Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

[G-Mo77]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

Yeah I would say Port Melbourne would not want to align with anyone. Frankston I believe is another VFL which is unaligned. Not sure of what their financial state.

Frankston are already signing VFL players for next season who aren't getting games because of AFL alignment. Seems like they've got no intention of aligning either.

[Eastdog]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

Frankston are already signing VFL players for next season who aren't getting games because of AFL alignment. Seems like they've got no intention of aligning either.

I believe also that Essendon and Bendigo are parting ways also. They will be unaligned as well but they also probably don't want to align with anyone.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

I believe also that Essendon and Bendigo are parting ways also. They will be unaligned as well but they also probably don't want to align with anyone.

From what I can gather Bendigo are pretty excited about going alone. No one here thinks they can pull it off though. Their last Bendigo team, The Diggers was a disaster. Players around here are committed to their BFL teams and not many want to make the move to a VFL club.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

How achievable is this considering our standing within the AFL community?

Do Eastcoast Jeans still exist?

Maybe a local pub might sponsor us.

I can see it now, Westernbulldogs AFL team.......sponsored by "the plough hotel".

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

From what I can gather Bendigo are pretty excited about going alone. No one here thinks they can pull it off though. Their last Bendigo team, The Diggers was a disaster. Players around here are committed to their BFL teams and not many want to make the move to a VFL club.

Not with the money on offer.

A big problem with VFL teams and in particular stand alone ones.


One or two players can earn a decent sum but the majority will earn more in local leagues,
so unless your trying to impress afl scouts after missing out on being drafted there isn't a lot of upside to playing with a side like Bendigo if your a local.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

Not with the money on offer.

A big problem with VFL teams and in particular stand alone ones.


One or two players can earn a decent sum but the majority will earn more in local leagues,
so unless your trying to impress afl scouts after missing out on being drafted there isn't a lot of upside to playing with a side like Bendigo if your a local.

Pretty much CyberDoggie. The Bendigo community just didn't warm to the Diggers either and once they became the Bendigo Bombers they treated the town like crap and rarely showed up here, it was pretty much just Essendon wankers who supported them. The BFL comp is still #1 here and it's going to take a lot to pry, not only players away but supporters as well.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

We have to find the money. We have no other choice. If we can't, we basically are condemning ourselves to the bottom half of the ladder. We had the same challenges in regards to facilities and we managed a way to close this gap.

To compete with the best teams we need to the ability to nurture and develop our own talent. The only way to do this is with our own stand alone team in the VFL.

You only have to look at the talent that Geelong and Collingwood have produced through their stand alone VFL teams.

[Eastdog]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

We have to find the money. We have no other choice. If we can't, we basically are condemning ourselves to the bottom half of the ladder. We had the same challenges in regards to facilities and we managed a way to close this gap.

To compete with the best teams we need to the ability to nurture and develop our own talent. The only way to do this is with our own stand alone team in the VFL.

You only have to look at the talent that Geelong and Collingwood have produced through their stand alone VFL teams.

Quite right angelopetraglia. We need to have our own stand alone team to produce that talent. Essendon will probably go down this route as well now and probably Richmond according to the article as they are going to split from Coburg in the next year or so.

[Jeanette54]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

If a stand alone "Footscray" VFL side can somehow use the (now) excellent facilities at Western Oval, alongside our current team; then the advantages to player/team development are even more obvious.

Almost back to the days of the seniors and the twos.

Now if we could only arrange for the "twos" to play a curtain raiser before the main game....... :-)

Oh, dream on !!

How readily the AFL squandered the fans love of watching their developing players when it dumped the reserves competition.

[Bornadog]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

How readily the AFL squandered the fans love of watching their developing players when it dumped the reserves competition.

Biggest mistake made by the AFL ever.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

I agree BAD. Great idea!

[Remi Moses]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

We have to find the money. We have no other choice. If we can't, we basically are condemning ourselves to the bottom half of the ladder. We had the same challenges in regards to facilities and we managed a way to close this gap.

To compete with the best teams we need to the ability to nurture and develop our own talent. The only way to do this is with our own stand alone team in the VFL.

You only have to look at the talent that Geelong and Collingwood have produced through their stand alone VFL teams.

Exactly my thoughts.
It's to difficult a juggling act, In fairness every club is "resting" players as we're playingthe most physically demanding sport in the world.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

If a stand alone "Footscray" VFL side can somehow use the (now) excellent facilities at Western Oval, alongside our current team; then the advantages to player/team development are even more obvious.

Almost back to the days of the seniors and the twos.

Now if we could only arrange for the "twos" to play a curtain raiser before the main game....... :-)

Oh, dream on !!

How readily the AFL squandered the fans love of watching their developing players when it dumped the reserves competition.

To much. Next you' ll be asking to have a kick on the ground after a game!!
Then they'll be training at 5 o'clock on a Thursday!
Just to much

[Axe Man]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

Just playing devil's advocate here for a second, if having a stand alone reserves side is such an advantage, why don't all the clubs do it? Obviously us, North and maybe Melbourne may struggle for the cash, but surely the other clubs could afford it. In particular does anybody know why Hawthorn still align with Box Hill? They have plenty of money for a stand alone side, yet it doesn't seem to be hurting their on field results at present.

On a side note, if AFL clubs increasingly choose to go alone, surely an AFL reserves comp would have to be reinstated and split from the VFL? Otherwise there will be +20 sides in the VFL!

[Maddog37]

Re: Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

4,000 members put in $100 each. I would be more than happy to go for that.