Gold Coast: The Battle Begins

[Lidge]

 

[GoNorth]

Great work Lidge!

 

[goalieboy82]

do you think if they move the club (i hope not) but if they did, do you think they would wear gold and white?

 

[catters05]

Make cash out of Gold Coast to keep North in Melbourne.......need more off field cash. North will not move, AFL would be stupid. Afl should start a new team from scratch.

I just want to know, why exactly is North struggling? Is it because of the number of members or for the revenue they receive at the grounds or lack of sponsors? Cannot be for effort of the team, bloody top 4.

If sponsors is an issue, then 3 games in Gold Coast should be a massive boost for any potential sponsor. or an opportunity to bring in new sponsors.

Lack of Members, well then more revenue has to be made in other areas.

Revenue at the grounds......maybe the grounds are too big. I think that if Arden St was a similar build 20-25K seating like Kardinia Park, North would not be having any problems.

 

[Limerick]

Revenue at the grounds......maybe the grounds are too big. I think that if Arden St was a similar build 20-25K seating like Kardinia Park, North would not be having any problems.

Certainly the cost structure of the MCG and Telstra is a burden on the smaller Vic clubs, particularly when they play some interstate teams. However we are locked in so, as JB indicated, we need to increase our home game attendances by 5k+ per game.

Edit. Maybe the AFL agrees with you and this is the basis on which they want to send us to Carrara with its 13k capacity

 

[catters05]

Revenue at the grounds......maybe the grounds are too big. I think that if Arden St was a similar build 20-25K seating like Kardinia Park, North would not be having any problems.

Certainly the cost structure of the MCG and Telstra is a burden on the smaller Vic clubs, particularly when they play some interstate teams. However we are locked in so, as JB indicated, we need to increase our home game attendances by 5k+ per game.

Edit. Maybe the AFL agrees with you and this is the basis on which they want to send us to Carrara with its 13k capacity

Yeah but they could of put you in MC Labour Park for those games......

5000 people that is a lot.

 

[Harry29]

You know what sh*ts me, is that when we wanted to merge with Fitzroy the AFL did everything to make sure this did not happen! So why should we bend over now when they want to send us just south of where Fitzroy ended up.

Hopefully our board will stand up and fight to retain and build our great club. Not take the soft option (money) and move to a place that has no history & no future for our football club.

 

[Woodson]

Revenue at the grounds......maybe the grounds are too big. I think that if Arden St was a similar build 20-25K seating like Kardinia Park, North would not be having any problems.

Certainly the cost structure of the MCG and Telstra is a burden on the smaller Vic clubs, particularly when they play some interstate teams. However we are locked in so, as JB indicated, we need to increase our home game attendances by 5k+ per game.

Edit. Maybe the AFL agrees with you and this is the basis on which they want to send us to Carrara with its 13k capacity

Don't overlook the fact that the AFL fixturing is one dimensional.

The belief that the pies are high drawing is more the case that they ALWAYS get the BEST draw bar none. Give us thier draw and the NORTH folk will show up more regular. It all makes sense but I guess I'm just one of the smart minority out there without a sheeps head.

 

[Mr Reliable]

I haven't seen it reported anywhere else so I'll report it here. Last night at about 6.50 USC told a talkback caller to 3AW (who seemed undecided about the GC) that the deal for NM members based in Victoria would include:

8 games in Melbourne [big fcuckin' deal -8 away games to squeeze into like refugees]

televised every week [isn't everybody- all you need is Foxtel]

discounted membership [whoopee doo]

priority picks for the team [as if the other clubs will allow this]

host the Syd Barker every second year [instead of every year like we do now]

How does that sound? asked USC with obvious delight.

Not too good! says he [HA HA- I nearly drive off the road laughing]

"You're hard to please then" responds the bitch viper.

I report it simply because bitchface would be armed with DETAILS from the GC crew on our board or from her AFL mates (Gillon etc) that we are not privy to. She's revealing details of the proposed colocation model.

And here's some news on The Zebra's favourite board member, The Nostril.

