King urgers Kangaroos to relocate to Gold Coast

[Beaussie]

King urges Kangaroos to move
By Adam Cooper
April 8, 2006

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 11,00.html

DUAL Kangaroos premiership player David King has forecast a grim future for his old AFL club unless it relocates to the Gold Coast.

King today became the latest North Melbourne old boy to call for the 'Roos to move its base to Carrara Stadium or face extinction through a lack of money and support.

"There's no choice, we have to go," said King, who played in the 1996 and 1999 premiership sides during his 11-season, 241-game career.

"I hate saying that, but I'd rather go up there and hang onto something like the Fitzroy people are still hanging on to the Brisbane Lions than have the club go down the gurgler."

The Kangaroos are considering moving their secondary base to the Gold Coast when their deal to play games in Canberra expires this year, and could make Carrara their new home.

King believes a permanent move is inevitable and said many of his former teammates preferred a shift if it meant the club survived.

"We'd rather have a club to celebrate and be a part of than have it just go down the drain," he said on radio station 3AW.

"The North Melbourne supporters down here must realise that they will have no club if they fight this, they will end up with no club."

King, who echoed the sentiments of former North star Sam Kekovich from earlier this week, said the Kangaroos were incapable of matching the resources and support base of richer clubs on their own.

"Our membership is 17,000 and Collingwood is looking for 40,000," he said.

"Every year they're going to increase and the gap's going to become wider and wider.

"I don't think they (the Roos) can survive long-term unless they're prepared to get $20 million like the (Federal) Government has over at the Bulldogs.

"I don't think they can survive at Arden Street the way they are now."

Hmm, thoughts?

Interesting results thus far in the Herald Sun Footy online poll too:

Should the Roos relocate to the Gold Coast?

(Poll results in feedback section)

218 61.93% Yes
134 38.06% No

[skip68]

I would prefer to travel to the gold coast instead of bloody cold canberra.

[Beaussie]

So skip, I'm assuming you're a Kangaroos fan living in VIC who would not object to a possible relocation to the Gold Coast? Just curious, are you living in Melbourne or rural VIC?

[skip68]

Kangaroos fan living in Melbourne.I don't get to go to many games as I have Junior Foootball commitments every Sunday & we play most of our Home games on a Sunday.
Gold Coast warmer & more exciting than our cold Capital.

[crocodileman]

Me thinks Skip is an invention of Beaussie's imagination in an attempt to win support for an unpopular belief!

[Beaussie]

Fair enough skip. It does surprise me though considering some of the posts I've read over at Big Footy from Roos fans.

As for you Croc... you're way off.

[Beaussie]

Does anyone believe there is any truth to the following:

Sam Newman: Carrara catch
30 April 2006 Sunday Herald Sun
Scot Palmer
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 42,00.html

THE Kangaroos would be made a $1.2 million offer to play games at Carrara on the Gold Coast – with the condition they relocate in the future.

Football broadcaster Sam Newman, back in the Triple M radio box after his walkout last week, made the shock declaration before the Kangaroos-Melbourne match at the MCG yesterday.

Newman claimed the three-game offer was conditional on the Kangaroos moving and not being able to "grab the money and run".

"It might not happen tomorrow – it will depend on other factors, including the Southport Sharks Football Club, but it will happen," Newman said.

He said the AFL was determined to have another team in Queensland and if the Kangaroos did not accept, the offer would go to another club.

He said a relocated side would give the AFL three major blockbuster "derbies" in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.