Expansion If you were the Cheif Executive of the AFL, where would you expand to?

[danny!!]

Personally just to make myself look like more of a fool than Demetriou, I would go expansion happy. This is my choices for expansion, and when I would like them to happen:

2010 - Gold Coast (Marlins, QLD) West Sydney (Celtics, NSW)
2015 - Canberra (Sharks, ACT) Tasmania (Devils, TAS)
2020 - Darwin (Panthers, NT) New Zealand (Kiwis, NZ)
2025 - Perth (Falcons, WA) Norwood (Reds, SA)

Rivalry Round would then look something like, with times included so no time clashes, as well as the network that would cover that timeslot.:

Teams Day TV
Adelaide vs Port Adelaide Thu (N) Ten
Brisbane vs Gold Coast QLD Derby Fri (N) Nine
Canberra vs Darwin Territory Derby Fri (N) Fox
Carlton vs Collingwood Sat Ten
Essendon vs Richmond Sat Fox
Footscray vs St. Kilda Sat (N) Ten
Fremantle vs West Coast Sat (N) Fox
Geelong vs Hawthorn Sun (E) Fox
Melbourne vs North Melbourne Sun Ten
New Zealand vs Tasmania - Island Derby. Sun Nine
Norwood vs Perth - Newest Expansions Sun (T) Fox
Sydney vs West Sydney - NSW Derby Mon (N) Nine

Yes that is a lot of football so each station will share the coverage in the way of:

TEN 4 Games Per Week, NINE 3 Games Per Week, FOX 5 Games Per Week.

The stadia I would include in the comp would be.

AAMI Stadium (SA) 75,000, ANZ Stadium (NSW) 80,000
Bellerive Oval (TAS) 55,000 Carrara (QLD) 55,000
Eden Park (NZ) 50,000 Gabba (QLD) 70,000
Manuka Oval (CAN) 55,000 MCG (VIC) 100,000
Princess Park (VIC) 80,000 Stadium WA (WA) 80,000
Telstra Dome (VIC) 60,000 TIO Stadium (NT) 50,000

There would be 24 rounds (2 rivalry rounds), but I really can't figure out how to do a finals series with 24 teams, as well as a pre season comp.

Now I know I'm crazy, no need to tell me that. But what ideas do you have for expansions? They can be as crazy or conservative as you want

 

[OzBomber]

Yeah, cos they're fill 50k grounds at NZ, Canberra and Tassie...

 

[Giants FC]

Wait and see how Gold Coast and West Sydney go before deciding on expansions beyond that.

 

[danny!!]

I said I was crazy, but I reckon Tassie could get around 30,000 a week.
NZ however would aim for more like 20,000.
And Canberra about 25,000.

Keeping in mind, if this happened, it would be 25 years into the future, and we really don't know what the AFL would be like then... I feel that the AFL will have a more established grounding in Canberra, and overall around the country. Taking into account growing population rates.

 

[AG]

Glad you're not in charge of the AFL because you would put the AFL out of business. This isn't the NFL where the population and corporate dollar can support 32 teams. The AFL can only go to a 18 team competition at the most IMO.
Just add Gold Coast and Tasmania. Only play each other once for a 17 round competition. The last 3 weeks of the season have been flat because teams deal with injuries and the players get tired. It would be hopeless watching a 26 round season where the tanking arguments would come about with more than 10 rounds to go.

 

[Denmark AFL]

New West Sydney and Gold Coast teams
Hawthorn can move to Tassie
Western Bulldogs can move to Darwin
Newcastle and Christchurch can get teams

 

[gostk86]

tasmania and gold coast

 

[Bonuspoints]

Canberra Sharks....didn't realise the capital was a coastal city....

 

[gocats63]

west sydney
gold coast
tassie
merge kangaroos and bulldogs
merge hawks and melbourne

 

[Docker Clint]

Contract, not expand.

 

[azreal]

west sydney
gold coast
tassie
merge kangaroos and bulldogs
merge hawks and melbourne

yes
yes
no
YES
YES
If we added a Tassie team, we get an odd number, so either 2 more teams merge...or we kick someone out...port adelaide? carlton?

