Breakaway League Urgently required!!!

[Alcopop]

That assumes that the "big" Melbourne clubs are unhappy with how the league is being run. I don't think that's the case.

They will be.

Essendon, Collingwood, Richmond and Carlton will not win an AFL premiership in the next 20 years.

There are a lot of supporters who don't understand that.

With the expansion teams coming in, the big 4 sides will be used, as they have this year for revenue raising without any "real" chance of winning a flag.

The Draft is rigged for the next 5 years and it will seriously hurt the teams who make the most money.

If only two of those sides decided to leave and form their own league with the help of Tasmania, St Marys in the Northern Territory, Glenelg, Norwood, West Perth and South Fremantle, the new league would challenge the AFL in 5 years.

The numbers of viewers for AFL in Sydney and Brisbane is very very poor. Only about 107,000 people watch non Lion and Swan games up there in cities of over 6 million (Sydney).

AFL is never going to be successfull in the Northern States yet the blood of Victorian supporters will be used to try and push it down their throats.

Sydney and Brisbane were black holes..

and Gold Coast and west Sydney will be as well..

the cash cows of Victoria should unite and stop being pushed around by Andrew and Adrian...

most supporters of the big 4 Victorian teams are sick of it.

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

with the help of Tasmania, St Marys in the Northern Territory, Glenelg, Norwood, West Perth and South Fremantle, the new league would challenge the AFL in 5 years.

I think it's safe to say you're flying a kite here Alco, but I do reckon a national second-tier competition with these sorts of clubs involved could perhaps be sustainable.

Dunno if it would ever happen, and I think it's safe to say I'm being wildly speculative myself here, but as a Royboy, I'd love the idea of that sort of competition, because that would be a level we might be able to reach again perhaps in the not-too-distant future...

 

[Mobbs]

When looking back on the 2000s, it seems the AFL were fairly blatent with the rigging.

They needed to be seen as running a good level ship by sharing flags around.

Ok, so lets get a flag for :
2001 - Brisbane
2002 - Collingwood
2003 - Freo
2004 - Port
2005 - Sydney
2006 - West Coast
2007 - Geelong
2008 - Hawthorn
2009 - St Kilda
2010 - Western Kangaroos

2001 went off a treat. Unfortunately, they forgot that you have to win a Grand Final to win a flag, and, as Collingwood struggle in that arena, in 2002 the opportunity was missed and Brisbane got a 2nd one when it was supposed to be Collingwood's.

*shrug* ah well, we'll use Freo's slot for Collingwood, Freo can jump in sometime in the twenty-teens, no-one but themselves care that much and will notice if they remain about 10th to 12th for another decade. So we'll get the Pies up in '03 instead, and then continue on from there. Unfortunately, they forgot that to win a premiership, you have to win a Grand Final, etc et al and so on.

By 2004 the AFL were fed up with Collingwood buggerising their plans for conquering the universe, and decided to revert to the list. It was Port's turn, and duly, as a good 90,000 years or whatever it is of history would ensure, they delivered.

Okay who's next? Sydney haven't had a flag for aaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggg *deep breath* ggggggggges ... well *thump* here have a flag. 2005 is year of the Swan.

2006 and just to keep it looking on the up and up, lets still rotate through the clubs, but here in the middle of the decade lets use one that haven't been too bad over recent times, and so its the Eagles. Freo were considered for this slot but it would have looked to obvious if Freo won a flag, so it reverted to the other WA team.

2007 and mebloodyow its finally time to give the Pivotonians a pennant. Looks perfect cause they had some failed attempts in earlier years so its not so ludicrous-looking for them to win one here.

2008 - The hawks, well yes they'd won heaps 20 or so years back, but they'd been in out of the money for quite a while, and anyways one of their coaches a few years back let slip that he knew about the scheme, so it was probably a good idea that he and/or they be appeased.

