3 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Hopefully this is the catalyst for the club to say goodbye to Alice Springs once the contract is up, and play that 11th home game at Marvel.

Yes, you read that correctly. I'd rather play a home game at Marvel than Alice.

Yeah that's a fair point.

We were at out lowest ebb and the AFL did all they could to get us to a minimum standard AFL professional organisation. 

When is that contract up?

If the AFL are zoning it to North Melb then there is absolutely no point playing in Alice Springs.

15 hours ago, monoccular said:

Wait for the AFL to justify a NT team - despite the insanity of a team playing in the Darwin heat and humidity all season (even with some Alice games)  - on the basis of "with the Tasmanian team we will have an unbalanced number necessitating byes and nobody wants that.   10 rounds a week - gosh, Thursday nights will be a permanent thing, and probably Monday nights too.  Is that OK Fox and 7??"

Talk about killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Of course the talent pool will be further diluted, and the cesspool from which they find maggots will have to be even deeper, despite the FACT that they cannot get enough half competent umpires already.  At least 4 more required.

But we can't afford 21st Century goal line camera technology.

I love the Demons. I despise the AFL as an organisation.

I reckon it will be 2x games on a Friday night in a 20 team comp to compete with the NRL.

Monday doesn't work in Australia, too long of a week Thurs/Mon.

Edited July 2, 2024Jul 2 by YesitwasaWin4theAges

23 minutes ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

When is that contract up?

If the AFL are zoning it to North Melb then there is absolutely no point playing in Alice Springs.

We get paid around $800k to play in the Alice. Playing the Alice game at Marvel or the MCG would give a sub $200k return at best.

Perhaps the Vic Govt would stump up the money and we could play in Mildura like the Dogs are paid to play a few games on Mars (aka Ballarat)

do i go complete conspiracy theory and suggest the "North" in Nth Melbourne has some link to a potential new team in NT?  not saying relocate but....

The stupid thing is, the AFL can give them this but if they suddenly become a strong club again they will receive complaints and then will no doubt reverse it.

The AFL have to be the most knee-jerk sporting competition in the world, and by a fair margin.

How about they work out a system you think is fair and promotes growth in the overall country and then commit to that for 20 years before reviewing again.

Need to know more, doesn't make sense 

58 minutes ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

When is that contract up?

If the AFL are zoning it to North Melb then there is absolutely no point playing in Alice Springs.

My understanding is that we're playing in Alice in the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Why the uproar? Other than the 800k what benefit have we got from the NT in the last decade? They can zone all they like, any half decent player cannot be touched until the 3rd round and by then they are almost likely gone. 

Non Story for mine. 

19 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

We really need to get ahead of the curve and start a sweepstakes for what the next shafting will be.

After all, it'll help our relationship with AFL HQ if we're seen to be actively promoting spot gambling.

It may also give the AFL prior knowledge across timeframes as to our awarenesses of being 'shafted by them' so often, so inconsiderately with very little compensatory breathing space ....

7 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

Why the uproar? Other than the 800k what benefit have we got from the NT in the last decade? They can zone all they like, any half decent player cannot be touched until the 3rd round and by then they are almost likely gone. 

Non Story for mine. 

I'm not so much concerned about this specific issue, but I think it just goes back to the flimsy way the AFL run their competition. They flip flop constantly and are swayed by the media & large clubs on certain decisions, when they need to work out what is the best way to grow the game and work on a system that does this.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/how-the-afl-review-became-an-orgy-of-club-self-interest-20240701-p5jqa0.html

An interesting read... Some nuggets  Unfortunately it doesn't mention what we asked for.

At a time when heavyweight clubs are seeking more influence over the AFL Commission, the naked self-interest of clubs has underscored why the game still needs a wholly independent commission to judge what is genuinely “in the best interests of the game” rather than in the interests of particular clubs......

If there were medals for the most self-interested suggestions, the Swans would certainly be on the podium with their idea of turning the grand final into a best-of-three series. It is noteworthy that this reality defiant idea – fully ventilated in the media by the Sydney leadership – did not form part of the club’s official submission to the AFL.

Not to be outdone, Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans went on the record with the far-fetched concept of playing the entire first week of the finals out of Victoria, irrespective of ladder position. Again, this was not a serious suggestion and was really about pushing back against those who wanted the Suns to lose their academy bid discount in the draft or other concessions.

