AFL- expand or expunge?
April 17th 2008 10:44
Over the past 150 years, in which Australian Football and the Australian Football League (AFL) have been a part of Australia’s national identity, there have been many changes to the game and its community of followers. Now, the league, headed by CEO Andrew Dimetrio, looks to extend its grasp in the east by introducing two new teams into the competition: West Sydney and the Gold Coast. However, the questions regarding its practicability and probability of enhancing the game have quickly started to mount.
The AFL isn’t strange to introducing new clubs to the competition, officially launching the West Coast Eagles Football Club in 1986 and the Brisbane Lions Football Club in 1997. However, some may hold the opinion that the times have changed, the competition is too fierce to bring in a fresh line-up, and that the current Brisbane and Sydney teams focus enough AFL support in Queensland and New South Wales. Perhaps, the AFL Board is looking to other footy codes for reassurance: the Rugby League successfully introduced the Gold Coast Titans to their competition at the start of last year.
I don’t agree that new clubs should be introduced into New South Wales and Queensland, but that the AFL should instead focus their efforts on spreading Australia’s national game into our neglected states. Surely our country’s talent pool leaks into Tasmania and the Territories, why doesn’t the AFL provide them with a firm home base?
I think money once again becomes the central issue in the debate and the tourism industries that support the two cities have bought them a license to print an unlimited stockpile of green persuasion.
The AFL isn’t strange to introducing new clubs to the competition, officially launching the West Coast Eagles Football Club in 1986 and the Brisbane Lions Football Club in 1997. However, some may hold the opinion that the times have changed, the competition is too fierce to bring in a fresh line-up, and that the current Brisbane and Sydney teams focus enough AFL support in Queensland and New South Wales. Perhaps, the AFL Board is looking to other footy codes for reassurance: the Rugby League successfully introduced the Gold Coast Titans to their competition at the start of last year.
I don’t agree that new clubs should be introduced into New South Wales and Queensland, but that the AFL should instead focus their efforts on spreading Australia’s national game into our neglected states. Surely our country’s talent pool leaks into Tasmania and the Territories, why doesn’t the AFL provide them with a firm home base?
I think money once again becomes the central issue in the debate and the tourism industries that support the two cities have bought them a license to print an unlimited stockpile of green persuasion.
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