2009 - This year was designated specifically for St Kilda. Unfortunately, we found out that it wasn't just Preliminary finals that they had some jitters about. Grand Finals seem to go down sideways with insufficient lubrication as well! So instead of the Sainters getting one, Geelong gets a second.

2010 - This is why, in 2010, the Scraggers are to be pencilled in for the flag. You can see its been orchestrated to slowly elevate them up the ladder over a period of years, so no foul play can be suspected if they snag a trophy. Well, the AFL have done all they can, now its up to the Bullies. Of course, by this point, there was hope in AFL circles that they'd have merged/absorbed North Melbourne by this time. But good old North Melbourne, oooooh how the brass hate that song ... even those who've played for them in the past!

And that's it. Yes, that's it. Wait, I hear you wailing about a couple more clubs? Ahhh yes, Melbourne, North Melbourne and Richmond.

Well, I think you'll find they didn't count on Melbourne still being in the comp by 2011, either. I think they were hoping they'd do a Fitzroy. And North, considering North is their biggest bugbear, winning premierships while gushing blood all over the canvas, well North has won flags recently enough that the AFL don't care if they do or don't win more for now. So North, and Melbourne, the league's just annoyed that both are still around, because if they both disappeared, we'd be back to 16 clubs in a few years time.

Oh, Richmond? Yep, they hadn't forgotten Richmond. The concept, I am guessing, is that soon enough they'll split the league into a Premier and Second division, 8 clubs in each. That would solve the Richmond issue, because from then on they'd win a flag every alternate year.

Does that sound about right to you?

 

[timthefish]

funniest thread of the year so far. hope we can dig this up in 20 years for extra-deep belly-laughs.

 

[giallonero]

I have been enjoying the high intellect of some of the posts and threads here at BigFooty. I'm a newbie, so it's been refreshing to get away from the morons who pollute this great game.

And then came this article................................ it had to come didn't it??? I suppose you also believe that Earth is the center of the Universe!!!!

I wish supporters like your good self would break away to a galaxy far, far away.

 

[FootyJunkie]

I have been enjoying the high intellect of some of the posts and threads here at BigFooty. I'm a newbie, so it's been refreshing to get away from the morons who pollute this great game.

And then came this article................................ it had to come didn't it??? I suppose you also believe that Earth is the center of the Universe!!!!

I wish supporters like your good self would break away to a galaxy far, far away.

We know bugger all about the universe, so to us, Earth is the centre of the Universe.

However, the AFL should consider sides on Coruscant, Tatooine, Endor, Hoth (will be like Waverley all over again), Kashyyk, Naboo... a GF at Cloud City would be massive, Lando could play umpire.

 

[FootyJunkie]

2001 - Brisbane
2002 - Collingwood
2003 - Freo
2004 - Port
2005 - Sydney
2006 - West Coast
2007 - Geelong
2008 - Hawthorn
2009 - St Kilda
2010 - Western Kangaroos

2001 - Brisbane, fair
2002 - Could have happened, blame Aker
2003 - We made a final! We made a final! We got thumped by Essendon, but we made final! ::Freo fans clap::
2004 - Finally
2005 - Robert Walls said it best... "whoever will win this year's Grand Final, will steal it"
2006 -
2007 - i slept through the 3rd quarter of that GF
2008 - i admit, i enjoyed seeing Hawthorn get up
2009 - so many bloody chances in front of goal, Saints only have themselves to blame
2010 - last chance for the Dogs I reckon

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

When looking back on the 2000s, it seems the AFL were fairly blatant with the rigging.

Too true mate!

Seems to me that their primary objective was to send Premierships to interstate teams though, which they did...

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

We know bugger all about the universe, so to us, Earth is the centre of the Universe.

However, the AFL should consider sides on Coruscant, Tatooine, Endor, Hoth (will be like Waverley all over again), Kashyyk, Naboo... a GF at Cloud City would be massive, Lando could play umpire.

I like the way FJ thinks

We really need more Wookiees in the AFL too, it's not been the same since Nathan Carroll left

 

[Professor Knowall]

... Stokes, Packer anyone, take the game back to the people ... ?

