, not necessarily which team they are drafted to.

 

[Bjo187]

Even if he chooses Melbourne's F/S access over our academy access, he's still a Gold Coast product. Like Bailey Scott who went father-son to North a few years back. I was pointing out the strength of the Gold Coast in terms of producing draftable talent, not necessarily which team they are drafted to.

And would still represent QLD if state of origin came back.

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

Yes - that’s exactly what happened.

Also, much has been made of The Allies going through the Under 18’s undefeated and the 3 expected Top 10 draftees in the Suns academy. However, much less publicised but I think even more remarkable is the composition of the All-Australian Under-16 Tram following the championships - it has more Queenslanders in the team (7) than Victorians (6)! And 14 of the 22 named come The Allies states. Five of the Queenslanders come from the Suns academy, which now delivering a whole raft of top flight young talent. Here’s the team‘s state by state representation -
Queensland - 7
Victoria - 6
NSW - 4
Tas - 2
SA - 2
NT - 1
WA - 1

2023 AFL Under 16 All Australian team announced

The 2023 AFL Under 16 All Australian team has been announced, with Vic Metro and the Suns Academy boasting five players apiece.

central.rookieme.com

They don’t even play against each other, there is a div 1 and 2.
If the 40th best kid is playing for SA and is playing against the majority of the top 100 kids they are hardly going to stand out. If the 41st best kid is playing for Gold Coast against a majority of the 100 to 200th ranked kids then they will dominate.

It’s a pointless side

 

[Angus Young]

Not sure why Gil comes out and says this stuff. Its almost Vlandys like behaviour.

RL is king in Qld at the moment.

 

[The_Wookie]

Not sure why Gil comes out and says this stuff. Its almost Vlandys like behaviour.

RL is king in Qld at the moment.

gil also said in 10-15 years/

Got to aim high

 

[Angus Young]

gil also said in 10-15 years/

ahhh didn't realise. I thought he was saying now.

15 years he could be right.

 

[The Educator]

ahhh didn't realise. I thought he was saying now.

15 years he could be right.

Also others that have listened to the interview say that it was in the context of Neil Mitchell hectoring him about persisting with the Suns

 

[Canberra Pear]

Also others that have listened to the interview say that it was in the context of Neil Mitchell hectoring him about persisting with the Suns

I also took "becoming an AFL state" meaning a state that could compete with other AFL states, rather than becoming an AFL-dominant state.

 

[Walshawk]

They don’t even play against each other, there is a div 1 and 2.
If the 40th best kid is playing for SA and is playing against the majority of the top 100 kids they are hardly going to stand out. If the 41st best kid is playing for Gold Coast against a majority of the 100 to 200th ranked kids then they will dominate.

It’s a pointless side

There hasn't been a Div 1 & 2 in six years. The best Qld/Tas/NSW/NT kids play for the Allies v SA, WA, Vic M & Vic C.

 

[Prince Imperial]

There hasn't been a Div 1 & 2 in six years. The best Qld/Tas/NSW/NT kids play for the Allies v SA, WA, Vic M & Vic C.

In the under 18s yes, but not in the under 16s. There are two pools.

2023 U16 Boys National Development Champs ready to kick off

The 2023 AFL National Development Championships – U16 Boys begins this weekend, beginning with a clash between Vic Country and Vic Metro at Trevor Barker Beach Oval

www.afl.com.au

 

[Taper]

Why are people talking about more teams in Queensland? It wasn't long ago when people were saying the Lions and Suns should merge because Queensland can't sustain two teams, yet here we are talking about introducing more teams there?

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

There hasn't been a Div 1 & 2 in six years. The best Qld/Tas/NSW/NT kids play for the Allies v SA, WA, Vic M & Vic C.

They are talking about U16. Div 2 is like Coates Talent League talent pool at best

 

[Canberra Pear]

Why are people talking about more teams in Queensland? It wasn't long ago when people were saying the Lions and Suns should merge because Queensland can't sustain two teams, yet here we are talking about introducing more teams there?

But I doubt any of the same people were saying both of those things. There's one group of optimists, and one group of naysayers, and each gets louder when the circumstances suit their narrative.

Personally, I'm in the optimists' camp. I don't think anybody is suggesting another team in the next decade, but Southeast Queensland will have ~6 million people by 2050. With the current trajectory of footy in the region, another team within the next 30-40 years isn't inconceivable.

 

[Coolangatta]

But I doubt any of the same people were saying both of those things. There's one group of optimists, and one group of naysayers, and each gets louder when the circumstances suit their narrative.

Personally, I'm in the optimists' camp. I don't think anybody is suggesting another team in the next decade, but Southeast Queensland will have ~6 million people by 2050. With the current trajectory of footy in the region, another team within the next 30-40 years isn't inconceivable.

Yep.

Canberra as team 20 for me. Bring them in 2033, and wait 20 years for the next cycle of expansion.

20 years of Canberra being in the competition, 25 years of Tasmania, and 40 years of the Suns and Giants is plenty of time for expansion clubs to assess the landscape.

I’m confident none of them will need assistance from the AFL by 2050.

If that’s the case, I’d be looking at adding teams 21 and 22 and given the way Queensland is going I’d certainly be looking at a 3rd club there as part of that expansion.

Surely the Suns will succeed on field sooner than later, and the Lions should benefit from the new Olympic stadium in time.

GWS could fail even with 11 games in Sydney but I’d stick to two teams in NSW. Reinvent them there if they need to be.

 

[RedV3x]

Why are people talking about more teams in Queensland? It wasn't long ago when people were saying the Lions and Suns should merge because Queensland can't sustain two teams, yet here we are talking about introducing more teams there?

Because at numerous times the Lions have outdrawn the Broncos.

 

[HairyO]

ahhh didn't realise. I thought he was saying now.

15 years he could be right.

It wont ever happen. GCS not existing in 15 years is massively more likely.

 

[RedV3x]

It wont ever happen. GCS not existing in 15 years is massively more likely.

Why not talk about North Melbourne ?

 

[HairyO]

Why not talk about North Melbourne ?

People having been talking their doom since before GCS existed yet they are still growing and no debt.

If GCS relocated to Tasmania how many people would actually care ?

 

[RedV3x]

how many people would actually care ?

I don't care about the endless and pointless talk about various troubled clubs.
Let's drop the Eagles - they are definitely troubled.

 

[bobs head soup]

Just a little anecdotal observation.

A couple of weeks ago I drove from central NSW to the Sunshine Coast.

On the way up I thought I noticed more AFL posts in parks than NRL driving through Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast hinterland and Caloundra-Maroochydore.

On the way home I counted them. 22 AFL grounds, 10 Rugby/League grounds.

 

[HairyO]

Just a little anecdotal observation.

A couple of weeks ago I drove from central NSW to the Sunshine Coast.

On the way up I thought I noticed more AFL posts in parks than NRL driving through Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast hinterland and Caloundra-Maroochydore.

On the way home I counted them. 22 AFL grounds, 10 Rugby/League grounds.

Was anyone playing or training on them?

I see them all the time too. But I dont see them used.