Are Victorians holding football back?

[wikipediaAFLproject]

Does the fact that the AFL is dominated by Victorian teams and comprise of most of footballers followers mean that they are holding the game back?

Ive heard some Victorians state that they wish that the AFL would revert back into the VFL!

I believe that the continual whinging from some Victorian Football fans has resulted in the game only expanding to Sydney on a national level in the 80's, and is currently holding the game back internationally.

Demitriou and his team are great in the fact he is trying to grow football outside of traditional areas, and are beginning to realise the benefits of growing football outside of Australian shores.
People on Bigfooty sometimes refer to non-Victorian clubs as interstate clubs.

Growing the game outside of traditional areas will only increase its appeal!!

 

[rainman06]

Bring back the VFL. Interstate teams are boring.

 

[Zvim]

tbh I couldn't give a shit about Sydney or the game being played anywhere else.

All it means is money, and how much the players can pull in and how much the executives can make from football. Money does nothing for the game.

AFL would have been much better with the VFL, SANFL and WAFL leagues as they were. All the national competition has done is dilute the number of games available here in Melbourne and all there is for the future is the promise of more no-atmosphere games where there are only supporters from one side at games.

Nothing stirrs the blood like hearing a pin drop when your side scores a goal interstate. The atmosphere must be electric.

 

[didak04]

Well it is an expanded VFL competition, what exactly do people expect?

 

[ManWithNoName]

Yeah, because Fremantle vs Port Adelaide games are truly enthralling.

 

[MaccaKnowsBest]

How dare you speak negatively of Victoria! I'm sure this will go down well

 

[MaccaKnowsBest]

All the national competition has done is dilute the number of games available here in Melbourne

Are you kidding? You still get multiple AFL and VFL games (plus all the local leagues on a weekend). How many games do you want?

 

[HollyLovesWCE]

Let's be honest, one day the amount of teams in Victoria is going to have to lessen to broaden and strengthen the league, because at the moment it is dominated by Vic teams and it is Aussie Rules after all, not Victoria Rules. It may not happen anytime in the near future, but it will happen.

Saying that the league should return to being the VFL is a poor comment, because if you look at just how far the AFL has come since those days and the interest that has grown across the nation, anyone can see that it has been beneficial!

'Interstate' teams are great for the competition and people saying these types of things need to let go of the past and move on, because internaly footy is Australia's #1 sport and deserves to be shared by all!

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Fortunately for expansion's sake, "Victorians" as in the idiot masses, aren't in charge of allocating new licences. Imagine St. Albans Vampire Bats vs. the Narre Warren Commodores in the AFL grand final if some of these vocal twits had their way. I'm all for GC and GWS (as long as they don't manage to get Ablett and/or Selwood from us)

 

[al ain pie]

Does the fact that the AFL is dominated by Victorian teams and comprise of most of footballers followers mean that they are holding the game back?

Ive heard some Victorians state that they wish that the AFL would revert back into the VFL!

I believe that the continual whinging from some Victorian Football fans has resulted in the game only expanding to Sydney on a national level in the 80's, and is currently holding the game back internationally.

Demitriou and his team are great in the fact he is trying to grow football outside of traditional areas, and are beginning to realise the benefits of growing football outside of Australian shores.
People on Bigfooty sometimes refer to non-Victorian clubs as interstate clubs.

Growing the game outside of traditional areas will only increase its appeal!!

keep the afl but, we have got to look at taking the right to vote back off women.

 

[Ant85]

Footy is rooted deep in Melbournian and Victorian culture. I wouldn't say that necessarily holds back the AFL, but a fine balance needs to be made re the commercial optimism of new franchises (GC, WS) versus the cultural significance of the sport for Victorians/Melbournians.

I think all clubs, particularly the Victorian clubs, have shown their support for the AFL's expansionism with the absurd concessions we've given the two new northern clubs. We've pretty much put our interests aside in order to make two new rivals powerful for the sake of expansionism, despite the fact most Victorian clubs have shitty facilities. If that isn't us showing support, then I don't know what support is.

But not all interstate clubs 'bore' Victorians. I personally hate Adelaide, West Coast and Brisbane, so beating them is always a joy.

 

[Neville Bartos]

Victoria is the driving force behind making it the most successful sport in the country. People from WA and SA are saying that we have too many teams here, yet we're still the only city who consistently draws 60,000+ to our games. Melbourne is growing rapidly and considering almost all of the Vic clubs (with new stadium deals too) are on the improve in terms of membership numbers and revenue there's absolutely no reason to get rid of any of the local teams. If there's a demand for 10 teams (which there is now) in Victoria, then we should keep it at 10 teams. I'm all for having a 20 team competition one day, but the fact is that Victoria is (and always will be) the Mecca of AFL and we'll probably always have more teams than the rest of the league.

Without the financial backing of Victoria and the money raised here, there would never be enough funds to take risks like the establishment of teams in NSW & QLD. Victoria is the driving force of any AFL expansion

 

[BIGBEZ]

I wouldnt say holding it back, mabee just trying to hold onto how it was when footy had a soul, the game started to die about this time but the franchise boomed, supporters from interstate leagues probably didnt want a national league either, thats what made state of origin so great, also alot of victorians dont want change coz it meens some will lose their clubs..

