Is St Kilda in the firing line for relocation?

[Matchu]

If you look at the Saints' annual report for 2014 it becomes quite obvious that the club had an awful year off the field. A few observations:

• Made a loss of $3.9 million.
• Was given $5.3 million in extra funding on top of the base distribution (most for a Vic club).
• Made the smallest amount of revenue in 2014 ($30 million).
• Had the smallest membership base in Victoria (30k).

Now obviously finishing last is a factor here but their figures for 2013 weren't impressive either. So why isn't St Kilda thought of as a relocation team as much as another club like North Melbourne? Is there a chance there might be a push to relocate St Kilda any time soon?

 

[Kwality]

The Junction Oval, Moorabin, Seaford ... knows as much about relocating as any, the Grace Bros of footy.

 

[Cmarsh]

St.Kilda actually have a pretty decent supporter base, wouldn't judge otherwise because of recent poor results.

Anyway, there is nowhere obvious for any club to relocate to, that's one of the reasons why no club has relocated in recent times.

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

Relocated to where? Unless there is a better option, no they aren't.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Beacuse our big issue is turning our number of supporters into members.

People were saying port were dead a few years a go but a lot can change in footy.

 

[I am Jack]

You seriously think that Gil is going to relocate his beloved Saints? Righto.

 

[Matchu]

People were saying port were dead a few years a go but a lot can change in footy.

Yep. I'm just asking for your opinion of what is happening right now.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Yep. I'm just asking for your opinion of what is happening right now.

We are going though what your club did and yet a few years later they are back.

It happens in footy

 

[I am Jack]

Relocated to where? Unless there is a better option, no they aren't.

The Espy?

 

[Rioli magic]

Probably inevitable (more likely fold than relocate) - but won't happen for a long time.

 

[LB#16]

St Kilda are less talked about than North Melbourne when it comes to relocation because North Melbourne are based in an area where Essendon tend to draw a lot of supporters from. St Kilda have had the southern area of Melbourne to themselves since South relocated in 1982.

 

[Kram]

They need to stay in the comp just for the lols.

 

[Nutsngum]

Do we REALLY need another of these threads? This topic is brought up a dozen times a year in varying threads that just degenerate into "shitting on the saints" for varying reasons.

The only relocation we will be doing is either back to Moorabbin or to the junction. As far as the money, get back to us once we, and WB,North, are done paying off Ethihad for the league.

 

[Mofra]

No relocation.
They may end up with a 2-3 games per year deal in NZ much the way the Hawks have Launceston, but the AFL won't relocate a team knowing there's little to be gained but thousands of supporters who will be lost to AFL

 

[Matchu]

No relocation.
They may end up with a 2-3 games per year deal in NZ much the way the Hawks have Launceston, but the AFL won't relocate a team knowing there's little to be gained but thousands of supporters who will be lost to AFL

Would you have said the same thing about North relocating to the Gold Coast? North's supporter base is undoubtedly larger than the Gold Coast but it didn't stop the league from trying to move them.

 

[Riccardo11]

The Junction Oval, Moorabin, Seaford ... knows as much about relocating as any, the Grace Bros of footy.

Three training bases in 140+ years (two of those home grounds) is hardly nomadic. It's rather standard across the competition and most sides have moved at least once, in fact. You yourselves have had more than one home ground, in fact.

The reason we aren't regularly thought of as a target to relocate is a large and extremely vocal latent supporter base. It's the same reason we don't have the Melbourne Hawks or the Fitzroy Bulldogs, if you tried to shift us to Wellington we'd raise merry hell (pun intended) and it would never go through.

We don't have a trophy cabinet stuffed to the brim, but our supporters are no less passionate because of it, maybe more, and we want to see a successful St Kilda side, not watch the Wellington Stingrays on telly.

 

[Mofra]

Would you have said the same thing about North relocating to the Gold Coast? North's supporter base is undoubtedly larger than the Gold Coast but it didn't stop the league from trying to move them.

No, given the AFL made an offer which North refused.
The expansion is over - the AFL wanted clubs on the Gold Coast and in Western Sydney, and now has them.

