North Melbourne - do they have a chance of surviving in Melbourne?

Question

North Melbourne - do they have a chance of surviving in Melbourne?

Answer 1

Yeah, they do have a chance but not while they try to be suburban North Melbourne.

Get some good marketing, get some good PR for a change (they never did get over the whole Waynkery thing did they?).  Some good management and a real position in the market.

I think they'd do well to take the North thing literally and move out of the CBD to represent the region north of Melbourne.  Some research would show them where they could draw a crowd but could they even base themselves up the Hume a bit and represent all those brilliant players who come from North East Vic?  Not saying that's the answer for sure but they need to look at what they are and what they represent.  

At the moment they're lost.  They were just starting to get good crowds and support in Canberra ... a town nearly the size of Geelong.  They rarely got less than 12,000 at a sub-standard ground which has now had millions spent on it.  They can't make up their minds about Gold Coast and I think they'll get a luke warm reception there.  At least (is it) Broadford, Benalla, Wangaratta, Albury/Wodonga might give them a supporter base.

Dubya - I suspect Southport Shark's 40,000 members may be a $2.00 club membership with a free beer every Friday chucked in, not a $200 footy membership.  I may be wrong but I'm a Canberra Raiders club member on roughly that deal, so Canterbury Bulldogs 60,000 members or whatever it is doesn't really match (is Adelaide with) 38,000 AFL members.

Answer 2

They will if the AFL give em some $$$ and they boost their memberships.

Sadly, I think its inevitable thanks to stupid Andrew Dimitriou

Answer 3

gone mate, along with melb,doggies and the saints all gone within the next 20-30yrs, first will be kangas, then dogs, then demons, only coz their name is melb, these teams just don't have enough support, it cost so much to put a team on the ground, they got rid of the un19's and reserves to save money, but still clubs struggle, tigers finished on the bottom but make a 1.2 million profit, why, the amount of supporters, its ok trying to raise money etc but if people don't barrack for the team they wont put their hands in their pockets, north have to move to survive as sth melb did.

Answer 4

No, they're gone.

Answer 5

they have lasted over 80 years

the afl is obsessed with a national game and will continue to kill the club

Answer 6

No they wont survive and when they fold they can look back to Nov 07' and blame the board for not having the balls to make the right decision.

Answer 7

nah , i think they should of went to the Gold Coast, i dt want to see a 17th side in the AFL

Answer 8

If people are so worried that the AFL is detrimental to the game of Aussie Rules & it is killing the game by promoting football in other states ----- then follow the VFL!

The "V" stands for "Victoria".

Supporters who follow cellar dweller teams blame everything & everyone but themselves & the club. Stop living in the past. It is now the "A"FL.

If the Kangaroos can't survive in Melbourne then they should move - simple logic.

Answer 9

They do have a chance, but ...............

They would need to increase the membership, and get a good cash flow for the club. They should get more members after the performance last season, but they need to be long term members. Getting good sponsors with big wallets is another key.

The best way for Melbourne based clubs to survive is by being finacially stable. If you look at the big money making clubs in Melbourne they never get mentioned in moving or disappearing.

It's all about the  $$$$$$  if they have the cash they would stay in Melbourne.

Answer 10

I think they do. They are in not different position then any other Vic team. Carlton has a bigger debt, Richmond and Melbourne had onfield struggles, St. Kilda couldn't get along behind the scenes, Footscray haven't done anything either way to even get a mention, the AFL will ship Hawthorn to Tassie, the only true success was Geelong.

It's all about the money. How sad. Well, instead of giving the Roos $100 million to move, why not just give us the money to stay!? The AFL seem happy to throw cash around, why is there no interest in paying to keep AFL history in it's place? The 150th celebrations are next year and the AFL aren't even interested in supporting the Legends Game.

And what about the people? How many players will be able to move to the Gold Coast? May as well get a whole new team. And, what about the people employed in the football dept., marketing, memberships? They will all be replaced too. The volunteers, trainers, the social club, the cheer squad - gone. Maybe old Macca knew what was coming and just couldn't bare it. His beloved club, gone.

But, they'll be kind enough to let us keep our song...why? How can we sing of North Melbourne in another state, under another name? they tried once to change the song to 'Kangaroos'...it didn't work.

The truth of the matter is, if the Kangaroos move to the Gold Coast, North Melbourne will be as dead and buried as Fitzroy.

I have been a North Melbourne member for 15 years (I'm 23), but if the Kangaroos go to the Gold Coast, I won't be going with them. Does the AFL actually expect me to believe that they will cater for the members in Victoria in 3 years time? 10 years time? How many years was it before they turned their backs on the old Fitzroy fans? What is left of the old Bloods? How much satisfaction do they get from a Sydney membership?

I guess we'll know soon enough...and maybe the VFL will have a new member (carn the ROOSters?)

Answer 11

Turn back the pages of your footy history book 20 years.

It was the VFL with U19 and reserve competitions, including Fitzroy and Sth Melbourne and Footscray now Western Bulldogs.      Now its AFL , South are Sydney , Fitzroy Brisbane, with Adelaide, Port Adelaide,West Coast and Fremantle, and all except   Freo have won AFL Premierships!          

  Massive change and success, so why in the line of progress will similar change not occur in the next 20 years ?           Who knows we could have one of the most successful clubs with the largest AFL membership in the Country on the Gold Coast.   If Southport sharks (40,000 members) and the Kangaroos (20,000) combine to become the Gold Coast Kangaroos, no other AFL club could equl that membership .  Further to that we could also see the first afilliation with NBL AFL,a Basketball Football Sporting  Club....the "Melbourne Tigers" ..with Melbourne - Richmond becoming the football component.      Whatever happens you can be sure of change and progress in the next 20 years .       Looking backI'm certain  many Sth - Melbourne , Fitzroy supporters would have asked the same or a similar  question, as posted here

Answer 12

The players are not taking survival very seriously if  some  are drunk and disorderly.

Players have short memories about how to conduct themselves in public.

Next thing the kangas players will be sobbing in the press about how sorry they are. What a plastic load of crock.

Answer 13

No hope