Time the Roos moved North - Age 12/3/06

[Shinboners]

But where is the link b/w playing homes games at Carrara and relocating. Where does playing games interstate mean relocation?

I would think that if a club packed out their 3 games at Carrara, there would be immense pressure to permanently relocate there.

I see more money being made on the Goldcoast than in Canberra. More money coming from elsewhere should mean better membership packages for Melbourne supporters, i.e you and I and those at the fringes and therefore better finances and therefore less probability of relocation.

I reckon the Gold Coast is a bit of, excuse the pun, fools gold. Sure, the population is there, but is the passion for non-beach sports there?

Someone else would probably have the details, but the Gold Coast has been home to the Brisbane Bears, one (maybe two) rubgy league clubs, and a basketball club, and none have succeeded.

By contrast, Canberra has been able to sustain teams from the two rugby codes, and they were home to a reasonably successful basketball side.

 

[Event Horizon]

I'll race you Vlad. First to toss in a million clams and become a club director.

you're on mate!

 

[Cororoo]

As a life long North Melbourne supporter it is very hard for me to comment on this saga in a rational and unemotional manner.

However , I echo the feelings of other people here in that a permanent relocation would see me give up AFL all together.

I wouldn't give two hoots about the AFL competition and would probably take a greater interest in whatever local competition exists where I live.

Having said that , I'm pretty sure at this time relocation is the last thing our Club is thinking about...........The membership base in Melbourne is obviously the dominant sector in the Club's membership pie.I honestly can not see the club risking further alienation of this major group of support by giving Carrara serious consideration.

The wiser posters here have already identified the issues with getting sucked in by the Carrara scenario......Much better to continue to develop the Canberra market and retain the current Melbourne membership base than risk
further alienation of the core membership group.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

As a life long North Melbourne supporter it is very hard for me to comment on this saga in a rational and unemotional manner.

However , I echo the feelings of other people here in that a permanent relocation would see me give up AFL all together.

I wouldn't give two hoots about the AFL competition and would probably take a greater interest in whatever local competition exists where I live.

Having said that , I'm pretty sure at this time relocation is the last thing our Club is thinking about...........The membership base in Melbourne is obviously the dominant sector in the Club's membership pie.I honestly can not see the club risking further alienation of this major group of support by giving Carrara serious consideration.

The wiser posters here have already identified the issues with getting sucked in by the Carrara scenario......Much better to continue to develop the Canberra market and retain the current Melbourne membership base than risk
further alienation of the core membership group.

That makes sense. Let's hope Duffman is dangling Carrara to get the best deal for Canberra, and we'll stay a cold-weather team - continuing to develop the traditional AFL base in and around the ACT while maintaining our core business and major suporter base out of an upgraded Arden St.

Having home games away from Melbourne is not ideal, but I kind of like that we started the ACT games and they are our thing only. And I REALLY want us to stick with what we've started and have been doing well at. Can't whinge about the AFL chopping and changing on us if we keep doing it to ourselves.

 

[Wrath]

I've lived in South Australia my whole life, noone in my family supports North Melbourne, yet I've been a North Melbourne fan since I was 3 years old (25 years ago). So I've never had the Melbourne connection with the club, I've only had the chance to see maybe 5 games in total that the boys have played.

I mentioned in a thread on a different site the other day that if I had no choice that the Roos had to go/change I'd take relocation but I'd never support the club if it merged. I think because of my distance to Melbourne, the idea of relocation to another place I can't visit often anyway, wouldn't really affect me. HOWEVER, as I've read this thread, it's occured to me it's a lie simple wishful thinking that I could still have a connection to one of the greatest loves of my life if it moved but if North Melbourne did relocate, they wouldn't be my club any more either, as much as they wouldn't be if they became the Carlton Kangaroos or Northern Bulldogs etc. My club, my heart, is based in Arden Street in Melbourne not Canberra, or the Gold Coast or even Adelaide! I still call them North Melbourne rather than the Kangaroos. The North Melbourne identity and legend for me belongs in Melbourne, it belongs at Arden Street. (I realise I couldn't even be happy with them leaving Arden Street - let alone Melbourne). My club are the battlers, who prove the doubters wrong with our courage against adversity - if they moved to fancy new training facilities in a new town - that sentiment and one of the reasons I'm so devoted to them is gone.

For the love of any higher being we must fight to keep North Melbourne's, our club and passion, heritage, sentiment and location intact.

Great post Roobunny and with you 100%. l just hope l can become stupidly wealthy within the next 5 years so l can afford to ensure we don't go anywhere. The game is all about money these days, so as sad as it is (l feel your pain Shinners), it's what we need to do to make sure the parasites dont move us on.

Wrath

 

[Wrath]

Put it this way ask yourself the question?

Can North survive by playing 11 home games in Melbourne.

No?

Well which market is going to generate more money, Canberra or the gold coast. I don't know but I'd thhink it would be the Gold Coast and not Canberra?

Admire your passion Choppy, but l think the point you are missing is that us playing games in Canberra is safe, there is no chance the AFL would move us there as Canberra couldn't sustain an AFL side, whereas the AFL is ploughing money into a stadium at Carrara with the intention of hosting more than 3-4 games there a year long term. So if we moved to Carrara for our 3-4 games per year, then it would be natural to assume that after a while, 3-4 games could become 5-6 and eventually we could become the Southport Kangaroos or something.

