Expansion Joondalup Falcons in the AFL?

[AstonSouffle]

What about New Zealand for the 20th team? Has a population of 5 million. They do have a pretty long history in Australian Rules too. Don’t think they have much interest in it nowadays though. We’re already struggling to get NSW and QLD fans, so I can’t imagine how hard it’d be to gather NZ interest.

Also, the ~7-hour flights that WA sides need to take just to get there would be brutal lol.

If they did this I'd rather they just have a crack at India, they'd have the ovals to do it.

 

[Bjo187]

If they did this I'd rather they just have a crack at India, they'd have the ovals to do it.

Indians locally are the most untapped market for fans in Australian sport. The AFL should be throwing everything into attracting them.

 

[Engimal v3]

Whenever I see Joondalup I think about JoondalupJ

 

[RedV3x]

It's about time some mods started being more consistent.

 

[pz5151]

What about New Zealand for the 20th team? Has a population of 5 million. They do have a pretty long history in Australian Rules too. Don’t think they have much interest in it nowadays though. We’re already struggling to get NSW and QLD fans, so I can’t imagine how hard it’d be to gather NZ interest.

Also, the ~7-hour flights that WA sides need to take just to get there would be brutal lol.

NZ can barely support an NRL team, a sport which is arguable the most popular nowadays in Auckland. No chance it is sustainable for AFL.

 

[AstonSouffle]

Indians locally are the most untapped market for fans in Australian sport. The AFL should be throwing everything into attracting them.

Dicey subject that one, everytime you ask what can we do better to get more Indians (and Chinese) playing everyone gets their back right up and starts telling you they're not racist which they aren't but way to derail the conversation before it's even started...

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

What about New Zealand for the 20th team? Has a population of 5 million. They do have a pretty long history in Australian Rules too. Don’t think they have much interest in it nowadays though. We’re already struggling to get NSW and QLD fans, so I can’t imagine how hard it’d be to gather NZ interest.

Also, the ~7-hour flights that WA sides need to take just to get there would be brutal lol.

No interest currently, doesn't add to national broadcast rights in the way investing in NSW and Qld can, and the 5m is not in a single market. Its even worse than considering Tas one market. Auckland and surrounds is perhaps 2m, the largest and wealthiest area that could be deemed one market. And that has no venue suitable for professional level Australian Football. Eden Park, the cricket venue, makes the North Sydney playing surface look expansive even before taking into account no availability due to rugby and rugby league. There is a new cricket venue just outside Auckland, but again as I understand it too small for AFL level footy. Its hard to see a custom venue being built with facilities and broadcast standard lighting to host a sport nobody would attend in the first 30 years.

 

[WilloTree]

I would be like asking if, they would like to return home.

West Coast was started from scratch and their supporter base included the whole state and all 8 WAFL clubs including the South and East Fremantle areas.

Not sure if our Eastern States brethren are aware of the Perth Geography, but it's interesting to me that the Eagles are known as a Western Suburbs/Northern Perth team. They're home base is at Lathlain Park (South of the river) and they play at Burswood. Neither are western or northern.

 

[RedV3x]

No interest currently,

Wrong.

doesn't add to national broadcast rights in the way investing in NSW and Qld can,

Wrong.

the 5m is not in a single market.

Wrong.

IAuckland and surrounds is perhaps 2m, the largest and wealthiest area that could be deemed one market.

No different from any other city and surrounds.

And that has no venue suitable for professional level Australian Football.

Correct.

Its hard to see a custom venue being built with facilities and broadcast standard lighting

That was the plan.

to host a sport nobody would attend in the first 30 years.

If 25k attended a game in shyte Wellington basin in a city of 400,000 then there is good prospect of garnering a good crowd in a city of 2 million people, a city with a proper AFL and and when a proper stadium is built.

 

[Randy Campbell]

Not sure if our Eastern States brethren are aware of the Perth Geography, but it's interesting to me that the Eagles are known as a Western Suburbs/Northern Perth team. They're home base is at Lathlain Park (South of the river) and they play at Burswood. Neither are western or northern.

How long have they been playing at Burswood and based in Laithlain?

Where did the play and train before that?

And I lived in Perth before the Eagles were even born.

 

[RedV3x]

It's about time some mods started being more consistent.

 

[Randy Campbell]

Since the new stadium has been built.
Lathlain is a little to the East of the Perth CBD and East of the Swan river.
It's a strange decision IMO since they could have built on open land next to the freeway at Stirling
and that would have added to the WAFL infrastructure.


They shared Leederville (West Perth falcons original home ground) with Subiaco and played at Subiaco.
It looks like the eagles like a training base close to the playing ground.
Contrast that with Fremantle they are now based down at Cockburn.
Stirling should have been the Northern Cockburn.

Lathlain would have been a good synergy for a new Perth AFL team.

I know and agree with what you say.

 

[WilloTree]

How long have they been playing at Burswood and based in Laithlain?

Where did the play and train before that?

And I lived in Perth before the Eagles were even born.

They used to train at Subiaco/Leederville Oval and play at Subiaco/WACA

Optus Oval is on Burswood Island (not really an island - silly name) which is between Perth and Vic Park.

Edit - oops. Already been answered. Carry on.

