Saints in Gold Coast?

[Mooksy]

The Age is reporting tomorrow we have shown some interest in playing some games at the Gold Coast should North stay in Melbourne.

[F_Q_F]

Well if we propose to do a Collingwood and play some of our away games in the Gold Coast I'd be all for it

[ausfatcat]

Well if we propose to do a Collingwood and play some of our away games in the Gold Coast I'd be all for it

definantly, but so would every other club in the AFL including west coke and adelaide

[Oh When the Saints]

I would be disappointed if our board hadn't considered where we play our home games.

It's part of their job.

Before people rush to make assumptions, attack Greg Westaway and lampoon the club for selling us out and paving the way to move up north, pause and think a little.

Discussions at board level of this kind are mandatory and would happen all the time. I would expect that the previous board had explored such options as St Kilda moving to Tasmania, Canberra or the Gold Coast full-time.

"Indicating interest" is nothing more than discussing an issue and asking for information, whcih is part of the job of a board. They would be derelict in their duty not to consider all options for where we play.


All that said ... it depends heavily on the proposal.

If St Kilda playing 10 home games at Telstra Dome, 1 home and 3 away games at the Gold Coast and 2 other interstate matches each year was the deal, then you would have to give it due consideration.

i.e. If it meant we hardly travelled each year except to the Gold Coast (similar to the model Collingwood were proposing), then you would be stupid not to look at it.

On the other hand, if the proposal was for us to basically "sell" 2-3 home games a year (like with Tasmania), then it would be a far less attractive proposal.

[saintsRrising]

A club moving to the Gold Coast is only going to fly if they effectively move...

The locals with money who will back it want "their" club....and not just a fly in playinga few token games...

The current theatre games up there are ok as a teaser.....but to entrench the locals you need either a fully located club or a new club born up there.

To build a following they need to play there about every second week.

[Richter]

A club moving to the Gold Coast is only going to fly if they effectively move...

Absolutely. I can see why the AFL would want us or the Bullies or Melbourne to go up there - but I don't like it. We just got out of Tassie in order to try to give ourselves a better look at getting finals footy. And we didn't even manage that last year. Let's not limit our ambition. We want to be up in the top 4 MELBOURNE clubs on a regular basis.

At the moment, in terms of support and member base those clubs are Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and Richmond. We have slipped in the last twelve months. Let's turn that around not show the white flag.

[Otiman]

Here's an idea.

Instead of each team having 11 home, 11 away games - Each team now has 10 home, 10 away, and 2 'neutral' games (one 'home' and one 'away'). Each team gets to select a venue out of a few areas where the AFL is trying to develop - Gold Coast, Tasmania, ACT, Darwin, to play their "Home Neutral" game at. We then play a second 'neutral' game at the discretion of the team we are playing against.

This means that there will be 16 games throughout the year at alternate venues. The AFL can declare that there is required to be a minimum of 8 at GC, 3 at Tasmania, and offer financial incentives to clubs to choose the venues they are after.

And if the AFL implements this, they will probably give a clause where teams can buy back home games and give up their alternate venue games for cash.

So, Collingwood and Essendon sell their games to Bulldogs and Kangaroos - Collingwood and Essendon then get 11 home 11 away games, and bulldogs and kangaroos get 9 home, 9 away, and 4 neutral games.

[saint66au]

Heres another idea....screw the flipping AFL's misplaced obsession with Queensland...leave it to the Lions and lets play Saints home games IN MELBOURNE...crazy notion I know,,,but its our HOME!!!!

[mandystkilda]

I have an idea lets leave Nth Melbourne in Melbourne and move St Kilda to stupid QLD. If I wanted to go for a team that I never get to see play then I would go for a stupid interstate team. We stop playing games in Tasmania so why would we go to the Gold Coast. Ok so it is an idea but you don't see Essendon moving. Melbourne sold out to play a home game in Brisbane and they loose. I have nothing against playing games interstate but if St Kilda go to QLD that will be the end of my membership. I will not pay and then have to travel every week to watch my team do you think we are all that rich?

[Dan Warna]

any deal would ahve to be worth far more than the deal to play in tasmania which we blew off after generous support from the govt and local community.

further it shouldn't be to the detriment of the playing team, which was the reason given for blowing off taswegia.

[saintspremiers]

Heres another idea....screw the flipping AFL's misplaced obsession with Queensland...leave it to the Lions and lets play Saints home games IN MELBOURNE...crazy notion I know,,,but its our HOME!!!!

Bump.

Don't take it up the clacker Westaway, otherwise YOU will be out on your
ear just like Rod did, which was his downfall.

[Saints94]

Heres another idea....screw the flipping AFL's misplaced obsession with Queensland...leave it to the Lions and lets play Saints home games IN MELBOURNE...crazy notion I know,,,but its our HOME!!!!

Were not the frekin ones going bank rupted here

[4theluvoftheclub]

Hawks get $500, 000 per game in Tassie. I am sure we would expect a pay day too for playing these games...it's obvious that Archie Fraser would not suggest doing it fun or a few members in QLD.

If we play :

1. the existing away game against brisbane
2. a home game against brisbane (transferred from TDome): and
3. an away game against freeo at carrara not Subi
4. an away game against west coast at Carrara not Subi( or versus adelaide at carrar not AAMI)

and we pick up 1,500,000 for a year or two while we fix up the non footy revenue streams that Butterss and his numbers man Casey so thoroughly
stuffed up ( leaving us lower than Kagaroos in Revenue even after AFL subsidies are removed ), then DO IT!

We lose one home game and hopefully pick up some serious capital we can invest in some ongoing non footy revenue opportunities , and fund the additional spend we need in footy and player injury prevention...and we hopefully play 2 fewer away games at Subi/AAmi

[Saints94]

Hawks get $500, 000 per game in Tassie. I am sure we would expect a pay day too for playing these games...it's obvious that Archie Fraser would not suggest doing it fun or a few members in QLD.

If we play :

1. the existing away game against brisbane
2. a home game against brisbane (transferred from TDome): and
3. an away game against freeo at carrara not Subi
4. an away game against west coast at Carrara not Subi( or versus adelaide at carrar not AAMI)

and we pick up 1,500,000 for a year or two while we fix up the non footy revenue streams that Butterss and his numbers man Casey so thoroughly
stuffed up ( leaving us lower than Kagaroos in Revenue even after AFL subsidies are removed ), then DO IT!

We lose one home game and hopefully pick up some serious capital we can invest in some ongoing non footy revenue opportunities , and fund the additional spend we need in footy and player injury prevention...and we hopefully play 2 fewer away games at Subi/AAmi

I like the sound of that

[saintsRrising]

Any further news on this????


ie The Roos are a now a no...the 17th team will take a while to get up....and so the AFL will want some team or teams to play games there in 2009 and maybe 2010..

Is it going to be us?

Is Westaway still keen on the idea...??

??

Any rumours...any facts??