Bendigo's VFL Side, What is the future?

[lionbear]

With the drums beating on a return to Windy Hill what is the future for the VFL in Bendigo, why hasn't the Diggers and now Bombers not worked while North Ballarat are currently defending their Premiership?

I guess the simple answer to that question is finances. From what I can gather North Ballarat get solid support from the pokies they currently hold at their home ground.

Could Kangaroo Flat strike up a similar sponsorship flow from its sport club and go into the VFL, it is Melbourne side of Bendigo so the 10 minutes less travel could make it more appealing to Melbourne footballers.

Most probably a silly idea, but I think Bendigo needs a VFL side, and one not like the current Bombers as after 5 years of a side that winning is not the number 1 priority a winning culture is what a new club need to grow in the VFL.

A strong association with the BFL could also form a strong future.

Discuss.

 

[Stormboy]

With the drums beating on a return to Windy Hill what is the future for the VFL in Bendigo, why hasn't the Diggers and now Bombers not worked while North Ballarat are currently defending their Premiership?

I guess the simple answer to that question is finances. From what I can gather North Ballarat get solid support from the pokies they currently hold at their home ground.

Could Kangaroo Flat strike up a similar sponsorship flow from its sport club and go into the VFL, it is Melbourne side of Bendigo so the 10 minutes less travel could make it more appealing to Melbourne footballers.

Most probably a silly idea, but I think Bendigo needs a VFL side, and one not like the current Bombers as after 5 years of a side that winning is not the number 1 priority a winning culture is what a new club need to grow in the VFL.

A strong association with the BFL could also form a strong future.

Discuss.

You pose some interesting question on this one lionbear. My opinion (for what it is worth) why the BB/VFL concept has not succeeded in Bendigo boils down to community support. You of all people should know the large impact that community support plays in the long term viability of any club.

Without that community support - clubs like this travel down the path that they are currently. The reason I think that community support has dwindled over the years is due to the way both the Diggers and Bendigo Bombers were implemented and (managed) within the Bendigo football community. Their dictatorship within the Bendigo Football community has quite rightly caused alot of angst amongst other Clubs - which people don't forget.

Bendigonians aren't stupid either - they realise that the current structure is aimed about promoting the Essendon listed players to the next level, with minimal local talent. The fact that the BB get a leg up from the local council (Aquatic centre change rooms upgrade) infront of exisitng sporting clubs, also puts clubs offside with them.

You can throw as much money at the BB as you like but if you don't have the community "buy in" - clubs such as this will always struggle.

Any other comments ??

 

[lionbear]

I agree with you Stormboy.

I think looking at Strath Storm, what they have done differently is they went to the community and said what do you want. Thus we now have a good membership base and the potential to grow a club over the next 5 years that will be as strong as other clubs in the Bendigo area.

Perhaps the Bombers need to do a similar thing right now, call a meeting and sit down with the other BFL clubs and the Bendigo community and say, is this viable what direction do you want to take.

One of the sadest things as a local person is watching the success of North Ballarat in the same league. What does Bendigo need to do to to be a success.

Good win Yesterday too Stormboy, was really ggod to watch the boys really take control after quarter time.

 

[Stormboy]

I agree with you Stormboy.

I think looking at Strath Storm, what they have done differently is they went to the community and said what do you want. Thus we now have a good membership base and the potential to grow a club over the next 5 years that will be as strong as other clubs in the Bendigo area.

Perhaps the Bombers need to do a similar thing right now, call a meeting and sit down with the other BFL clubs and the Bendigo community and say, is this viable what direction do you want to take.

One of the sadest things as a local person is watching the success of North Ballarat in the same league. What does Bendigo need to do to to be a success.

Good win Yesterday too Stormboy, was really ggod to watch the boys really take control after quarter time.

Good goal by yourself too I believe !!

 

[lionbear]

Good goal by yourself too I believe !!

If a goal involves throwing a can of Beer in the bin, why thankyou.

Sorry but I did not play nor kick the footy at half time yesterday

 

[tim finnigan]

Im not from around bendigo nor have i ever seen any bendigo footy but do you think bendigo even need a vfl side? Is it really that important? I think North Ballarat works because of a few things. 1- I could be wrong on this but isn't Ballarat a fair bigger city than Bendigo?
2-Ballarat is closer to Melbourne and is only an hour from Geelong so travel is no way near as bad. Being from Geelong i know there's alot of people who go to uni in Ballarat and a few have even played at the roosters.
3-It seems from an outsiders point of view that North Ballarats relationship North Melbourne has always been alot better than Bendigo's and Essendon's.

VFL died the day the AFL stepped in and ruined what was once a brilliant local competion. Kill off the Bendigo bombers then all your good local talent playing at the bombers will return to their local clubs hence making the comp alot stronger plus things like sponorship and revenue from gate takings etc will surely increase.

