TOPIC:

Its funny how people can always make a case for "their" club not to merge. Human nature I guess. I would of thought a Freo teams merger is the most obvious one.

And I'm an East Freo supporter.

www.sportfm.com.au/20140310_brett_raponi.mp3 souths going alright according to this

dogman wrote: Well of the 9 I would look at it like this.

EP and Peel - no due to them already being set up and aligned. Leaves 7.

Subi will not be one of them due to their excellent financial state. Leave 6.

WP and CL - you would say no because of their relatively new locations, I doubt they would be going anywhere at all with the Arena and the Showgrounds being new. Leaves 4.

SF - although have lost money over the last 3 years have it in the bank and have spent with a purpose. Would never be told to leave Fremantle Oval by the WAFL - could you imagine no footy in Fremantle?? (Could ground share and probably will with EF in the near future - has to happen.) Leaves 3.

EF - Can improve their finances by ground sharing Freo Oval. Too much history and geographically not linked that closely (except for SF and Perth) to be a real merging chance. Leaves 2.

Perth and SD - One has had no success, the other has no money. Geographically close-ish. Zones pretty good for future draftees and income and club success you would think. The Perth Swans - red, white and black with 2 home grounds? If EP / WCE end up going to Lathlain then the "Perth Swans" can be based at Bassendean. Leaves Subiaco at Medibank by themselves - they should be ok with that financially but we wouldn't be using the ground to its optimum.

That would be the only way the WAFL would get back to 8 teams. Just for the record I don't like the idea of the merger for the sake of an even number.

If only the WCE bought in their own side and made it a 10 team competition!! Take overs, uneven numbers, loss of club identity would all be gone and with the $140K each year for the WAFL clubs finances would be looking a whole lot rosier.

I think Subiaco could fall into the merge category (with Claremont...who also have no supporters) as they, Subi, may not be as financial when the new Stadium is complete....as they will no longer be getting the revenue from their Social Club that they currently get on AFL home days now.

If SF and EF merged the WAFL would be dead the next day.

Imagine no derbies, foundation day derby gone (the biggest drawcard of the year apart from GF) and 115 yrs of hatred gone.

Will never happen.

Ground share yes, merge nup!!

As for SF's cash balance - I didn't realise they had 220K in debt? Sure? Why would they spend all of that money on redoing their clubrooms etc when they owe others money? Not too sure of that one.

I dont expect any mergers at this stage. Wait a few years when WCE and FFC pull out of WAFL, then maybe Peel and possibly EP could fold

Bazza wrote:

BC wrote: I wouldn't automatically think that the chunder are bullet proof just because they're aligned to the Dockers. From memory the deal was to be reviewed after 3 years so the Dockers can align themselves with whomever they like. It would make more sense for them to saddle up with SF down at Cockburn and that way Peel could be given the elbow. Not a very palatable scenario for bulldogs supporters but if it means staying alive in the comp then so be it.

I would mate, the WAFC are full blown committed to Peel - they have pumped 100's of thousands of bucks into them and now the host club deal has secured their future very long term. In time they will be renamed the Mandurah Dockers or simply dockers and will grow on the field.

A SF relocation to Cockburn, that was muted 20 yrs ago or more, never happened , won't happen now, although I reckon if the host club deal was thrown out to SF or EF maybe its a chance, but its well past now, perhaps a SF EF merger renamed the dockers is a very strong possibility , in fact in 20 yrs time I could see it happening ..its already happened at jun Level - SFJFC was renamed the Dockers JFC a few years back . why ? I asked an official - Well the kids identify with the dockers, nobody knows who SF are anymore,

I hear what you're saying re mergers etc bazza. my young bloke plays under 17s for Melvile and this year they've combined with SF and Peel districts as quite a few teams in the EF district have disbanded due to lack of numbers. I believe Winnacot, Attadale, EF plus one or two others just can't get enough kids at U17 level which is a real worry.

Same everywhere BC our club for the first time in 50 years doesn't have a 17s team.

I think there are only 3 in our district. It is now East Perth, Perth and Swans in our cross district.

Bazza wrote: Generally agree, although longer term i feel SF and EF wil merg.

Perth and SD are clearly the most obvious clubs at present.

I would not discount a Subi Claremont merger either longer term , that would make a very powerfull and wealthy club.

BTW - SFFC does not have money in the bank anymore, we have 170K left from 700 a few years back , but have now accumulated 220 in debts, so we are in the red by around 50k.

