Collingwood to have own VFL Team in 2008

[MRobbo]

There was a board meeting at the Lexus Centre last night. It is my understanding the board voted for Collingwood to split from the Williamstown alignment and have its own VFL Team in 2008.

If this is the case Collingwood are looking at playing some home VFL games at MC Labour Park plus some curtain raisers.

Any thoughts from Collingwood supporters on this?

 

[doofdoof]

There was a board meeting at the Lexus Centre last night. It is my understanding the board voted for Collingwood to split from the Williamstown alignment and have its own VFL Team in 2008.

If this is the case Collingwood are looking at playing somes home VFL games at MC Labour Park plus some curtain raisers.

Any thoughts from Collingwood supporters on this?

It feels dirty having a Collingwood team based there .......

 

[3066]

There was a board meeting at the Lexus Centre last night. It is my understanding the board voted for Collingwood to split from the Williamstown alignment and have its own VFL Team in 2008.

If this is the case Collingwood are looking at playing some home VFL games at MC Labour Park plus some curtain raisers.

Any thoughts from Collingwood supporters on this?

I think this is an EXCELLENT move for Collingwood..... not to mention it means I'll get to see more reserves games if they are going to play at MC Hammer Park.

Does curtain raisers mean they will play a reserves match before the seniors match like they used to? Geez I used to love seeing that. Especially if both teams win on the day.

Great move Collingwood.

 

[DWil6]

How does it work with team numbers. If we have 5 out injured... all the rookies playing... what gives?? Am i a chance to get a game?

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Rubbish idea. The Williamstown alignment works superbly, and I would not like to see it change. Surely the club has better ways to waste its money than to spend it on a second football team and full support crew.

 

[Jabso]

I highly doubt the meeting approved a stand alone team for 2008. 2009 maybe but this is way too early.

 

[MarkT]

Great to hear. Now I can really barrack for someone in the VFL. Should have always been the case although finances were an issue at the time we went with Williamstown. Should have always been Preston though in that case. I wonder if we’d go alone with Swan as CEO? Would the financial differential and the Swan Willi connection have held sway?

Either way I am happy with a correct football decision as well as a good Club decision. Sure it will cost more but we have the money to pay for football decisions. No point making money in our position unless it helps win premierships. This will form a solid part of the player development program and will assist the work of Richardson and Scott.

I am looking forward to seeing the black and white stipes play in the VFL. I will definitely get to more VFL games now. The idea of curtain raiser is also fantastic. I used to get to Vic Parl for the start of the ressies and it was always great when the building crowd got behind the Pies later in the match. This is part of putting more Collingwood back into Collingwood IMO. It is a shame the VFL side can’t play out of Vic Park but I guess it is too late for that now.

 

[MRobbo]

confirmed!!!

Collingwood to have own VFL Side in 2008.

 

[chunk_master]

where'd u get this information

i reckon its a great idea

get to see the young blokes running around before the big boys

 

[DWil6]

confirmed!!!

Collingwood to have own VFL Side in 2008.

I'm looking for a source??

 

[chunk_master]

I'm looking for a source??

ditto

 

[MRobbo]

I'm looking for a source??

I have made some phone calls and had emails from a couple of journalists This morning to have it confirmed.

 

[Stifler's mom]

Rubbish idea. The Williamstown alignment works superbly, and I would not like to see it change. Surely the club has better ways to waste its money than to spend it on a second football team and full support crew.

Couldn't disagree more. We can clearly afford the financial implications of going it alone and the football benefits would also be positive.
I would much rather be able to play who we want, where we want, and when we want. I'm sick of seeing that Wellingham is playing willi 2nds because of quotas.

Plus playing on that shithole wind tunnel does nothing to help us.

 

[jefffff34]

All signs point to crap decision.

Surely we can find a better joint than Optus Oval to play at.

Northcote Park's home ground when they aren't at home perhaps? It's only like 3km from Vic Park.

Or...Vic Park?

Wish we stayed and am hoping these are just rumours.

 

[jonesy86]

i'm quite happy with the current allignment

if the we were to have stand alone reserves then there should be a guarantee of 4 or 5 home games as curtain raisers at the MCG and the rest to be played at either Vic Park or Punt Road

 

[MarkT]

Surely we can find a better joint than Optus Oval to play at.

