Milking rusted on fans dry - the AFL business Plan

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And another thing while I am at it

If the AFL is there as entertainment , why are they sucking the entertainment out of it, by delaying the enjoyment of celebrating a goal through the score review system, or arc?

Delaying the feeling of absolute joy from kicking a goal while we wait for the video replay is ruining international sport

It is one of the stupidest things professional sport has ever undertaken

We have had umpires from 100 years, empower them, and we should live with their decisions rights or wrong

Waiting 5 minutes to determine whether we should celebrate is not "entertaining"

I guess this is what happens when sport becomes, a billion dollar business, all these bunnies get jobs, and then they create rules, spend money, ruin the game, and then try to fix it again to justify their new jobs

The fans are irrelevant
 
WTF is West Coast anyway ?

iu


Reckon you could do with kicking back and having one right about now.
 

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And another thing while I am at it

If the AFL is there as entertainment , why are they sucking the entertainment out of it, by delaying the enjoyment of celebrating a goal through the score review system, or arc?

Delaying the feeling of absolute joy from kicking a goal while we wait for the video replay is ruining international sport

It is one of the stupidest things professional sport has ever undertaken

We have had umpires from 100 years, empower them, and we should live with their decisions rights or wrong

Waiting 5 minutes to determine whether we should celebrate is not "entertaining"

I guess this is what happens when sport becomes, a billion dollar business, all these bunnies get jobs, and then they create rules, spend money, ruin the game, and then try to fix it again to justify their new jobs

The fans are irrelevant
Why? Because the technology is there to stop umpiring errors affect the result of a game
 
The AFL will never be a truely national comp until these rusted on fans fall off their perch.

Complaining about spreading out the money is peak vfl mentality from 5 decades ago where they are the centre of the universe. Times change, move on.

If you don’t want to fund the leagues initiatives, then you should also be happy to give up all the prime time slots and marque games that only seem to be reserved for Vic clubs.

Anzac Day, Queens bday, dacade long trash season opener, Easter, the list goes on. Give up this perceived god given right to host all these matches and maybe you wouldn’t have to spread the cash as wide. But that will never happen because you know, it’s “tradition” aka, Vic centric.
 
The AFL will never be a truely national comp until these rusted on fans fall off their perch.

Complaining about spreading out the money is peak vfl mentality from 5 decades ago where they are the centre of the universe. Times change, move on.

If you don’t want to fund the leagues initiatives, then you should also be happy to give up all the prime time slots and marque games that only seem to be reserved for Vic clubs.

Anzac Day, Queens bday, dacade long trash season opener, Easter, the list goes on. Give up this perceived god given right to host all these matches and maybe you wouldn’t have to spread the cash as wide. But that will never happen because you know, it’s “tradition” aka, Vic centric.

This is why you are deluded

If the rusted on fans desert the afl the afl is finished

It will be tv entertainment played in front of stadiums with tarps , oooops
 
This is why you are deluded

If the rusted on fans desert the afl the afl is finished

It will be tv entertainment played in front of stadiums with tarps , oooops

Funny that, I see majority of the fans at games are likely 40 and below and wouldn’t even remember a single day from the vfl days.

Give it another 20 years and there will hardly be anyone watching afl that remembers the vfl or was alive during those days. Doubt they will give two shits about what happened in 1950 by time we get to 2050.

The vfl will die out in everyone’s minds. no one will give stats arse about your beloved vfl in time when no one alive will have watched a second of it.
 
Funny that, I see majority of the fans at games are likely 40 and below and wouldn’t even remember a single day from the vfl days.

Give it another 20 years and there will hardly be anyone watching afl that remembers the vfl or was alive during those days. Doubt they will give two shits about what happened in 1950 by time we get to 2050.

The vfl will die out in everyone’s minds. no one will give stats arse about your beloved vfl in time when no one alive will have watched a second of it.

Stop projecting

Port kinda exist and no one actually gaf about them as it stands

That’s why you have the tarps to cover the fact that you are irrelevant and free riding the competition and adding nothing

Port could fold and no one would bat an eyelid

You aren’t even relevant enough to keep your original colors or your actually name lol
 
Stop projecting

Port kinda exist and no one actually gaf about them as it stands

That’s why you have the tarps to cover the fact that you are irrelevant and free riding the competition and adding nothing

Port could fold and no one would bat an eyelid

You aren’t even relevant enough to keep your original colors or your actually name lol

Ok mate, if you think in the year 2050, 60 years after the AFL was introduced anyone cares about what happened before then, then knock yourself out.

Odds are only about 1% of fans watching footy by then will even remember the vfl as they will have to be 70 odd years old by then.

