Rumours of playing 4 games in Sydney in 2009

[Dry Rot]

Apparently this was on SEN - anyone know anything about it?

Doesn't make sense to me, unless it is the first step in an evil AFL relocation plan.

[LostDoggy]

Yes the AFL admin will look after us

[gohardorgohome]

Western Sydney is the worst region of Australia IMO. Take the four least inviting suburbs of Melbourne multiply the area by fifteen, add two and a half million people who have no interest in aussie rules and you should have a picture of what it’s like. I go there a bit for work and hate the place with a passion.

The Northern Beaches, Eastern suburbs and Inner West of Sydney have a small AFL culture. That culture took 25 years to develop. Noone out west in Sydney gives a damn. They like Rugby League because it is easy for them to follow. They have no idea about Aussie Rules.

It’s not like Hawthorn and Tassie with an AFL culture. There are not many expat Victorians living there like the Gold Coast. Remember when North played a few games in Sydney six or so years back? No one went. That’s what it will be like. They only get 12000 or so to a Canterbury Bulldogs game. That club plays it's games in the heartland of Rugby League.


A terrible idea that we should not even contemplate.

[mjp]

I still dont get the attraction with Western Sydney.

Population? Yep. Tourists? Nope. Rugby league heartland and not exactly a desired location for any Victorians/Tasmanians moving 'north'.

I dont understand it. The Gold Coast I understood. Western Sydney I dont. Stick a 3rd team in Perth would be a better idea.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I still dont get the attraction with Western Sydney.

Population? Yep. Tourists? Nope. Rugby league heartland and not exactly a desired location for any Victorians/Tasmanians moving 'north'.

I dont understand it. The Gold Coast I understood. Western Sydney I dont. Stick a 3rd team in Perth would be a better idea.

How is Perth currently divvied up?

Is it eveyone South of the river goes for Freo? Is there another area that would be ideal for a third side?

[LostDoggy]

How is Perth currently divvied up?

Is it eveyone South of the river goes for Freo? Is there another area that would be ideal for a third side?

Your heartland of Freo support is, surprisingly, Freo. Other than that, there is no geographical logic to how WCE or Freo support is divvied up. I would argue that Freo is mostly supported by people who want to 'stick it to the man'... ie. the default position is WCE, so if you don't want to run with the herd you go for Fremantle. However, scratch a Fremantle supporter and you find an Eagles supporter, and vice versa. They claim to have a Collingwood and Carlton type of hatred, but that is absolute tripe.

If you were looking to start a new AFL club in Perth you would probably put it in Joondalup, northern suburbs, where West Perth has been relocated to. I doubt the Peel region (Mandurah, booming south) could sustain a team.

Anyway, if any AFL team is going to be moved or started anywhere, it should be Canberra. They need a team.

[Twodogs]

Your heartland of Freo support is, surprisingly, Freo. Other than that, there is no geographical logic to how WCE or Freo support is divvied up. I would argue that Freo is mostly supported by people who want to 'stick it to the man'... ie. the default position is WCE, so if you don't want to run with the herd you go for Fremantle. However, scratch a Fremantle supporter and you find an Eagles supporter, and vice versa. They claim to have a Collingwood and Carlton type of hatred, but that is absolute tripe.

If you were looking to start a new AFL club in Perth you would probably put it in Joondalup, northern suburbs, where West Perth has been relocated to. I doubt the Peel region (Mandurah, booming south) could sustain a team.

Anyway, if any AFL team is going to be moved or started anywhere, it should be Canberra. They need a team.

What about Tassie? Full of footy people and there's nothing else to do. I'd go there before I went to Canberra.

[mjp]

However, scratch a Fremantle supporter and you find an Eagles supporter, and vice versa. They claim to have a Collingwood and Carlton type of hatred, but that is absolute tripe.

I disagree with this as much as anything I have ever read on this site.

Casual fans? Sure. West Coast supporters tend not to have the same level of hatred of the Dockers as Freo do of WCE for one very simple reason - it is hard to hate someone who you have historically smashed. Freo supporters - real fans - have an almost pathological hate of the Eagles though. It is a little disturbing to be honest.

The teams hate each other on the field...no doubt the fans hate each other off the field.

Perth is divvied up such that most people follow WCE, and I guess around 10-15% of the footy public back the Dockers. But what this translates too is that a Dogs fan like me who has returned to Perth after 3 years and wants to go and watch AFL footy cannot even get tickets to the Dockers games, let alone to West Coast (season pass I mean).

