Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

[Bornadog]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

Pray tell, why would the AFL want us anywhere near finals let alone a GF?

Do they want the Western Region of Melbourne to be purely soccer.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

I am not talking about cash assistance. I am talking about the need to inject some players in that will get us to a GF.

We need the cash to get more and better recruiters. More off field support, more development coaches, a match day tactical coach. The money to push harder for members. The money to sell sizzle to get people to games, and thus the sponsors dollars and for players you want to play in front of 30,000+ members each week! not a few more than Skoda stadium. All the benefits on field the bigger clubs have is cash to buy whatever is the new big thing in advancing their players (outside Essendon...) and the best advice and development. there's no cash here, here there's no cash. Robbo...

[Sedat]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

Do they want the Western Region of Melbourne to be purely soccer.

Did they give a crap about the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and giving this massive region an excuse to walk away from AFL, when they got rid of Waverley in 1999?

The AFL treat the city of Melbourne with lip service because they know the fans are rusted on in this town (although not as rusted on as they arrogantly think). They are desperate to see success with their expansion clubs, and with the most popular of the remaining clubs to round out the finals. They could care less about us except as a necessary 1/16th of their massive TV/media rights deal. That is why we get twilight Sunday games up to the eyeballs on Foxtel.

[Greystache]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

We've subsidised the AFL's purchase of Etihad Stadium not the other clubs. Collins agreed to make us and the other "tenant" (slave) clubs trapped in the deal pay it out. Here's some equity to consider. How's about the "tenant" clubs who've paid it off are the actual legal owners of it once its done? Weve paid the cash, Geelong own theirs, makes sense to me! There would be a rush for all those begging to play at the MCG to come running back the other way if this fair and equal measure was agreed to....

The other clubs don't have to give their pound of flesh for the purchase of the stadium. The rich clubs can keep making big money on the high drawing games, and we can be drip fed a lifeline to stay afloat. So in real terms we are subsidising the rich clubs.

[Bornadog]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

Did they give a crap about the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and giving this massive region an excuse to walk away from AFL, when they got rid of Waverley in 1999?

The AFL treat the city of Melbourne with lip service because they know the fans are rusted on in this town (although not as rusted on as they arrogantly think). They are desperate to see success with their expansion clubs, and with the most popular of the remaining clubs to round out the finals. They could care less about us except as a necessary 1/16th of their massive TV/media rights deal. That is why we get twilight Sunday games up to the eyeballs on Foxtel.

So we just bendover and take it, or keep pushing???

[jeemak]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

The other clubs don't have to give their pound of flesh for the purchase of the stadium. The rich clubs can keep making big money on the high drawing games, and we can be drip fed a lifeline to stay afloat. So in real terms we are subsidising the rich clubs.

This is absolutely true and probably the most galling aspect of the Docklands issue for me.

I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see the stadium purchased and the competition rationalised in terms of club numbers within the next five years, or potentially in the media rights negotiations following the next lot.

A scenario in which we pay for the ongoing maintenance of the stadium through terrible contractual terms until it's sold, only for us to be excluded from receiving the ultimate benefit of its purchase isn't an unrealistic proposition.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

Pray tell, why would the AFL want us anywhere near finals let alone a GF?

To sanitise the competition and the AFL name. A Bulldogs premiership would be a refreshing of the AFL precisely because they're so dirty corporate.

[KT31]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

To sanitise the competition and the AFL name. A Bulldogs premiership would be a refreshing of the AFL precisely because they're so dirty corporate.

Agree, I know many supporters of other clubs that have a soft spot for us and if their club's weren't in the running would love to see us get a flag.
At worst it may get the many cynics back on board and would definitely please at least 30000 of us.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

Actually think the best assistance for a struggling club would be a Salary Cap increase.

If we look at the walk up start that Collingwood and Sydney get just from exposure, sponsorship etc just from ANZAC day, they should perhaps pay a licence fee of $1m each to be shared as additional salary cap around the teams that are excluded from that sort of exposure