Dr. Gonzo

How many did they have in 2016?

The last "strike" is shacking up with a lady after returning from Qld while meant to be in quarantine. I wouldn't hang him on that.

I can't see a private ownership model resurfacing in the AFL after the debacle that happened the first time around. There are obvious downsides to this model as well (owners picking up teams and relocating them on a whim, teams being stuck with inept owners giving the members no power to influence the running of the club etc) Look at my team in the NFL, the New York Jets. They are absolutely pathetic at the moment and have been for much of the last decade. Most of that comes down to ownership making bad decisions again and again yet the owners will not sell as it is a proven money-spinner for them. Hell some owners don't even care if their team can win championships as long as they can rake in the revenue from the TV rights and reserved seat sales.

The NFL has a revenue sharing model, because they realise the strength of the competition is dependent on the strength of all clubs. The AFL instead pursues policies that favour the bigger clubs (eg with the fixture) but they don't then spread the revenue gained from that around. This has led to the widening gap between rich and poor over the last 25 years.

Because of the private ownership model. The franchises are privately owned "for profit" organisations and the NFL commissioner (Goodell) is there to serve their interests. The AFL is unique in that they play a dual role - governors of the competition (the AFL) as well as governors of the code (Australian Football or Australian Rules), the latter role which was usurped from the ANFC in the early 90s.

There is no legal aspect. What you are referring to is perfectly legal, I do the same thing with my NFL gamepass subscription and save about $150 a year.

Exactly. Their trying to get into the schools and getting kids playing footy instead of league. They give out free tickets so the kids get their parents to bring them along to games. It's a bold long term strategy and one I agree with. Sydney and Brisbane are the two major markets for advertiser's next to Melbourne, they don't care about Perth, Adelaide, Tassie or Darwin. Its the best way of ensuring the long term viability of the code financially as well as opening up development opportunities for talent in those areas which will ultimately increase the player pool and benefit everyone. That's not to say it should be at the expense of Tassie, I'd love to see a Tassie side in the AFL. But there's no reason both things can't happen.

I'd add Vandenberg Smith and this year Melksham to that list

Different voting systems though

Oliver polled stronger than I expected, good on him it's a change from prior years where he goes under the radar. 2 in the top 10 and Max not far behind it's a great core of a midfield, hopefully we take full advantage next year. We should be looking to emulate the West Coast teams of the mid 00's with their powerful engine room.

I'm surprised Oliver polled in the Tigers and Lions games. Lions game in particular, I would've had Viney ahead of him.

They need to reduce the number of players on the field, I've been thinking that for around 10 years now. It's the only thing that will open the game up.

It depends on results. If we don't make finals next year he should be gone. If we finish top 4 and make it to the Prelims or better he should stay. It's not about length of tenure it's about performance.

It's not about being offensive so much as being lame

I assume he is the one who made comments about some of our players being uncoachable that were attributed to one of our coaches earlier this season. If so I'm glad he's being moved on because it is up to the coach to get the best out of his players. He has had a Rolls Royce midfield to work with and yet we were getting regularly beaten in clearances throughout the year. Time for fresh blood.

It's a tricky one, there is something to be said for backing your system in and drilling it in to your players over a number of years until it "clicks" and becomes second nature and the team becomes a formidable unit. There also needs to come a time where the coach has to make moves if things aren't working because you just need to win. The big issue I see is he has little support in the coaches box. He's had Richardson, McCartney etc but I'm talking about the line coaches who have been poor throughout his tenure. We need to invest in the coaching staff and turnover all of our assistants (it should have been done post-2018 in my opinion) and he also needs to start making moves on game day before things get out of hand. The players need to take accountability for this as well as I think our onfield leadership is poor but how much of that is a reflection of the coaching staff (assistants and development coaches in particular?) Either way we will know by mid next year. Goodwin has shown during his tenure he isn't scared to try things, he has actually been quite innovative in some of the tactics he has implemented. My big knock on him is he can get the team to a position where they can destroy bottom sides but can't compete against top sides. He needs the team to get off to a flyer next year and we also need to take some scalps otherwise his coaching career will be over.

Same thing was said about Hardwick.

So we come runners up the next 3 years you think he gets sacked?

C'mon od you're better than that. Anyone who uses "Goodloss" or "Badloss" gets an automatic eyeroll and swipe down the page from me, it's just so lame like a dad joke on steroids

How can they fit him in their cap??

He would play his final season as a 34 year old. Probably pushing it but you have to pay extra either in salary or years to get someone to move.

How can he be the best mid we've had since the 80s when he wasn't even the best mid we had in 2020?

Oliver has some great traits, but if he wants to go beyond being a talented player to being a superstar of the competition he has to have more impact on games. He came in all guns blazing year 1 with his work in close and his vision but he has plateaued. He needs to find another gear and greater consistency to be considered the among the best.

I'm not reading every post in here but have I missed something? What has Viney said (or are you referring to the comments made when he re-signed about the players needing to get the best out of themselves?)

Cameron is a free agent though, circumstances are a little different.