Tasmania Devils

[wenchbarwer]

If Tasmania don't come in then pretty much every club will be reassessing their draft strategy this year.

With the likely hood of them being in the 2026 draft clubs will be changing how they look at the 26/27 drafts.

I'd expect an answer from the AFL about 2 days before the 2026 draft then...

[The Bedge]

Yeah nah, you'll get 16 people rock up to Gold Coast vs Freo, the conference system does have merit but is still heavily flawed.

Don't think the AFL would care.. they love spruiking their crowd numbers, but it's the TV rights & ratings that make the $$.

Feel like the covid years were closer to the future than we realise with a rolling constant fixture and games basically every night... BBL do it and whilst i'm not one, there would be plenty of nuffy's that would tune in each night.

[Lightning McQueen]

Yeah nah, you'll get 16 people rock up to Gold Coast vs Freo, the conference system does have merit but is still heavily flawed.

Don't think the AFL would care.. they love spruiking their crowd numbers, but it's the TV rights & ratings that make the $$.

Feel like the covid years were closer to the future than we realise with a rolling constant fixture and games basically every night... BBL do it and whilst i'm not one, there would be plenty of nuffy's that would tune in each night.

It was the year that I watched more games than any other season, having a SGM on a Tuesday night fixture beat the crap out of watching anything else on the idiot box.

[whufc]

Don't disagree.

We often follow American sporting trends, and they are all about business, tv ratings and increasing the $$$$$$. Thats why their biased fixturing.

I dont think the AFL needs more teams but it is going to happen and i agree that when it gets to 20 we will most likley see two divisions....

1. Carlton
2. Collingwood
3. Essendon
4. Western Bulldogs
5. St Kilda
6. Hawthorn
7. North Melbourne
8. Hawthorn
9. Geelong
10. Richmond

All the VIC sides in one division means, larger crowds, bigger tv audiences, guaranteed amount of VIC sides to make the finals and the big one...........if you have two conferences and one side from each conference makes the grand final you guarantee a Victorian side in the grand final ever year.

You play home and away in your own conference for 18 games then 5 cross conference games.

Makes to much business and $$$$ sense for the AFL to not be throwing the concept out there.

Yeah nah, you'll get 16 people rock up to Gold Coast vs Freo, the conference system does have merit but is still heavily flawed.

A promotion/relegation system would be my preference but that isn't going to happen.

They are already playing each other anyway on the GC anyway. The Freo home game will get a decent crowd. They would use the 5 x conference cross over games to get the Collingwood's, Carlton, Essendon out and about to boost those crowds but also be guaranteed Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Richmond, Geelong all play each other twice a year.

[whufc]

Yeah nah, you'll get 16 people rock up to Gold Coast vs Freo, the conference system does have merit but is still heavily flawed.

Don't think the AFL would care.. they love spruiking their crowd numbers, but it's the TV rights & ratings that make the $$.

Feel like the covid years were closer to the future than we realise with a rolling constant fixture and games basically every night... BBL do it and whilst i'm not one, there would be plenty of nuffy's that would tune in each night.

Yep perfect world 10 standalone games every week would be the AFL's ultimate goal. No more double Saturday night games.

[Brodlach]

So they might become extinct like their namesake?

[wenchbarwer]

So they might become extinct like their namesake?

Umm...

[Brodlach]

So they might become extinct like their namesake?

Umm...

Oh yeah , was thinking Tassie Tiger

[whufc]

Yeah nah, you'll get 16 people rock up to Gold Coast vs Freo, the conference system does have merit but is still heavily flawed.

Don't think the AFL would care.. they love spruiking their crowd numbers, but it's the TV rights & ratings that make the $$.

Feel like the covid years were closer to the future than we realise with a rolling constant fixture and games basically every night... BBL do it and whilst i'm not one, there would be plenty of nuffy's that would tune in each night.

Crowds would increase anyway.....

Gold Coast
They're home crowd average vs Fremantle = 12,816
They're home crowd average vs Collingwood = 19,550

So essentially a GC home game vs Fremantle cost them 7k in crowd attendance.

Collingwood
Average Home crowds vs Gold Coast = 29263
Average Home crowd vs North Melbourne= 45670

In theory every time Collingwood plays a GC instead of a low attending Victorian team like the Kangaroos it costs the AFL roughly 16k in crowd attendances.

[Brodlach]

Mind you that stupid mascot should become extinct

[RB]

If Tasmania don't come in then pretty much every club will be reassessing their draft strategy this year.

With the likely hood of them being in the 2026 draft clubs will be changing how they look at the 26/27 drafts.

Could be handy for your mob if Tassie don't come in, having traded away your top draft pick for this year's draft.

[wenchbarwer]

If Tasmania don't come in then pretty much every club will be reassessing their draft strategy this year.

