Is it time to ask for Special Assistance from the AFL for Draft Picks

[bornadog]

60 years without a premiership and 53 years without a grand final appearance. Its time we asked the AFL for a boost with special draft pick allowances so we can build up for a tilt at a premiership.

Many clubs have had special assistance to get them over the line.

1. North Melbourne in the 70's - 10 year rule designed to lure various players to the club

2. West Coast join and virtually have the State side playing for them

3. Brisbane - forced to merge with Fitzroy and bingo three premierships

4. GC and GWS - say no more.

5. Priority Picks - many clubs have received.

6. Every new club that has joined the AFL, we lost good players

* West Coast - Murray rance
* Adelaide - McGuinness, plus some drafted players
* Brisbane - Magic McClean
* GC - Harbrow
* GWS - Ward

As a club we have been screwed over time and time again with drafts as well as losing champions over the years.

Our supporters are sick of seeing us lose. Its time the AFL looked at this club that represents a massive area in the West of Melbourne and pumped in some meaningful support, ie priority picks for next year. Unless we win a big one, we will not attract members or support from fans.

As Gough once said - Its time.

[1eyedog]

An all expenses paid transition to the Tasmanian Bulldogs?

Can't see it happening half a dozen teams will cry poor and want in.

[bulldogtragic]

You need to cheat to get ahead. We are too much of a decent citizen to get rewarded.

In my most cynical moments, I think others only want our existence to generate the extra game on TV each Sunday arvo to generate advertising dollars and to give the big teams a different team to play and beat as to not get boring playing each other every 3 weeks.

Also, it's hard to go Sydney on the COLA and then ask for some extra too. Nothing at Peter, but we can't ask for extra at the same time we are raising issues of other teams getting extra.

[bornadog]

An all expenses paid transition to the Tasmanian Bulldogs?

Can't see it happening half a dozen teams will cry poor and want in.


You need to cheat to get ahead. We are too much of a decent citizen to get rewarded.

In my most cynical moments, I think others only want our existence to generate the extra game on TV each Sunday arvo to generate advertising dollars and to give the big teams a different team to play and beat as to not get boring playing each other every 3 weeks.

Also, it's hard to go Sydney on the COLA and then ask for some extra too. Nothing at Peter, but we can't ask for extra at the same time we are raising issues of other teams getting extra.

Its time the AFL recognized our predicament and supported us. If we don't put something forward it won't happen.

[bulldogtragic]

Its time the AFL recognized our predicament and supported us. If we don't put something forward it won't happen.

I think Peter has been working very hard behind the scenes on revenue sharing. Very hard. I guess it's just one battle in the war, next is Good Friday, then fixturing. I can't see the AFL handing us a handful of draft picks, they're likely to say Koops/Mundy & Street, Barlow and Rampe and JPod , Everitt, Sherman, Vez, Howard, Tutt and so forth. At some point we have to take responsibility for shit decisions, and we made a few in this cycle leading up to the team we put out there on the weekend.

[Greystache]

We'd just get the usual bullshit- "You get given $200K for playing 19 Sunday twilight games each year, how many more handouts do you want"

[KT31]

We'd just get the usual bullshit- "You get given $200K for playing 19 Sunday twilight games each year, how many more handouts do you want"

Really is that all, for the lack of exposure and the %^#@ timeslot we should be getting a lot more.

I feel we are being worn down and it won't be long that merging or reallocation are brought back onto our table.

[Greystache]

Really is that all, for the lack of exposure and the %^#@ timeslot we should be getting a lot more.

I feel we are being worn down and it won't be long that merging or reallocation are brought back onto our table.

It's probably a bit more, I was just making the point we get given F-all for subsidising the richer clubs and we're expected to be grateful.

[bulldogtragic]

Really is that all, for the lack of exposure and the %^#@ timeslot we should be getting a lot more.

I feel we are being worn down and it won't be long that merging or reallocation are brought back onto our table.

Then we should jump on selling 6 interstate team games to Tassie (drowns would be bigger than yesterday) demanding serious cash, zoning rights and at least 11 Melbourne games for members. Keep name, jumper, song, training base and identity.

Or wait to get pushed into a situation where we have no ability to demand anything. Sorry to be banging on about it, but look at every single AFL coach and look at the advertising on their shirts/jumpers (etc) then look at our lovely colours and empty spots. Sponsors aren't coming, members aren't renewing, we still have debt, our books and so on. Our books only look good because Peter gave $1,000,000 and how many more donors do we have to keep doing this?

It sucks being us right now, but right now a Tassie move is a choice with some bargaining power. If it gets worse, there's no option and no benefits. The AFL won't bail us out, especially in the current set up. But if we can give them extra Tassie exposure then they can hide support behind the deal, so it's the only way I see them giving us anything. As an aside, how has Tassie and it's money, members and sponsors worked out for the Hawks?

[1eyedog]

We'd just get the usual bullshit- "You get given $200K for playing 19 Sunday twilight games each year, how many more handouts do you want"

Is this really the number? This is only 400 full memberships! If we started playing some decent time slots we'd easily make up (at least) 400 memberships. I'm assuming it's heaps more we're getting for Sunday twilight matches but I don't know the number.

[bornadog]

Then we should jump on selling 6 interstate team games to Tassie (drowns would be bigger than yesterday) demanding serious cash, zoning rights and at least 11 Melbourne games for members. Keep name, jumper, song, training base and identity.

Or wait to get pushed into a situation where we have no ability to demand anything. Sorry to be banging on about it, but look at every single AFL coach and look at the advertising on their shirts/jumpers (etc) then look at our lovely colours and empty spots. Sponsors aren't coming, members aren't renewing, we still have debt, our books and so on. Our books only look good because Peter gave $1,000,000 and how many more donors do we have to keep doing this?

