Absolutely MV were the driving force, however Storm were getting 10k+ at Olympic Park which was pretty much a full house. Having both clubs doing well really helped push the project over the line.

Actually, at the time of the early designs of AAMI, the Victory were getting massive crowds at Docklands, consistently big crowds, and they had to up the capacity from 20k to 30k.
That was done solely on the basis of the Victory's crowds (at that time).
Of course, if they were designing the stadium today - well yes, they would be paying more attention to Storm's crowds.

Your right of course, however in the state governments defence, the VFL attendances prior to Marvel being built and MCG renovated were still pretty massive,despite playing at bog awful suburban grounds like Princess Park and Glenferrie Oval. AAMI is an absolute peach of a stadium, whether it was built solely for football or not, it is still miles ahead of anything in Melbourne before it and, despite WUs bullshit promises, will be for a very very long time...

Where we need funding is grassroots clubs, local pitches and training facilities NOT the professional side .... at least in Melbourne.

Sure, but what I am saying is that massive investment was the catalyst for the AFL 

that money dwarfs anyone else and was solely  for their benefit 

With AAMI, Storm was a big part of it. I don't see that stadium being built if it was just Victory alone or just Storm alone. 

The three Sydney clubs are playing out of grounds which have all been recently re-built or re-furbished at taxpayer expense.
The Mariners and Hunter stadiums are a bit older, but are still excellent publicly owned facilities.
Of course at least 2 of Melbourne's three clubs are playing out of a beautiful rectangular stadium, barely 10 years old.
Both of Adelaide's and Perth's stadiums are getting a bit of refurbishment.
So I guess that just leaves the Roar currently missing out, but there's a hope they'll get something out of the Olympic's investment.
As far as the A-League goes, I'm not sure we can truly complain about the expenditure of public funds.

Didnt Football get AAMI park and Combank in NSW? Also the State "Excellence" facilities in WA, Adelaide and now Latrobe for the Matilda's ... OK its not on the same scale, agreed, but also not terrible for a sport that is just not that popular at the "professional" level.... 

the previous one came in with a bang out on a whimper, we await whats next.

We must be so happy we have JJ our savior now!

What goes back to the fifties is football having been run by fools or tainted by others with a grievance.

Back in the 50s, all sports would have been playing in crapholes of stadiums, I doubt there was much difference between all the grounds used by all the sports.
The two most recent upgrades of stadiums here in Sydney (at enormous cost to taxpayers) has advantaged both NRL and A-League clubs.
In the case of Parra, it's the Eels who have zoomed ahead of the Wanderers in attendances.

It goes back into the 50s that I know of.

They have also pockets 100s of millions from government over the years,

For example the AFL basically had stadiums built for them. This a massive turning point for their game. If football had that influence they could match if not exceeed in the long term

Football has generally always been run by fools here or tainted by others with grievences - at least for the last 3 or 4 decades

In season 3 we got within 1,000 of NRL's average attendances.
I honestly thought they were in reach, that we could catch them on those metrics and close the gap on TV ratings as well.
15 years on or so, and the NRL have 17 teams and are set for a record season this year.  The sponsorship revenue for all NRL clubs is through the roof.
The gap between them and us is large today as it has ever been in history.
Both Brisbane teams are going strong, even the Lions got a crowd of over 33,000 last night.

I'd say the big difference is they have a motive to rig their competition to maximise betting, just stand alone advertising doesn't do that as it's a flat revenue - getting a cut is something based on performance - giving a massive incentive to maximise it directly for the company, a nuanced but very big difference

Yep we’ll added  - I had hopes 17yrs ago and here we are - not about the NT but more so the game.
Hopefully we’ll see our game as a better package top to bottom or at least NST down whilst in aged care haha 

Hahahaha made my day reh 
I know for sure robbos if I can quote him and myself don’t fall in that poor true  wankas article for she’s right in her description of many here especially the east - much like certain parts of melbon :) 
Have a good long weekend but better one next for the Greek fraternity - I’ll enjoy this one with fam cheaper coffees and running around in our cheap seat cars :) 

Couldn't agree with you more Robbo.

I cannot agree more, but after following the game here in Australia for more than 50 years, I'm staring to think that it may never happen, or at least not for a little while yet.
All the ingredients are there, we as football fans are seeing more football then ever, out national teams are doing OK, the standard of football at the local level is the highest it's ever been, more kids are playing the game then ever before. However, the cooks all have their agendas & not wanting to use all the ingredients, or want to add their little flavour to it. It's so disheartening, after such a great World cup, what is the knock on effect? FA admin stuff it up & then followed by that silly act in Melbourne.
Just gives fuel to the anti football media.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/what-makes-you-a-wker-in-sydney/news-story/506de440852020d588970ba070c90a49

Heheheh have a great Easter you big sook :)

Ummm, just to clarify, are you talking about the AFL or the A league here? 

