OldSchool
Brownlow Medallist
Have a read of this article from the Age
Dogs:
Shift Dogs to Sydney, cries MP
By Alex Mitchell, Sydney
March 12, 2006
The AFL has been urged to relocate one of its 10 Melbourne teams to western Sydney to expand the code's fan base, and one bold NSW Liberal MP has nominated the Western Bulldogs as the prime candidate.
"The ideal club to relocate to Sydney, or to play its home games here, would be the Western Bulldogs," veteran MP Charlie Lynn said, speaking in the NSW Legislative Council. "The Western Bulldogs share the same ethos as western Sydney and would be readily accepted into the fold.
"Blind Freddie knows that Melbourne cannot continue to support 10 AFL clubs and Freddie also knows that western Sydney is the economic engine room of NSW and the most culturally diverse region in Australia. To deny this region a home team would deny the code the opportunity to fulfil its potential as the greatest game in Australia."
Lynn's suggestion was flatly dismissed by Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon yesterday.
"I've never heard of Mr Lynn, but let me be the first person to tell him that the Western Bulldogs have been located in the western part of Melbourne since the early 1880s . . . we've only worked with two objectives in mind. One is to win a premiership for the club, the second that we remain in the western part of Melbourne.
"Our club, as expressed on a number of occasions, has got no interest whatsoever in relocating to the western part of Sydney despite it being mooted in the media by tragics such as Mr Lynn from time to time.
"Blind Freddy knows that there's been at least 10 clubs in Melbourne for the last 80 years and . . . blind Freddy knows that there won't be a team that is relocated to the western part of Sydney.
"I think blind Freddy Charlie Lynn, when he retires from parliament, should do one of two things. He might stand for the AFL commission to put forward his views, or let him become the new chairman of a club that should be formed in the western part of Sydney."
Lynn applauded Sydney's triumph in last year's grand final, saying the relocation of then South Melbourne to Sydney 20 years ago had been "a high-risk strategy". He said that after initial marketing disasters the club had adopted highly successful family oriented initiatives involving the "spirit of Kokoda".
Lynn, who has pioneered Australia's resurgence of interest in the Kokoda Trail, criticised the club for dropping the Kokoda memorial game from its schedule, adding: "The western Sydney theme was forgotten as the club withdrew to their base in the eastern suburbs."
He told MPs: "Western Sydneysiders have been completely dudded by the AFL for years.
"The denial of live coverage on a Friday night has shown the level of contempt AFL administrators and television moguls, who mostly seem to live on the eastern side of the bridge, have for the punters.
"Loyal followers of the code have had to endure traffic snarls or inadequate public transport to get to the Sydney Cricket Ground for years. This has been somewhat ameliorated recently by a handful of games at Stadium Australia, but it is not good enough.
"A recent proposal for other clubs to play more weekend games in Sydney is not the answer . . . the only satisfactory solution is for western Sydney to have its own team."
Speaking in Melbourne two weeks ago, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou told a conference of national sports editors that the league was serious about getting a team into western Sydney.
Dogs:
Shift Dogs to Sydney, cries MP
By Alex Mitchell, Sydney
March 12, 2006
The AFL has been urged to relocate one of its 10 Melbourne teams to western Sydney to expand the code's fan base, and one bold NSW Liberal MP has nominated the Western Bulldogs as the prime candidate.
"The ideal club to relocate to Sydney, or to play its home games here, would be the Western Bulldogs," veteran MP Charlie Lynn said, speaking in the NSW Legislative Council. "The Western Bulldogs share the same ethos as western Sydney and would be readily accepted into the fold.
"Blind Freddie knows that Melbourne cannot continue to support 10 AFL clubs and Freddie also knows that western Sydney is the economic engine room of NSW and the most culturally diverse region in Australia. To deny this region a home team would deny the code the opportunity to fulfil its potential as the greatest game in Australia."
Lynn's suggestion was flatly dismissed by Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon yesterday.
"I've never heard of Mr Lynn, but let me be the first person to tell him that the Western Bulldogs have been located in the western part of Melbourne since the early 1880s . . . we've only worked with two objectives in mind. One is to win a premiership for the club, the second that we remain in the western part of Melbourne.
"Our club, as expressed on a number of occasions, has got no interest whatsoever in relocating to the western part of Sydney despite it being mooted in the media by tragics such as Mr Lynn from time to time.
"Blind Freddy knows that there's been at least 10 clubs in Melbourne for the last 80 years and . . . blind Freddy knows that there won't be a team that is relocated to the western part of Sydney.
"I think blind Freddy Charlie Lynn, when he retires from parliament, should do one of two things. He might stand for the AFL commission to put forward his views, or let him become the new chairman of a club that should be formed in the western part of Sydney."
Lynn applauded Sydney's triumph in last year's grand final, saying the relocation of then South Melbourne to Sydney 20 years ago had been "a high-risk strategy". He said that after initial marketing disasters the club had adopted highly successful family oriented initiatives involving the "spirit of Kokoda".
Lynn, who has pioneered Australia's resurgence of interest in the Kokoda Trail, criticised the club for dropping the Kokoda memorial game from its schedule, adding: "The western Sydney theme was forgotten as the club withdrew to their base in the eastern suburbs."
He told MPs: "Western Sydneysiders have been completely dudded by the AFL for years.
"The denial of live coverage on a Friday night has shown the level of contempt AFL administrators and television moguls, who mostly seem to live on the eastern side of the bridge, have for the punters.
"Loyal followers of the code have had to endure traffic snarls or inadequate public transport to get to the Sydney Cricket Ground for years. This has been somewhat ameliorated recently by a handful of games at Stadium Australia, but it is not good enough.
"A recent proposal for other clubs to play more weekend games in Sydney is not the answer . . . the only satisfactory solution is for western Sydney to have its own team."
Speaking in Melbourne two weeks ago, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou told a conference of national sports editors that the league was serious about getting a team into western Sydney.
I liked our President's response though.