 

[Stormboy]

Im not from around bendigo nor have i ever seen any bendigo footy but do you think bendigo even need a vfl side? Is it really that important? I think North Ballarat works because of a few things. 1- I could be wrong on this but isn't Ballarat a fair bigger city than Bendigo?
2-Ballarat is closer to Melbourne and is only an hour from Geelong so travel is no way near as bad. Being from Geelong i know there's alot of people who go to uni in Ballarat and a few have even played at the roosters.
3-It seems from an outsiders point of view that North Ballarats relationship North Melbourne has always been alot better than Bendigo's and Essendon's.

VFL died the day the AFL stepped in and ruined what was once a brilliant local competion. Kill off the Bendigo bombers then all your good local talent playing at the bombers will return to their local clubs hence making the comp alot stronger plus things like sponorship and revenue from gate takings etc will surely increase.

1) Nope Bendigo's population has reached over 95,000 compared to Ballarats 90,000. So bigger population here.
2) Ballarat is much closer to Melb and Geelong, whereas bendigo is 150km to Melb CBD and 220km to Geelong, and are the only VFL club based north of the Macedon Ranges - so could be some merit to this theory.
3)Don't think the relationship between Bendigo Bombers and Essendon is the issue - after all Essendon subsidise the operations of the BB, moreso the relationship between the Bendigo Bombers and the Bendigo community...Not much local talent represented in the BB currently - so no major impact to the local comp, when the BB cease to exist.

 

[Doona2]

I agree with you Stormboy.

One of the sadest things as a local person is watching the success of North Ballarat in the same league. What does Bendigo need to do to to be a success.

Take a drive to Austar or even Eastern Oval where the Roosters have played a few home games this year and see how it's done. Im not a local to either towns but regularly attend North games due to a mate playing there and I find it really comforting to go to see great standard and still have that local footy feel.

1- I could be wrong on this but isn't Ballarat a fair bigger city than Bendigo?

I woulda thought Bendigo as an area who would be bigger?

2-Ballarat is closer to Melbourne and is only an hour from Geelong so travel is no way near as bad. Being from Geelong i know there's alot of people who go to uni in Ballarat and a few have even played at the roosters.

North seem to have a great relationship with the Rebels also. Many of it's current crop have graduated thru the TAC, and after the Casey game when Fitzy was speaking on Goodes' 100th game he spoke glowingly of all the guys that have come thru from the Rebels.

A lot of the Roosters more decorated players in it's time in the VFL have come thru the Rebels, the Uni or the Ballarat FL, so what Im saying is perhaps it is achievable for a Bendigo based team still without Essendon.



3-It seems from an outsiders point of view that North Ballarats relationship North Melbourne has always been alot better than Bendigo's and Essendon's.

The way it works successfuly is if the AFL club doesn't dictate IMO, and the players that come have to embrace it also. Corey Jones for example has been amazing from what Ive seen, as an experienced player and a leader. In the past I have witnessed AFL listed players do "selfish" things, fair to say these were the times the Roosters weren't at the top of their game - now behind Fitzy and Spider Moloney they're all in it 100%.

Fitzy I'd imagine would communicate with those at North weekly - but IMO I could never see him sacrifice anything that aint in the best interest of the Roosters for the betterment of North Melbourne.

.

 

[tim finnigan]

Ok i wasnt quite sure which city was bigger so point taken there. But surely your comp would've been stronger before Bendigo entered the VFL regardless of wheather there's many local's playing for them or not?

The current situation cant be good for anyone eg-Bendigo community,Bendigo footballers or the Essendon footy club.

It would've been great to see the afl keep the reserve grade comp and leave the vfl alone. Imagine the old vfl and then say adding sides from regional area's like maybe sth bendigo or gisborne from the bendigo league, north ballarat which obviously happened, sth barwon from the geelong footy league and maybe the strongest clubs from the omfl and gvfl. Would have been brilliant.

 

[Doona2]

It would've been great to see the afl keep the reserve grade comp and leave the vfl alone. Imagine the old vfl and then say adding sides from regional area's like maybe sth bendigo or gisborne from the bendigo league, north ballarat which obviously happened, sth barwon from the geelong footy league and maybe the strongest clubs from the omfl and gvfl. Would have been brilliant.

Agree 100% tim

 

[lionbear]

The way it works successfuly is if the AFL club doesn't dictate IMO

Thats a really good point.

It's not a Bendigo BFL side here currently, its Essendon lending there reserves to us for 6 to 9 weeks a year. I think the Roosters success is built on the fact they are there own club, we currently are not.

I think if theEssendon team leave us this year we should not give up, instead go to the community and make a club that can grow with the public and the BFL, and then over time it will sucseed.

 

[lionbear]

Ok i wasnt quite sure which city was bigger so point taken there. But surely your comp would've been stronger before Bendigo entered the VFL regardless of wheather there's many local's playing for them or not?