Cobra Breath reported that The Nostril has had a change of heart and wants the move to the GC INVESTIGATED. In my biased way I assumed that she was catching up with old news, in other words, The Nostril has ALWAYS been pro-GC and Medusa was just catching up. Later it occurred to me that the Nostril may have moved from firmly pro-GC to middle ground (i.e. we need to do more work on this GC thing). I'm living in hope.

Old Snake Hair also reported that the two firm non-believers in the GC are Ron J and Jim Bob.

 

[Harry29]

Can someone fill me in on the benifits of going to the Gold Coast?

No. There are none.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Precisely

Ah, a trick question designed to out a pro-relocationist so we can burn him or her as a witch. Very cunning.

Seriously though, the first fight, if there is to be one, is going to be about survival and thrival in Melbourne.

If someone is willing to follow the club on the GC that's, as I see it, totally irrelevant to the fight unless they are anti-giving it a go in Melbourne.

Anyone else?

 

[MrRoo]

That's the sad bit I guess. We can perform, when no one else says we can't, we can perform when we have little dough, we can perform with no excuses, we can perform when they say we have no talent, that's a pretty good point of difference. Hey, I think that's what Shinboner Spirit is. That's why I support this club. There are basket cases of clubs out there and noone says anything. Amazing.

 

[Hollow Knight]

With full praise to the wonderful initiative of Aliroo and following JB's suggestion that the board is unanimously (hmmmm???) in support of Melbourne, I suggest we all endeavour to write letters to every board member "encouraging" them on their position re the GC.

Wouldn't hurt writing to the Brisbane Lions board & CEO either.

 

[DJ Dupree]

I cant believe there is still speculation that we are relocating when we finished 3rd on the ladder this year and performed as well as we did. All this with a shit list

The problem is, can't get enough membership numbers to justify a 10th Melbourne team any longer.

Apparently 10,000-15,000 less members in Queensland is preferable. Go figure.

The whole thing reeks. What's worse is the behaviour of some other team's supporters. In times like this, you'd think Vics or AFL supporters in general would band together to save a club with a long history and culture. But no, they're hunting in packs, for blood, for the sake of a soulless business venture in the Aust. equivalent of LA.

I wont support the Roos in the Gold Coast, because it wont be North Melbourne. Wont support another club, because it could all happen again.
Like everything else these days, a football club is disposable. I think I'll stick to cricket and have a break from sport during winter.

 

[DJ Dupree]

Yeah, and then laugh their asses off when we fold just like the Gold Coast Rollers in the NBL.

The most infuriating thing is that success doesn't even come into it; we have Hawks, Blues, and Saints supporters, perennial under-achievers, weighing into the debate, where the bottom line is "your team might win, but our team wont disappear."

There's nothing you can really say to that. If that's what they cling to in lieu of success, well that's sad; but they'll have a club in 20 years, wont they?

 

[j flex roo]

Look, the people who are laughing tend to be people on Big Footy in places such as Bay 13. I haven't encountered it at all out on the street. In fact, most opposition club supporters are sympathetic to our plight and some are even prepared to help. Unfortunately the noisy minority tend to drown out the deafening silence we suffer from some on our clubs board of directors.

As such, all we can do is fight tooth and nail and go hard - with a plan.

I feel that this really will be something that underlines us as a club, something that will fill us with resolve and define the fighting spirit which is North Melbourne. I also believe it is the kick up the backside the club and people associated with it needs to begin setting up better streams of revenue and shaping up the administration.

Maybe the Gold Coast is the cancer that brings about the cure. I hope it is.

 

[DJ Dupree]

Damned well better be the cure. For good.

I always worry about the precedent set; 'if you don't perform, it'll be the Bulldogs, or Melbourne, or any weak Vic club'. Fitzroy is already gone. It's not 'The Weakest Link' ffs; people actually invest time, money and passion into a club.

