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Authored by: Ash Nugent
on Saturday, September 03 2005 @ 08:14 am ACST

I'm a big pusher for the games growth overseas and Auckland may well be a possibility for an AFL side but I still think we need to fix up things at home first.

10 teams in Victoria is unsustainable. You should probably discount Geelong and say 9 Melbourne sides but the issue is still the same. We need to reward fans on the Gold Coast in Darwin and Tassie and break into new markets (West Sydney, Canberra and - I don't know why it's never mentioned as it has a large population but also - Newcastle).

I've thought on the issue extensively over the past few years and:
An expanded 18 team competition. Two introductions and several relocations. 5 teams in Melbourne, 1 in Geelong, 2 in Adelaide, 1 in Perth, 1 in Fremantle, 1 in Darwin (with the possibility of one game played in Alice Springs) 1 side in Brisbane, 1 on the Gold Coast - possibly the promotion of Southport, 2 in Sydney, 1 in Canberra, 1 in Newcastle and 1 in Launceston with a couple of games played in Hobart.

That is obviously dramatic and would only be possible over a large time frame but the AFL must take a serious look at its structure if it wants to remain a truly national competition.

I suppose the main argument against reductions in the amount if teams in Victoria surrounds the concern as to whether supporters would cease following their team if it was rellocated. The short answer is probably yes, but then look at Fitzroy and South Melbourne supporters in Melbourne. Even if the AFL did undergo temporary crowd loss it surely wouldn't affect the next generation (how many kids follow their parents footy teams?) and as a Kanagroos supporter living in Melbourne not only do I accept a permanent move to Canberra but endorse it. Finally the Victorians are UNDERSERVING of 10 teams. The reason State of Origin went under was largely due to Victoria's poor attedances and now they cry poor. If they cannot support the game on an International level then why do they deserve to be the heartland of the worlds greatest game? I do not propose that the Grand Final leave the MCG because that is where it should always belong but other central issues surrounding football do need a shake up, especially so because of new threats such as the A-League.

Just a last word; obviously all Victorians aren't unsupporting of football (for example I attended a few International Cup games) but some facets of footy can definitely be more successful interstate.

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