The current situation cant be good for anyone eg-Bendigo community,Bendigo footballers or the Essendon footy club.

It would've been great to see the afl keep the reserve grade comp and leave the vfl alone. Imagine the old vfl and then say adding sides from regional area's like maybe sth bendigo or gisborne from the bendigo league, north ballarat which obviously happened, sth barwon from the geelong footy league and maybe the strongest clubs from the omfl and gvfl. Would have been brilliant.

Hopefully its not too late and one day common sense will prevail

 

[REMfooty]

Thats a really good point.


I think if theEssendon team leave us this year we should not give up, instead go to the community and make a club that can grow with the public and the BFL, and then over time it will sucseed.

Isn't this the same as the Diggers though? The only reason that the Diggers aligned with Essendon was because a stand-alone local VFL side was not competitive and did not get local support, so it was align or disband the club.

 

[KynetonCmtee]

The Bombers pull so much talent from our local leagues but it also gives our kids something to strive for? its difficult but if Essendon pull out lets not go back to the diggers style..... VFL footy is better to finish in bendigo than repeat that disaster again!

 

[GrassKat]

It would've been great to see the afl keep the reserve grade comp and leave the vfl alone. Imagine the old vfl and then say adding sides from regional area's like maybe sth bendigo or gisborne from the bendigo league, north ballarat which obviously happened, sth barwon from the geelong footy league and maybe the strongest clubs from the omfl and gvfl. Would have been brilliant.

So you'd see something like...

VFL Comp (Victorian AFL teams).
Carlton
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong
Hawthorn
Melbourne
North Melbourne
Richmond
St Kilda
Western Bulldogs

VFA Comp.
Williamstown
Port Melbourne
Casey
Coburg (Calder Cannons)
Box Hill
Northern Bullants (Northern Knights)
Sandringham (Dragons)
Werribee (Western Jets)
Frankston
Dandenong (Eastern Ranges)
Oakleigh Chargers
Geelong
North Ballarat
Murray
Gippsland
Bendigo

This has been on the agenda in the past, but turned down. I personally don't think there is a need for Country Vic clubs to be in a state comp. If kids are good enough they'll go and play down in Melbourne. Otherwise they can support their own major leagues.

The TAC cup is a good system but wouldn't work in a Senior sense.

Bring back the old VFA.

Let the Victorian AFL teams have their own 10 team league where they can develop their own players in their own ways. Let the clubs have their AFL list of 44, choose another 15 'Reserve' players and allow them to 'tap on the shoulder' any other players they might want if numbers are short.

 

[pinocchio]

So you'd see something like...

VFL Comp (Victorian AFL teams).
Carlton
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong
Hawthorn
Melbourne
North Melbourne
Richmond
St Kilda
Western Bulldogs

VFA Comp.
Williamstown
Port Melbourne
Casey
Coburg (Calder Cannons)
Box Hill
Northern Bullants (Northern Knights)
Sandringham (Dragons)
Werribee (Western Jets)
Frankston
Dandenong (Eastern Ranges)
Oakleigh Chargers
Geelong
North Ballarat
Murray
Gippsland
Bendigo

This has been on the agenda in the past, but turned down. I personally don't think there is a need for Country Vic clubs to be in a state comp. If kids are good enough they'll go and play down in Melbourne. Otherwise they can support their own major leagues.

The TAC cup is a good system but wouldn't work in a Senior sense.

Bring back the old VFA.

Let the Victorian AFL teams have their own 10 team league where they can develop their own players in their own ways. Let the clubs have their AFL list of 44, choose another 15 'Reserve' players and allow them to 'tap on the shoulder' any other players they might want if numbers are short.

Love this concept

 

[BenBal Plugger]

The Bendigo Bombers’ disappointing year has come to an end with a loss to the Werribee Tigers at Windy Hill.

A win was still in sight for Bendigo going into the fourth quarter, trailing by just four goals, but Werribee outclassed Bendigo kicking a massive twelve goals to Bendigo’s one in the final term.

The final scores were Bendigo Bombers 10.11 (71) to Werribee Tigers 25.16 (166).

“The fourth quarter was an avalanche, the game broke right open,” assistant coach Steve Thompson said.

“We had some Essendon players who could only play three quarters, because of next weeks’ final. Werribee came home hard, and we were out of man power."

There were five late changes to the team with Bellchambers, Nash, Skipworth, Jetta and Quinn all being rested to prepare, possibly, for Essendon’s final next week, while Bock was a late inclusion.

Blatent effort by Essendon to look after Number 1 and discard the bendigo boys that are, in the EFC's eyes, "making up the numbers".

Having a full list to choose from (which will get flogged by Adelaide anyway) is more important than giving some hope to this failing Bendigo / Essendon "partnership".

Bendigo Bombers RIP for 2010.... unfortunately no VFL representation for a major provincial city like Bendigo. Ridiculous.