New AFL expansion: Victoria look to have team in final by 2008
Monday, 26 September 2005
The Australian Football League has announced plans for a first Victorian team to be included in the Grand Final in as little as three years time.
“This will never truly be a national competition until the Victorians are part of it,†said AFL chief Andrew Demetriou. “And not just as hecklers.â€
The AFL hopes to transplant a successful franchise from Western Australia or South Australia into Victoria in the hope of developing a competitive football culture there. “It won’t be easy,†cautioned Demetriou. “It will take years and years of draft concessions before these clubs will be able to stand on their own.â€
“Thankfully, the priority pick system will deliver them those draft concessions for the forseeable future.â€
But supporters of the targetted Fremantle football club are passionately resisting the move. “You can’t uproot ten years of tradition just like that,†said one enraged fan. “If the Dockers move I’m never wearing green, white, red and purple ever again. Probably not a bad thing, when you think about it.â€
For their part, Victorian clubs deny that they haven’t been competitive recently. “The battle for the wooden spoon has never been hotter,†said Carlton President Ian Collins. “And don’t tell me the spoon isn’t worth anything. You can earn a buck or two out of selling it, easy. Another couple of million more of them and we might even break even.â€
from http://www.chaser.com.au