It will be time to move out of the 50s and 60s.
 
Ok mate, if you think in the year 2050, 60 years after the AFL was introduced anyone cares about what happened before then, then knock yourself out.

Odds are only about 1% of fans watching footy by then will even remember the vfl as they will have to be 70 odd years old by then.

It will be time to move out of the 50s and 60s.
black and white was taken so we gave you teal

Magpies was taken so we made up power

You were so desperate to join our league you accepted it

Get back in your box
 
It does not pay to be a rusted on fan of a Melbourne based club

These fans are the ones paying for the AFLs expansion

Paying GC and GWS $50m, out of their pockets, to make them better, and their own clubs worse. And what for ? No one gives a stuff about GWS, or Gold Coast, they have no fans and it has been 15 years

To give them draft picks, and make your draft picks worse

What exactly is in it for the Melbourne fans ?

Who cares if the game is bigger ? Who benefits other than the AFL admin, so they can pay themselves more .
Times it by 10, if you are from SA or wa.

Same issues, no home grand final, lots of Sunday games, vic clubs get father son , nga, additional picks.
 
The AFL sees the money that members pay for memberships as an AFL resource, literally and I know this to be a fact. They have zero respect for the idea that club members may only wish to support their club rather than the comp more broadly.

The members of the financially stronger clubs would be providing more value to their members by charging less for memberships and letting other clubs pick up the tab for the leeches.
 

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The AFL will never be a truely national comp until these rusted on fans fall off their perch.

Complaining about spreading out the money is peak vfl mentality from 5 decades ago where they are the centre of the universe. Times change, move on.

If you don’t want to fund the leagues initiatives, then you should also be happy to give up all the prime time slots and marque games that only seem to be reserved for Vic clubs.

Anzac Day, Queens bday, dacade long trash season opener, Easter, the list goes on. Give up this perceived god given right to host all these matches and maybe you wouldn’t have to spread the cash as wide. But that will never happen because you know, it’s “tradition” aka, Vic centric.

A provincial view from the outer provinces.

prime time slots and marquis promotions are a result, not a cause. They result from drawing massive crowds and massive ratings, and generate the massive $$ that fund the game.

Eyes on the game, both in attendance and on screens are comparatively abysmal in WA and SA. Neither state has ever drawn anything like the eyeballs required to make a national blockbuster (with the exception of infrequent games against a big Vic Club late in some seasons which have unusually significant influence on both teams finals positions).
 
Imagine being a club that has to rely on handouts and fundraising in order to survive...

Imagine being a Club (two clubs) that is right now relying on millions stripped out of grassroots WA football to maintain the appearance that all is tickety boo.
 
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And another thing while I am at it

If the AFL is there as entertainment , why are they sucking the entertainment out of it, by delaying the enjoyment of celebrating a goal through the score review system, or arc?

Delaying the feeling of absolute joy from kicking a goal while we wait for the video replay is ruining international sport

It is one of the stupidest things professional sport has ever undertaken

We have had umpires from 100 years, empower them, and we should live with their decisions rights or wrong

Waiting 5 minutes to determine whether we should celebrate is not "entertaining"

I guess this is what happens when sport becomes, a billion dollar business, all these bunnies get jobs, and then they create rules, spend money, ruin the game, and then try to fix it again to justify their new jobs

The fans are irrelevant

It's good that it's a rainy day today, as you seem to have a lot of clouds to yell at
 
And another thing while I am at it

If the AFL is there as entertainment , why are they sucking the entertainment out of it, by delaying the enjoyment of celebrating a goal through the score review system, or arc?

Delaying the feeling of absolute joy from kicking a goal while we wait for the video replay is ruining international sport

It is one of the stupidest things professional sport has ever undertaken

We have had umpires from 100 years, empower them, and we should live with their decisions rights or wrong

Waiting 5 minutes to determine whether we should celebrate is not "entertaining"

I guess this is what happens when sport becomes, a billion dollar business, all these bunnies get jobs, and then they create rules, spend money, ruin the game, and then try to fix it again to justify their new jobs

The fans are irrelevant

It’s a reflection on the tiger supporter base that it is difficult to tell if this guy is serious. Because these a very much things that a Richmond supporter would say and think.
 
I’m getting flashbacks to 2014 to 2018 when we had these bullshit VFLer fishbowl threads multiple times weekly.

Still as stupid and self righteous as they were back then.

This is a national comp now.

Your club, especially Richmond, has had enough advantages.

Talking about unfair advantages.

How many finals series and grand finals should a team play before the AFL scale back the advantages the expansion teams get? Including ex South Melbourne Swans .

GWS also making finals and grand finals. A list loaded with talent.