LOL

Is this thread a joke?

Stokes, Packer, Palmer etc - sure, of course, we all know that everything they do is only is only for the public good - and never merely for their own private interests and profit!

What do you suggest? - sell out our great Australian game (an its independence) to an American gobal media empire like News Ltd - just like Newsltd Rugby (NRL) did with its (admittingly English) code?

Please get a clue or two before your next post. Look at Palmer with his own privately Gold Coast soccer team, capping supporter to 5,000 (presumably so they won't annoy him in his private box and interrupt his own enjoyment). But as a private owner, he has every right to do just that - and not give a sh1t about any supporters. I guess that's the way you would like it, right?

 

[melbournemartin]

*yawn*

 

[Primetime Pricey]

This just has to happen at some stage to save our game from ruin, quote all the dollar making crap you want but the AFL is now rigged competition.

Almost at a point where one could argue that some Premiership winning teams could be regarded as not earning their spot in history over rigged draws and money making escapades.

Stokes, Packer anyone, take the game back to the people and give the game some equality and respect.

Most importantly take the game away from these mugs who are running it into the ground and destroying the fabric the game was built on.

The rules, the fixture, the whole system is a ****ing joke, something has to happen to change it because if it doesn't then the game will eventually become not recognisable.

cleary didnt have a problem with it back in 2005-2006 im thinking

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon and Richomnd should vote as a block majority to get themselves what they want in AFL as they hold the competitive advantage in terms of revenue raising for the AFL. Attendance and TV watching.

Instead they bicker amongst themselves and destabilise their power base so much so that they are useless in front of the AFL administration and roll over to whatever is asked of them.

Eddie Maguire is an AFL plant, to make sure the Collingwood football Club maxisime revenue for the AFL but so that they never ever win an AFL premiership.

The Melbourne clubs roll over and all their revenue goes to the administrator in the AFL.

The Melbourne teams are weak.

If they set up their own power base, they could break away and destroy the power hungry, money hungry fools at AFL house.

Until they do that, they will all finish 4th to 8th every year and be beaten by smaller teams with less power.

You wouldn't see big teams with big minds do that.

Chelsea and Manchester United in the EPL. The Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Yankees..

they all drive the decision making processes of their leagues...

as they know their own power and revenue raising ability..

not in the AFL..

the big Melbourne Clubs have no idea..

they are politically very weak.

Ive said it before, the Crawford report made the clubs agree to what they're in now, bring back the NFL or ANFC, make the AFL just another leauge and give clubs some teeth again. Aussie rules can be like it was 20-odd yrs ago just we have a generation of supporters who dont know what they missed, and what they missed was FOOTBALL

 

[timthefish]

Ive said it before, the Crawford report made the clubs agree to what they're in now, bring back the NFL or ANFC, make the AFL just another leauge and give clubs some teeth again. Aussie rules can be like it was 20-odd yrs ago just we have a generation of supporters who dont know what they missed, and what they missed was FOOTBALL

and if you keep looking back and not forward, you're going to miss a whole lot more FOOTBALL

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Funny lookin football though, i like my leauges non rigged and semi professional

 

[Alcopop]

Under current AFL arrangements, AFL teams don't actually exist.

They are franchises of the AFL, like McDonalds has franchises.

the Collingwood football Club doesn't exist, it is AFL Franchise A.

the Carlton foootball Club does not exist, it is AFL franchise B.

the Adelaide football club doesn't exist, it is AFL franchise c.

the West Coast football club doesn't exist, it is AFL franchise D....

etc, etc, etc....

they make money for the AFL Commission who then spend it as they see fit to the exclusion of the needs of their current franchises.


they abide by a series of rules that are totally compromised.

a compromised draw,

a compromised number of home games,

a compromised draft,

father/son arrangements that have seen Geelong take two players who would be in the VFL/AFL all time team from the beginning of football, Matthew Scarlett (the best full back of all time) and Gary Ablett Jnr (on a par with Hayden Bunton as the best follower of all time). Take those players out of Geelong and they don't win two flags in three years.

look how they let Fitzroy hang out to die while feeding the debt riddled Sydney team with more and more money.

