Can you see Ballarat ever having a AFL side?

[Brett5150]

I just heard recently Ballarat is having a huge make-over at the Eureka stadium, and that North Melbourne will play a few home games there in about 2/3 years. I dont know how true it is, but i've always beleived Ballarat would play a great part in the AFL...
I think the only let down in Ballarat is parking space, but my dad lives not far from the Eureka stadium, and he reckons theres plenty of space there to build a new carpark. They just need the money. Its a great footy city and would have great revenue.
Ballarats getting bigger and bigger too.
I can honestly see oneday a side happening, or maybe North Melbourne might move there, if this gets off the ground properly.
What do you think?

 

[Masto]

Umm, no.

 

[The_Reaper]

If we had pro relegation and 32 teams.

 

[Corrosion]

A country city with 100,000 population is not big enough for a football team in the AFL League.

 

[hayes]

Is this a joke?

 

[matt_897]

It could happen but not in our lifetime.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

A country city with 100,000 population is not big enough for a football team in the AFL League.

I agree with what you're saying but you only have to look at the Green Bay Packers. A town of 100k and they manage to sell out a 70 thousand seat stadium every week so it could work.

 

[jiphoc]

I don't think words describe how stupid this sounds.

Problems off the top of my head:
Little Corporate presence (sponsorship and the such)
Not that easily accessible (car parks are not the solution, refer to why Arctic Park was shut)
No suitable stadium (would have to be 25k+)
Relatively small population

Then lastly I think if this happened Tasmania would declare war on the AFL.

 

[the harry]

100,000 of which 25,000 are on the pension.

It's funny that North Melb have a link with the North Ballarat given their anti gambling stance and North Ballarat is almost completely funded by pokies......

 

[Prince Imperial]

I agree with what you're saying but you only have to look at the Green Bay Packers. A town of 100k and they manage to sell out a 70 thousand seat stadium every week so it could work.

They are the only NFL team in Wisconsin (which has over 5 million people) and have massive support across the state. I suppose if Ballarat was the only AFL team in Victoria...

 

[Rob]

I agree with what you're saying but you only have to look at the Green Bay Packers. A town of 100k and they manage to sell out a 70 thousand seat stadium every week so it could work.

Yeah sure, if Melbourne didn't have any teams. The Packers are the only team in the entire state.

 

[Fire]

I'm not going to make any claims one way or the other.

But I have long thought that a country Victorian team playing games in Ballarat, Bendigo and Albury/Wodonga could be worth looking into, if a Melbourne team ever needed to relocate. Sure, those towns only have a hundred k a piece, but they have a wider draw distance, and if you had three or four games a year in each of those towns then you'd draw a decent size crowd, even though most would be neutral.

Then over the generation, the support would grow as the kids grow up without pre existing allegiances, as the support in Melbourne fades. There are one and a half million rural Victorians, and while no one team is ever going to be able to claim to service the market, targeting these three cities and their catchment areas could potentially be realistic.

And I hope no one from Melbourne tries and claims that Geelong already represents country Victoria.

 

[Tas]

Green Bay has a population of 300k and Wisconsin has a population of 5.7m so it is a little different but when you compare to the population of cities and states such as Dallas/Texas, etc they are still very much a minnow in terms of people.

I think long-term there is scope for North and Ballarat to have a Geelong-like relationship where more than a few games are played there but it would depend on may factors. I doubt Ballarat would ever have a population to support their own side in my lifetime. The projections for future population growth are very strong but not that strong.

 

[the harry]

You're forgetting too that everyone tries to get the **** out of there too. Anyone under 25 with a chance to get out takes it

 

[Lord Nicholson]

More Victorian sides is good for what ails the AFL.

 

[Richo83]

I agree with what you're saying but you only have to look at the Green Bay Packers. A town of 100k and they manage to sell out a 70 thousand seat stadium every week so it could work.

I'm sick of people using Green Bay as some sort of argument that a Tasmanian/Ballarat side could work.

1. The packers were set up before the NFL were focused purely on markets and money. Back in the days when the NFL had sides in places like Hammond and Rock Island.