I don't mean to view the glass half-empty, but there's a sense of inevitability about us, or someone folding or relocating because of money. I'd hate any club, let alone us, to be facing this scrutiny. But, it seems, like there must be 3 rule changes every year (unlike any other sport), there must also be a clubs' viability scrutinised every year.

Beers after the footy, 8,000 members, pie nights, screamers in the square.
Sholl, Martyn, the Fridge, King.
Those were the days.

 

[yioughtta]

I hear you, DJ Dupree.

I've listed why some of those things don't exist anymore, or what their modern equivalent is- from an AFL perspective...

Beers after the footy- 5.50 a pop if you don't mind

8,000 members- Brisbane is close- less than 16,000 local members

pie nights- well there's still plenty of pies- a few on tv every ad break between every goal and for the entire quarter, half and three quarter time breaks (and fifteen minutes after the game finishes but before we hear the club song)

screamers in the square- no- slows down the game too much. We have to appeal to new markets, y'know!

Sholl, Martyn, the Fridge, King. - Speaking of slow, a couple of these blokes wouldn't bee fast enough for today's elite AFL. Forget football- we want athletes (remember like I said- appeal to new markets)

Those were the days- uh... no more reminiscing about the old days or we'll slap a copyright infringement on you somehow. Those are OUR memories, now!

 

[DJ Dupree]

Oh, don't expect a say. That'd be fair!

The least they could do is select 100 random Roos fans and ask them what they think about the issue, and use that info to get an idea of the 'general consensus'.

Or, hey, read BigFooty.

Or, they could open the "Footy Record" (no classified information there, would take them 2 mins, maybe), and discover that the state they're targeting has, currently, the only team with a membership lower than ourselves- despite monopoly on a city and state at the moment.

But they're arrogant pigs.

The AFL taking over Australia despite the obvious flaws.

1941:
Hitler wants Russia


2008:
Demetrieou wants Queensland.

Lets hope the outcomes are the same (minus of course the deaths. Just a bit of humble pie would be nice, not laced with cyanide)

 

[DJ Dupree]

I wouldn't even be for relocation if it guaranteed success, on field and off.
The Gold Coast assures me of neither, so it's even worse!!

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

OK I've had my wisdom teeth out and been out of it for a few day and havent really been paying much attention to any news let alone the footy, and my mate is telling me that the board meeting tomorrow is going to decide weather North Melbourne relocate to the GC. Is this true? Surely it can't be. Anyway I hope everything works out well for you guys regardless.

Sorry If I've missed hundreds of obvious threads but I'm still pretty spaced out at the moment.

 

[jschwag]

OK All,

There may be a very pleasant surprise for those of us that are 100% North Melbourne staying Melbourne based. Keep a close eye on the results of tomorrow's board meeting / meeting with the AFL.

Some information has reached my ears via a very reliable source. To post details on here would mean the source drying up.

Just don't let all of the crap on here and in the newspapers get to you! I will say that Damian Barret's article in the herald Sun today was closest to the mark if my information is correct.

Chins up for another day, then we can analyse the results tomorrow!

 

[j flex roo]

OK All,

There may be a very pleasant surprise for those of us that are 100% North Melbourne staying Melbourne based. Keep a close eye on the results of tomorrow's board meeting / meeting with the AFL.

Some information has reached my ears via a very reliable source. To post details on here would mean the source drying up.

Just don't let all of the crap on here and in the newspapers get to you! I will say that Damian Barret's article in the herald Sun today was closest to the mark if my information is correct.

Chins up for another day, then we can analyse the results tomorrow!

You're not going all Caroline Wilson on us are you? Not revealing your sources? Or is it your 'understanding'.

Hope it's good news buddy.

 

[jschwag]

No Caroline Wilson! LOL

If the information I got was posted, it would cause grief to my source.

I will say this, I sure hope it's correct because it lifted my spirits about the future for the first time in ages!

 

[Mr Reliable]

No Caroline Wilson! LOL

If the information I got was posted, it would cause grief to my source.

I will say this, I sure hope it's correct because it lifted my spirits about the future for the first time in ages!

Thanks for the heads up. I'm prepared to wait for good news.