desertsaint wrote: ↑Thu 16 Jun 2022 1:45pm
18 is too many. Need to relocate/merge/remove at least 2 melbourne clubs. And need one in tassie.
Could be one club voluntarily relocates, another endures a fitzroy style 'merger'. I know which I'd prefer.
Even if we stay at 18 clubs an original tassie team would require a merge.
18 is not too many in Australia.
10 is probably too many in Melbourne.
North is the obvious target to go/move as their supporter base is lower than the other teams. North has always struggled to draw a crowd...Even at the height of their powers in the 90's, success didn't translate into members and crowds.
However, the AFL will not allow teams to disappear. Gone is the Ross Oakley and Wayne Jackson style of thinking.
The AFL want to expand their product, not reduce it. More teams, more games, and more TV money. This leads to more kids interested, more players, and a better product. None of this is short term. They want to sow seeds now and reap the rewards in the decades to come.