AFL - Terrible Ideas, Too Many Ideas, No Idea…

Exactly, grassroots football needs to pull it’s head in

I really feel like we’re approaching a tipping point with AFL management here. There is now a critical mass of people who think they’re doing a terrible job.

What’s needed now I think is for the clubs to unite behind the views of their members and push for change (yes I know it’s unlikely)

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At the risk of going against the grain of general opinion…

What is AFL Vic or AFL supposed to do about local clubs that can’t get numbers?

There’s any number of reasons clubs can’t get numbers - dwindling populations, people needing/having to work on weekends, can’t commit the time to travel to trainings/games, shtty “lads lads lads” club culture, self-employed people not wanting to risk injury… I could go on. How can the AFL solve any of the multitude of non-football barriers? Throwing any amount of money won’t help.

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I agree, to an extent.
But isn’t this about money?
Country leagues not seeing what they’re paying the AFL for?

True. Separate issue for mine. The AFL fisting leagues for, let’s call it what it is, a licensing fee is a huge drain, I totally agree.

But that has very little to do with player numbers.

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have a look about country football sides 2nds and see 40’s to late 40’s playing just to keep the club they have played all their lives at so their sons can keep on playing football.most are self employed on the farms

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It’s always been like that, though.

Can’t conceed that they made blatant black and white errors in Essendon games but come out and conceed they made them for the Collingwood freo game?

I know they had to release a statement, but why now, after making ludicrous claims that the calls in the other games are ok, do they conceed defeat?

Seems a strong bias against a bombers club who the AFL are trying to villify after a doping scandal that happened in 2011…

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Yep saw that on the news. Was just waiting for the statement saying “as a consequence we’ve decided to reverse the result.” Hypocritical, biased and corrupt ■■■■■.

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Sport is in the Health portfolio. Governments give money to the AFL, but what is the AFL contribution to health, including in the regions.?
And, what’s the AFL, with its inclusiveness policies, doing to include people with disabilities in the sport - as an alternative to throwing money at AFLX?
And, how much is being spent on AFLX when AFLW needs far more expenditure if it wants to make the women’s sport more lucrative for the players.?

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I have raised this before. I think there are lots of things the AFL could do to support local footy. The big one would be reducing the running costs of clubs by removing affiliation fees for clubs and providing far cheaper insurance options for players. Helping with managing local councils to reduce rents is another one. Grants to clubs for getting their admin right would also be beneficial as it would remove the over reliance on volunteers to run clubs.

However this doesn’t sit well with the AFL as because all it’s wheelhouse is worried about is the game at the elite level. Unless you’re a junior player with the potential to make the top grade they don’t care about you.

This is why there is a massive issue with having a League also act as custodian of the sport. The outcomes that are best for the league and the sport are at complete odds to each other. It means the league will win out over the sport each time. Poor governance really. The constant rule changes are also reflective of this - the AFL does what it thinks is best for the league rather than the sport.

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EFA. They should b doing us a favour for copping all that shitte for all these years, yet they have come to believe their own propaganda and keep punishing us.

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That’s one thing money could solve right there. in subsidising or providing proper income insurance that starts immediately, at a decent rate. I’ve even suggested to some in the chain of command, that they have the wherewithal to start their own NFP Insurance company within the AFL to offer it, which looked like it had legs and might become a thing for a year or so.

Also. money could be put in to A) Training clubs out of the “Lads culture”, and then B) policing it, ultimately threatening to deregister clubs that don’t rid themselves of the toxicity, …

They could also put money into providing Training for trainers, and Coaching certificates rather than milking clubs for such things at every turn, … they could pay to have St Johns ambos on standby at every match day to allay Mothers fears for their boys, or at least provide some peace of mind, … hell they could probably afford to have a quack at each one if they decided to, … they could provide training balls for the 3rds players, they could make a scholarship or 2 per year available for every clubs 3rds players, the list goes on and on.

They have the money to do it, … but where do they choose to burn it instead?

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They need that money for the huge junkets to the US to come up with more stupid ideas that detach the fans from the sport.

Not seeing that Birds of Tokyo may cause offence on Anzac Day, which has no need for a band. At least they didn’t run with The Bataan Death March Brass Bank, or the Burma Railway Quartet.

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The afl have got everyone whose is no one on the pay roll.

The biggest issues i see for footy clubs are

1/ administration - relies on volunteers, if AFl could provide admin support or reduce workload might help clubs.
2/ Insurance - is expensive to take it out, but depending on your job may need it if off work.
3/ numbers - need some of these things success/winning, good administration/facilities or influencers - people who have lots of mates who they can bring into the footy club. Problem is when they leave/lots leave, same with when coaches go sometimes 10+blokes will leave the club as well.

best thing that has happenned is probably womens football, gets more girls into the footy club, more people to help out admin etc, less of a blokey environment.

It would be interesting to see how the lower levels of the EPL compare to their AFL equivalent. I think having a genuinely tiered state league much like they have in England might be the way forward, aside from the actual funding issues of the AFL boys club.

If I were a country team, then I’d be getting a Polo Club up and running then Gil will be sure to give you some love.

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Clubs affiliated with public highschools that use their ovals are a terrific laugh.

can’t even have sponsorships up year round, only on weekends.

no wonder they’re run so poorly and without funding, councils are just gonna give money to marquee clubs that make their decisions look good. cough keilor cough

Am I the only one that couldn’t tell conclusively if it was touched off the boot?

If the original call was a goal, then the correct decision was made, benefit if the doubt with the forward.

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Probably. Looked pretty blatant on the replay.

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