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The AFL already "takes" from the rich if you consider they give money to struggling clubs from the tv money pot.

Equalisation is a joke - it dumbs down the better clubs rather than seeks to improve the league as a whole.

The only real solution is to deal with the struggling clubs - force them to merge or relocate to a market where they might thrive.

I don't know if it would work - but a Melbourne based club should probably relocate to Tasmania - just don't know if the population/economy is large enough there for it.

Its quite simple - stop giving them money and they'd have no choice.

Not another dollar to NM or Footscray. They can play in the vfl or if they like merge with GC and West Sydney. Again only if they don't want to go back to the vfl. Though I don't see why they would be so ashamed of this. Not another $.

DaveRoyal wrote: The AFL already "takes" from the rich if you consider they give money to struggling clubs from the tv money pot.

Equalisation is a joke - it dumbs down the better clubs rather than seeks to improve the league as a whole.

The only real solution is to deal with the struggling clubs - force them to merge or relocate to a market where they might thrive.

I don't know if it would work - but a Melbourne based club should probably relocate to Tasmania - just don't know if the population/economy is large enough there for it.

Well put Dave, agree 101%. As for the Tassie deal, they prop up the 2 new teams and the FFC & NMFC's of the world - just redirect some of the money to the team that go to Tassie.

Its not so much about merging teams as such. FOXTEL want 9 games a weekend they pay a BILLION dollars for the coverage , and what THEY want goes. Its really that simple. Thats why the Afl pump money into poor clubs.

Sweeten the deal to foxtell by playing 2 more home and away rounds for the 16 remaining teams. That would be 16 extra games.

Foxtell would prefer 8 blockbusters than the 5 blockbusters and 4 ordinary games they get at present.

Time For a Flag wrote: Sweeten the deal to foxtell by playing 2 more home and away rounds for the 16 remaining teams. That would be 16 extra games.

No that wont work as the players assoc etc, fixtures etc would all be stuffed.

Fixtures would improve immensely

I recognise the money foxtel provides allows the AFL to support dead clubs, but still they'd be better off if those dead clubs could thrive.

Although I personally think 2 teams should be chopped - the reality is Foxtel wants the number of games a round it gets and the AFL would have to renegotiate or convince foxtel they'd be better off with one or two less games a round to see the merge scenario take effect.

This is why a relocation to Tasmania should be seriously considered to at least breathe life into one of them. A good carrot could be giving the new club first access to Tasmanian talent each year before the draft takes place so that the club can get a grip on a Tassie identity.

(BTW, how many players get drafted from there each year anyway?)