Interstate teams with higher salary caps over the journey.

Carlton with its Vissy arrangements..

New teams with lots of draft picks..

etc, etc, etc..

so how can anyone say, the AFL is true and fair..


teams like Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon, Melbourne will not win a premiership in 10 to 20 years and they still have bad arrangements or in Collingwood’s case, just are there to make money for the mother ship, big brother. The parasite AFL commission who suck the clubs dry and spit out the average punter/supporter with nothing based on a changing landscape every year that makes it harder and harder to win.

the best thing the bigger Victorian Clubs can do is rip up the Crawford agreement and exclude themselves from the AFL and start all over again...

call it the Tom Wills cup after the guy who invented the game.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Who is this Crawford guy? he seems to hate sport actually just being sport in this country

 

[stickman11]

The AFL owns the names of every AFL team. A breakaway west coast team would probably have to become perth poodles. Collingwood couldn't be collingwood or the magpies. The AFL also hold rights on the jumper, which is why clubs have to get permission on changes.

Not sure your breakaway has been thought through.

We could all support new teams without any history. Yay.

 

[stickman11]

The Dee's first captain.

 

[qldbluesman_43]

and if you keep looking back and not forward, you're going to miss a whole lot more FOOTBALL

AMEN to that.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

This thread is terrible

 

[Alcopop]

The Clubs memorandums say that the clubs own their identify not the AFL and that is the truth.

Breakaway Super League. Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond, Hawthorn, Tasmanian team, St Marys from Northern Territory, Glenelg, Norwood, West Perth and South Fremantle.

Play each other twice. Then have a top 5 finals series (everyone gets to play finals).

Whenever I write or say something like "I’m getting sick of the direction footy is heading....if it keeps up, I’m done"...there’s always a voice in the back of my head that says "no you wont...you’ll keep turning up or tuning in to whatever shit they serve you up because you love the game itself."

the Culture is what is dying in our game, well dying might not be the best word for it, maybe being snuffed out is a better description, fans are no longer seen as part of the picture by the afl other than a commodity, numbers and figures to prop up the perception that they are doing the game good, as you rightly put it Culprit it's just a matter of scheduling the right games and numbers are up, they have got it right, but how can they have it right when die hard fans such as yourself and many others are turning off on the game?


We all love the game for our own reasons, I love it for the hardness of contest, the brutal physical force of it, the way players keep their head over the ball, you know what I mean, men playing a mans game, but most of that has been taken out of our game, for crying out loud you can be reported for being reckless! I want to see players being reckless, I want to see them hit packs at 100% not half assed because they might hurt someone, I want our boys to hurt them.


they say that they do this because they want mums to get their sons involved in the game, mums for well over a hundred years have been getting their sons involved, have a look around at any footy match anywhere in the country and you'll find mums everywhere and you always have, what they are doing tho is turning dads and blokes off the game,.

Culture in sport is a delicate thing and often given last thought by those that are in control of the sport/football code, a simple seeming rule change can and does have far reaching effects on any game and especially one that is based on a culture as Aussie rules footy is, so when the governing body brings in rule changes like latest round of ruck rule changes, rules I might add to fix the previous rule changes, they overnight relegated hundreds of blokes around the country useless to their teams, do you really think the lads playing up country care if some media legend thinks ruck contests are ugly? or the game should have less stoppages or it should be a faster game? no they just wanna get a kick.
do the afl in their wisdom take the country leagues into account when they change a rule? doubt it. do they have a think tank on rule changes involving all stake holders or just some select clique to change the game for all Aussie football clubs/teams/players around the nation based on what is better for tv viewing?


it's not just the AFL that will suffer in this, every league in the land are tied to this, so go and watch your local league this Saturday, enjoy it while you can because just as the AFL is going to crap every league in the land will eventually go the same way, as it is the very game itself that is changing from a game we all grew up loving into a hybrid basketball/rugby union/soccer fairy girls game, a game that is getting harder and harder to recognize as the game I grew up loving.