 

[gocats63]

yes
yes
no
YES
YES
If we added a Tassie team, we get an odd number, so either 2 more teams merge...or we kick someone out...port adelaide? carlton?

no to port- adel deserves 2 teams
no to carlton- they're huge

one option would be to get a 3rd perth team and make it an 18 team league, but i really dont want that, cause it would get about as good a crowd as port and it is pointless. better to have 2 clubs with 50,000 then 2 clubs with 40,000 and one club with 20,000 members.

wats wrong with 17 teams though?
one buy each week, then after round 21 there would be 6 teams which have had 2 byes
those 6 teams then play a round 22 (only 3 games) and all the rest of the teams have a bye that week.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Definitely not Tassie, Canberra or NZ - ever. (Well, not without major unforseen changes to populations and economics.)
Eventually there could be three Sydney sides, a third in Perth, and the GC.

Depending on how long and strong the growth is in Darwin, that might be looked at rather than a 3rd Sydney side - but not before mid-century.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Being realistic...

2011 - Gold Coast Marlins (QLD)
2012 - Sydney Celtics (NSW)
2027 - Perth United FC (WA), Harbour City Pioneers (NSW)

20 club competition.

WA - 3
SA - 2
VIC - 10
NSW - 3
QLD - 2

Hard to predict beyond that.

 

[Azzballz Deluxe]

2011: Gold Coast - new team

2012: Western Sydney - new team

2015: St Kilda Kangaroos - victorian merger
2015: Tasmania Devils - new team

I say keep it at 18 teams for at least a couple of decades

 

[dr strange]

Newcastle with the massive growth north of the hawkesbury simply isnt any other choice,sydney will virtually extend from kiama to port stephens

 

[catters05]

Newcastle with the massive growth north of the hawkesbury simply isnt any other choice,sydney will virtually extend from kiama to port stephens

Newcastle is all about the Knights.......that is League Heartland.

 

[cos789]

Newcastle is home to the Black Diamond Cup.

 

[sm007]

2011 - Gold Coast Marlins (QLD)

2012 - West Sydney Wolves (NSW)

18 teams, 2 divisions. Each team plays everyone in their division TWICE and each team in the other division ONCE, giving a total of 25 rounds. Eliminate the preseason and have atleast 2 split rounds throughout the season.

Possibly add further teams to Tassie, Darwin or Perth/Adelaide after that.

 

[azreal]

I hate the idea of divisions.

I know this makes the draw hard as far as each team playing each other team the same number of times. I think the idea of merging some victorian teams is better, but i understand this would be very unpopular. I would die if we ever got to the stage where my team had to merge with freo...yellow, blue, purple, green and red jumper? eeewwww!

 

[gocats63]

2011 - Gold Coast Marlins (QLD)

2012 - West Sydney Wolves (NSW)

18 teams, 2 divisions. Each team plays everyone in their division TWICE and each team in the other division ONCE, giving a total of 25 rounds. Eliminate the preseason and have atleast 2 split rounds throughout the season.

Possibly add further teams to Tassie, Darwin or Perth/Adelaide after that.

fa*k 25 rounds, by round 22 everones dead. would also create so many unnecisary dead rubbers

 

[fishmonger]

Canberra Sharks ???

Now there's an identity.

I assume you are referring to the politicians and their taxes.

 

[Hawkk]

Canberra (Sharks, ACT)

lol

west sydney
gold coast
tassie
merge kangaroos and bulldogs
merge hawks and melbourne

Why not merge Geelong instead, I mean they've barely got 35,000 members and are scraping in with a $1-2m profit?

Just a Ford closure away from being an industrial wasteland

 

[Gibbke]

If I was the Chief Executive of the AFL, I would consolidate the teams that already exist and their futures by reinvesting that billion dollars back into the clubs that helped earn it in the first place, spend money to ensure the infrastructures in each state are robust enough to handle second tier status and junior development, especially the ravaged VFL, and draw a strong and hard line with the tv stations while still respecting the right they have to get maximum bang for their buck as coverage providers. I would aim to preside over an era where kids talk footy above all else, and fans feel that their team (which in many places is their world) is safe with a strong future...

I'm waaaay outnumbered on this one though...lots and lots of bright shiny lights for too many of you to latch onto...

 

[PDJohnson]

Canberra Sharks....didn't realise the capital was a coastal city....

Actually, a small part / annex of the ACT is the naval base at Sussex Inlet which is on the coast (pedantic, but true).