If the AFL were to expand, where should the first new team be based?

[Fullarton Power]

Tasmania, then Maroochydore / Caloundra

 

[Hit And Rum]

Originally posted by Mr Crow!
Do you think New Zealand would fully get behind and support an AFL side... as it is after all a foreign code.

By the way, what would the flight time be for example, between Perth and New Zealand?

I do and agree with Goat.

It is one of those things that may take time and may be seen to be a radical decision now but overtime they will gain market share and it will become viable.

I was recently in New Zealand and found out an interesting statistic: only on out of eight kiwis have English as a first language. In other words there are a lot of migrants coming into the country. Now if the work at junior level keeps going and the "new" New Zealanders can be brought into the AFL fold, or at least given the opportunity to play, AFL may become a viable alternative to Union. Union will always be 1 but AFL can definitely push for a top 5 berth given money and exposure.

I think like Sydney it is worth the slog.

 

[grayham]

NZ has some difficulties:

1) Population is fragmented, With Auckland only the size of Brisbane, or Adelaide (about 1m)
2) Only suitable ground is in Wellington.
3) Little AFL presense (even less than Sydney in 80's).

A long term goal, but far easier to consolidate Australia first.

 

[Mr Crow!]

Aren't the national colours of New Zealand, Black & White? So, in the future, get ready for another Collingwood tantrum!

 

[Hit And Rum]

Originally posted by Mr Crow!
Aren't the national colours of New Zealand, Black & White? So, in the future, get ready for another Collingwood tantrum!

Easy solved just add Teal!!!

 

[Mr Crow!]

Haha!

 

[Homer]

Originally posted by skipper kelly
sunshine coast

Seconded

 

[Goat]

I'm doing a story (kind of a review) of footy in NZ for our news site (see my profile if interested) - should be up in the next few days (already one there on PNG). It shows there is an increasing presence in NZ. My feeling is that it would have to be based out of Auckland, which would mean a new stadium or an upgrade. Although Auckland is "only" a bit over 1 million, it's growing fast, and is the biggest city in NZ, so has a lot of business focus etc for the whole country, so sponsorship, with access to the whole Australian TV market, might not be that hard.

The trouble for Darwin getting a team in the next 30 years is the out-of-sync weather (maybe indoors will solve that if the price for these things come down) and population - only about 90,000 which is very small to support an AFL club. My rule of thumb is about 500,000 people per club. But the growth rate is quite high I think.

Tassie has long been predicted to have a falling population in the future, but I gather recently there have been some signs of that turning around.

 

[Scrumhalf]

Western Sydney. Surely. (Off you go Footscray!)

Next would be:

- Launceston (Off you go Hawthorn!)
- Gold Coast (Southport Sharks Football Club)
- Darwin (Northern Crocodiles Football Club)

Make it an 18-club comp.

No Kiwi-presence in the Australian Football League thanks. Don't try to copy the lame ideas like the rugby league, basketball, or the netball.

Both the AFL/IAFC should pump the efforts into promoting football primarily in southern NZ, before reaching up into the rugby & rugby league dominated Auckland.

One day I thrive to see an ANZAC Day test match between Australia v New Zealand at the 'G; rather than Essendon v Collingwood.

 

[AD_03]

Hobart????? Why would hobart be the first option in tassie when it isn't even hosting AFL games??? If there was a tasmanian team it would be called Tasmania not Hobart, would be more chance of being called Launceston if it was named from a town/city considering thats where the AFL games are played at in Tassie!!!

 

[Megan]

Well Tassie would be a sweet idea but for the fact that we LOVE our footy and all have our own fave teams already, I'm not sure too many people would change from their team they already love, to jump on a Tassie one. However in a decade or so all the kiddies will have grown up HOPEFULLY on the Tassie team so it would be set. But dont worry about sponsorships, that'd be fine.

Now, Tassie has very North vs South rivalry and no doubt the footy would end up in Hobart, even though they already get the cricket AND Launceston has the premier footy ground in the state - York Park. I really think they'd have to get it together before they could deal with a team, stop in house fighting and that wont happen in a real hurry.

