Is it time to merge some AFL teams?

[King-Eliagh]

A tough topic for some I know but I reckon its time this was done. There's so many Melbourne teams and, quite frankly, there's several Melbourne teams who are doing really poorly financially and on the field. Add to that the potential awesomeness of having a competition with a team based in Tasmania, Darwin and perhaps northqld and you'd finally have a comp which I believe truly could be called national.

Merging has been done in the nrl with not too much disruption. And the swans and lions have been pretty good examples of successfully relocating teams, though brissie look pretty done and dusted at the mo financially andf on the field...but they could benefit from less melb teams...

So I guess I reckon it'd be cool if either

a) Melbourne demons merged with stkilda and western bulldogs making room for expansion teams in Darwin and Tasmania.

or

b) like in the swans and brissie examples, stkilda and western bulldogs up and out of Melbourne and relocate to Darwin and Tasmania.

Or something of the like.

What are others' thoughts?

[NRLCrap1]

Nope!

[King-Eliagh]

So ur happy with the current quality and reach of the comp? Sounds like a fairly stagnant position you take there crap1 but thanks anyway.

What do others think?

[TLPG]

Another ill informed veiled attack thread by KE. How typical. Lock please!

[King-Eliagh]

Jesus wept, can you punks discuss anything? It's a fair issue for discussion. I'd suggest you leave the site if you can't handle discussing what has probably been discussed by fans, players, officials and high level staff of the afl before tlpg. In fact if suggest you pick another sport to follow.

Seriously! Grow up!!

[King-Eliagh]

Another ill informed veiled attack thread by KE. How typical. Lock please!

I mean can anyone try and imagine what this post looks to a new guest of the site? absurd wouldn't halfway describe it. And then if a struggling mod acted in support?

I'd be like "man that site is wacko!" And never return.

Comon guys pick up yer game and act like forum members do and actually discuss some things.

[Fred]

I agree. I would have had the bulldogs go to west Sydney

[TLPG]

No, Phelpsy, I've been a long standing opponent of a second team in Sydney. I would have sent North Melbourne to Canberra instead. The Bulldogs represent the western suburbs and should stay where they are.

[Fred]

However having seen the model of the suns there is something to be said about organically growing a team from scratch. I have seen the Gold Coast really jump on board with the suns, the town has watched them grow up over the years and they really feel a part if this town. If they had of come in and just won straight off you would not have got that. Sure, some initial success with crowds etc but that would drop off once they lose again . This way the supporters have really come on board and dedicated. So relocation may not be the way to go in non heartland areas.

By the way... Support a final 6. . 8 is too many and the first week of finals are a waste hence poor crowds

[Fred]

They could have played their home games in Western Sydney.

[King-Eliagh]

On ya phelpsy, for all your illegal sins of the past and for a bloke who's done hard time you're actually a decent fella

Great contribution. I think the dogs could've been the ones to come to western syd too. But thinking over your last post re gc maybe the merging of melb clubs is a better option for the afl.

Tlpg, you're now at least tryin to contribute. Put it there partner!

[King-Eliagh]

And yes I think with the current lopsidedness a top 6 would be good. But if and when the comp evens up again it should go back to 8.

[NRLCrap1]

Six out of 18 is bullshit. Eight is right.

[King-Eliagh]

Yes but crap1 as afl fans we all understand that there aren't currently 18 competitive teams starting each season. The afl expansion program and the unequal distribution of wealth across clubs means that at best we've had 13-14 competitive clubs starting each season since '12.

Hopefully this evens out but there's no certainty of it happening anytime soon. So really a 6 team finals series like phelpsy suggests sounds pretty good at the moment I reckon.

[TLPG]

However having seen the model of the suns there is something to be said about organically growing a team from scratch. I have seen the Gold Coast really jump on board with the suns, the town has watched them grow up over the years and they really feel a part if this town. If they had of come in and just won straight off you would not have got that. Sure, some initial success with crowds etc but that would drop off once they lose again . This way the supporters have really come on board and dedicated. So relocation may not be the way to go in non heartland areas.

By the way... Support a final 6. . 8 is too many and the first week of finals are a waste hence poor crowds

That's the Gold Coast, Phelpsy. Different kettle of fish entirely. What works there won't work anywhere else.

I'm with NRLC on the eight against the six - if anything because the way the AFL run the six is rubbish, and severely punishes the loser of the qualifying final while overly rewarding the higher elimination final winner. I prefer the six to be an extension of the five and not the four - or do it as some country leagues do it. The two elimination final winners play off in the first semi while the top two get the week off and play each other in the second semi. The AFL won't do that because it gives them one less game to garner money off. If they did the six as an extension of a final five, they'd have nine finals over five weeks instead of seven finals over four weeks. And nine finals is the number of finals they have now with the eight.