Better from a cultural or spiritual perspective – there are plenty including the paddock we train on now. Better physically there wouldn’t be any. The ground conditions etc are very good. Miles ahead of Willi’s ground.

Northcote Park's home ground when they aren't at home perhaps? It's only like 3km from Vic Park.

Like the location but don’t know the ground.

Or...Vic Park?

I would love it but the place is falling down. The stands are a hazard and the council is hostile as always. I would dearly love a campaign for the council to upgrade the ground, even if they have to tear the stand down and use it for Collingwood’s VFL team and local footy/cricket. It won’t happen though. It would take a lot of money and the residents are not footy fans like the old days.

Wish we stayed and am hoping these are just rumours.

Why?

 

[jefffff34]

Better from a cultural or spiritual perspective – there are plenty including the paddock we train on now. Better physically there wouldn’t be any. The ground conditions etc are very good. Miles ahead of Willi’s ground.

I'm talking culturally, it's icky.

Like the location but don’t know the ground.

It's a former VFA ground, it's a great surface, has a grandstand, and just like every local VFL ground now, has absolutely no parking! It's where Northcote Premier League Cricket Side play. Bill Lawry Oval!

I would love it but the place is falling down. The stands are a hazard and the council is hostile as always. I would dearly love a campaign for the council to upgrade the ground, even if they have to tear the stand down and use it for Collingwood’s VFL team and local footy/cricket. It won’t happen though. It would take a lot of money and the residents are not footy fans like the old days.

Just talking for what I wish, it was good there in 2000. Remember 5000 saw us play Essendon's ressies there. Tyson Lane ran down Pickett's brother (Marcus?) when he ran into an open goal from 50 metres out, very funny.

Why?

I like the current alignment, there seemed to be a nice cohesion about it all. Gotch being their coach and on our coaching staff. Williams gets delisted from us, but stays as a Willy player. All that sort of stuff. The chance to see Harold Bishop.

 

[eddiesmith]

Collingwood also have to take into consideration the possibility of getting decent sized crowds with it being a Collingwood stand alone side and therefore Optus is the perfect place

 

[pipeline]

Couldn't disagree more. We can clearly afford the financial implications of going it alone and the football benefits would also be positive.
I would much rather be able to play who we want, where we want, and when we want. I'm sick of seeing that Wellingham is playing willi 2nds because of quotas.

Plus playing on that shithole wind tunnel does nothing to help us.

Absolutely. The Willie alignment works Ok within its limitations but serves Willie first and Collingwood second in terms of player development.

 

[Magnus the Magpie]

I'm for the alignment as well. Winning a flag really means something with the current situation. The alternative is to go back to the old days where, while we might have liked to watch the ressies play, nobody gave a stuff about the result.

In any case, the Board should be addressing much more critical issues. i.e. this year is an aberation - 10 Vic-based teams is far too many for sustained success for any one of them. Our policy should be our survival in Melbourne and a reduction in local competition (i.e. relocation of OTHER teams).

 

[PieLebo87]

I'd definitely be behind it. Hmmmm, I'd also contemplate trying out for the reserves. Imagine that, me running around with all these young stars! lol

 

[Lazyboy]

Send them baby magpies back home to Vic Park. Please god, thats you eddie when we are talking black and white. If we cannot do that then turn the oval at lexus into the oval suitable to watch collingwood VFL at lexus.

 

[Coin_Toss]

I don't mind to be honest. MC Labour Park would be a good ground to play on despite its connections to Carlton. The surface is in good nick.

 

[ruzbuzz]

I'll back big Eddie.. hasn't been wrong too often has he

 

[MarkT]

In any case, the Board should be addressing much more critical issues. i.e. this year is an aberation - 10 Vic-based teams is far too many for sustained success for any one of them. Our policy should be our survival in Melbourne and a reduction in local competition (i.e. relocation of OTHER teams).

We should stay out of the cull debate. We have made ourselves almost bullet proof thanks largely to Eddie. That covers all we need to on that front. Meanwhile we keep pushing the bar higher and keep a competitive advantage v the Vic clubs with our financial strength. That of itself will pressure the smaller clubs if we had such and aim – which I don’t believe we do. Certainly Eddie doesn’t seem to.