which maybe where St Kilda can forge it's future- Victoria..- Melbourne..meher baba wrote: I think the GWS/GC expansion has detracted from the game in it's heartland, taking an entire cohort of quality young players out of reach of the perenially struggling clubs. The AFL might end up gaining a few hundred new fans in Sydney at the risk of losing tens of thousands of fans in Melbourne to soccer.
Yes, at the moment the greater national spread of teams has benefits in terms of TV rights. However, given that bugger all people watch the game on TV in NSW and Queensland, this is a bit of a market anomaly which will eventually correct itself. Then what?
The dustbin of corporate history is filled with businesses that failed because, while they were distracted by dubious expansion schemes into new geographic areas, someone else came and stole their core customers. This might happen to AFL.
I see there is a new push for a stadium in Ballarat- with North suggesting 4 games- so they may be IN Melbourne but playing 6 games out of the City.