TOPIC:

Just throwing a couple of ideas out there that I have been thinking about for a while. Not saying they are right or wrong just a couple of harmless ideas that I thought I'd throw out there to see what others thought.

Like I have said all preseason Peel will be better/more competitive but are not going to be a force this season like others would believe. They will play finals one day though.

East Perth made the Grand Final last year and are a strong team that gets even stronger with the alignment. I still think they are beatable though. Bloody hell, everyone is. Anytime, anywhere  should be the motto. This year all sides on their given day look capable of causing an upset.

Everyone talks about the doom and gloom of the competition over the next five years. Times are changing and whether you like it or not the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers want more control of their players. Whether it is an alignment or they have their own sides that play in the WAFL or an AFL reserves competition, it is here to stay in some form or another.

I don’t think that the current situation is the best outcome for anyone but this trial period should suss it out. I am sceptical as to whether the alignment will last its full five years with the current setup. There should be a committee set up to monitor the current partnership model in the first two, possible three seasons. They need to be looking at the following:

• WAFL attendances (increasing or dropping)
• Promotion/Marketing
• Standard of football being played
• Is EVERYONE getting the full benefits of the partnership model

With that last point yes you can argue to the cows come home about them being full time professional athletes but that’s something that won’t change.



Just putting my two cents in and I’m not saying this is what we need to do just a couple of things that I have thought about that may or may not work.

1. Peel Thunder becomes the Fremantle Football Club.

The WAFC wanted a team down in Mandurah and they formed the Peel Thunder Football Club. As the last club to come into the competition they have been a great breeding ground for AFL players but as a WAFL club have underperformed since their inception. And before anyone else mentions it, yes I know my club has underperformed for the last four decades.

With the Dockers moving to Cockburn they could be used to grow the game down there. Wearing the Fremantle merchandise and spreading the word between Cockburn, Pinjarra and Rockingham. Being associated with an AFL club would be appealing to any young kid growing up.

2. West Coast Eagles Own Team

The West Coast Eagles would have their own reserves team and be based out of Lathlain Oval. They would not be taking over the Perth Football Club. As they are building their new facilities there, it makes sense to ground share.

3. 10 team Competition

With Fremantle taking over Peel and the Eagles having their own side this now means we have a 10 team competition. There are two potential formats for how you could fixture the competition. These dates are for 2014 just to make it easier.

Format One:

• Season starts April 12
• 23 week competition
• 18 games
• Top five
• 4 week finals campaign
• Grand Final September 21
• 1 State Game

Format Two:

• Season starts March 29th
• 25 week competition
• 18 games
• Top five
• 4 week finals campaign
• Grand Final September 21
• Each team has two byes with the Eagles and Dockers coinciding with their AFL byes
• 1 State game

4. Football on Digital TV

While it was only the first round of the SANFL this season the statistics spoke for themselves. The LIVE three hour telecast averaged 55,038 on 7mate with a peak audience of 74,000 viewers. The match averaged 72,261 viewers from the opening bounce to the final siren.

Here’s the link if anyone wants to read the article www.sanfl.com.au/news/sanfl_news/2428/

With having football on a digital station it allows you to have a possible 30-45 minute television show reviewing/previewing games, tribunal updates, interviews with CEO’s, President’s, Captains, Coaches or players.

5. Reserves Competition – Eight Teams

The original eight each have a side in the reserves.

6. Colts restructure

Leave the colts as they are at the moment with nine teams competing. You could still have Peel Thunder or you could call them something else if you wanted. I know this will cause a bye and occasionally your side won’t be playing at the same ground that the league and reserves are. Colt’s games could be played before Eagles and Dockers home games or there could be a couple of colts super rounds were 4 teams play at Patersons on the same day. It’s about getting the kids as much exposure as possible.

7. New Communications/Media Managers

I am not sure how many have seen the SANFL website, but they do a great job in promoting their clubs, interviewing players/coaches. Their club websites are also full of information and are a lot better maintained in my opinion than most of the WAFL clubs.

I have attached the two images of the WAFL website and the SANFL website. You tell me what looks more appealing and interactive.

We have seen clubs such as Perth, Claremont and East Fremantle broadcast shows on radio and West Perth broadcast their own show via youtube.

I’m suggesting three communication/media managers to take control of the WAFL website and that of the clubs to bring them up to standard. Two people would be in charge of three clubs each while the other person would be in charge of the remaining two clubs and do majority of the WAFL website content with assistance from others. Match reports, game previews, and interviews with players, coaches, presidents and CEO’s. Anything to promote the game and the people associated with it.

8. Ground Sharing

This is something that can be done to share the costs associated with the running of a club.

