Opinion Hypothetical, Back to pre nationalisation. What's your opinion?

[Carringbush2010]

Forever and a day there seems to be daily shit fights with non vic vs vic on BF. Just about every thread is hijacked by emotional childish types that post non thread relevant diatribe to vent their spleen.

Remember this is purely hypothetical and is not realistic, but interested in how everyone would feel about not having a national comp.

Any posts that state 'you can't because' will be ignored, just want your opinion on what the big 3 leagues and 2nd tier leagues would look like in today's Australia and whether you'd be in favour of it or not.

This implies current stadia, fan bases, media coverage,coaches, staff and players (payed employees) but the clubs remain as they were pre 1981 (before South goes North) for obvious reasons. Roylion likes this! (And any changes in other leagues post or coinciding with theses - please post them in the thread)

It's the old leagues in today's Australia. Think of today's professionalism without a national comp.

• The 3 big leagues would obviously be the VFL, WAFL and SANFL.
• All other leagues would be 2nd tier largely because of market forces (like it used to be), the 3 are obviously the most populated heartland states.
• By extension the largest markets would attract the lands best talent and would likely dilute the talent of smaller comps like the VFA, TFL (was the highest profile of this group) QFL, NTFL, VAFA etc..

The pros & cons for current non vic fans:

• Obviously less travel.
• More equitable fixturing than now.
• Finals and GF in home state.
• These leagues would be much larger and much higher profile as a result.
• No current teams Bris, WC, GWS, Freo, GC and Ade. - you follow teams in your leagues (or any other league you choose).
• Port fans the big winners here, everyone else returns to following their old team (or adopt one depending on your age).

Please keep this thread relevant and refrain from turning this into a kick a vic competition or non vic baiting, let's try to have fun with it.

 

[Roylion]

Roylion likes this!

Do I? I actually like the national competition.

 

[HaroLad]

Do I? I actually like the national competition.

The AFL is a national competition?

 

[Chief]

Just about every thread is hijacked by emotional childish types that post non thread relevant diatribe to vent their spleen.
...
Please keep this thread relevant and refrain from turning this into a kick a vic competition or non vic baiting, let's try to have fun with it.

So you start off extremely negative, then end on a positive note.

Could work.

 

[Roylion]

The AFL is a national competition?

Yep. With 18 clubs in five of the six states (and eight games a year in the sixth) it would seem so.

 

[Kwality]

IMHO the State League era gave us State of Origin, some today confuse interstate footy with Origin.

Origin kicked off post season in 1977, and only some interstate clashes were played under the Origin rules, others were played on a League v League basis that saw Vic great Kevin Murray captain WA & Mike Fitzpatrick captained Vic, Malcolm Blight captained Vic.

The best v the best is the basis of Origin,lost forever in our current set up despite efforts by the AFL to keep the 'big V' relevant in a bruise free version of the game. It is a shallow version of the original concept.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Do I? I actually like the national competition.

Wouldn't you like Fitzroy back in one of the major comps instead of the VAFA?

 

[Carringbush2010]

IMHO the State League era gave us State of Origin, some today confuse interstate footy with Origin.

Origin kicked off post season in 1977, and only some interstate clashes were played under the Origin rules, others were played on a League v League basis that saw Vic great Kevin Murray captain WA & Mike Fitzpatrick captained Vic, Malcolm Blight captained Vic.

The best v the best is the basis of Origin,lost forever in our current set up despite efforts by the AFL to keep the 'big V' relevant in a bruise free version of the game. It is a shallow version of the original concept.

Actually representation footy began in 1879 but wasn't labelled soo, what do you think the state leagues would look like if we didn't have a national comp now?

 

[Carringbush2010]

So you start off extremely negative, then end on a positive note.

Could work.

For obvious reason.

 

[juss]

I'd be just as passionate playing the teams that generate the biggest hype and competition in my social circles, big crowds etc so would be fine with a state league because I'm still going to 80k matches against the Pies, Blues, Bombers, etc.

It would also likely bring us a lot closer to a genuinely passionate state of origin competition which is another bonus.

Another exciting element would be a best of the best state competition similar to something like Champions league where the best teams from the state leagues could play off for the best side in Australia.

The downside is obviously that there is less diversity in the league with fewer teams, and that the best players are split across multiple different leagues rather than one league. Id also miss seeing all the best teams in one premier national league where all elite national clubs are involved.

Secondly, each league would have less money on the whole which probably means players are paid less and we lose a lot of the professionalism players have access to today, e.g. specific coaching, well being, etc.

Genuine answer is there would be things I'd like and things I'd miss. But putting it on paper, there'd be some cool things going for it.

 

[Turnover]

You can’t because it’s history, look forward my Collingwood friend.

 

[Kwality]

Actually representation footy began in 1879 but wasn't labelled soo, what do you think the state leagues would look like if we didn't have a national comp now?

You understand that all interstate footy in the Origin era (post 1977) was not played with selection on an Origin basis, e,g Fitz captaining the VFL in 1982. He may well have played for both WA & Vic in the one season.

There is no reason beyond money that the state leagues of today couldnt exist with the all of the AFL listed players playing locally. Whether the multi sport talented players chose footy would be the same problem that it always has been, particularly IF the current cricket set up (the $s) were competing with State Leagues.

 

[Kwality]

Actually representation footy began in 1879 but wasn't labelled soo, what do you think the state leagues would look like if we didn't have a national comp now?

It wasnt Origin, it was League v League.
Why NSWs Hayden Bunton* played for the VFL & then the WANFL when he went west.

* recruited from Albury Rovers.