2. They're a very popular team, and pretty much the only team supported in Wisconsin.

3. They're also very successful, building fans due to their success. Vince Lombardi trophy anyone?

So Ballarat would have to become a super-powerhouse, have total access to an entire state's population, and be set up in a league which is not driven purely by profits. I'm not sure what's least likely. In essence, they have no chance.

My prediction is that IF there is further expansion, it'd be into two of WA, Canberra, Tasmania or FNQ. Possibly Darwin. Not Ballarat.

 

[Spirit Level]

No.

No Chance

 

[Copernicus]

I agree with what you're saying but you only have to look at the Green Bay Packers. A town of 100k and they manage to sell out a 70 thousand seat stadium every week so it could work.

With a city of 2 million just down the road (Milwaukee).

I can guarantee that most of the people at Packers games are not from Green Bay.

A Ballarat team will never happen, and why would it?

 

[R00StaR]

Green Bay has a population of 300k and Wisconsin has a population of 5.7m so it is a little different but when you compare to the population of cities and states such as Dallas/Texas, etc they are still very much a minnow in terms of people.

I think long-term there is scope for North and Ballarat to have a Geelong-like relationship where more than a few games are played there but it would depend on may factors. I doubt Ballarat would ever have a population to support their own side in my lifetime. The projections for future population growth are very strong but not that strong.

This is what Ballarat and North are working towards and the best result for both imo. Sounds like Ballarat are looking for up to $100m for multi sport complex with a 10,000k seated stadium, with the standing room it'll be enough for the lower drawing games. Such a marginal seat, they'd have to be some sort chance of getting it.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

With a city of 2 million just down the road (Milwaukee).

I can guarantee that most of the people at Packers games are not from Green Bay.

A Ballarat team will never happen, and why would it?

It actually takes longer to get from Milwaukee to Green Bay than Ballarat to Melbourne.

People have made good arguments with the 8 teams in Vic etc, I was just trying to think of the most similar situation in terms of distance/city size.

 

[Underarm]

I agree with what you're saying but you only have to look at the Green Bay Packers. A town of 100k and they manage to sell out a 70 thousand seat stadium every week so it could work.

As others have said, green bay represents the whole state, and there's not alot of competition nearby.
They aren't really a town of 100k anyway. Richmond has got 5k and manges to draw 70k+ to games....

The whole over populated Melbourne is also a factor. Ballarat would not get their own team, and north Melbourne would never actually commit to being a 'Ballarat' team. They would just play some games there every year, much like hawthorn in Tasmania.

 

[Provost_]

I'm not going to make any claims one way or the other.

But I have long thought that a country Victorian team playing games in Ballarat, Bendigo and Albury/Wodonga could be worth looking into, if a Melbourne team ever needed to relocate.

I think an idea like this has been dead for a long time. 1990 would of been a good indication that things had changed.

If a team from Melbourne needs to relocate they sure as hell won't be staying in the state of Victoria. I see it possibly ending up one of two ways..


1. Club packs up and moves interstate - à la South Melbourne
2. Club merges with another club (interstate or Victorian) - à la Fitzroy/Brisbane, thus making way for a new expansion team.

There is a third option that a club just may cease to be, drop back to the VFL, and be replaced with an expansion team but hell would have to freeze over first.

 

[FootyJunkie]

My prediction is that IF there is further expansion, it'd be into two of WA, Canberra, Tasmania or FNQ. Possibly Darwin. Not Ballarat.

but that's GWS territory

 

[The Prosecutor]

I don't think Ballarat will ever, in the foreseeable future, have a team.

Though what I will say is the umpiring coming out of Ballarat is quality. Especially how people of all walks and heights of life can whack on their red hat and give it a go.

It's that type of engagement with the locals that will add 'the mayo on top of the pudding' so to speak, which might eventually get them there.

 

[Wallaby]

Should have done it 50 years ago.

There was talk (and only a little) in the 60s about expansion - to country Victoria. It would have been awesome to have teams in Ballarat, bendigo, Sale, Mildura, Albury and Warrnambool..........

In the 60s.

In today's entertainment age, with live TV coverage, huge mass marketing, huge corporate partnerships, cheap and easy air travel, global selling of product, the competition would still have had a masisve shake-up in the 80s-90s and we would have wound up with something like we have now. And the Vic country sides would be gone.

It would have been great fun for (Vic) fans while it lasted.