Has big Andrew basically threatened the North Melbourne board for his own personnal gain? More below?

Question

Unless I am reading the Age online between the lines and out of context from here in America, is Andrew trying to make a big powerplay to take over the club himself, then quit as CEO of the AFL? To get him to quit, that would be great. Are these threats to the board about move to QLD or else a scare tactic? The draw is a big enough mess now and was a big disaster with only 15 teams. Wouldn't it be a cluster **** for the draw if there were 17 sides? All opinions and fact to clear up what I do or do not understand are welcome.

Answer 1

So the Kangas owe 4 million.  So what if that's the number.  I may be wrong but weren't the Cats down by about 10 million and the Bulldogs down by about 5.  Somehow they need to get their act together and create a saleable product.  

I just don't get the whole Gold Coast thing.  Brisbane were propped up by the Fitzroy merger after years of struggling as the bears at Carrara with crowds of a few thousand on a fine day.  Surely not again.  The Kangas were drawing crowds of 12000+ at Manuka and there was talk of fitting out the ground for 20K which is the minimum sustainable size.  

One big sponsor/benefactor doesn't make a club - Eddlestone proved that - you need MEMBERS.  But some clubs just keep piddling on members and potential members.

Staying in Canberra and seriously pressing for the flag this year wouldn't have seen them all the way out of their problems, but it would have been a good platform.

They'd be better off moving to Ballarat than Gold Coast in my view!

Answer 2

The Kangaroos owe four million bucks. That's the governing factor.

They used to have the lowest paid coach in the competition; had the worst facilities; worst player management etc due to their money problems.

Laidley has pushed for reform in regard to player benefits & coached a team to a position far above expectations of a team with limited natural  talent. Laidley can get the best out of players discarded by other clubs.

Sink or swim for the Roos & I think they should do their swimming at the Gold Coast.

Answer 3

not at all, hes doing it for the good of the club and the good of all the other 15 clubs in general, we dont want to see a club fall over and die, that almost happened with fitzroy but the right thing was done in the end, and on the 17 club comp, that is not something i would want to see, not because its another club but because of the byes and **** that would come with it.

Answer 4

Great answer Jemima, thats what I have heard too. Just got told now, Andy has said there WILL be a club on the Gold Coast in 2010.

Answer 5

Big Andy's AFL are saying  that there will be another club on the Gold coast in the future, regardless of whether North Melbourne want to go or not.(Packers Eleven)

It's difficult to get the real story because of all the different Journos' putting their slant on the predicament, where some are saying that North have a dysfunctional committee.

Apparently the AFL have propped North up for far too long, and their supporters are not buying membership tickets.

Big Andy is not siding with North, but possibly wanting them to relocate for survival purposes, as Melbourne can no longer support the bulk of the AFL teams. Andy did say that the AFL are looking to the next 50 years for the survival of the sport, in general.