Diamond_Jim

Lever and Viney are probably the only candidates. Lever is fraught with injury issues and Viney is in his twilight. I'm for keeping Gawn for one more year and then perhaps Rivers. I wouldn't be averse to Rivers moving up to VC in 2026 if the explanation to Viney and Lever can be managed but probably not worth the angst.

I love it that we ask the big questions on this Board. Must say I'm worried what will happen if I hand out my DL user name as part of my next ESTA application for USA. Then again Satanic Worship is probably a recognised religion over there so Demonland might not ring any of the wrong bells.

I wonder why Kalani is in Melbourne for 2026. With a structured training plan and some hands on mentoring from his father he could benefit from another year in the QAFL or whatever it's called. He would be on the MFC list. I suspect it's just too hard from a liability viewpoint but given that he's 3 year minimum from a senior game what is the hurry to drag him away from family and support etc.

The two Tier 1 players is a conundrum to say the least. It was designed to encourage movement from the founding clubs and it's still working

Ditch the jingoistic US theme song. While they're at it the Fitzroy/Brisbane song is indefensible.

In simple terms the tax is up to 75% so no one does it. It's only a matter of time for the mega clubs though. The problem is demonstrating the on field benefit of the extra payment. You are seeing more and more clubs complain about the soft cap but they frame it in terms of having to cut back on player welfare. Of course if you paid less to coaches etc you'd have more for player welfare. In 2023 Collingwood suggested they would pay the tax in order that they could pay coaches at the same level as pre-covid. They were going to fund it by selling a game to Queensland. Soon after the soft cap was relaxed marginally and Collingwood stayed home.

It would be reasonably paid but not overwhelmingly paid. Life after recruiting would be limited but perhaps you can transfer the skills to other areas. With the soft salary cap the AFL is full of "underpaid jobs" that really do not reward success. What would the Eagles or the Pies pay him but for that "cursed cap."

Interesting that you include Windsor and no fifth player. Must say I have a similar problem. Langford in the top 5 as a first year player is rather damning but I can't disagree.

Given that we finished 14th there's not too far left to fall but I would not be surprised if North overtake us. Staying ahead of Essendon and Richmond will be a mini win.

An interesting but irrelevant table in itself. As others have said it's all about the age of your best group of five (1-5, 5-10 10-15 etc) Collingwood have Pendlebury, Sidebottom and the former MFC fellow in their top ten and they had Mihochek. That's why they're exposed. We have Gawn and now Mihochek in our top ten. Viney and Salem are in the 10-15 group. I see Melksham, May and TMac as depth this year and would put them in the 20-25 group. BTW who are top 5 these days. Gawn, Pickett ???

In the scheme of things in Sports AFL is small business. One of the major US College Conferences probably dwarfs it in turnover

I see that the price of the new stadium is now $1.13Billion and that's before a sod is turned. My guess is $1.75B if not more by the time it's finished. Schedule wise I'm backing a minimum 50% over run with a few contractors going broke. Have a look at the price and Union deals that were done to get the Perth stadium and the MCG Northern Stand built if you want some precedents. It will also be built in the same window as Brisbane builds its Olympic games infrastructure. What was the original estimate... a couple of hundred million if I recall funded by all those offsets

To make this even have a chance of stacking up visiting fans will need to be encouraged to stay a week and spend accordingly. Hobart is a beautiful town and has some stunning day trips. My issue has always been planes. To get only 5k fans from the mainland you need 25 empty flights there and another 25 back. Those flights simply do not exist and airlines have no spare capacity these days. Perhaps the AFL could buy a cruise ship or two.

It involves allegations that MA is operating a shadow security guard workforce of several thousand migrant employees across Australia who, while wearing MA uniforms, are employed by front companies that in turn utilise corrupt payroll firms to underpay workers, denying them superannuation or other entitlements, while avoiding tax obligations. When the Tax Office seeks to recover what it is owed, these subcontractors and payroll firms collapse and their directors disappear overseas or refuse to assist investigators, according to liquidators’ reports and company sources. Oh well at least we're not alone in using them but taking them as a sponsor.......such timing !!

