Western Bulldogs push for games in New Zealand

[aker39]

This article seems to have passed under the radar.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225839329917

Western Bulldogs push for games in New Zealand
Stephen Rielly From: The Australian March 11, 2010 12:00AM Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Print Email Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Add to Facebook Add to Kwoff Add to Myspace Add to Newsvine What are these?
THE Western Bulldogs are continuing to explore the idea of playing home games in New Zealand within two years, with chief executive Campbell Rose likely to be in Wellington next month for further discussions.

The plan to play two home matches at Wellington's Basin Reserve in exchange for a guaranteed return of $500,000 per game was first mooted last year but was still an ambitious suggestion by the time the 2010 season schedule was drawn.

With AFL endorsement, Rose outlined the Dogs' proposal in a letter written directly to the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key. The two men know each other through their yachting days although the letter was passed on to the country's peak sporting authority, the New Zealand Sports and Recreation Commission, for its consideration.

The Dogs currently sell two home games interstate, one to Darwin and the other to Canberra. The idea is to take those games to the New Zealand capital and attempt to build some sort of regular sporting and cultural event for the city around the idea of premiership points being fought over on foreign soil.

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Rose has a background in event management, having served as chief executive of Melbourne Major Events Corporation when rugby's Bledisloe Cup, golf's Presidents Cup and sailing's 1999 world championships were brought to the Victorian capital.

He said yesterday that "it's really up to the New Zealanders to make a determination" but said he would like coach Rodney Eade to be leading his team across the Tasman in 2012, if not next year.

"The Rugby World Cup is in New Zealand next year, so that might cloud things or influence our timing," Rose said.

"New Zealand is a fanatical rugby country, so you would expect the entire nation to be consumed by the World Cup. But I think there is a real opportunity for Melbourne and Wellington to establish a kindred, sister city relationship with our sport.

"It's closer, easier to travel to and cheaper to get to New Zealand than it is to get to Darwin. It's one flight and it provides a whole range of fantastic opportunities that our game, I think, could benefit from. Not the least being that it would be the first time premiership points would be played for offshore.

"Do the analysis. It's cheaper to fly to Wellington and it takes less time than it does to fly to Darwin.

"The fundamental idea is to establish a major event of sustainable proportions that creates a sense of occasion."

Hawthorn joined forces with AFL NZ last year to establish a grassroots presence for the Australian game in New Zealand but Rose said the Bulldogs concept was very different.

In any case, it is likely to be difficult for the Hawks to take a game or two to New Zealand when they already sell four home games to Tasmania, where the club has a lucrative long-term arrangement with the state government to play out of Launceston's Aurora Stadium.

"Hawthorn's interest appears to be in establishing a future recruiting ground, which is not where we're coming from," Rose said. "Ours is a commercial venture designed for the benefit of Wellington and for us, the sort of thing that the city of Melbourne understands very well."

AFL football has been played in New Zealand but only in exhibition pre-season form, never for premiership points.

Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs played there in the summer of 2000, as Melbourne and Sydney did in the pre-season of 1998. Most recently, Brisbane and Adelaide squared off in Wellington in 2001.

[Topdog]

That would add some spice to my yearly Bulldog trip.

[Mantis]

I wish it could be in Napier.

Footy one day, Cape Kidnappers the next... Heaven!!

[chef]

Sounds good, play our home games against GC and GWS over there for $500,000 each. We would lose money on these games if they were played in Melbourne anyway.

[GVGjr]

I've had my say on this previously but I wish we could we could make a success of one of these ventures we have been on.
Going to NZ would just be another short term fix.

[KT31]

Would give Sockeye something to do instead of arguing with the In-laws.

[LostDoggy]

Hope they do cos I go there quite often and will definantly go there for an AFL game!!!

[Sockeye Salmon]

Would give Sockeye something to do instead of arguing with the In-laws.

Hey Honey, let's go on a quick trip back to to NZ, don't worry about the tickets, I'll fix them up.