Some of the posts in this thread are very much endemic of the attitude towards the lower leagues shown by those lucky enough to have their traditional club in the top league. And some by those who have non traditional clubs in the top league as well.
The second tier leagues/clubs are not in a good state country wide. All or most is being done to cater for the good of the AFL and nought else.
For myself it's the loss of/sidelining of a lot of great footy history/traditions in these lower leagues that is troubling. This situation with Port Melbourne is just another part of a bigger problem.
Essentially, you need all the cylinders firing on an engine for it to be running well (TAC, State Leagues, Colts comps etc). The way the AFL runs things at the second tier......well the AFL will be ok, but everything else will suffer, and sooner or later this will affect the participation rates in the game itself. Then it will bite the AFL in the arse so to speak.
Just a matter of time.
The second tier leagues/clubs are not in a good state country wide. All or most is being done to cater for the good of the AFL and nought else.
For myself it's the loss of/sidelining of a lot of great footy history/traditions in these lower leagues that is troubling. This situation with Port Melbourne is just another part of a bigger problem.
Essentially, you need all the cylinders firing on an engine for it to be running well (TAC, State Leagues, Colts comps etc). The way the AFL runs things at the second tier......well the AFL will be ok, but everything else will suffer, and sooner or later this will affect the participation rates in the game itself. Then it will bite the AFL in the arse so to speak.
Just a matter of time.