We have to look at the big picture here, at the moment Canberra pay us $200k (according to media reports) per game and Carrara is looking to pay $400k. If we are able to increase what Canberra pay us per game to $300-$350k with increases in line with other states as they go up, then its a feasible safe option.

We are in the process if re-builiding our facilities at Arden Street, which would stop the crap photos Caroline Wilson chose to use for her article, and give the club a whole new perspective on life.

l know as much as anyone else somewhere down the track there will be 1-2 less Melbourne teams, l just don't want it to be us. End of Story!

Wrath

 

[Twinkletoes]

Originally Posted by Wrath
l know as much as anyone else somewhere down the track there will be 1-2 less Melbourne teams, l just don't want it to be us. End of Story!

Wrath

Amen to that Wrath!

Great post by you too RooBunny. I love that passion for our great club.

I was hoping to win last Thursday's Powerball $22M, which would've seen some coin going the way of the Kangas for sure BUT, alas, no win dammit!

I really don't know what we should be doing longer term, other than what we have for decades previously.....................survive and thrive, on field at least.

I absolutely cannot even think about us relocating from here, the heartland.

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!!!!!!

T'toes

 

[shintemaster]

I was hoping to win last Thursday's Powerball $22M, which would've seen some coin going the way of the Kangas for sure BUT, alas, no win dammit!
T'toes

So I'm not the only one... Hopefully we can share the next jackpot TT!

 

[Twinkletoes]

Originally Posted by shintemaster
So I'm not the only one... Hopefully we can share the next jackpot TT!

Ok, so $11m each eh? DEAL!!!!!!!

T'toes

 

[la roux]

98? Home game location changed in 85. Jumper has changed several times over 137 years. Name changed in 1870.

I tell you, this club hasn't been the same since you young whipper snappers allowed them to give up good old Hotham.

n'yuk n'yuk n'yuk

 

[Arden]

The other thing that makes me wary of a Carrara partnership, is Southport's involvement. They will helping to fund the games up here, and they have money to burn. But let's be realistic, they have had an application for an AFL license with the league since 1996. Their aim is not to have a few games played on the Gold Coast by a Melbourne based side, they want a Gold Coast based side in the comp.

So if they get their claws into us, I reckon its a slow death for us. And I don't feel that a team based on the Gold Coast, funded and run by Southport is the club that I was born into. If that happens, I wouldn't even go to the newfound games 10 minutes from my door, let alone buy a membership and fly interstate for matches.

Beware the team that gets into bed with Southport, they will get burned.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Admire your passion Choppy, but l think the point you are missing is that us playing games in Canberra is safe, there is no chance the AFL would move us there as Canberra couldn't sustain an AFL side, whereas the AFL is ploughing money into a stadium at Carrara with the intention of hosting more than 3-4 games there a year long term. So if we moved to Carrara for our 3-4 games per year, then it would be natural to assume that after a while, 3-4 games could become 5-6 and eventually we could become the Southport Kangaroos or something.

We have to look at the big picture here, at the moment Canberra pay us $200k (according to media reports) per game and Carrara is looking to pay $400k. If we are able to increase what Canberra pay us per game to $300-$350k with increases in line with other states as they go up, then its a feasible safe option.

We are in the process if re-builiding our facilities at Arden Street, which would stop the crap photos Caroline Wilson chose to use for her article, and give the club a whole new perspective on life.

l know as much as anyone else somewhere down the track there will be 1-2 less Melbourne teams, l just don't want it to be us. End of Story!

Wrath

Very well put - this is the position I've come to as well. Fix Arden St, make Canberra a permanent, reasonably lucrative second home, and stay a "boutique" but very solid Melbourne-based club.

I don't know if cuts to Melbourne club numers are inevitable or not, but I'll join you guys in raging against the dying of the light. Better go back and kill them in the VFL, than settle in as the next 'new market' basket case for the next 20 years.

 

[spurs]

The other thing that makes me wary of a Carrara partnership, is Southport's involvement. They will helping to fund the games up here, and they have money to burn. But let's be realistic, they have had an application for an AFL license with the league since 1996. Their aim is not to have a few games played on the Gold Coast by a Melbourne based side, they want a Gold Coast based side in the comp.

So if they get their claws into us, I reckon its a slow death for us. And I don't feel that a team based on the Gold Coast, funded and run by Southport is the club that I was born into. If that happens, I wouldn't even go to the newfound games 10 minutes from my door, let alone buy a membership and fly interstate for matches.

Beware the team that gets into bed with Southport, they will get burned.

I agree with you that we are in a no win situation with Carrara and it will be a slow death of our great name the North Melbourne Kangaroos but, hasnt it been a slow death anyway?We are struggling to get another 24k members this year and when i look at other teams they are already on 25k+ members now.
I would love North to stay at Arden st. but i am willing to be open to all suggestions and that is what the Duff man is doing. Hell, if anywhere i would like the Roos to relocate to Perth. Perth is a growing state and has the biggest and fastest economy in Australia with people coming over in there thousands but it looks like Carrara or Canberra and personally id take Carrara.

 

[utility]

As already stated a move to the Gold Coast would basically kill the club in the medium to long term. I think if we are to host home games outside of Melbourne then Canberra is the best place... if we are to stay a Melbourne-based club.

Playing games in Perth wouldn't be the worst if we played home games outside of Melbourne, but the AFL simply won't support it.

 

[catters05]

IMO If the Kangas stay playing a few in Canberra then their future is at Arden St. If they move to Carrara....well anything can happen.