 

[Carringbush2010]

It wasnt Origin, it was League v League.
Why NSWs Hayden Bunton* played for the VFL & then the WANFL when he went west.

* recruited from Albury Rovers.

No it wasn't origin, it was representation footy like soo was.

 

[mightymouse75]

Yep. With 18 clubs in five of the six states (and eight games a year in the sixth) it would seem so.

Basketball, soccer, cricket all national leagues.
Afl is too centralised in melbourne. 10 out of 18 teams is too many.

 

[Kwality]

No it wasn't origin, it was representation footy like soo was.

Apology I dont want to take this thread off track, but teams selected on a state of origin basis were quite different from those in the days where you represented the League in which you played.

In the hypothetical of the thread, imagine Baldock, Hart, Stewart, Hudson, not forgetting the famed Roy Sart (sic), ALL playing in a State League.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Apology I dont want to take this thread off track, but teams selected on a state of origin basis were quite different from those in the days where you represented the League in which you played.

In the hypothetical of the thread, imagine Baldock, Hart, Stewart, Hudson, not forgetting the famed Roy Sart (sic), ALL playing in a State League.

By and large though the majority of players in those leagues that represented them would've been native to the states of those leagues.

Do you reckon we'd have soo back if we returned to the state leagues? That'd be a bonus I reckon.

 

[Roylion]

Wouldn't you like Fitzroy back in one of the major comps instead of the VAFA?

Probably. Would prefer Fitzroy in a national compeitition, but both options are pipe dreams.

 

[Roylion]

Afl is too centralised in melbourne. 10 out of 18 teams is too many.

Still a national compeition. Maybe there'll be 20 teams by the end of the decade

 

[Demons09]

The AFL is a national competition?

Lol

 

[muckypup]

Forever and a day there seems to be daily shit fights with non vic vs vic on BF. Just about every thread is hijacked by emotional childish types that post non thread relevant diatribe to vent their spleen.

Remember this is purely hypothetical and is not realistic, but interested in how everyone would feel about not having a national comp.

Any posts that state 'you can't because' will be ignored, just want your opinion on what the big 3 leagues and 2nd tier leagues would look like in today's Australia and whether you'd be in favour of it or not.

This implies current stadia, fan bases, media coverage,coaches, staff and players (payed employees) but the clubs remain as they were pre 1981 (before South goes North) for obvious reasons. Roylion likes this! (And any changes in other leagues post or coinciding with theses - please post them in the thread)

It's the old leagues in today's Australia. Think of today's professionalism without a national comp.

• The 3 big leagues would obviously be the VFL, WAFL and SANFL.
• All other leagues would be 2nd tier largely because of market forces (like it used to be), the 3 are obviously the most populated heartland states.
• By extension the largest markets would attract the lands best talent and would likely dilute the talent of smaller comps like the VFA, TFL (was the highest profile of this group) QFL, NTFL, VAFA etc..

The pros & cons for current non vic fans:

• Obviously less travel.
• More equitable fixturing than now.
• Finals and GF in home state.
• These leagues would be much larger and much higher profile as a result.
• No current teams Bris, WC, GWS, Freo, GC and Ade. - you follow teams in your leagues (or any other league you choose).
• Port fans the big winners here, everyone else returns to following their old team (or adopt one depending on your age).

Please keep this thread relevant and refrain from turning this into a kick a vic competition or non vic baiting, let's try to have fun with it.

No question in my mind, f*ck the AFL. Acknowledge that I am not representative in this though. Part of a dwindling but vocal minority. Personally I hope the AFL goes bust and we head back to pre-nationalisation . Given where the airlines are at currently this doesnt look as far fetched as it did in January 2020.

 

[Spacedog]

Bring the VFL back. The interstate clubs add nothing other than constant whinging

 

[basashi]

It depends on how you spread the players.

Do the players get spread like the 1970's?

Go back to the 70's and about 10 of the best 60-70 odd WA players were in Victoria. It diminished the WAFL and enhanced the VFL - but only by a bit. It was part of what made sure the VFL was the best comp in the nation - but certainly not the preeminent single superior league that the AFL is now. The AFL has ALL the best players in the country but the VFL never had that. It wasn't the case that SOME good players stayed in SA and WA. The overwhelming majority did.​

​

If you recreate the 1970 to 1980 period you would take (what is it 80-100?) WA origin AFL players and spread them among only 8 WAFL teams then, then chuck in about half the best 20 Territorian players .... then you have a watchable WAFL. Each side would have 10 to 14 AFL quality players.​

But if you spread the players like 1990 onwards....

The comp in Melbourne would have all the best players and the WAFL would be unwatchable.​

Even better than all this malarkey would be a revolutionary change in the AFL. ie making the AFL govern for ALL clubs in an equal basis.

 

[Kwality]

No it wasn't origin, it was representation footy like soo was.

for clarification only.

Due in part to the VFL poaching talent from other states, Victoria dominated interstate matches for three quarters of a century. State of Origin rules, introduced in 1977, stipulated that rather than representing the state of their adopted club, players would return to play for the state they were first recruited in. This instantly broke Victoria's stranglehold over state titles and Western Australia and South Australia began to win more of their games against Victoria. Both New South Wales and Tasmania scored surprise victories at home against Victoria in 1990.

Australian rules football - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Dr Tigris]

You wouldn't have teh $ we have now with so many competing leagues, and so many more teams.

I like to see the various teams form around Australia. I don't get the whole Vic thing, either way. I grew up in Victoria, and just don't get it.

So to me the only real advantage of state based leagues is the drop in whinging. But then you get the whinging and tugging about the various states.

I prefer a genuine high quality competition played across Australia.