 

[Riccardo11]

Probably inevitable (more likely fold than relocate) - but won't happen for a long time.

Knowing that no VFL/AFL side has actually folded since University (and even that was temporary), and the lengths clubs with smaller fans bases in worse positions than us have gone to to save them, I'd like to know how you think dying completely is "inevitable".

 

[Rioli magic]

No, given the AFL made an offer which North refused.
The expansion is over - the AFL wanted clubs on the Gold Coast and in Western Sydney, and now has them.

Maybe short term - but it's not over.

 

[Mofra]

Maybe short term - but it's not over.

So where next?
No metropolitan centre in Australia large enough to support AFL as a second sport.
NZ - very unlikely especially considering both Sydney clubs are receiving substantial support and TV viewing rights is driving the NSW supported markets

 

[ziad]

there is no spot to relocate to. the real growth in population will be in SEQ and WA where a relocated club would have no traction.

Tassie doesn't have the population even with two heads and SA is a rust belt.

NSW if you are brave enough would never accept a Vic club in the future.

My pure speculation is that the game (AFL) will plateau along with NRL while soccer grows to fill the gap. Rugby will struggle big time.

 

[Rioli magic]

Knowing that no VFL/AFL side has actually folded since University (and even that was temporary), and the lengths clubs with smaller fans bases in worse positions than us have gone to to save them, I'd like to know how you think dying completely is "inevitable".

I just don't think we will have the same 10 team Vic dominate league longer term. Not saying it will happen in yours or my lifetime, but eventually the league will outgrow it - and unfortunately that means some teams will no longer be a part of it.

 

[#gosaintas]

Probably inevitable (more likely fold than relocate) - but won't happen for a long time.

A few years out of the 8 and The Mighty Hawks will be looking to merge with somebody again. That's their normal form. Given most of their supporters are of the bandwagon variety they won't stand for mediocrity and will quickly drop off while the club will look to tie up with somebody. We will tell them to knick off when they come knocking on our door. Hopefully Don Scott is in good health still.

 

[LordLucifer]

You seriously think that Gil is going to relocate his beloved Saints? Righto.

With 10 clubs out of the current 18 being based in Victoria, unfortunately Footscray, St.Kilda & North Melbourne are always going to perennially be looked at when the topic of relocations or mergers come up.

This is purely on the basis of them having smaller membership bases, extremely limited premiership success overall & an ongoing financial struggle to survive. This is not taking a swipe at them, its just evaluating the facts and the reality of the situation.

It is hard to increase sponsorship & membership levels when there is spasmodic onfield success, the next generation of footy supporters are always going to gravitate to the bigger more successful clubs. The new non-Victorian clubs have had more success onfield and boast bigger memberships than those three clubs which is why the AFL is now pushing into Western Sydney, the Gold Coast and who knows where the next one will be, but there will be others.

I'm sure that no-one wants to see any one of those three clubs alter their current stand alone position but the time is fast approaching when the number of clubs will be reduced in Melbourne and new entities created interstate.

If I was involved with one of those clubs, I'd be drawing up plans now to merge or relocate whilst the opportunities and financial incentives were still on offer.

 

[Riccardo11]

I just don't think we will have the same 10 team Vic dominate league longer term. Not saying it will happen in yours or my lifetime, but eventually the league will outgrow it - and unfortunately that means some teams will no longer be a part of it.

And we are in the firing line because..................? If it's not in our lifetime, who is to say in 20, 30 40, 50 years, etc, that St Kilda won't turn it around and be a dominant force? Lets not forget it was less than 20 years ago your clubs neck was on the chopping block.

Personally I believe the AFL is committed to the current 10 teams in Victoria, and will only approve a merger or relocation if the club decided to do so themselves, a situation members (who have the controlling say) are highly unlikely to vote for. They learned their lesson trying to force North onto the Gold Coast. Total club death is almost an impossibility at this stage.

It may very well happen, but it would take at least half a dozen more spoons in a row for me to even consider signing off on a relocate.