Then, the Dockers and Eagles floated the notion that the 10 Victorian teams could each take turns in playing a home game in Perth, as a means of equalising the vast disadvantage that WA teams had in their seasonal travel. This was another idea that seemed to be making a broader point about the Vic-centric nature of the competition.

St Kilda, meanwhile, have been the loudest voice against the northern academies and father-son bidding systems, which is the hobby horse of Saints president Andrew Bassat and which Ross Lyon further questioned on Friday.

 

AND this was the best:

Carlton have been lobbying intently not against the imminent changes to the father-son and academy bids but for those changes, like tax hikes, to be delayed until the Camporeale twins are secured this November.

13 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

I'm not so much concerned about this specific issue, but I think it just goes back to the flimsy way the AFL run their competition. They flip flop constantly and are swayed by the media & large clubs on certain decisions, when they need to work out what is the best way to grow the game and work on a system that does this.

It’s been like that for years though and I don’t see anything changing anytime soon as it is not being challenged by any other code.
 

Ultimately the product is being eroded but many consumers have no choice. Once upon a time the A league had threatened the security of the sport but that is no longer. 

We could always apply to train on Darwin racecourse

7 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

The stupid thing is, the AFL can give them this but if they suddenly become a strong club again they will receive complaints and then will no doubt reverse it.

The AFL have to be the most knee-jerk sporting competition in the world, and by a fair margin.

How about they work out a system you think is fair and promotes growth in the overall country and then commit to that for 20 years before reviewing again.

Is that because it is run by jerks?

6 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/how-the-afl-review-became-an-orgy-of-club-self-interest-20240701-p5jqa0.html

An interesting read... Some nuggets  Unfortunately it doesn't mention what we asked for.

At a time when heavyweight clubs are seeking more influence over the AFL Commission, the naked self-interest of clubs has underscored why the game still needs a wholly independent commission to judge what is genuinely “in the best interests of the game” rather than in the interests of particular clubs......

If there were medals for the most self-interested suggestions, the Swans would certainly be on the podium with their idea of turning the grand final into a best-of-three series. It is noteworthy that this reality defiant idea – fully ventilated in the media by the Sydney leadership – did not form part of the club’s official submission to the AFL.

Not to be outdone, Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans went on the record with the far-fetched concept of playing the entire first week of the finals out of Victoria, irrespective of ladder position. Again, this was not a serious suggestion and was really about pushing back against those who wanted the Suns to lose their academy bid discount in the draft or other concessions.

Then, the Dockers and Eagles floated the notion that the 10 Victorian teams could each take turns in playing a home game in Perth, as a means of equalising the vast disadvantage that WA teams had in their seasonal travel. This was another idea that seemed to be making a broader point about the Vic-centric nature of the competition.

St Kilda, meanwhile, have been the loudest voice against the northern academies and father-son bidding systems, which is the hobby horse of Saints president Andrew Bassat and which Ross Lyon further questioned on Friday.

 

AND this was the best:

Carlton have been lobbying intently not against the imminent changes to the father-son and academy bids but for those changes, like tax hikes, to be delayed until the Camporeale twins are secured this November.

Interesting - have there ever been twin father son prospects before?    No doubt Carlton will demand, and get, a two for one special deal, otherwise, if they are any good as players, they would have to expend most of their draft numbers in getting them.  Couldn't have that, could we?

On 01/07/2024 at 19:46, Fat Tony said:

We should be loud in our protest against the academy systems unless (our zone is the same size as Sydney's). There is a reason they never miss the finals.

And indigenous Australians should not be in the academy systems. They are not a group which is under represented in the AFL on a percentage of population basis. Players like Jamarra Ugle-Hagan started playing Australian rules before the academies existed.

So did guys like Nick Blakey whose dad played 300+ games for North and Fitzroy. The Academies are an absolute rort.

On 01/07/2024 at 18:51, Redleg said:

AFL looking at giving the Roos the whole of NT as their recruiting area.

After being the Alice Springs club, that could be wasted now.

Has always been a waste of time

9 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

So did guys like Nick Blakey whose dad played 300+ games for North and Fitzroy. The Academies are an absolute rort.

Sure, but Blakey was in the Swans academy, which has different rules.

The NGA academies should be for players who have not played junior football to under 15s or year 9. The idea of the NGAs should be to attract new players to the game.