The North/South divide is electoral dynamite in Tasmania. You would think that they would want to play 11 games at the Taj Mahal. This means buying in extra games for Devonport. I can see North v Devils being played in Tasmania. Similar for some other teams even dare I suggest.... us. Then again where does the Tassie gov't find the money??

You have to wonder when one of the mega clubs (Eagles, Pies etc) is going to get a spring (in this case late January) training package for fans a la US baseball. A hosted package led by a former player with catering etc could be a great money spinner if done well.

Going to put a big dent in North's bottom line. Hawks should be able to cover off their loss. They may be asked to play in Devonport but you have to wonder how long the State Government can support the bread and circus brigade. Ticket pricing will be interesting for such a small stadium

Reading an article on BBL clubs possibly being sold into private ownership for an amount totalling $400-800M. It's a matter of time until the money men do the number crunching on the AFL and NRL. Private ownership was a failure in the 80's but I'd be amazed if it's not looked at again https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/the-400-million-reasons-behind-cricket-australia-s-big-bash-sale-20251201-p5njqb.html Estimates of the value of a sale – based around the concept of selling 49 per cent stakes in six clubs and 100 per cent stakes in one each of the two Melbourne- and Sydney-based teams – have ranged between $600 and $800 million. But the strategic imperative of budget repair ahead of the next round of domestic broadcast deals in five years’ time has been a key focus of negotiation between CA chief executive Todd Greenberg, the state associations and the players.

Congratulations to North Time tomorrow onwards to review this season and the comp generally

Interesting that Geelong/Kardinia Park Management sacked MA Services The move by some AFL clubs to cosy up with MA Services stands in stark contrast to the decision of Geelong’s home ground, Kardinia Park, which cut ties with MA Services after investigations uncovered evidence the firm was using unlicensed subcontractors to conduct work or supplying non-existent or “ghosted” security guards. https://www.theage.com.au/national/afl-clubs-implicated-with-security-firm-linked-to-finks-bikie-gang-20251127-p5niuz.html

It is also at the centre of a secret offshore security deal funded by the Albanese government and involving the Finks bikie gang, the allegedly corrupt Nauruan President David Adeang and a controversial operation to guard the deportees— known as the NZYQ cohort– sent by Australia to the small Pacific island. So much for due diligence https://www.theage.com.au/national/afl-clubs-implicated-with-security-firm-linked-to-finks-bikie-gang-20251127-p5niuz.html

spot on there's games being played. They are stirring the pot on multiple fronts. Strangely though if anything they are talking up the rights value. Could they be playing the long game and waiting to pick up the pieces ??

You simply can't make a profit as a streamer in Australia paying the existing AFL fee. A simple calculation of households and monthly fee shows that. Perhaps you can do it with ads, no subscription sharing, a higher monthly charge, twelve month contracts etc but even then it's marginal. What is interesting is can you make a profit streaming a bunch of secondary (in Australia) sports such as NFL, NBA etc. Foxtel was to Australian Sport like Alan Bond was to Kerry Packer. Channel 7 would have also been laughing at getting the best part of the deal while Foxtel paid the lion's share of the rights fee. Nine seems to be the new kid on the block with its Stan expansion. At least it owns both the FTA and the pay platforms. Let's hope we don't end up with a deal like US viewers have with the NFL. IIRC you need around seven subscriptions to watch every NFL game. First off however are the NRL negotiations. They could decide the game/war.

When you dig down the word "learnings" was a legitimate word until it fell out of fashion in the 19th century to be replaced by lessons. It then re-appeared in corporate speak in the fifties along with equally horrible words like "unpack." My other useless word is that used by fancy highly paid barristers in the various appeal courts. They don't advance an argument they "adumbrate" it. Bring back Cor Blimey is what I says mate !!

Will be interesting where he is played at Casey. We have a surplus of tall forwards and he's not up to a full time ruck spot against the men as yet. Perhaps CHB with an occasional run in the ruck