So as much as I'd love to see Tassie get a go, I'm not confident it'd happen in the near future. We could support one, yes, however it'd just about come to blood shed...

 

[Mr Crow!]

Well, it looks like the Gold Coast could now face some uncertainty in regards to AFL now, with the recent news that the Gold Coast council will be redeveloping Carrara into a rectangular ground for Rugby League!

 

[Beaussie]

Well, it looks like the Gold Coast could now face some uncertainty in regards to AFL now, with the recent news that the Gold Coast council will be redeveloping Carrara into a rectangular ground for Rugby League!

Only if the QLD and Federal governments contribute. Somehow I can't see that happening.

 

[burnsy28]

I think tasmania would have to be the new location, there is some bloody good footballers coming outta tassie, have a look how well the tasmania vfl team is going... It would be great for the game too, get rid of a victorian team (preferably essendon or carlton haha) nah a struggling team and introduce some new blood, it would be one of the best things to happen for afl and it might even make tassie feel part of australia again.

 

[Fevolution]

MARS- Sheeds wud be a cert to coach!!!

Alpha Centauri - Mick Malthouse to coach !!!

 

[thekid178]

The bears had a crack at the gold coast market and failed, so i think a lot of thought needs to be done before thats tried again. tasmania is crying out for an afl team, i think the whole state would get behind them too, its time to give them a chance. Theyve shown with their worth with their vfl side

 

[Fevolution]

If Tassie was to get a team can you imagine the home ground advantage they could gain down there. Cold, muddy, wintry conditions (sounds like good old-fashioned footy to me). Along with a pro-Tassie crowd (cause I can't see too many interstate supporters making their way across), they could create their own house of pain.

 

[Bombers 2003]

Alpha Centauri - Mick Malthouse to coach !!!

Assisted by SoS.

 

[littleduck]

Only if the QLD and Federal governments contribute. Somehow I can't see that happening.

Theyve already agreed, but subject to the GC Dolphins getting admitted.

 

[littleduck]

The answer to the question is clearly a relocation from Melbourne to South East Queensland, with 2 AFL teams based at the Gabba. But the 2nd side would train at either the South Coast or the North Coast (Brisbane-centric terms).

 

[littleduck]

Are you serious? It's an election year, the Federal government LOVES throwing money at Queensland.

True, but the Gold Coast is hardly the main battleground in Queensland this upcoming federal election (in about 9 weeks). That would have to be all the sugar seats up north, although there is one sugar seat somewhere along the Brisbane-Gold Coast corridor.

 

[Robin Hood]

Hobart Hawks sounds good

Brisbane Demons sounds good too

 

[Catman]

Hobart, the foundation is already there. Footy doesn't have to be developed down there, they have two quality grounds - York Park and Bellerive (Not sure whether Bellerive is suitable for footy though) and have the support, evidenced by the attendances at the AFL matches played at YP. It wouldn't take as long to take off, as it has in non-AFL cities such as Brisbane and Sydney.

 

[Hit And Rum]

but there's no way in hell there'd be suitable corporate support.

I keep hearing that there is no money in Canberra but I just don't accept it. Why can't the state government just bank roll them like Richmond when they were sponsored by the TAC, Collingwood "Wipe off 5" or Essendon's "Speed Kills" or the TAB down there or Tas tourism.

If not approach the brewers...Cascade, James Boags probably through Lion Nathan or CUB.

I just can't accept that they couldn't get the $$. IT would be the biggest corporate show in town in Tas!

 

[littleduck]

According to someone quoting stats from a newspaper (I have no way of verifying these details, so take with a grain of salt), the crowds at Tasmania games are 10% interstate supporters, 40% launceston, 20% Hobart and 30% from around Tasmania. So basically 90% is tasmanian based - should mean there's 15,000 or so average of AFL supporters when there is no home side to support. There could be enough support in Tasmania for a side, especially when compared to Geelong, but there's no way in hell there'd be suitable corporate support.

You cant use one-off big crowds and argue that level of support would happen every 2nd weekend.