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attended both finals games this weekend - Nth City made Ballarat look very second rate, Redan (with their makeshift back line) looked very good against Darley. Redan to get over Ballarat next week in what could be a very tight affair - but It's hard to see Nth City going down in the Grand Final.....
Ballarat had a lot of players out at the weekend so it's not an accurate reflection of the standard of their side, hopefully they can get a few back for what should be a very good clash with Redan.
In any event the Grand Final will be a tightly fought contest.
 
Ballarat had a lot of players out at the weekend so it's not an accurate reflection of the standard of their side, hopefully they can get a few back for what should be a very good clash with Redan.
In any event the Grand Final will be a tightly fought contest.
No it won't
 

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Redan will beat Ballarat, then North city will beat redan. Its a mere formality.

Dont know what everyone else thinks.. but the league is just stale and has been for a few years.

I agree that the league seems to be stagnating and with some of the bigger clubs looking to leave it doesn't look healthy going forward.
What can be done though?
 
I agree that the league seems to be stagnating and with some of the bigger clubs looking to leave it doesn't look healthy going forward.
What can be done though?

I think the Ballarat League is an example of a league who could benefit from a point system being introduced, under the proposed system current or ex vfl players would have a high points rating which would mean that north ballarat and for that matter any side would be limited in the number they could play..It all sounds good in theory, the administration and enforcing of it will be another matter...
 
I think the Ballarat League is an example of a league who could benefit from a point system being introduced, under the proposed system current or ex vfl players would have a high points rating which would mean that north ballarat and for that matter any side would be limited in the number they could play..It all sounds good in theory, the administration and enforcing of it will be another matter...

Enforcing points systems in the easy part. Players points on the team sheet before each game and anyone who fields a team with points totalling more than there allocation loses points each time it happens. My view is that in general points systems do not work well
 
Enforcing points systems in the easy part. Players points on the team sheet before each game and anyone who fields a team with points totalling more than there allocation loses points each time it happens. My view is that in general points systems do not work well
What's your solution then? There seems to be far too many comps dominated by one or two teams??
 
What's your solution then? There seems to be far too many comps dominated by one or two teams??
I think for starters the culture of finger pointing within this league isn't great. Whether it be East vs West or North City vs everyone else it's all pretty toxic stuff and isn't exactly enticing players to come across to this comp.
What the best course of action is going forward I don't really know but I think we'd all agree that something probably has to be done.
 
I don't have a solution. I have just played in a league with a points system and this year in that league a side is playing off in their 7th consecutive grand final
Has that league had the points system in for all of those 7 years?? I guess strong clubs will be strong regardless of the rules,it's more about trying to make the bottom clubs more competitive..maybe they could reduce the total points allowed, but even then, how low do you go, without making it a farce??
 

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Has that league had the points system in for all of those 7 years?? I guess strong clubs will be strong regardless of the rules,it's more about trying to make the bottom clubs more competitive..maybe they could reduce the total points allowed, but even then, how low do you go, without making it a farce??

Not sure if it has been in for all 7 but would be close
 
The BFL has had problems for a while like most other leagues but the killer blow is the re-entry of North Ballarat. How can clubs like Sebastopol compete with a VFL backed club in a country competition? Wouldn't be too many football clubs handling the millions that go through that sports club. Every other club in the league know they are playing for 2nd as do potential recruits. The eastern clubs see the writing on the wall and when they bail it's curtains for the BFL.
 
Ok, take North City out of the equation for a second. The comp is still in the same state.
Poor crowds and fan engagement overall has nothing at all to do with North Ballarat.
 
Too many part time players dropping back from VFL ressies or whatever. The league has absolutely ZERO personality. It's boring, uninspiring, too sanitised and uneventful. It's probably a quicker, slicker standard of football these days, but it's boring as shit to watch.
 
Ok, take North City out of the equation for a second. The comp is still in the same state.
Poor crowds and fan engagement overall has nothing at all to do with North Ballarat.