It sucks being us right now, but right now a Tassie move is a choice with some bargaining power. If it gets worse, there's no option and no benefits. The AFL won't bail us out, especially in the current set up. But if we can give them extra Tassie exposure then they can hide support behind the deal, so it's the only way I see them giving us anything. As an aside, how has Tassie and it's money, members and sponsors worked out for the Hawks?

I am not talking about cash assistance. I am talking about the need to inject some players in that will get us to a GF.

[Sedat]

Maybe the request we need to ask is "when are we going to receive the 2nd part of our rightful compensation for losing Ward"? According to the AFL and their random distribution of compensation picks for losing players to the expansion clubs, GWS' resident tagger Tom Scully is considered twice the player that their captain and reigning B&F is.

Can't argue too much about the Harbrow compensation, seeing as we took it and straight away urinated it down the drain.

[bornadog]

Is this really the number? This is only 400 full memberships! If we started playing some decent time slots we'd easily make up (at least) 400 memberships. I'm assuming it's heaps more we're getting for Sunday twilight matches but I don't know the number.

Its actually over $1.8 million

[LostDoggy]

We've subsidised the AFL's purchase of Etihad Stadium not the other clubs. Collins agreed to make us and the other "tenant" (slave) clubs trapped in the deal pay it out. Here's some equity to consider. How's about the "tenant" clubs who've paid it off are the actual legal owners of it once its done? Weve paid the cash, Geelong own theirs, makes sense to me! There would be a rush for all those begging to play at the MCG to come running back the other way if this fair and equal measure was agreed to....

[Sedat]

I am not talking about cash assistance. I am talking about the need to inject some players in that will get us to a GF.
Pray tell, why would the AFL want us anywhere near finals let alone a GF?

[bornadog]

Pray tell, why would the AFL want us anywhere near finals let alone a GF?

Do they want the Western Region of Melbourne to be purely soccer.

[bulldogtragic]

I am not talking about cash assistance. I am talking about the need to inject some players in that will get us to a GF.

We need the cash to get more and better recruiters. More off field support, more development coaches, a match day tactical coach. The money to push harder for members. The money to sell sizzle to get people to games, and thus the sponsors dollars and for players you want to play in front of 30,000+ members each week! not a few more than Skoda stadium. All the benefits on field the bigger clubs have is cash to buy whatever is the new big thing in advancing their players (outside Essendon...) and the best advice and development. there's no cash here, here there's no cash. Robbo...

[Sedat]

Do they want the Western Region of Melbourne to be purely soccer.
Did they give a crap about the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and giving this massive region an excuse to walk away from AFL, when they got rid of Waverley in 1999?

The AFL treat the city of Melbourne with lip service because they know the fans are rusted on in this town (although not as rusted on as they arrogantly think). They are desperate to see success with their expansion clubs, and with the most popular of the remaining clubs to round out the finals. They could care less about us except as a necessary 1/16th of their massive TV/media rights deal. That is why we get twilight Sunday games up to the eyeballs on Foxtel.

[Greystache]

We've subsidised the AFL's purchase of Etihad Stadium not the other clubs. Collins agreed to make us and the other "tenant" (slave) clubs trapped in the deal pay it out. Here's some equity to consider. How's about the "tenant" clubs who've paid it off are the actual legal owners of it once its done? Weve paid the cash, Geelong own theirs, makes sense to me! There would be a rush for all those begging to play at the MCG to come running back the other way if this fair and equal measure was agreed to....

The other clubs don't have to give their pound of flesh for the purchase of the stadium. The rich clubs can keep making big money on the high drawing games, and we can be drip fed a lifeline to stay afloat. So in real terms we are subsidising the rich clubs.

[bornadog]

Did they give a crap about the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and giving this massive region an excuse to walk away from AFL, when they got rid of Waverley in 1999?

The AFL treat the city of Melbourne with lip service because they know the fans are rusted on in this town (although not as rusted on as they arrogantly think). They are desperate to see success with their expansion clubs, and with the most popular of the remaining clubs to round out the finals. They could care less about us except as a necessary 1/16th of their massive TV/media rights deal. That is why we get twilight Sunday games up to the eyeballs on Foxtel.

So we just bendover and take it, or keep pushing???

[jeemak]

The other clubs don't have to give their pound of flesh for the purchase of the stadium. The rich clubs can keep making big money on the high drawing games, and we can be drip fed a lifeline to stay afloat. So in real terms we are subsidising the rich clubs.

This is absolutely true and probably the most galling aspect of the Docklands issue for me.

I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see the stadium purchased and the competition rationalised in terms of club numbers within the next five years, or potentially in the media rights negotiations following the next lot.

A scenario in which we pay for the ongoing maintenance of the stadium through terrible contractual terms until it's sold, only for us to be excluded from receiving the ultimate benefit of its purchase isn't an unrealistic proposition.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Pray tell, why would the AFL want us anywhere near finals let alone a GF?

To sanitise the competition and the AFL name. A Bulldogs premiership would be a refreshing of the AFL precisely because they're so dirty corporate.

[KT31]

To sanitise the competition and the AFL name. A Bulldogs premiership would be a refreshing of the AFL precisely because they're so dirty corporate.

Agree, I know many supporters of other clubs that have a soft spot for us and if their club's weren't in the running would love to see us get a flag.
At worst it may get the many cynics back on board and would definitely please at least 30000 of us.

[Bulldog Joe]

Actually think the best assistance for a struggling club would be a Salary Cap increase.

If we look at the walk up start that Collingwood and Sydney get just from exposure, sponsorship etc just from ANZAC day, they should perhaps pay a licence fee of $1m each to be shared as additional salary cap around the teams that are excluded from that sort of exposure