Talking Footy

Posted: **Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:56 am**

Finally some progress. I look forward to the first local derby at Olympic Stadium between Sydney and Western Sydney, likewise in QLD between Brisbane and Gold Coast. Exciting times ahead with the tender process to begin shortly and the TV networks keen for more content.

I'm not so keen on the potential 17 round season though.

AFL plans 2 new clubs in 4 years
Caroline Wilson, Chief Football Writer | February 16, 2008
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/a ... 07682.html

THE AFL will become an 18-team competition within four years, with plans to establish a Gold Coast team by 2011 and a team in western Sydney by 2012.

In an exclusive interview with The Age, AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick has revealed the league has begun packaging a nine-game per round, home-and-away season to be sold as the linchpin of AFL broadcast rights beyond 2011. It is set to announce a tender process for two new club licences before the start of this season.

Conceding that it would prove "virtually impossible" to tempt even the most struggling Victorian club to move, Mr Fitzpatrick said he had spoken to all three AFL TV broadcasters, and the Nine Network, about the league's intention to expand by 2012. "We've spoken to the networks and they are very keen to get more content. It's quite clear the Melbourne clubs have emotional attachments and infrastructures they are not prepared to relinquish."

The AFL had done much work last year trying to persuade North Melbourne to move to the Gold Coast, and was disappointed when it chose not to. "If you can't get a team to relocate on the basis that North was offered, then I don't think it's ever going to happen. In a sense it has solved a problem for us. If we are looking at establishing a 17th team on the Gold Coast by 2010-2011, the 18th team out of Sydney could follow within a year."

Mr Fitzpatrick will outline his expansion plans to the 16 existing clubs next week. The plans include building a 10,000-seat stadium, with administrative, training and social facilities, at Blacktown in Sydney's west.

#Mr Fitzpatrick and league chief executive Andrew Demetriou outlined the expanded competition plans to channels Seven, Nine, Ten and Foxtel in Sydney before Christmas.

Nine executive Jeff Browne, whose network plans to bid with Foxtel for the media rights beyond 2011, said: "I have a policy of not discussing any talks we might have with the AFL."

The new Queensland team is expected to be offered similar inducements to the $100 million package put to North Melbourne.

Mr Fitzpatrick did not rule out shortening the premiership season to 17 rounds by 2012 to ensure each team played each other once. "It's obviously something we'd look at."

By building the Blacktown stadium, Mr Demetriou's aim to schedule a weekly game in Sydney by 2015 has been brought forward by three years.

Mr Fitzpatrick, who became AFL chairman a year ago, said: "One of the issues I had when I came in was that we didn't have the relationship with government that we should have and other codes were organising themselves quite successfully around us."

The Blacktown stadium should be completed in time for a NAB Cup pre-season fixture in March next year. The two-oval complex will be home for the second Sydney team, to play most of its home games at Telstra Stadium at Homebush.

The league's plan is certain to antagonise the Sydney Swans, which have long insisted the Sydney market is nowhere near ready for another team.

Mr Fitzpatrick also revealed that the AFL was considering drug testing footballers by taking hair or saliva samples. "We are reviewing our illicit drugs policy and these new technologies we are investigating, of hair and oral testing, could detect drug use going back three months."

Posted: **Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:07 pm**

Complete garbage and shouldn't be happening without the loss of clubs in Melbourne - AND absolutely no second club anywhere in Sydney. The market is not there for it.

I wish they would stop ignoring Canberra!!

Posted: **Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:48 pm**

yeah i reakon if they are to bring in 2 new teams why not make it canberra and tassie?????

Posted: **Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:22 pm**

I would personally love to see Tassie get a side in the AFL. They have the facilities, they have the fans, and I'm sure they could muster up the money from the lucrative local businesses to give everyone a run for their money. I could see another team in QLD. I think the Gold Coast is a great location, just not too sure about West Sydney, I think Sydney F C struggle to fill their stadiums and can't see how they could manage 2 teams in such a rugby orientated environment.

Posted: **Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:43 am**

I want a team in from the NT, stuff Canberra! A Western Sydney team and Gold Coast team would be good, but Tassie needs to be considered as well. Time to get rid of some fo those Melbourne teams and seriously think of a third team from SA. Possibly a Centrals and North merger....a team to represent Northern Adelaide.

Posted: **Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:38 am**

I too would love to one day see NT and TAS AFL sides. Reality is though there isn't the corporate support required if you believe the AFL. Could SA support a 3rd team? WA probably could judging by the membership figures of the Eagles and Dockers but I'm not so sure about SA when you look at Port's membership numbers.

Posted: **Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:17 pm**

NT won't happen, because of the tropical conditions during their dry season and they don't have the money to run 100 percent night games.

Tassie is a special case and very volatile financially. The Devils (the VFL team) is wrecking footy down there, and you know there's a problem when one of their major private schools (Dominic) replaces the football oval with a soccer ground!! Not to mention the ongoing feud between Hobart and the North Coast. That's why they won't get an AFL team - because for it to work Hobart have to accept that the team will be playing in Launceston, and I can't see that happening.

Canberra has an untapped market, and it should be capitalised on. The local government treats the game with a lot more respect than the councils in Sydney, and the local competition is stronger than Sydney's as well (it's why the Swans seconds play there instead of the Sydney comp).

But the bottom line is this - no more new teams! We can't absorb it. Melbourne is over populated with clubs. Perth and Adelaide is about right.

I'm certain this is a panic move by the AFL to combat the A-League.