Would a merger or relocation be such a bad thing

[The Fireman]

I reiterate this a troll thread

[SinCitySainter]

My brother-in-law is an ex-South Melbourne supporter and now passionate Sydney Swans supporter as are his kids (adults now but you know what I mean) and he even converted my sister. Try telling him or the group he goes to the football with that his team no longer exist.
The Swans was a relocation so the identity of the club can be retained. A merger on the other hand does run the risk of a loss of identity.

[SaintWiki]

My brother-in-law is an ex-South Melbourne supporter and now passionate Sydney Swans supporter as are his kids (adults now but you know what I mean) and he even converted my sister. Try telling him or the group he goes to the football with that his team no longer exist.
The Swans was a relocation so the identity of the club can be retained. A merger on the other hand does run the risk of a loss of identity.

I knew a family who gave up following AFL altogether when their team of three generations was exported to Sydney. They were totally crushed and unmendable.

[saynta]

My brother-in-law is an ex-South Melbourne supporter and now passionate Sydney Swans supporter as are his kids (adults now but you know what I mean) and he even converted my sister. Try telling him or the group he goes to the football with that his team no longer exist.
The Swans was a relocation so the identity of the club can be retained. A merger on the other hand does run the risk of a loss of identity.

I knew a family who gave up following AFL altogether when their team of three generations was exported to Sydney. They were totally crushed and unmendable.

I remember that Aussie TV show and the sad group of ancient Fitzroy supporters sitting in a pub filled with lions crap, drinking their beer, (and crying into it) and looking back to the past and better times.

I think they were now all Saints supporters.

[B.M]

South Melbourne and Fitzroy were basket cases

Fitzroy actually had a good team in the 80s

But
Doug Barwick, Matthew Armstrong, John Blakey, Tim Pekin, Gary Pert, Richard Osbourne, Matthew Dundas, Michael Gale, Paul Broderick, Scott McIvor, Darren Wheildon, Matt Rendell, Paul Roos
And probably others - all went to other clubs!

That’s probably a top 4 team

[Killa]

Fitzroy had a fair side when Quinlan was kicking goals and Matty Rendell was leading their rucks

But the business people who supported them were SME operators and not in the same league as the support some other Clubs enjoyed

Then there was the Yarra Valley Country Club before Stamoulis baled it out

[Jacks Back]

My brother-in-law is an ex-South Melbourne supporter and now passionate Sydney Swans supporter as are his kids (adults now but you know what I mean) and he even converted my sister. Try telling him or the group he goes to the football with that his team no longer exist.
The Swans was a relocation so the identity of the club can be retained. A merger on the other hand does run the risk of a loss of identity.

I knew a family who gave up following AFL altogether when their team of three generations was exported to Sydney. They were totally crushed and unmendable.

I remember that Aussie TV show and the sad group of ancient Fitzroy supporters sitting in a pub filled with lions crap, drinking their beer, (and crying into it) and looking back to the past and better times.

I think they were now all Saints supporters.

I think those TV shows were the Jack Irish ones.

[The Fireman]

Yep jack Irish. Guy pierce is my fav oz actor

[Moods]

South Melbourne and Fitzroy were basket cases

Fitzroy actually had a good team in the 80s

But
Doug Barwick, Matthew Armstrong, John Blakey, Tim Pekin, Gary Pert, Richard Osbourne, Matthew Dundas, Michael Gale, Paul Broderick, Scott McIvor, Darren Wheildon, Matt Rendell, Paul Roos
And probably others - all went to other clubs!

That’s probably a top 4 team

That's the point B.M. The team was good enough to compete but the resources of the club were woeful. Back then no govt grants, local council grants etc. The AFL had washed their hands of them because their philosophy was to merge Victorian clubs or move them on. So the let Fitzroy wither on the vine. Slowly we lost every decent footballer we had at the club. I was bitter at the start when the likes of Pert moved on and then finally Roos. But in the end every one had to concede that the future pointed to one conclusion only. Was hard to blame the players. Facilities were akin to a local footy club and the club had no money. It was literally boys playing against men.

