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Expansion Thread 🪜

superpolska said:
It would be a lot simpler/easier for someone like Geelong to pull it off than carlton/collingwood who are not defined to an area of the city and have support all over the place.
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Would AFL interfere and ensure the shut down of any soccer club again?
 
HappyGuus said:
Would AFL interfere and ensure the shut down of any soccer club again?
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I don't think the AFL ever did this at least not in the last 25 years. They would not have cared about Heart/WU/SM/Team 11 and anyone saying they would is over exaggerating or just being a conspiracy theorist. They are not threatened by the A League, why would they be, AFL has never been healthier in my opinion.

No, probably not. Maybe in Melbourne they would have a different attitude but its not the 90s anymore... Anyways I don't think they will look at Geelong or another Victorian team, Canberra Wollongong, Tasmania and another NZ team or even the return of North QLD seem more preferable to them even though a 3rd Victorian team is a lot better than most of those options
 
When it comes to expansion in the A-L, it's all about who is willing to pay the fee that the APL think a licence is worth. That makes the pool of options pretty shallow. People like to talk about Canberra and Tassie, but the reality is that no body seems to be willing to put their hand up to fund them. Doesn't matter how good a geographic location seems, if there is no money there is no club. It's not just the fee either, it's the year on year losses. It's the same reason, clubs like CCM have struggled to find buyers.
South Melbourne is an interesting one. I have no doubts that they want in. The question is how much are they willing to pay. I really doubt they would pay the $20-25 million that Auckland paid. Previously they had committed to matching the fee that Western United offered (from memory that was $15-16 million). However the licence was definitely worth more back then. A-League was in a stronger position then and clubs were still getting the salary cap covered by the broadcast grant.
 
The fact is Harry was looking at WUN and then the license was pulled. Seems awfully like he said nothing meaningful happening here. However...
 
superpolska said:
I don't think the AFL ever did this at least not in the last 25 years. They would not have cared about Heart/WU/SM/Team 11 and anyone saying they would is over exaggerating or just being a conspiracy theorist.
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Oh mate, there's plenty of shithousery over the years by AFL against soccer. Collingwood, world cup bids, grounds, facilities, media... They didn't get to #1 by minding their own business. There are articles and books out there that tell the stories.
 
HappyGuus said:
Oh mate, there's plenty of shithousery over the years by AFL against soccer. Collingwood, world cup bids, grounds, facilities, media... They didn't get to #1 by minding their own business. There are articles and books out there that tell the stories.
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The World cup was never coming regardless. Almost all of what the AFL did is over exaggerated.
 
erogenouszone said:
This license fee is a tricky one and would be hard for the APL to negotiate.

The other "clubs" would be extremely resentful if any new entrants were given some leeway over the size of the fee.
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I do wonder if they'll create an associate member/license to bring in new clubs for a minimal fee but that doesn't come with equity in the league. It's one way I can see expansion happening beyond hoping another white knight like Bill Foley turns up, AND keep the existing franchises reasonably happy.
 
superpolska said:
The World cup was never coming regardless. Almost all of what the AFL did is over exaggerated.
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The sport (association football) here in Australia does shoot itself in the foot a lot, but the AFL and the AFL media industry here in Victoria certainly has and does flex its muscles when it has seen the A-League grow. The AFL has many times influenced councils into turning what was to be soccer-fields in the AFL ovals in Vic/NSW/Qld even, and they've sat unused as the area has more than enough grounds to cater for local clubs.

I agree with you that some people inflate what the AFL has done, but they very much want to protect their interests, and Victoria is the heartland of the sport.
 
someguyjc said:
When it comes to expansion in the A-L, it's all about who is willing to pay the fee that the APL think a licence is worth. That makes the pool of options pretty shallow. People like to talk about Canberra and Tassie, but the reality is that no body seems to be willing to put their hand up to fund them. Doesn't matter how good a geographic location seems, if there is no money there is no club. It's not just the fee either, it's the year on year losses. It's the same reason, clubs like CCM have struggled to find buyers.
South Melbourne is an interesting one. I have no doubts that they want in. The question is how much are they willing to pay. I really doubt they would pay the $20-25 million that Auckland paid. Previously they had committed to matching the fee that Western United offered (from memory that was $15-16 million). However the licence was definitely worth more back then. A-League was in a stronger position then and clubs were still getting the salary cap covered by the broadcast grant.
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In a time and age where capitalism reigns supreme - I was told in the Oz politics thread we in Oz have 178Billionaires !!!!
I googled staggered this is correct.
Whats $20M license + additional loss's to flush down the gurgler to any of these 178B for being involved in a sport for marketing purpose's for eg ?
Says it all what a real PUP the AL is to me to sell as a commercial product thinking locally.
Am I wrong ?
How many of the current APL Club owners are OS Investors ? pretty much most no ?
 
patjennings said:
Foley did and I bet TSG paid pretty well too - though probably less to clear the debts. We are in the era of big money from OS. Weren't V Sports looking at someone a few months ago. Imagine them and Harry Stamoulis and his property development moving the target from Tarneit to Geelong/Armstrong Creek. As long as they can come to some truce / arrangement with the Cats that makes it a shared pride in the region rather than let's kill the intruder.