I agree, hate how sports betting has become a "thing" let alone the millions of lives thrown away to those stupid electronic machines.... Still getting money from advertising OR the direct "cut" of the gamble is too far removed is it... Star City wont sponsor anyone unless they can gain revenue from the advertising it brings.... one and the same in my eyes.

I agree on the pokies 100% 

But the betting raises significant questions - not least that it's in their interest for more betting. For example much like the Republicans with NRA etc 

However, the bigger question is, if more betting will make you more money and the AFL controls it - who is to say fixtures are not concoted with betting in mind? It is a uneven comp with the fixtures based on crowds/tv and not fairness

Also all the rule changes - it is conceivable that changes could be made to the game to ensure more betting 

hehe - those damn blues took us further down to their level :) lol.....ce la vie it could be worse summer very important but isn't the relo contest brilliant, football as it should be.

I know where we both stand regards to egg ball, yes sooner it stay amongst the southern & western states, they can choke on it.
Either of our WC's eat them for breakfast.
Be it in NZ and here they have always worried about our game gaining better traction sadly we keep plodding along shooting ourselves on both feet and head.
WE are not going to advance/gain more traction without all football parties working together and put their necks out working to our games "strengths" and persevere - I cannot see it any other way.

First things first, geez those pool boys are struggling, I've seen better quality games in the NPL than Liverpool v Chelsea.

Maybe my reading, methinks, you no big fan of the AFL, maybe I'm misreading it.

I was in NZ about 10 years ago & they were playing an AFL game over there & the media marketing man for the AFL was trying to play down the affect it will have on the Rugby over in NZ, as anyone knows is like religion over there & they are happy to co-exist with other sport.
After awhile he proceeded to bag Soccer, that football (soccer) was the main threat to Rugby in NZ & that NZ should do everything possible (including going to a AFL game) to completely shut out football.

I'd be happy for the game to remain in the Southern/Western states, despite the Swans success, the lead up to the Grand Final in the Northern Beaches was next to nothing. Now you compare that to the euphoria of the WC (4AM). West Sydney despite all the money, media & marketing struggles to get foothold.

it just not going to happen as far as I can see.
Newbies ? maybe a few thousand spread out over them all due to a sugar hit now and then.
Been going for 17yrs, a portion of the fish where the fish are casually interested, attending their own games below the APL or watching a friend or relo elsewhere, watching their own kids.
Due to syn pitchs etc there are many NPL games on Friday/Saturday and late Sunday arvos into the early eve.
Sure thousands are not attending BUT add the core to APL attendances things could look up but yer not gonna happen as it is right now.
The inspiration isn't there, yer Davide is right for another % they dgaf prefer watching Euro leagues.
Should ask why in Bris/Syd/Newy/CC being they are not the smothered ingrained gayfl infected like the other 3 states are crowds not better in these 2 States after all this time ?

Is it because unlike the other 3States gayfl being no1 they accept AL originally now APL as the next best way they see football sompared to pre AL whereas alot of us in the 2 other States see it differently and not blind sided by afl.



oh no doubt and long may it continue.........

Swans had the luxury (even longer) like the NRL Broncos being the 1 team in both cities gaining support (most ex pats) for a long time before a 2nd was introduced.
Giants for the $$$$'s poured in are plodding along no more or less like many APL ones, the huge diff is the marketing and Fox re crowd attendance and having a wider net (the whole west of Syd) whereas a APL Club has its restrictions.

This deal was done many years ago. Simply the AFL formed the view that the results and whatever happenings being wagered upon was the league's intellectual property. as such, they felt entitled to demand a license fee from the bookies. On the one hand, yeah, it's not all that ethical. But on the other, why would it be any more ethical having the profits solely lying with the bookies who have no actual interest in the sports being wagered upon?

In terms of the AFLs tentacles reaching into dodgy money, I think the far more concerning issue is that of poker machines directly or indirectly funding football departments. To my mind, if the player needs to be paid out of someone's pension, this is clearly not value they are generating from kicking the ball around and shouldn't be entitled to that. That said, pokies are now engrained in Australian culture and they're just seen as okay. To me, they're despicable, but I know I'm the minority. Machines required by law to return 92% of the money you put in and programmed to manipulate vulnerable people into thinking it's giving them more back. Yuck.

I’m against any gambling sponsorship but this is an actual cut from the companies. Messed up 

i just think the AFLs small gains into NSW and QLD just shows how hard it is to secure a decent foothold in those non-traditional markets.

and despite the flak that swans/giants may cop, they're doing a helluva lot better than the aleague, despite football being a much much stronger sport in Syd - esp W.Syd.

i never buy this - oh betting is so abhorrent argument - if we could get the same betting $$$, we'd get it, without blinking.