It's a different world these days and I think the AFL has learnt from history. It's why they support clubs like the Saints hoping they can become self sufficient. Any club with a low supporter base is very vulnerable. Hence why North is almost always mentioned, and the Bulldogs in the past. Saints used to be considered a south of the yarra club and owned that area of Melbourne. Clubs like Hawthorn are sneaking in by buiding a base in Dingley and with our recent lack of success our relevance will be questioned I believe. In the past I felt we were always relevant due to our strong ties to the bayside region and mornington peninsula, but it appears even this will be challenged in the next few years once the hawks are up and running in Dingley.

[magnifisaint]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

[saynta]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

Me too mate, but it ain't going to happen and the OP has been exposed as a f****** troll.

[SydneySainter]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

Me too mate, but it ain't going to happen and the OP has been exposed as a f****** troll.

No, just a supporter who isn’t afraid to say that club has had decades of poor management and that I’m skeptical the club can recover. We have yet to recover from the GCS and GWS induction.

I think ultimately what this thread has proven is that yourself and others who have been contributing to this thread all week really need to get a hobby.

[WellardSaint]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

Me too mate, but it ain't going to happen and the OP has been exposed as a f****** troll.

No, just a supporter who isn’t afraid to say that club has had decades of poor management and that I’m skeptical the club can recover. We have yet to recover from the GCS and GWS induction.

I think ultimately what this thread has proven is that yourself and others who have been contributing to this thread all week really need to get a hobby.

You're right about the Suns and Giants getting favourable treatment.
Who was the genius who thought Western Sydney was a huge untapped lithium mine of closet AFL fans?

Giants get very low crowd numbers all the time at their home ground.

They play in the ACT to try to attract diaspora Victorians who now live there as overpaid public servants but the jury's still out on that one.

The Kremlin will support them forever to avoid a loss of face.

When Tassie comes in, talent pool is diluted, Arie will get homesick, we'll have a much harder job finding talent.
Bassat was quite scathing about the father-son rule, the northern academies, etc.
We are the Titanic of the 21st Century.
He knows we hit an iceberg with the Ratten debacle and RTB is manning the lifeboats.
Or maybe Ross is the Captain of the Carpathia, but this time, his radio guy didn't switch off at midnight and Ross is steaming at full throttle to the rescue.

[Yorkeys]

Sydney Swans detest GWS' existence so as the current GWS deep talent pool empties GWS will slide to irrelevance.
Similarly Suns are going nowhere ladder wise over 5 yrs.
Gillon was able to get his way over the presidents. Dillon won't have same clout. Days of huge largesse to Suns and GWS should be over. Having cleaned up with the current rort arrangements Pies and Cats are likely to not want others to do the same in the future so will back rule tightening.
AFL have scheduling and umpiring crises to work through so hopefully new rules and innovative novelties will cease for a while.
Tassie may never happen in the form of a stand alone team, in any case Arie was not treated well there, Saints are his redemption. I'd suggest we have him as long as the Club wants him.
Big question: how many of the five 2024 debutantes will become regulars by end year. I'd go for 4 of them. That would be a tremendous result.
Merge or relocate, well there will be no future mergers. Suns might relocate to Vulture St and GWS to Moore Pk.

[WellardSaint]

Wilson and Arie will be playing seniors unless 'managed' as the club, esp Misson, won't wanna burn them out.
They're still boys.
Garcia and Hastie won't play many, they'll need a solid pre-season first

[saynta]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

Me too mate, but it ain't going to happen and the OP has been exposed as a f****** troll.

No, just a supporter who isn’t afraid to say that club has had decades of poor management and that I’m skeptical the club can recover. We have yet to recover from the GCS and GWS induction.

I think ultimately what this thread has proven is that yourself and others who have been contributing to this thread all week really need to get a hobby.

You're right about the Suns and Giants getting favourable treatment.
Who was the genius who thought Western Sydney was a huge untapped lithium mine of closet AFL fans?

Giants get very low crowd numbers all the time at their home ground.

They play in the ACT to try to attract diaspora Victorians who now live there as overpaid public servants but the jury's still out on that one.

The Kremlin will support them forever to avoid a loss of face.