Is there room for another team here? Not really. But I still say that there is room for another side here before there is in Western Sydney.

[LostDoggy]

What about Tassie? Full of footy people and there's nothing else to do. I'd go there before I went to Canberra.

Canberra and Tassie have roughly the same population, I think. Canberra is full of footy people, with the advantage of being close to Sydney. Support for the Raiders is very superficial...(The Brumbies are different, of course). Manuka is beautifully located and a great place to watch footy, if you can get in.

Nothing else to do in Canberra either

[Twodogs]

Canberra and Tassie have roughly the same population, I think. Canberra is full of footy people, with the advantage of being close to Sydney. Support for the Raiders is very superficial...(The Brumbies are different, of course). Manuka is beautifully located and a great place to watch footy, if you can get in.

Nothing else to do in Canberra either

We graced it with our presence last year, and for quite a lot longer than we intended too.

[Sockeye Salmon]

The AFL missed the boat in Canberra. They needed to get in before the Raiders, so they're 20 years too late.

[LostDoggy]

I disagree with this as much as anything I have ever read on this site.

Casual fans? Sure. West Coast supporters tend not to have the same level of hatred of the Dockers as Freo do of WCE for one very simple reason - it is hard to hate someone who you have historically smashed. Freo supporters - real fans - have an almost pathological hate of the Eagles though. It is a little disturbing to be honest.

The teams hate each other on the field...no doubt the fans hate each other off the field.

Perth is divvied up such that most people follow WCE, and I guess around 10-15% of the footy public back the Dockers. But what this translates too is that a Dogs fan like me who has returned to Perth after 3 years and wants to go and watch AFL footy cannot even get tickets to the Dockers games, let alone to West Coast (season pass I mean).

Is there room for another team here? Not really. But I still say that there is room for another side here before there is in Western Sydney.

I feel honoured!

Freo or WCE fans are not casual or fickle, or any less passionate than us Doggies fans. I'm not saying that.

But try this little experiment: next time the Eagles are playing a Victorian team in the finals, watch your Dockers mates and see who they really want to win. It will be the Eagles. And vice versa. They will support WA despite themselves.

Then ask a Collingwood supporter if they would barrack for Carlton in a final. They wouldn't. That is pathological hatred. Eagles V Dockers is a minor lover's tiff by comparison.

I grew up in WA as well...

[hotdog]

[QUOTE=Alan Shorty;24605]I feel honoured!

But try this little experiment: next time the Eagles are playing a Victorian team in the finals, watch your Dockers mates and see who they really want to win. It will be the Eagles. And vice versa. They will support WA despite themselves.

Then ask a Collingwood supporter if they would barrack for Carlton in a final. They wouldn't. That is pathological hatred. Eagles V Dockers is a minor lover's tiff by comparison.

I tend to agree. Having lived over here since 2000 the Us V Them mentality is at times hard to bear. Most people I know barrack for West Coast but the general theme is if WCE can't win the flag then "West is Best" and Go Dockers or Go WA!

[gohardorgohome]

I have spent a bit of time in Perth for work. I think most in Melb have no idea of how parochial people from WA are. There is a significant number of people there that want to split from the rest of the country.

[mjp]

I feel honoured!

Freo or WCE fans are not casual or fickle, or any less passionate than us Doggies fans. I'm not saying that.

But try this little experiment: next time the Eagles are playing a Victorian team in the finals, watch your Dockers mates and see who they really want to win. It will be the Eagles. And vice versa. They will support WA despite themselves.
Then ask a Collingwood supporter if they would barrack for Carlton in a final. They wouldn't. That is pathological hatred. Eagles V Dockers is a minor lover's tiff by comparison.

I grew up in WA as well...

I suspect your WA friends are not footy fans...I disagree with this even more than your first statement. The LAST thing any Dockers fan wants is the Eagles to win - EVERYONE at work will be into them on the Monday morning. The reverse is absolutely true. The Eagles fans simply dont want the Dockers to be successful...they hate losing Western Derbies, and always go on about them being 'Grand Finals for teams who cant make Grand Finals' etc etc.

I remember pelting Shorty Daniels with food as he lay (passed out drunk) at the bottom of the players race at the Western Oval in June 1985...Perhaps this experience is making me disregard your opinion, but there isn't much 'my second side is the Eagles' type stuff happening here these days...