Spent with purpose, not really sure what that has amounted too , but 500,000 is a decade is a big spend - and for very little to show for it.

One of the rare attendance highlights for the wafl is the Fremantle derbies and Perth derbies. Whilst the Perth derby now is contaminated, the Fremantle derby is still huge. I cant see a SF/EF merge ever. It would make no sense. We need these two separate entities.

Talks of Perth/Swans & Subi/Claremont mergers etc,,,All of this could have been avoided if the Eagles had their own stand alone side (like the Adelaide Crows in the SANFL) in the wafl. It would have eliminated the bye, and the traditional clubs could have bartered for $200k each per season.

The comp would have gained a higher profile, traditional clubs left as they are, and the dreaded bye eliminated, and the AFL clubs get their players playing together in a meaningful competition. It would have been a far better outcome for the short term at least. But yet again we over here in "hard basket WA" are out thought again by the South Australians, whom have an amazing common sense approach to everything they do in football. Look at the mess we have here now. The SANFL will actually thrive, just wait & see. Its very frustrating watching SA continually brain us. It goes right back to 1987 when WA leapt into the VFL, while the South Australians sat back to watch WA football almost plummet into oblivion as a result. 25 years later, nothing has changed in a sense.

No chance of EP moving to Lathlain people there will be no facilities for them.

Once again!!!!
It's getting boring.

PFC are committed to an independent future AT LATHLAIN!!!!!!
The Town of Victoria Park worked very hard in negotiations to ensure PFC's future at Lathlain.
I believe eventually there will be a new 20 year lease for PFC.

PFC are 3rd on the list in terms of financially viable clubs (a result of a lot of very hard work over the past 15 years) and I can assure you the last thing we would want is taking on an ailing club.

It seems to me that right now the most vulnerable club is SD.

I hope they survive but they have a lot of work to do.

jardine wrote:

Bazza wrote: Generally agree, although longer term i feel SF and EF wil merg.

Perth and SD are clearly the most obvious clubs at present.

I would not discount a Subi Claremont merger either longer term , that would make a very powerfull and wealthy club.

BTW - SFFC does not have money in the bank anymore, we have 170K left from 700 a few years back , but have now accumulated 220 in debts, so we are in the red by around 50k.

Spent with purpose, not really sure what that has amounted too , but 500,000 is a decade is a big spend - and for very little to show for it.

One of the rare attendance highlights for the wafl is the Fremantle derbies and Perth derbies. Whilst the Perth derby now is contaminated, the Fremantle derby is still huge. I cant see a SF/EF merge ever. It would make no sense. We need these two separate entities.

Talks of Perth/Swans & Subi/Claremont mergers etc,,,All of this could have been avoided if the Eagles had their own stand alone side (like the Adelaide Crows in the SANFL) in the wafl. It would have eliminated the bye, and the traditional clubs could have bartered for $200k each per season.

The comp would have gained a higher profile, traditional clubs left as they are, and the dreaded bye eliminated, and the AFL clubs get their players playing together in a meaningful competition. It would have been a far better outcome for the short term at least. But yet again we over here in "hard basket WA" are out thought again by the South Australians, whom have an amazing common sense approach to everything they do in football. Look at the mess we have here now. The SANFL will actually thrive, just wait & see. Its very frustrating watching SA continually brain us. It goes right back to 1987 when WA leapt into the VFL, while the South Australians sat back to watch WA football almost plummet into oblivion as a result. 25 years later, nothing has changed in a sense.

Jardine I agree we should of let the WCE have their own side but the reality is that many of us and all WAFL supporters and members told their clubs that was not to happen under any circumstances. The Eagles and Dockers of course found a work around and aligned and still got what they want which some of us knew was going to be the case.
By aligning the Eagles didn't have to do anything, if they had their own club they would of had to find staff, volunteers, excess players etc etc. They had to do nothing and in fact both the Eaqles and Dockers must be laughing just how easy this all turned out for them.
I respect the people who tried to fight it, I really do but surely they must of known it was a fight that could not be won.
And here we are now with the worst possible of all outcomes in our face.

The G7 need to act quickly and put together a document for the Dockers to take over Peel, The Eagles to get their own club and have a 10 team comp.
SA do it better because they will compromise. The WA clubs, Members and Supporters would not compromise at all with the Eagles or Dockers. And in the end we have what we have.
Like I said, the Eagles and Dockers are laughing their arses off, they got what they wanted and had to do nothing. Did not even have to find one volunteer.