When Tassie comes in, talent pool is diluted, Arie will get homesick, we'll have a much harder job finding talent.
Bassat was quite scathing about the father-son rule, the northern academies, etc.
We are the Titanic of the 21st Century.
He knows we hit an iceberg with the Ratten debacle and RTB is manning the lifeboats.
Or maybe Ross is the Captain of the Carpathia, but this time, his radio guy didn't switch off at midnight and Ross is steaming at full throttle to the rescue.

And that Evans prick is whinging that the Suns are 'orribly disadvantaged.

I also saw an article where it was mentioned that Bassett and that turd Filth President had heated words over the rort with father/son selections.

More power to you Bassett, stick it up the Filth. If our president doesn't go into bat for us, nobody else will.

[saynta]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

Me too mate, but it ain't going to happen and the OP has been exposed as a f****** troll.

No, just a supporter who isn’t afraid to say that club has had decades of poor management and that I’m skeptical the club can recover. We have yet to recover from the GCS and GWS induction.

I think ultimately what this thread has proven is that yourself and others who have been contributing to this thread all week really need to get a hobby.

No, what this thread has done is exposed you as a fraud and a troll.

[Nick DalSanto Claus]

Seriously

Some respect for a 9 times B&F and 3 times Brownlow medallist

You’re a fool

Was the abusive term really necessary? Oh sorry, I forgot to account for your Dunning-Kruger Syndrome. Play on, you've given me my daily BM -driven chuckle.

[bobmurray]

F*** the merger idea, however, i wonder why historically we are so good at failing, especially when the list and the off field staff are turned over more often than a pig on a spit.

[repta]

Saints should own the south eastern suburbs. Massive opportunity to build an identity.
Even with the decentralised AFL Model.

Mergers and relocation just end with disenfranchise supporters. For every 1 that holds.firm there are 5 lost.to the game.

[B.M]

The wrong question is

Would you like to relocate or merge?

Because the unanimous answer would be no

The correct question - for Fitzroy and South
Would you rather merge/relocate or cease to exist?

I’ll tell you two things
South were never going to become the juggernaut that Sydney became

And Fitzroy weren’t going to do a 3 peat 5 years after dying and

[SydneySainter]

If the Saints merge or relocate I'm out.

Me too mate, but it ain't going to happen and the OP has been exposed as a f****** troll.

No, just a supporter who isn’t afraid to say that club has had decades of poor management and that I’m skeptical the club can recover. We have yet to recover from the GCS and GWS induction.

I think ultimately what this thread has proven is that yourself and others who have been contributing to this thread all week really need to get a hobby.

No, what this thread has done is exposed you as a fraud and a troll.

Like I said, grow up and get a hobby. Your retaliation to posts that don’t suit your narrative are depressingly predictable.

If you really were beneath this thread, you would have ceased posting a week ago.

[SydneySainter]

The wrong question is

Would you like to relocate or merge?

Because the unanimous answer would be no

The correct question - for Fitzroy and South
Would you rather merge/relocate or cease to exist?

I’ll tell you two things
South were never going to become the juggernaut that Sydney became

And Fitzroy weren’t going to do a 3 peat 5 years after dying and

Or to expand on that question…

Would you rather merge / relocate or continue to keep treading water as a bottom-eight team?

For all of those Swan and Lion fans who apparently threw their scarves into the dirt when their relocations happened, how many now would trade their premiership success of the last two decades to settle for three to four more decades of absolute irrelevance, just as long as it meant their geographical identity was untouched?

Is historical identity so important, that we continue to accept being cellar dwellers whose place is simply to be there because of history.

We’ve been from Junction Oval, to Moorabbin, to Seaforth and back to Moorabbin. What have we show for it? One paltry premiership and the more the league expands and the more the talent pool dilutes, the tougher it gets.

[Yorkeys]

No premiership is paltry.
Club has fielded a team in first grade for 151 years.
Currently competitive and building. Good facilities, good financial position, membership growth.
SydneySainter relocate your hand. Your brain has already merged with your bulls***.

[SaintPav]

A merger or relocation are not an offer at present are they?

We have probably missed the boat anyway, not that it was ever an option for our club.