Basing it off non-Australian backgrounds makes no sense given 48% of the population has at least one parent born overseas. It completely screws the draft and the number of kids in each club's zone is not equal.

That all said, MFC have been given Casey and Dandenong as our NGA zones. Given the young African population in Dandenong and the growth in Casey, there is a chance to get the system to work in our favour to some extent.

24 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Sure, but Blakey was in the Swans academy, which has different rules.

The NGA academies should be for players who have not played junior football to under 15s or year 9. The idea of the NGAs should be to attract new players to the game.

Basing it off non-Australian backgrounds makes no sense given 48% of the population has at least one parent born overseas. It completely screws the draft and the number of kids in each club's zone is not equal.

That all said, MFC have been given Casey and Dandenong as our NGA zones. Given the young African population in Dandenong and the growth in Casey, there is a chance to get the system to work in our favour to some extent.

I agree 100% but the reason the NGAs exist in the first place is because the big clubs kicked up a stink about the northern academies (rightfully so IMO).

My kids would qualify for the NGAs under current rules because my wife was born in Asia but they were born here and grew up with footy around them since birth, same for me. The whole thing is just another rort compromising the integrity of the competition. One of the key pillars of equalisation is the draft and it is severely undermined by academies and also father/son picks.

19 hours ago, layzie said:

Need to know more, doesn't make sense 

What does with what they do?

57 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Sure, but Blakey was in the Swans academy, which has different rules.

The NGA academies should be for players who have not played junior football to under 15s or year 9. The idea of the NGAs should be to attract new players to the game.

Basing it off non-Australian backgrounds makes no sense given 48% of the population has at least one parent born overseas. It completely screws the draft and the number of kids in each club's zone is not equal.

That all said, MFC have been given Casey and Dandenong as our NGA zones. Given the young African population in Dandenong and the growth in Casey, there is a chance to get the system to work in our favour to some extent.

Your key words were "to some extent."

How many African kids play for the Dees?

Maybe the extent is nil, certainly it is that atm.

 

Edited July 2, 2024Jul 2 by Redleg

6 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Your key words were "to some extent."

How many African kids play for the Dees?

Maybe the extent is nil, certainly it is that atm.

 

The mooted changes are that all NGA players would be able to be taken by their respective club regardless of where they are drafted. This would mean that  players like Mac Andrew (who was drafted inside the top 40) would be able to be matched.

We could benefit IF AFL can take hold in the African communities in Dandenong because our game is clearly suited to some of the athletic traits of Africans. (The Sudanese especially seem to have the speed, height and endurance.) There is nine South Sudanese players on NBL rosters, which is incredible given the South Sudanese population in Australia is around 13,000. South Sudan made the Olympics, so they are pretty good.

11 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

So did guys like Nick Blakey whose dad played 300+ games for North and Fitzroy. The Academies are an absolute rort.

Not on topic - I'm always amazed that someone I would've described as a dour defender has a giant lair of a son 😄

2 hours ago, Fat Tony said:.

That all said, MFC have been given Casey and Dandenong as our NGA zones. Given the young African population in Dandenong and the growth in Casey, there is a chance to get the system to work in our favour to some extent.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure the rules will change again long before this comes to fruition. 

1 hour ago, Fat Tony said:

The mooted changes are that all NGA players would be able to be taken by their respective club regardless of where they are drafted. This would mean that  players like Mac Andrew (who was drafted inside the top 40) would be able to be matched.

We could benefit IF AFL can take hold in the African communities in Dandenong because our game is clearly suited to some of the athletic traits of Africans. (The Sudanese especially seem to have the speed, height and endurance.) There is nine South Sudanese players on NBL rosters, which is incredible given the South Sudanese population in Australia is around 13,000. South Sudan made the Olympics, so they are pretty good.

So the mooted changes are to go back to the initial bidding system.

NGA is a farce has been since its inception.

North getting the NT, is this the start of a relocation process or at least a hybrid arrangement for north.  The AFLs pockets won't be deeper enough to cover AFLW, GCS, GWS, Tassie and a NT side

6 minutes ago, drdrake said:

So the mooted changes are to go back to the initial bidding system.

NGA is a farce has been since its inception.

North getting the NT, is this the start of a relocation process or at least a hybrid arrangement for north.  The AFLs pockets won't be deeper enough to cover AFLW, GCS, GWS, Tassie and a NT side

I expect the points system will also be fixed so that the value of late picks is reduced.