I’m a big believer in less is more… Translation: we definitely don’t need another AFL expansion anytime soon.
Even though the TV rights deal is enormous, a lot of clubs are struggling to consistently do well on a financial basis.
The talent pool is already to thin… it’s why we have dead rubber games more often.
It would be completely irresponsible of the competition to think we can expand and expect those clubs in the bottom four or five to flourish.
Looking across to the A-League, who are adding two new sides in Melbourne and Sydney, it’s an easy trap to think the AFL should be trying to keep up.
Realistically, we should be talking about moving the teams we have.
I’d love to see a team in Tasmania, I’m a football romantic in that sense.
If we move a team and give them the best opportunity to succeed in a football heartland, I reckon you would have an instant following, off the back of clever marketing.
It’s low-hanging fruit to identify, but for the sake of an example, take the Suns and rebrand them completely.
Give draft concessions, new team name, new colours… anything the side might need to form its own identity - true fans of footy (and there is plenty in Tasmania) will be able to smell a half-cooked effort from a mile away.
Once you’ve ticked all those boxes, there’s only one thing you need to cement the team’s position: competitiveness.
To clarify, not success, but competitiveness - success can come later down the track.
Moving on from the Suns, you could look at clubs like Hawthorn or North Melbourne for a shift down to Tasmania… but there would be a massive outcry, just look at South Melbourne and Fitzroy for an example.
It’s a massive statement to tell a club who’s existed in their community for more than 100 years to up and move.
And that’s where it gets really tricky… who plays god and tells teams to move? I certainly don’t know how it should be done.
But at some point, you need to make sure teams can thrive… 10 teams in Melbourne is absolute overkill.
So would the AFL be weighing up another expansion anytime soon?
I’m pretty sure they’re sitting tight at the moment after the trouble they had with GWS and, more so, Gold Coast.
The league is now aware that TV execs will not pay more money for more games when they know what the product can be.
Would the AFL regret their two most recent expansion clubs?
Regret is a strong word, and the AFL doesn’t like to admit it’s wrong, but I think if they had their time again they would do it differently.
We don’t need more teams, we need better quality teams.
Quality, not quantity.
Dale Lewis is the co-host of Triple M’s The Rush Hour with Jars & Louie, weekdays from 3-4pm and 6-7pm.
Lewis played 182 games for the Sydney Swans between 1990 and 2001.