worst idea ever

Tasmania = passionate aussie rules community

New Zealand = Aussie Rules bro? what's that bro?

New Zealand are one eyed about there Rugby Union, it would struggle to capture enough of a paying crowd to make it worth the long flight over...

Another market should be explored, but i'm with redlegger, getting a better stadium deal or our own boutique stadium is the way forward long term.

This is just plain deranged. We are the MELBOURNE football club, and our mission should be to sink or swim in Melbourne. 10 things to consider:

1. NZ wouldn't want it and their Govt. wouldn't be as silly as the Tasmanians who Kennett has conned out of millions.

2. It depends on what you want your experience of your football club to be: Going and seeing them at matches or watching them on TV: I can't see how turning your club into a TV show will grow your membership.

3. Kennett's a slick salesman and the Hawks supporters are putting up with it because they're winning.... but selling 4 home games out of 11 just disenfranchises your membership base too much. Wait till they start losing games (including their Tasmanian games) and see how keen people are to follow a club that they get to go and see so seldom.

4. When the Tassie deal finishes, they'll try and squeeze themselves into the already tight Melbourne market... better that we're here all along so that they have to push their way into our turf.

6. I've suspected for a long time that there's something about Hawthorn's membership numbers that just doesn't add up. If they really have 40,000 members (as Collingwood do) then why on earth would they need to sell 4 of their 11 home games (as Collingwood or Carlton or Essendon would never dream of). It's clear that Melbourne, North Melbourne and the Bulldogs need the dollars.... Why would a club with 40,000 genuine members need to sell over a third of their games?

7. Darwin's too hot and steamy. NZ is too cold and neither would grow our base here. In time we'd be talked about in terms of moving fully over there the way that some poster here talks of Hawthorn moving to Tassie.

8. We're unique: We didn't grow out of a town or a suburb. We grew out of a sporting ground. For better or worse our future is tangled up with that ground.

9. The survival of North Melbourne, the Bulldogs and us lies in getting better stadium deals: Geelong's ground holds less than 25,000 people.... but they make an absolute fortune out of their home games down there... 20,000 to 25,000 at the G or Telstra Dome, and North, Dogs and us have to write a cheque to the AFL... There are signs that the AFL understands the inequity in the stadium deals. This is where our hope lies.

10. As I say at #8: We're unique. We need a unique solution to our unique problems. We're not Hathorn and what works forr them isn't even relevant to others... and I predict what works for them (Tassie) will come and go... and they'll be down the same drain that we are now.

Fair points. I'd love to see us play our one 'home' away game each year in Darwin, rather than Canberra though... that'd be cool - Wheels, Davey and Wona would all be get Brownlow votes for that game atleast

Here's an idea. How about we cut Hawthorn's lunch, and sell a few home games to Hobart.

They would be the team of North Tasmania, but we would be the team of the South!

I wrote to the club about this back 2003, didn't get a reply. but if we have to sell anywhere Hobart makes more sense than most places suggested.

Tasy is very North /South devided - there would be plenty of room for two part time teams.

Hobart is only slightly smaller than Geelong in population.

I imagine a Hawthorn Melbourne game would become a real blockbuster.

In a couple of years their will be 9 teams(including Geelong) playing outside melbourne and we will be one of the teams doing most of the travelling-We should work into the deal that we play at least half of those sides in Hobart.

Historicaly Melbourne was settled from Tasy.

We have quite a lot of Tasy players and ex players who could promote the club.

I wrote to the club about this back 2003, didn't get a reply. but if we have to sell anywhere Hobart makes more sense than most places suggested.

Tasy is very North /South devided - there would be plenty of room for two part time teams.

Hobart is only slightly smaller than Geelong in population.

I imagine a Hawthorn Melbourne game would become a real blockbuster.

In a couple of years their will be 9 teams(including Geelong) playing outside melbourne and we will be one of the teams doing most of the travelling-We should work into the deal that we play at least half of those sides in Hobart.

Historicaly Melbourne was settled from Tasy.

We have quite a lot of Tasy players and ex players who could promote the club.

that could work... not a bad idea. I would just be a bit worried about what's going on with a potential Tassie team forming in the next 5 years... but short term I think it is a good idea

Laughable at best NZ i doubt that would ever get of the ground.

WE have more chance of pulling a crowd in Hobart or just persist with the Canberra deal

This club needs to start winning games before anyone here let alone interstate will even bother wanting to spend their hard earned on watching us