 

[invinciBlues]

Victoria is the driving force behind making it the most successful sport in the country. People from WA and SA are saying that we have too many teams here, yet we're still the only city who consistently draws 60,000+ to our games.

Subi's capacity is only around 36k. You give them a 60k stadium, and they will fill it.

I've long been a fan of culling the number of Vic clubs so that a more representative competition arises. Supporters of the little clubs are myopic and are indeed holding the game back.

Just move a couple of the smaller clubs back to the VFL. I don't like the idea of relocating and merging but a move back to the VFL means they can still compete and hold onto their history.

It'd be better in the long run.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Subi's capacity is only around 36k. You give them a 60k stadium, and they will fill it.

I've long been a fan of culling the number of Vic clubs so that a more representative competition arises. Supporters of the little clubs are myopic and are indeed holding the game back.

Just move a couple of the smaller clubs back to the VFL. I don't like the idea of relocating and merging but a move back to the VFL means they can still compete and hold onto their history.

It'd be better in the long run.

43,500 is the capacity.

 

[Chris who]

Footy is rooted deep in Melbournian and Victorian culture. I wouldn't say that necessarily holds back the AFL, but a fine balance needs to be made re the commercial optimism of new franchises (GC, WS) versus the cultural significance of the sport for Victorians/Melbournians.

I think all clubs, particularly the Victorian clubs, have shown their support for the AFL's expansionism with the absurd concessions we've given the two new northern clubs. We've pretty much put our interests aside in order to make two new rivals powerful for the sake of expansionism, despite the fact most Victorian clubs have shitty facilities. If that isn't us showing support, then I don't know what support is.

But not all interstate clubs 'bore' Victorians. I personally hate Adelaide, West Coast and Brisbane, so beating them is always a joy.

Teams of ltlle significance.

North Melbourne
Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Fremantle

that is all

 

[invinciBlues]

43,500 is the capacity.

So whats the deal with your memberships and tickets to the game? Do they have allocate a set number for the opposition supporters?

 

[Chris who]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
yes 2000 seats get earmarked for opposition members, then sold to general public

 

[pacemaker]

Too many victorian teams

 

[pacemaker]

WA needs a bigger stadium

 

[rainman06]

Subi's capacity is only around 36k. You give them a 60k stadium, and they will fill it.

My arse they will. Maybe in derby's but thats it.

 

[invinciBlues]

My arse they will. Maybe in derby's but thats it.

And finals.
And WC vs Adelaide.
And they'd come close for Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton Matches.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Yeah, because Fremantle vs Port Adelaide games are truly enthralling.

Can't wait for that Melbourne v North Melbourne/Western Bulldogs game next year!

amidoinitrire?

 

[ghostbat12]

Victoria is the driving force behind making it the most successful sport in the country. People from WA and SA are saying that we have too many teams here, yet we're still the only city who consistently draws 60,000+ to our games. Melbourne is growing rapidly and considering almost all of the Vic clubs (with new stadium deals too) are on the improve in terms of membership numbers and revenue there's absolutely no reason to get rid of any of the local teams. If there's a demand for 10 teams (which there is now) in Victoria, then we should keep it at 10 teams. I'm all for having a 20 team competition one day, but the fact is that Victoria is (and always will be) the Mecca of AFL and we'll probably always have more teams than the rest of the league.

Without the financial backing of Victoria and the money raised here, there would never be enough funds to take risks like the establishment of teams in NSW & QLD. Victoria is the driving force of any AFL expansion

1. most vic teams would be happy to draw about half that

2. 60k only when 2xpowerful victorian clubs are playing together or if its collingwood. test is when interstate teams come and there arent 2xsets of supporters to draw from. there may well be no "interest in watching interstate teams" but hey, u either support ur team and go and watch them or u dont.

if that is the vic view of intersate teams then all it is is arrogance and its only to detriment of their own teams interstate teams do not require some sort of vic acceptance. we will continue on bringing u pain

and finally if interstate is so unimportant, then stop playing games in NT, Tas and Canberra...oh but wait, money is required...

 

[nthblood]

Can't believe some of the comments on this thread. If it wasn't for the interstate clubs joining the VFL, you would have less clubs in the AFL /VFL. Why, all new clubs payed a licence fee of 4 million if my memory is correct. Sydney even payed this several times even though they are a original club of the VFL. Anyway having more clubs increased TV rights, sponsorship, etc etc.

Why did the Victorian clubs vote on this, money cause there where a few of the big clubs that where in financial trouble at the time and the VFL wanted football over the whole weekend not just Saturday because the Vic government at the time would not allow the VFL to play on a Sunday cause that was the day VFA played, remember the VFA. Two divisions of Suburban football clubs, finals down at the Junction oval, ohh the memories.

So all the Victorians and I'm a Victorian stop, bitching about something you can't change and what you brought on yourselves