Kardinia gets a extra tenant while the boutique 10000-15000 stadium is built. Combination of blue and teal for the Geelong Waves in a nod to both Geelong and the Surf Coast. Throw in a discounted addon to Cats membership for season memberships.



So market value!! ;)

Maybe you're right but I think the APL operate differently depending on the ability to pay. So given the choice between a relaunched regional bid at Geelong with big backers like Stamoulis or SMFC who I would think see themselves as an option for the APL to come begging for and only paying a small fee I think the APL goes for the money.

Of course Harry may return to SMFC but then the APL would be after the larger amount as well. It become a pure vanity exercise for Stamoulis with little opportunity for his property plays.
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Terrible name sorry, 'Geelong Waves' sounds better suited to a BBL cricket team.

'Geelong City' is what I’d go with for two reasons: one, to emphasise that Geelong is a city and not the oversized country-town it’s typically dismissed as being, and second for historical continuity as that was the name of the short-lived Geelong side that played in the National Youth League in 1990.
 
LFC said:
In a time and age where capitalism reigns supreme - I was told in the Oz politics thread we in Oz have 178Billionaires !!!!
I googled staggered this is correct.
Whats $20M license + additional loss's to flush down the gurgler to any of these 178B for being involved in a sport for marketing purpose's for eg ?
Says it all what a real PUP the AL is to me to sell as a commercial product thinking locally.
Am I wrong ?
How many of the current APL Club owners are OS Investors ? pretty much most no ?
Click to expand...
Thing is though, how many of those 178 billionaires like sokkah? Certainly not Gina Rinehart, for instance.

OS investment/ownership is pretty much the only option left to us.
 
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LFC said:
In a time and age where capitalism reigns supreme - I was told in the Oz politics thread we in Oz have 178Billionaires !!!!
I googled staggered this is correct.
Whats $20M license + additional loss's to flush down the gurgler to any of these 178B for being involved in a sport for marketing purpose's for eg ?
Says it all what a real PUP the AL is to me to sell as a commercial product thinking locally.
Am I wrong ?
How many of the current APL Club owners are OS Investors ? pretty much most no ?
Click to expand...
I know that's what AI says but I'd be leaning more towards Forbes numbers:

en.wikipedia.org

List of countries by number of billionaires - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Depends who you cite. Different sites, different numbers.
 
BA81 said:
Terrible name sorry, 'Geelong Waves' sounds better suited to a BBL cricket team.

'Geelong City' is what I’d go with for two reasons: one, to emphasise that Geelong is a city and not the oversized country-town it’s typically dismissed as being, and second for historical continuity as that was the name of the short-lived Geelong side that played in the National Youth League in 1990.
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Happy for that - I just don't want Geelong Cats and a purely blue and white colour scheme. It needs to be AFL adjacent - not part of the AFL.
 
BA81 said:
Thing is though, how many of those 178 billionaires like sokkah? Certainly not Gina Rinehart, for instance.

OS investment/ownership is pretty much the only option left to us.
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correct - thats a good ? mark.
Putting myself in CEO position.
I'd like some work on "local" possibility Investor targets....
Lets first have a open discussion with our board members - everyone has a contact or 3 for some leads......
https://footballaustralia.com.au/board
Next,
Lets set up a open invitation to all 178B incl Gina for a Football Investment opportunity forum at HQ - host them for 2days.
Heck we've squandered millions and paid out members for jack shit what’s a few million hosting a
Support Oz Football Growth/Expansion Vision/Seminar.
Surely you could convince a couple of adventurers with a decent business plan/vision even if not into sokkah - its all in the long plan and growth.
Broadcast business plan revenue, marketing estimates, utilising current AL (once unbundled) and viable NPL Clubs to make a Pro 1 and 2 Divs.
IF it has to be more East Coast focussed for a term or 2 so be it, have phase 2 Other State Club entrys when to enter next stage of expansion.
Lets roll the dice see where this lands.
Ah I'm dreaming lol



Re the Geelong mentions.
Geelong United FC ?.
I agree Waves is very meh, City is following the current one - Geelong United FC may suit.
Whatever ha
 
BA81 said:
Terrible name sorry, 'Geelong Waves' sounds better suited to a BBL cricket team.

'Geelong City' is what I’d go with for two reasons: one, to emphasise that Geelong is a city and not the oversized country-town it’s typically dismissed as being, and second for historical continuity as that was the name of the short-lived Geelong side that played in the National Youth League in 1990.
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Breakwater Eagles renamed to Geelong City a year or two ago after splitting from the Polish White Eagle Dom in Geelong and becoming an independent community club. Didn't stop Melbourne City from renaming in 2014 though in the same situation
 
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