Why do these sides continue to get unfair access whilst other teams are struggling to rebuild and even be competitive?

The answer is TV rights and $$$$$$ Oh and fat bonuses for the AFL House fat cats.
 
Talking about unfair advantages.

How many finals series and grand finals should a team play before the AFL scale back the advantages the expansion teams get? Including ex South Melbourne Swans .

GWS also making finals and grand finals. A list loaded with talent.

Why do these sides continue to get unfair access whikst other teams are struggking to rebyild and eben be competitive?

The answer is TV rights and $$$$$$
Unfair access 🤣

You traditional states fans are so entitled.

Did you in a comp not long ago?
 
Unfair access 🤣

You traditional states fans are so entitled.

Did you in a comp not long ago?

Pffft. Wanting equal access to players when collecting wooden spoons is being self-entitled is it?

Only entitled clubs now are the successful sides playing finals and grand finals still sucking on the tit of AFL House.

Good teams don't do that. They win without a mountain of assistance.

In fact, feel free to go and list and compare the assistance in priority access, father sons and free agents the Eagles have received in the past 15 years and compare that to the Swans and Lions.

Swans have been winning flags and playing in grand finals just as much. So tell us why are they treated differently and gifted additional access?

Lions have been playing finals and making the grand final. Why do they need additional access?

GWS list is stacked with how many million dollar stars?........but get AFL assistance others don't.

Why?

TV rights $$$$$$$ and fat bonuses for executives who spin the narrative like politicians.
 
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Lucky you arent or the comp would go broke.

Starting with minnow Vic teams.

Feel free to break away and form a league without any Victorian Clubs. It might even last as long as three months.

WA and SA generate strong income (most of the time) for their closed shop two teams within their home state. Neither state puts enough bums on seats or, more importantly eyes on screens to make a meaningful contribution to the game overall.

The irony of it all is that the reason there are more Vic teams left than even Vic power brokers wanted back in the day was the abject desperation of WA football which despite two multi million dollar government bailouts couldn't even pay the cleaners and the groundskeepers at its grounds.

SA wanted to wait, Vic wanted natural selection to weed out the weak sisters before proceeding (except for the weak sisters who unfortunately still had votes and were more than happy to sell them).

So the WA rich kids club bought the votes (and effectively ownership of all WA football at the same time).

None of which changes the current fact that Victoria generates a massive majority of today's revenue.
 
Pffft. Wanting equal access to players when collecting wooden spoons is being self-entitled is it?

Only entitled clubs now are the successful sides playing finals and grand finals still sucking on the tit of AFL House.

Good teams don't do that. They win without a mountain of assistance.

In fact, feel free to go and list and compare the assistance in priority access, father sons and free agents the Eagles have received in the past 15 years and compare that to the Swans and Lions.

Swans have been winning flags and playing in grand finals just as much. So tell us why are they treated differently and gifted additional access?

Lions have been playing finals and making the grand final. Why do they need additional access?

GWS list is stacked with how many million dollar stars?........but get AFL assistance others don't.

Why?

TV rights $$$$$$$ and fat bonuses for executives who spin the narrative like politicians.

Nice melt.

I wonder if you are aware that the first WC Premiership side had 15 players in it that no other club had been permitted access to recruit? And the second Premiership side had 17. (This not taking into account a couple more who had made it very clear that if drafted out of WA, they would not go).
 
Nice melt.

I wonder if you are aware that the first WC Premiership side had 15 players in it that no other club had been permitted access to recruit? And the second Premiership side had 17. (This not taking into account a couple more who had made it very clear that if drafted out of WA, they would not go).


A WA state side?

In 1986 the WA State of Origin side played Victoria in July.

Of the 22 in that side, the following players were on the Eagles list at the start of 1987:

Geoff Miles, Shane Ellis, Dean Laidley, Ross Glendinning, Peter Davidson, Phil Narkle, Andrew MacNish, Laurie Keene, Dwayne Lamb, Colin Waterson. Thats 10.

The 12 players who werent on our list were Brad Hardie, Rod Lester-Smith, Leon Baker, Gary Buckenara, Peter Sartori, Peter Wilson, Brian Peake, Maurice Rioli, Michael Mitchell, Wayne Blackwell, Paul Harding, Mark Bairstow.

In other words the Eagles got the fringe players left after the VFL teams took the cream.

Of those 10 players, precisely one played in a Premiership for West Coast (Dwayne Lamb). 2 of the players who went to Victoria were subsequently traded back to West Coast (in normal trade deals) and both played in premiership sides (Wilson 92, 94 & Harding 92).