• At Lathlain there would be the Demons and the Eagles.
• At Fremantle Oval there would be South Fremantle and East Fremantle
• Arena Joondalup would be home to West Perth
• Medibank would house East Perth and Subiaco
• Claremont would have their new premises at Claremont Oval
• Fremantle WAFL games would be played at Bendigo Bank Stadium
• And just throwing it out there perhaps the WAFC sharing with Swan Districts at Bassendean

Pictures of the SANFL and WAFL website.

The ideas have merit .... except that there's very few Mandurah Centrelink players that have actually ever gone on with it - they're softcocks , just have a look at that Ballantyne flea

The Purple mob will push to play their games at Cockburn (apt name really) because the travel to Crabville is pointless and why would you spend that amount of coin not to actually play there

Are you really TFAF Mr AFL.

No PN, sorry to disappoint.

Mr AFL wrote: No PN, sorry to disappoint.

The big difference between this idea and TFAF's idea is that the 10th side (West Coast) does not have a zone. That's key. If West Coast or Fremantle go it alone in the WAFL, they must never be given a zone or have a colts team.

It's the role of WAFL clubs to develop draft picks. That's the one thing we have on our side. We produce the players for the draft and we get payed to do so. The moment West Coast get a slice of that or compromise that set-up in any way, we are finished.

If the AFL clubs need to top up their list they can offer spots to ammos players.

Southerner wrote: The ideas have merit .... except that there's very few Mandurah Centrelink players that have actually ever gone on with it - they're softcocks , just have a look at that Ballantyne flea

The Purple mob will push to play their games at Cockburn (apt name really) because the travel to Crabville is pointless and why would you spend that amount of coin not to actually play there

Agree mate, the dorkers ressies will end up at Cockburn 100% in the long run, the fleas form has been ordinary since late last year.

I agree with basically everything MrAFL says. This alternative is far better than the diabolical arrangement in place now.

An even 10 teams the obvious one. Its amazing this was not at least attempted by the WAFC to mould it this way. Suddenly we have West Coast & Fremantle complaining about the bye. I have no idea what planet these people are on sometimes. Did they not think about that?? And lets face a point of reality here, if by some far stretched scenario that Eagles & Dockers supporters do start attending a few games, it wont happen while under the banners of East Perth & Peel Thunder. Not a hope in hell of that ever happening. The new generation of football supporter in this sphere can only identify with their own, that is fact. So for example if Fremantle were playing South Fremantle at the Port on a Sunday, then maybe the Dockers people would make a day of it. Likewise West Coast people. They don't identify with EastPerth at all. But if West Coast played Swan Districts at Lathlain, yes there would be Eagles people who would make a b-line to the WAFL on a more regular basis than now. I am certain of it.

And I have no doubt a commercial network would see this as a far more attractive proposition to attract sponsorship to warrant telecasts. It generates interest and money across the board. What we have now, nothing is attracted or generated. The only thing we generate now is a decay, the whole thing is absurd.

As an EP person (traditionally I must add) I would be the happiest man on earth if West Coast had their OWN reserves team and based themselves out of Lathlain Park. I actually think it would be even better for the Eagles anyway. Lathlain will be a terrific base for them, but I cant see the logic of them continuing to play games at Leederville. It makes dumb sense.

Mandurah people do not give a damn about Peel. They never have & never will. But I agree as a Fremantle identity (or lable) the people would latch on moreso than they do now. I have absolutely no doubt about it. Peel Thunder is a dead weight in term of marketing or perception. I have never seen a remotely decent crowd at any game there in 18 years. It always looks morbidly dead.

I thought I would add my 2 cents worth, but predominantly I agree with what MrAFL says and also TFAF has suggested previously. It does make sense 100%. The amazing thing to me is IF WE DONT GO THIS OTHER DIRECTION as suggested, we will die and clubs will die. It will be the end completely and how is this going to be good not only for the WAFL, but for the Eagles & Dockers??. Their players need to be tested and if they crash this deck of cards, they will feel the effects bigtime. Everyone needs to take stock of this & reload. I commend the SANFL,Crows & Power for what they have achieved together. Must be a pretty good vibe all round in SA these days.

Mandurah is full of Subi , East & South Freo , Swans folks ... scatterings of the other clubs as well - so the Centrelink frauds was never going to work fully
And now - the alignment has made a joke out of the WAFC's reasoning for admitting the Doleys
If there was any new team it probably should have come from Bunbury - but they knew it was a loss so weren't interested in any big move from memory

IF and WHEN the stand-alone AFL sides come about - they should not get any premiership points or flags ... my reasoning is that they are from another comp so points only in their own comp not ours