I'm over this "national" competition. All it has done is highjacked a great Victorian competition and taken it away from us...

Expanding 12 teams to 16 has not improved the competition. It has simply given 100 extra players the chance to be called a senior AFL player. These 100 players are now evenly distributed across all teams and are still making up the numbers. The quality of the game has slipped whist we pretend they are worthy of being there.

I couldn't care less about watching Freo (er...way to go...), Crows, West Coast or Port - we might as well be playing a bye. When these teams appear on television, I feel oddly disconnected and alienated by a marketing push that probaby feels about me in the same way.

Whilst on television, there are now eight games per round instead of a digestable six. Clearly too many... Too many, in fact, for one TV network to cover. We now need two free to air channels and a pay TV partner, yet we still rarely see Carlton on the box (unless I pay extra for it). Yes, some marketing genius at the AFL thinks I should PAY to watch my team against Freo (way to go...), Crows, West Coast or Port...

And what is a "Docker" anyway...???

If you don't think money is driving these interstate imposters, remember that Adelaide used to be called the "Camry Crows" to keep Toyota happy, and Port is called "Power" because Nike wouldn't sign up as a sponsor unless the new team had a name like a US basketball team (because that's what younger fans are into) - true story...

Why can't we return to the days when I could see my team play EVERY weekend in person. That's right - no trips to Darwin, no trips to Adelaide or silly Dockerland...

Remember when it was great to be a member: Sign up and go and watch you team each week, then go and watch the replay that night.

Now, we sign up to hear about our team travel around the country, playing matches we can't attend...and only seeing the match on TV if we PAY FOR IT!!

These days, we are told if we don't support this current idea, the national cometition will die - SO LET IT DIE!!

Give me my league back...give just 12 fabbo teams in Melbourne, and let the other states join together and amuse themselves in any other way they feel suitable...

_________________
"...that's the thing about opinion - you don't have to know anything to have one..." Andre Agassi commenting on Pat Cash 2004
"...the less you know - the more you believe..." - Bono 2006

I'm guessing nothing would make you happier than beating Collingwood tomorrow as well?

Two great Melbourne teams playing at the G on a sunny afternoon...does it get any better?

Or, should we all cuddle up in front of the TV and watch West Coast and Freo (way to go...) to pretend we could care less??

_________________
"...that's the thing about opinion - you don't have to know anything to have one..." Andre Agassi commenting on Pat Cash 2004
"...the less you know - the more you believe..." - Bono 2006

Nice dodge of the question

Mate

As a Blues man living in Perth who moved over here as a 10 year old i can tell you that I am so happy twice a year(most years) to have my team come to play over here. Stop being so selfish and think that Melbourne is the centre of the Carlton Universe.

Had not West Coast and Brisbane been introduced in 87 then I would think that Fitzroy, Footscray, Nth Melb and St Kilda would have folded before 2000.

Get over the fact that the talent might have been diluted (I'll grant you that) but there are people all around this great big brown land of ours that love their AFL and deserve to see it live as well.

I accept the points made by WW, however, if the VFL didn't go national there'd be a few of those 12 teams no longer in business I reckon.

Times change. Such is life.

_________________
Hope your footy team wins.

[quote="Wet Willie"]I'm over this "national" competition. All it has done is highjacked a great Victorian competition and taken it away from us...

Expanding 12 teams to 16 has not improved the competition. It has simply given 100 extra players the chance to be called a senior AFL player. These 100 players are now evenly distributed across all teams and are still making up the numbers. The quality of the game has slipped whist we pretend they are worthy of being there.

I couldn't care less about watching Freo (er...way to go...), Crows, West Coast or Port - we might as well be playing a bye. When these teams appear on television, I feel oddly disconnected and alienated by a marketing push that probaby feels about me in the same way.

Whilst on television, there are now eight games per round instead of a digestable six. Clearly too many... Too many, in fact, for one TV network to cover. We now need two free to air channels and a pay TV partner, yet we still rarely see Carlton on the box (unless I pay extra for it). Yes, some marketing genius at the AFL thinks I should PAY to watch my team against Freo (way to go...), Crows, West Coast or Port...

And what is a "Docker" anyway...???

If you don't think money is driving these interstate imposters, remember that Adelaide used to be called the "Camry Crows" to keep Toyota happy, and Port is called "Power" because Nike wouldn't sign up as a sponsor unless the new team had a name like a US basketball team (because that's what younger fans are into) - true story...

Why can't we return to the days when I could see my team play EVERY weekend in person. That's right - no trips to Darwin, no trips to Adelaide or silly Dockerland...

Remember when it was great to be a member: Sign up and go and watch you team each week, then go and watch the replay that night.

Now, we sign up to hear about our team travel around the country, playing matches we can't attend...and only seeing the match on TV if we PAY FOR IT!!

These days, we are told if we don't support this current idea, the national cometition will die - SO LET IT DIE!!

Give me my league back...give just 12 fabbo teams in Melbourne, and let the other states join together









Excellent post. My thoughts completely.,

And they should re-do all the final results and give the premiership cups the highest finishing Victorian club for those years we had to put up with those interstate interlopers. That means the saints would have won in 1997, 2004 and 2005.

2006 would be looking good too.

The worst thing about the current comp is simply that it's not fair!

Not playing each team twice, some (Victorian) teams travelling less than others, the final eight system, the draft system and the fact that some teams ALWAYS play each other twice makes for unfair footy, and dilutes both what it means to win a premiership, and for that matter, a wooden spoon.

_________________
THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

Not to mention that all Victorian clubs, except Geelong, have lost any home ground advantage due to the AFL's need to have us play at the same two venues...

Give me my league back NOW!!

_________________
"...that's the thing about opinion - you don't have to know anything to have one..." Andre Agassi commenting on Pat Cash 2004
"...the less you know - the more you believe..." - Bono 2006

Speaking of home ground advantage, is it compulsory for home teams to allow their opposition access to the ground before game day - particularly interstate teams?

For example, is it mandatory for West Coast to allow Carlton to train at (or at least 'get a feel for ') Subiaco, or is it just out of the kindness of their hearts that they do this?

I realise home ground advantage has pretty much gone out the window, but surely teams can refuse their opposition access before game day?

_________________
THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

The Dawks are forging a nice little niche at Aurora.

_________________
Hope your footy team wins.

huh?


huh?

i'll pay that.

_________________
Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

no way garth without those interstatelopers the Blues would have had seven more AA South Australians 3 from WA and probably a Queenslander or 2 - so factor in 7 more flags for the Blues (including those years you mention)/

_________________
This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

I'll bet Garth and Wet Willie drive Vauxhall Vivas and wear treads and Staggers jeans.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Willie is right that equalisation essentially effaces a club's competitive advantage.

All they can compete on now is the quality of their backroom staff (ie, Coaches, Fitness, Recruiting) and their training facilities/regime.

Sadly (no offence Cazzesman), we're up the creek on all of those.

All we have left is a colour and a couple of iconic images of Jezza.

Our utter incompetence in the things i listed above have crippled us.... and, in truth, it threatens to keep happening.

We're a basketcase, and its because of the incompetence of our corporate structure, strategy, and our personnel.

Unless there are fundamental changes across the board, we'll improve but struggle to crack a top 4 populated with state of the art sport administrations.

We need to embrace innovation to stay ahead. This is a very mature competitive market that only constant innovation can keep sustainable for us. Pagan actively DOESN'T innovate.

From now on, only innovation (innovation that works, that is) will allow us to grow and reclaim a competitive advantage. It won't happen through scouting SA talent and stealing it.

_________________
Love Cricket? Love me