With the likely hood of them being in the 2026 draft clubs will be changing how they look at the 26/27 drafts.

Could be handy for your mob if Tassie don't come in, having traded away your top draft pick for this year's draft.

We'll give you two for Butters. Problem solved.

[Booney]

If Tasmania don't come in then pretty much every club will be reassessing their draft strategy this year.

With the likely hood of them being in the 2026 draft clubs will be changing how they look at the 26/27 drafts.

Could be handy for your mob if Tassie don't come in, having traded away your top draft pick for this year's draft.

This years draft is poor and will be butchered by academy and f/son picks. We were losing Houston anyway and it was better to take last years picks than this years.

[dedja]

The AFL can bluster all they want, but they have great form in trying to extort state governments into funding massive stadium construction or upgrade projects whilst contributing SFA themselves, whilst at the same time enjoying the tax free status of a not for profit whilst making squillions each year.

Adelaide Oval redevelopment? $600M+, SA State Govt $535M+, Federal Govt $30M … AFL? $5M

Optus Stadium? $1.6B, WA State Govt $1.6B … AFL? Not a cent

Macquarie Point Stadium? $775M-$1B+, TAS State Govt $375M+, Federal Govt $240M … AFL? $15M (note the massive funding shortfall which will kill the project )

If they keep adding teams, they will kill the goose that laid the golden egg, but they don’t care. 18 teams are unsustainable, let alone 19 or God forbid, 20.

More power … more money … whilst the grassroots and fabric of the game disappear into the distance.

Well played AFL … you faarkwits.

That is all.

[Jim05]

If Tasmania don't come in then pretty much every club will be reassessing their draft strategy this year.

With the likely hood of them being in the 2026 draft clubs will be changing how they look at the 26/27 drafts.

Could be handy for your mob if Tassie don't come in, having traded away your top draft pick for this year's draft.

This years draft is poor and will be butchered by academy and f/son picks. We were losing Houston anyway and it was better to take last years picks than this years.

We hear that almost every year.
I’m following pretty close this year as that’s all the hope we have and whilst the depth doesn’t look great there looks to be some real quality in the first 10 region and WAFL kicks off this week so might have a better idea of how things sit in a months time

[Armchair expert]

The AFL can bluster all they want, but they have great form in trying to extort state governments into funding massive stadium construction or upgrade projects whilst contributing SFA themselves, whilst at the same time enjoying the tax free status of a not for profit whilst making squillions each year.

Adelaide Oval redevelopment? $600M+, SA State Govt $535M+, Federal Govt $30M … AFL? $5M

Optus Stadium? $1.6B, WA State Govt $1.6B … AFL? Not a cent

Macquarie Point Stadium? $775M-$1B+, TAS State Govt $375M+, Federal Govt $240M … AFL? $15M (note the massive funding shortfall which will kill the project )

If they keep adding teams, they will kill the goose that laid the golden egg, but they don’t care. 18 teams are unsustainable, let alone 19 or God forbid, 20.

More power … more money … whilst the grassroots and fabric of the game disappear into the distance.

Well played AFL … you faarkwits.

That is all.

Don't forget Pork Barrel Park down in Geelong

[dedja]

There are too many Kardinia Park upgrades to list

[Armchair expert]

There are too many Kardinia Park rorts to list

efa

[RB]

If Tasmania don't come in then pretty much every club will be reassessing their draft strategy this year.

With the likely hood of them being in the 2026 draft clubs will be changing how they look at the 26/27 drafts.

Could be handy for your mob if Tassie don't come in, having traded away your top draft pick for this year's draft.

This years draft is poor and will be butchered by academy and f/son picks. We were losing Houston anyway and it was better to take last years picks than this years.

We hear that almost every year.
I’m following pretty close this year as that’s all the hope we have and whilst the depth doesn’t look great there looks to be some real quality in the first 10 region and WAFL kicks off this week so might have a better idea of how things sit in a months time

The concern I would have if I was a Port fan is that while they've got some top quality aged 22-25 (JHF, Rozee, Bergman, Butters), it's hard to see many of their 21 and under players becoming real stars. Not a massive problem if they have a solid group of supporting actors, so to speak, but can they replace the players likely to retire in the next few years?

It's quite possible their 'premiership window' is drawing to a close after pursuing a 'win now' strategy for so long, so with no good picks this year, you'd probably want some solid talent coming in ready for 2027 or 2028 - bit harder if Tassie get the leg up that the Suns and Giants got.

[Booney]

We hear that almost every year.
I’m following pretty close this year as that’s all the hope we have and whilst the depth doesn’t look great there looks to be some real quality in the first 10 region and WAFL kicks off this week so might have a better idea of how things sit in a months time

4 of the top 10-12 are aligned.

Uwland ( Suns ), Annable ( Lions ), Addinsall ( Suns ) and McGuane ( Collingwood ) are all likely top dozen.