The whole Western Syd saga is to increase the value of AFL TV rights. The filling of stadiums is a secondary nice to have after increasing AFL footage for TV and hopefully increasing AFL TV patronage in NSW and Qld. The two biggest markets the AFL has yet to really crack.

The legacy and question of the success of the teams 17 and 18 will only be determined well after Vlad is gone.

And this pet project of his seems to have taken a fairly large hit.........

West Sydney is AFL's Vietnam

The warning came as the AFL's plan for a second Sydney team hit a major hurdle with the New South Wales Government withdrawing financial backing for the expansion.

The Government has told the AFL it will not help fund the $100 million redevelopment of the Sydney Showground at Homebush, where a second AFL side was set to be based from 2012.

Nothing? Do you mean that literally? What about all the money which the AFL has poured into Melbourne and other struggling clubs. I know the AFL have been cutting back the assistance money but Melbourne would probably have merged by now if it wasn't for the AFL assistance money. Perhaps they should do more. Or perhaps not. But Andrew Demetrio and AFL have certainly done a lot more than nothing. They have re-distributed millions from the more financially sound clubs to the struggling ones. Ultimately it's the members of the well-off clubs who have subsidised the struggling ones. So that means, for example, that Collingwood members have had to pay more than they would have, for their memberships to assist the other clubs. I support that system to help the poorer clubs but think about that. Those members have indirectly paid maybe $10 or $20 dollars out of their membership payments to Melbourne, St Kilda, the Bulldogs, Carlton....some would say that's unfair. So it's not "nothing".

The whole Western Syd saga is to increase the value of AFL TV rights. The filling of stadiums is a secondary nice to have after increasing AFL footage for TV and hopefully increasing AFL TV patronage in NSW and Qld. The two biggest markets the AFL has yet to really crack.

The legacy and question of the success of the teams 17 and 18 will only be determined well after Vlad is gone.

I work in TV RR so i am well aware of the Broadcast rights issue beiing a $ Billion + next time around. I just cannot see the point of spending infrastructure money for years & years & years to something i don't think is going to work.

while the remaining Melbourne clubs are left out in the cold for a number of years.

Time will tell as i have said before.

I know it's not just membership dollars that get redistributed (through licensing fees) by the AFL to support struggling clubs. The AFL also gets revenue from merchandise, gate receipts, tv rights. But you would take my point. The membership fees of the well off clubs could come down if there wasn't the socialistic system.

I work in TV RR so i am well aware of the Broadcast rights issue beiing a $ Billion + next time around.

Then you should realise the imperative of growing the TV base in two of the economic strongest and populous states in Australia.

And such infrastructure will only occur with considerable Govt chip for "community" development.

This wont happen while the GFC (not the cats) is in place.

Clearly you are not in finance as 10 teams cannot survive in Melbourne under their own steam. And there is little growth opportunities for the game in Melbourne. Its an oversupplied and saturated market.

Then you should realise the imperative of growing the TV base in two of the economic strongest and populous states in Australia.

And such infrastructure will only occur with considerable Govt chip for "community" development.

This wont happen while the GFC (not the cats) is in place.

Clearly you are not in finance as 10 teams cannot survive in Melbourne under their own steam. And there is little growth opportunities for the game in Melbourne. Its an oversupplied and saturated market.

I just wonder if the TV Market will grow if people don't want to watch the game. The Storm have won two flags but it does not motivate me to go and watch league. I am just one example but i am sure many people feel this way, & vice versa in sydney.

The N.S.W. Govt have reneged on the $$ for the stadium, but i bet the AFL will continue regardless, & this is what concerns me. It is a huge risk-so we wait.

9 teams in melbourne (plus Geelong) is too many, as we have said North should move, I have heard from Tony Sheahen (mikes son) that they are broke, all the $$ raised last year are gone. The white Knights did not cough up. But have they missed the boat?? The next 5 years will reveal alot.

I just wonder if the TV Market will grow if people don't want to watch the game. The Storm have won two flags but it does not motivate me to go and watch league. I am just one example but i am sure many people feel this way, & vice versa in sydney.

The N.S.W. Govt have reneged on the $$ for the stadium, but i bet the AFL will continue regardless, & this is what concerns me. It is a huge risk-so we wait.

9 teams in melbourne (plus Geelong) is too many, as we have said North should move, I have heard from Tony Sheahen (mikes son) that they are broke, all the $$ raised last year are gone. The white Knights did not cough up. But have they missed the boat?? The next 5 years will reveal alot.

RL will never get a foothold in Melbourne like they failed in Adelaide and Perth. RL is crud product and is withering. I have no intention of seeing Storm.

Sydney is a big market while spoonfed RL via News actually sports a number of ball sports in varying degrees. RL, ARU,, AFL and A League. No football codes owns Sydney like AFL owns Melbourne.

ATM the NSW Govt are financially incompetent, leaderless and set to get belted at the next election within 2 years(?). The next government in NSW should be smoozed by Vlad and co. I dont believe they will be as quick to set up W Sydney as many people think.