The following West Australians (off the top of my head) were playing for other VFL sides in 1987:

Jim Krakouer, Phil Krakouer, Mike Richardson, Michael Christian, Craig Starcevich, John Ironmonger, Wayne Henwood, Craig Holden, Simon Beasley, Phil Cronan, Andrew Purser, Murray Rance, Warren Dean, Earl Spalding, Alan Johnson, Steve Turner, Nicky Winmar, Jon Dorotich, Bill Duckworth, Ken Judge, Ken Hunter, Richard Dennis etc

So apart from those 22 and the 12 from our SOO side of 86 (thats 34 players by the way) West Coasts initial list of 37 was a state side :rolleyes:

In case some arent across history, the Eagles commenced with a list of 37 players v existing VFL sides which had 52. It is true that we had first choice of WAFL players at the end of 1986 but this was only after the other sides had delayed the entry of the Eagles so that players including Wilson, Sartori, Dennis, Winmar, Bairstow, Mitchell, Spalding, Christian, Starcevich and Dean, were first signed by VFL teams before the Eagles were granted a licence. So we got the best 37 players from the WAFL after the best 10 from 1986 were already signed up by Vic clubs. Given that 10 players from WA would be a good number in the annual draft, the balance were essentially the leftovers, late round picks if you like.

At the end of 1987, we did not participate in the draft but instead again got unrestricted access to the WAFL. The same WAFL that in the previous season had 47 players taken from it i.e. there wasnt much left.

At the end of 1988, the Eagles got 5 priority picks (again WAFL only) and then took place in a draft that was compromised in that all the other clubs could only take 1 player each from the WAFL (huge concession :rolleyes:)

In 1989, we were down to 2 pre-draft selections (compare this with Brisbane's 6 and Sydneys 4). Again, all teams were then restricted to one WAFL player, this resulted in the unusual situation of 6 of the first 9 picks being from WA. West Coast with its normal first round pick at 4 (based on finsihing 4th last in 1988) got Matera. Then players such as Brad Rowe, Mark Brayshaw, Stephen Edgar, Brad Tunbridge, Dale Kickett, Ben Allan, Gavin Rose, Peter Cransberg & Dennis Repacholi were picked up before West Coast got Tony Evans (64), Brett Heady (92), Dean Kemp (117).... So every club passed on those 3. No concession at all.

1990, West Coast got 2 pre-draft picks, again, Sydney got 6 and Brisbane 5.

The Eagles pre-draft picks and the concessions on WAFL picks (one per club) were to compensate for the Eagles having a smaller list than other clubs (15 players less) and to allow that list to be lifted up over a 5 year period to limit damage that would be inflicted on the WAFL if they had just allowed 50 in year one + unlimited drafts thereafter. It wasnt a concession as such, it was a drip system to allow us to build our list to the same size as other clubs over an extended period and limit WAFL damage. The Eagles last pre-draft pick was in 1991. Remember, these picks werent the number 1 pick in Australia but rather the best player in WA from a comp that had been decimated - and has never recovered.

The Eagles skill/luck in its first 5 years was that the predatory behaviour pre West Coast of VFL clubs and the delay in its introduction in 1986, forced them to take on a ton of unproven kids. This was extended over a 5 year period by the list size restriction which was dealt with by given us priority access to a couple of WAFL players each year for 4 years. Basically, we were forced into a situation of picking up the best kids in WA over a 4 year period which just happened to coincide with the best WA Under 18 side in history. We inadvertently stumbled on the recipe for building a good side - draft as many talented kids as possible in a short time frame. We were assisted in this by the abject amateurism of VFL sides re the draft at that stage that saw them overlook some talented kids. I mean 3 guys got drafted ahead of Matera and every club overlooked Kemp & Heady all in the one draft.

West Coast of the early 90's was a great side because it drafted lots of kids and came up with the formula that works in the draft era.

We were nowhere near gifted a state side. A state side was the 35+ gun WA players running around for other sides in 1987.

I mean imagine is we had started with a real state side:

Leon Baker, Maurice Rioli, Gary Buckenara, Phil Krakouer, Jim Krakouer, Nicky Winmar, Brad Hardie, Simon Beasley, Earl Spalding, Peter Sartori, Andrew Purser, Ken Hunter, Wayne Blackwell, Mark Bairstow, Rod Lester-Smith, Jon Dorotich, Bill Duckworth, Michael Christian, Michael Mitchell, etc

Then you would have had something to whinge about!

tl;dr those '15 players no other sides were permitted to recruit' were the dregs of what was left of the WAFL after it was already pillaged by the Victorian clubs. West Coast got lucky in that talent identification and drafting was poor back in the 1980s and we were left with relatively unknown youngsters which happened to be quite a talented bunch.
 

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