Well let's face it Ballarat weather in June July August is not great for a day out at the footy so poor crowds will always be an issue. Don't be fooled by the line that crowds are better in the CHFL because it's not necessarily the case. Some clubs get good numbers others get bugger all. Darley & Sunbury aside, eastern supporters just don't want to come to the footy in Ballarat when it's 2 degrees and raining, western club supporters don't go the other way either. Maybe because their is no rivalry thats been built over many decades I don't know. The ground conditions don't help. Wendouree has been neglected for years as has the city oval which would have the coldest desolate atmosphere I've ever come across. Has a great old grandstand which is so far from the action you need binoculars to watch the game. Parking is an issue at East. Stuff all shelter at Alfredton and Bacchus Marsh. North Ballarat windiest place on earth - terrible atmosphere. Opposition supporters are always welcome at Melton South - just make sure you stay in your car and keep your mouth shut. As I said long time traditional rivalries which bring crowds in are almost non existent in the western half of the league. Lakers are a merged club that have only been around for about 20 yrs in the BFL and don't seem to have made much effort to embrace the history of the old Wendouree footy club. East Point are in a similar situation and the notion of a rivalry with Sebas is like punching on with your grandmother. A lot of problems that have been there for a long time, including massive bucks on offer in CHFL, and they are now exacerbated by the dominance of a powerhouse with an unfair advantage over the rest of the comp. Rod Ward is supposedly one of the best administrators in country footy. He is going to need to be.
 
Has that league had the points system in for all of those 7 years?? I guess strong clubs will be strong regardless of the rules,it's more about trying to make the bottom clubs more competitive..maybe they could reduce the total points allowed, but even then, how low do you go, without making it a farce??
You shouldn't be trying to bring down the best clubs so the bottom sides are competitive, far better to make the bottom sides better so they can compete with the top sides.
A points system unless mandatory for all leagues will just push the better players out of the league and into others at the overall detriment of the quality of the comp.
 
Didn't North Ballarat try and join the bellarine league when they re formed ? They may have been a good club to get into the GFL but that will probably never happen as long as Colac are in the GFL. I personally think that Melton , South and Darley should've looked at moving to a Geelong league instead of towards Ballarat all them years ago. No offence to Ballarat clubs but grounds,conditions etc in Geelong would've been more what them clubs were used to and may have helped in keeping interest and crowds up. Guess we'll never know tho.
 
You shouldn't be trying to bring down the best clubs so the bottom sides are competitive, far better to make the bottom sides better so they can compete with the top sides.
A points system unless mandatory for all leagues will just push the better players out of the league and into others at the overall detriment of the quality of the comp.[/QUOTE

I don't disagree with you, in any comp you have good and bad sides..you can only make struggling clubs better by giving them money or improving their junior program so they can produce more of there own..but if they don't have the money or the kids coming through, what rules can a league put in place to help?? I say a points system is worth a try as I haven't heard of any viable alternatives...
 
You shouldn't be trying to bring down the best clubs so the bottom sides are competitive, far better to make the bottom sides better so they can compete with the top sides.
A points system unless mandatory for all leagues will just push the better players out of the league and into others at the overall detriment of the quality of the comp.
Couldn't agree more.
Unfortunately it seems to be a built in thing in this league to complain rather than to get on the front foot.
Does North have some advantages, sure, however to say clubs like Redan can't compete at all is a blatant fallacy.
 
Didn't North Ballarat try and join the bellarine league when they re formed ? They may have been a good club to get into the GFL but that will probably never happen as long as Colac are in the GFL. I personally think that Melton , South and Darley should've looked at moving to a Geelong league instead of towards Ballarat all them years ago. No offence to Ballarat clubs but grounds,conditions etc in Geelong would've been more what them clubs were used to and may have helped in keeping interest and crowds up. Guess we'll never know tho.

Think you mean the Bendigo League? They played there when they formed 2006 & played two years up there. They were winless in their first season. Couldn't imagine North city travelling down to the likes of Ocean grove & Torquay to play
 
Couldn't agree more.
Unfortunately it seems to be a built in thing in this league to complain rather than to get on the front foot.
Does North have some advantages, sure, however to say clubs like Redan can't compete at all is a blatant fallacy.
a quick history lesson will tell you that when the rdfl clubs entered the bfl, redan were nearly dead and buried, their renaissance in part was their ability to draw players from north ballarat's vfl side..Redan, to their credit have been able to hang on to their golden for sometime, however with north ballarat re-entering the bfl, their recruiting ability will take a massive hit long term and the club will slide. Sunbury had to spend good coin to compete the last couple of years, but that wasn't sustainable, unless pokies revenue picks up again. So I believe this competition will go back to the way it was years ago where North Ballarat won premiership after premiership....
 
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