And I agree with you about North. Fiesty group who fought hard against the bleedin obvious. Once this playing group Harvey and co retire what will happen when they bottom out especially with GC 17 scooping the picks. The Board will have blood on their hands. In 5 years if they are not elsewhere they will be either planning to go or closing up shop.

ATM the NSW Govt are financially incompetent, leaderless and set to get belted at the next election within 2 years(?). The next government in NSW should be smoozed by Vlad and co. I dont believe they will be as quick to set up W Sydney as many people think.

And I agree with you about North. Fiesty group who fought hard against the bleedin obvious. Once this playing group Harvey and co retire what will happen when they bottom out especially with GC 17 scooping the picks. The Board will have blood on their hands. In 5 years if they are not elsewhere they will be either planning to go or closing up shop.

Yes from what i can find the N.S.W Govt is practically broke! which is not a good time to be that way considering the world position at present, so i would suspect as you say West Syd should be put on Hold, but i don't trust the AFL to do that & that is the core of my concern because the great Dream of Vlad & Adrian could take a lot of foundation clubs to the wall if it backfires.

My Mum & step dad lived in syd for nearly 10 years & have just come back down here. The few times i was up there & got to speaking to people about footy if i did, the whole AFL thing was a bit of fun to them. Sure they enjoyed it but only if they were winning. Start losing & the TV was not turned on they didn't care.

I maybe proved wrong but right now & for the next few years...I gotta bad feeling about all this stuff..

RL will never get a foothold in Melbourne like they failed in Adelaide and Perth. RL is crud product and is withering. I have no intention of seeing Storm.

Sydney is a big market while spoonfed RL via News actually sports a number of ball sports in varying degrees. RL, ARU,, AFL and A League. No football codes owns Sydney like AFL owns Melbourne.

ATM the NSW Govt are financially incompetent, leaderless and set to get belted at the next election within 2 years(?). The next government in NSW should be smoozed by Vlad and co. I dont believe they will be as quick to set up W Sydney as many people think.

And I agree with you about North. Fiesty group who fought hard against the bleedin obvious. Once this playing group Harvey and co retire what will happen when they bottom out especially with GC 17 scooping the picks. The Board will have blood on their hands. In 5 years if they are not elsewhere they will be either planning to go or closing up shop.

Yes because all NSW politicians are just that stupid......

I hope that I agree with you that it will not work, at least not now and should not be pursued, definitely not now.

And please RR just because you don't like or understand another code of footy does not mean you are leading the pack (despite what you seem to think).

League numbers do not and never have drawn the same crowds as AFL does in Victoria, but that is hard;y the point. The Swans don't either and are dwindling. It took a Premiership for people here to actually pay attention. There is a cultural difference it seems. We just don't turn up, and to put an unpopular sport with no crowd in foreign very guarded territory would be suicide.

You do not live here and frankly seem to have little idea it seems as to what Sydney is or isn't in these terms. The AFL has done little to no ground work up here, very small numbers of junior AFL is played and in basic numbers league (out west at least) and soccer still rule as the sports of choice. And it will take a miracle to change that. Thus there are no kids growing into the sport.

Just because Sydney is a "big market" doesn't mean everything will fit. We already have four footy codes (collective of nine NRL teams, the Waratahs, domestic union comp with 12 teams, Sydney FC, and the Swans) vying for a fairly inactive crowd. There is probably too many now, and to add another (of the least popular code) to the mess will be a disaster for the AFL.

Just my opinion (from someone who live north of the border) !!!

Yes because all NSW politicians are just that stupid......

I hope that I agree with you that it will not work, at least not now and should not be pursued, definitely not now.

And please RR just because you don't like or understand another code of footy does not mean you are leading the pack (despite what you seem to think).

League numbers do not and never have drawn the same crowds as AFL does in Victoria, but that is hard;y the point. The Swans don't either and are dwindling. It took a Premiership for people here to actually pay attention. There is a cultural difference it seems. We just don't turn up, and to put an unpopular sport with no crowd in foreign very guarded territory would be suicide.

You do not live here and frankly seem to have little idea it seems as to what Sydney is or isn't in these terms. The AFL has done little to no ground work up here, very small numbers of junior AFL is played and in basic numbers league (out west at least) and soccer still rule as the sports of choice. And it will take a miracle to change that. Thus there are no kids growing into the sport.

Just because Sydney is a "big market" doesn't mean everything will fit. We already have four footy codes (collective of nine NRL teams, the Waratahs, domestic union comp with 12 teams, Sydney FC, and the Swans) vying for a fairly inactive crowd. There is probably too many now, and to add another (of the least popular code) to the mess will be a disaster for the AFL.

Just my opinion (from someone who live north of the border) !!!

That is the impression i got QC when i visited sydney. Huge TV rights & growth corridors look fantastic on paper but what of the reality? And if it goes wrong what is plan B. The AFL would just keep pouring good money into it i bet, to the detriment of foundation clubs.

I am not against taking risks but this one looks wrong to me.