The fact is that what used to be "Aussie Rules" is now "AFL". There is only one AFL league and they control the rules, ideas, people involved etc, like any monopoly anywhere in the world.

So many people are pointing out that they won’t even go watch their clubs anymore just because they are fed up with all this bullshyte rules the rules are shyte no one knows anything about the interpretations


Can someone please name me one other sport in the world where they have this much trouble with the interpretations and with the umpires in general?

The games becoming a non contact sport and they keep frigging around with knee jerk reactions.

They put in all these rules to make the game quicker, less stop-start and more constant motion. This of course has a direct impact on the kind of player that is drafted.

Gone are the days of the natural footballer when any kid with ability could expect to be able to work hard and aspire to getting a game. Nowadays you have to be over 6 foot and run like the wind to get looked at.

And the game has gone soft to a point where players from the 70s and 80s shudder.


Then you throw in three umpires with three different interpretations in the same game and you get the most inconsistent umpiring we have ever had. Umpire decisions have always been controversial but when you had two umpires it was better as you had a balance as there were two interpretations. Now you have three the players are stopping looking around and wondering if they got the free kick or not. Throw in the chopping the forwards arm and penalising a defender and no wonder more people are going back to local football. Kevin Bartlett and his fellow rules committee of merry men in tights have a lot to answer for.

Now we have the AFL who boasts that crowds are up and people love Telstra Dome as they are voting with their feet. If you play the big games there you will get the bigger crowds and inflate your figures. A good accountant will tell you that.[/FONT]
we'd all still love the game as much as we used to if the game itself hadn't been changed, even at the local level the game has changed with state and local leagues adopting the "new" rules that the afl sees fit to bring in every year, we end up with junior and local players expected to play a game that is now designed for TV, Aussie rules football is fast becoming a reality tv show rather than an expression of Australian culture and life.



The worst part about it is that 4/5 of the umpiring decisions are crap because of the interpretations put in place by the AFL, the other 1/5 is simple umpiring mistakes which i can live with because, hey, the players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes so do the umpires.

The interpretations are absolute rubbish, soft and not Australian Football Rules. Its disheartening to watch a game and see the whistle being blow every 10 seconds.

The best games of football you see are the free flowing, hard, highflying, fluent games that aren’t constantly interrupted because someone’s shoulder being touched 30 meters out from goal while two men 6'4" that weigh 90kg's contest a mark.

I think the voice is right...but a breakaway league, under the right circumstances, that would be something i would wholeheartedly support. There is not much you can REALLY do as a supporter to change the AFLs direction...but supporting a breakaway league....that’s something fans can do.

Riding the corporate tidal wave of cheap cash, with everyone patting each other on the back for doing such a great job feathering their own nests, when in fact a Drover's dog could of lead us through what has been essentially an off-shore boom. It will be interesting to see what sort of leadership we have in this country when real decisions need to be made. Wiser heads? Remains to be seen.


I would ultimately rather a coup within the AFL to wrest control away from those morons who have it now.

Geez , wouldn't a breakaway league more in tune with the traditions of the game ( as opposed to this boardroom dictatorship ) scare the shit out of Andrew and his loyal asslickers.

 

[Rob]

Worst thread in at least a week.

 

[Giants FC]

Come and support the Breakaway League*; where no umpiring interpretation is ever controversial and fixturing is guaranteed to satisfy the even-handed desires of all supporters. Subsidised by James Packer and Kerry Stokes as a public service, we turn back the clock to the good old days when attendances didn't matter.

* Not available to the 53% of Australians who live in NSW or Queensland.

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

Suggest that it would be only appropriate if the "Breakaway League" was staged mainly within a "breakaway country", like, say, the Principality of Hutt River