 

[JackOutback]

Not sure if our Eastern States brethren are aware of the Perth Geography, but it's interesting to me that the Eagles are known as a Western Suburbs/Northern Perth team. They're home base is at Lathlain Park (South of the river) and they play at Burswood. Neither are western or northern.

I've never considered West Coast western/northern suburbs and I've followed them since 1987. They came in as a team to represent the whole of WA. Freo coming in then had an association with Fremantle and some southern suburbs, but that didn't negate the history of the Eagles. The only reason you'd associate them with the western suburbs is because they played at Subiaco, the only ground suitable for AFL games at that point. But so did Freo.

 

[CharacterFirst]

Tassie and then Canberra next.

Then Darwin, and a 3rd WA side partly backed by some private billionaire money from Gina, or Twiggy, or the like.

 

[Freomaniac]

Senor M , Tzatziki_Man , Xtreme , would a team wearing bubble gum pink and black work? yep Bret "the Hitman" Hart colours of pink and black.

 

[Xtreme]

Senor M , Tzatziki_Man , Xtreme , would a team wearing bubble gum pink and black work? yep Bret "the Hitman" Hart colours of pink and black.

YES
Call them the Sharp Shooters!

 

[Freomaniac]

YES
Call them the Sharp Shooters!

Nah Canberra Hitmen sounds better. Just like the Calgary hitmen.

I maybe the cowboys.... I do like the Calgary Saddledome.

 

[MakeshiftMartyr]

Could the National Reserves Comp be an avenue for testing out potential expansion teams?

It seems like the Victorian teams largely want to play themselves, which would leave a huge amount of travel for the interstate teams to wear all by themselves.

Would creating some new franchises (or allowing interested existing clubs to join) allow for enough local games to not totally disadvantage the interstate teams?

For example, all the interstate teams play each other at least once, but the teams in their home state twice.

You could then make a case for new AFL teams based on how the reserves sides are doing support-wise, plus they then have a history instead of starting from scratch.

It would be nice to have some existing state-league teams join, but I feel like the AFL would want full control.

Ideally we end up with something like:

WA division:
West Coast
Fremantle
Joondalup
Bunbury

SA division:
Adelaide
Port
Norwood
Sturt

QLD division:
Brisbane
Gold Coast
Southport
Cairns

NSW/ACT division:
Sydney
GWS
Canberra
Newcastle

Each team plays every team in their division twice, all other teams once.

The only outlier is Tassie, but they're probably better off playing in Victoria, playing any of the interstate teams is just extra travel.

 

[Obeanie1]

Perth is growing way faster than both Canberra and NT combined.

Also you just need a small percentage of people to think about how they can't get seats at West Coast and Fremantle games and how they could get seats at this new teams games for this new team to begin developing a following.

60,000 seat starium that can be expanded to 70,000.

People arent missing out on games like they used to at Subi.

 

[Obeanie1]

Indians locally are the most untapped market for fans in Australian sport. The AFL should be throwing everything into attracting them.

AFL should get known celebrity Indian commentators to call matches to gain interest.

It would be pretty funny TBH.

"OMG.....I dont know exactly what happened but that was insane.......he jumped onto the head of his opponent and took a catch 3m off the ground.........un...be...leavable!. The English cricket team could use a player like that lol".

 

[WilloTree]

60,000 seat starium that can be expanded to 70,000.

People arent missing out on games like they used to at Subi.

WA doesn't need 70 000.

Recent attendances.

 

[blueboy25]

WA doesn't need 70 000.

Recent attendances.

View attachment 1867989

Once the eagles start moving up the ladder they will be full houses again

 

[Coolangatta]

Could the National Reserves Comp be an avenue for testing out potential expansion teams?

It seems like the Victorian teams largely want to play themselves, which would leave a huge amount of travel for the interstate teams to wear all by themselves.

Would creating some new franchises (or allowing interested existing clubs to join) allow for enough local games to not totally disadvantage the interstate teams?

For example, all the interstate teams play each other at least once, but the teams in their home state twice.

You could then make a case for new AFL teams based on how the reserves sides are doing support-wise, plus they then have a history instead of starting from scratch.

It would be nice to have some existing state-league teams join, but I feel like the AFL would want full control.

Ideally we end up with something like:

WA division:
West Coast
Fremantle
Joondalup
Bunbury

SA division:
Adelaide
Port
Norwood
Sturt

QLD division:
Brisbane
Gold Coast
Southport
Cairns

NSW/ACT division:
Sydney
GWS
Canberra
Newcastle

Each team plays every team in their division twice, all other teams once.

The only outlier is Tassie, but they're probably better off playing in Victoria, playing any of the interstate teams is just extra travel.

Interesting. Looks good.

What about Darwin and NZ? If considered, they’d be outliers too.

 

[WilloTree]

Once the eagles start moving up the ladder they will be full houses again

Possibly. History doesn't suggest that though. The data indicates that even in Eagles successful on-field years, they rarely play to a full house. There are reasons behind this, mainly to do with members who don't fill their seats.

It's an interesting one.

5 of the top 13 attendances are Derby's - which only happen twice a year.
5 of the top 6 are finals - which is even rarer.
2 of the top 6 were one-off finals due to Covid

The truth is, on a regular fixture there are plenty of empty seats.