Changes to VFL team alignments looming from 2012

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:02 am

Flying completely under the radar of Grand Final week, it seems that Bendigo are breaking away from Essendon in the VFL.

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/new ... 09410.aspx

Hopefully for football in Bendigo, it works out this time.

Oh, and anything that disrupts Essendon is a good thing as far as I'm concerned!

Might end up getting that football road-trip to Bendigo after all...

Jameoz23 · Post by **Jameoz23** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:00 pm

It will come to a point when all the vic AFL teams will want to stand alone. The way I see it is that all the current vfl sides will have to make a league of their own, 2 nd to the vfl stand alone league. With the top 4 teams also playing in the league to make it a 14 team league and the bottom 2 drop out and the 2 two from that league go up into the top comp.

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 7:10 pm

The dirty deed has been done:

http://www.vflfooty.com/node/7522

Carlton have got what they want: a reserves side on the cheap. And a proud old VFA club gets ransacked to achieve it...

Presti35 · Post by **Presti35** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:19 pm

Geez, you'd be filthy if you were a keen Bullants supporter.

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:54 pm

And if you thought Carlton r@-ing the Bullants was bad, look at what's happening to Box Hill, courtesy of the Hawthorn Footy Club:

http://www.vflfooty.com/node/7530

Presti35 · Post by **Presti35** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:27 pm

Ants, Stangs... the VFL alignment thing is out of hand imo.

Nothing wrong with the old names/jerseys.

It was kewl at first, but now it's just become the AFL reserves comp.

From a selfish point of view, I want Collingwood to play in the VFL, but I want all the other clubs to go back to their old identities.

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:00 am

Simple way to remedy it, really. Or at least as far as I can see it.

The VFL/AFL Victoria makes it a condition that, if an AFL team seeks an alignment with an ex-VFA team in the VFL, then they cede control of issues such as jumper, mascot, home ground etc. If the AFL team decides on an alignment purely because it's cheaper than fielding a VFL team of their own, then that should be the price of admission.

In other words, if you want total control, spend the money on your own side. If you want to skimp on cost, then build an alignment and accept that with economy comes loss of control.

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:26 pm

New VFL jumpers for 2012, courtesy of Mero on BigFooty...

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost. ... stcount=86

The Northern Blues jumpers... ugh. So much for "keeping the old Bullants jumper as a clash guernsey", like they promised to. What they really meant was "keeping the colour red as window dressing". One more reason to hate the b@stards...

Same goes for Box Hawthorn. A fine looking jumper, that Box Hill one, now to be replaced by a clone of the Hawthorn jumper. A proud club with it's own rich history, taken over by a more wealthy aggressor. It's a proud day for Don Scott, eh?

The Bendigo one looks nice, though. Good luck to them as a club. They're gonna need it...

Presti35 · Post by **Presti35** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:03 am

That Northern jumper is just a disgrace.

I like having Collingwood in the VFL playing the old VFA teams. But the way it's going is that none of the old VFA teams will exist anyway. Could be time to go back to the reserves competiton and restore the VFA to the old names/colours/etc.

But, shit, I love playing the Williamstowns, Port Melbournes, etc. Especially at Vic Park!! I want the cake and I want to eat it aswell!

Presti35 · Post by **Presti35** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:08 am

As far as the Bendigo jumper... I dont mind it. Kind of like the old Noble Park jumper.

It is their last year being alligned with Essendon, so I guess its a good idea to try and establish their own colours now.

Are Essendon entering their own side in 2013?

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:18 pm

Presti#1Fan wrote:As far as the Bendigo jumper... I dont mind it. Kind of like the old Noble Park jumper.

It is their last year being alligned with Essendon, so I guess its a good idea to try and establish their own colours now.

Are Essendon entering their own side in 2013?

Essendon have to apply for a licence. They don't automatically get a VFL side just because they don't have an alignment. But you would think that AFL Victoria would grant it to them...

Currently, the annual licence fee for a VFL side is $130,000, which AFL Victoria apparently wants increased. The annual operating costs alone for a VFL side are approximately $500,000, and are set to increase also*.

Last year, Hird reportedly wanted out of the alignment with Bendigo, but got rolled. But Bendigo decided that they wanted out as well, and managed to negotiate an exit plan: in 2012 they are Essendon's reserves, 2013 they go alone.

Then, Essendon have to sort out where they are going to play. Can they come to an agreement with the bowls club over Windy Hill? Or will they have to shack up elsewhere? Pies v Bombers VFL matches at Windy Hill? I'll take that. If we can squeeze in a Pies/Bombers double-header, that would be even better...

*These costs, by the way, are the reason why the cash-strapped so-and-sos at Pricefixer Park set their eyes upon gutting the Bullants, because Carltank don't have the dough to go stand-alone. That makes me laugh and cry at the same time...

Fire Up · Post by **Fire Up** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:39 pm

nice to see no jumper clash between blues and bedigo.

which einstein invented them 2 jumpers

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:51 pm

/\ Even worse will be the clash between Williamstown and Bendigo, and Port and Bendigo...

If the Scum are away to Bendigo, they will use the red jumper...

What I find amusing is that Bendigo have lifted their monogram from Carltank's. I mean, look at them! They have the exact same letters and font!

Fire Up · Post by **Fire Up** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:14 pm

didn't bendigo use to have purple, yellow, white blue in their old jumper before joining with bombers?

how does bendigo now have royal blue and yellow?

MagpieBat · Post by **MagpieBat** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:44 pm

The original Bendigo Diggers jumper:

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/5618/bendigo.jpg

I guess they wanted a new look for their team, so royal blue and gold stripes with a monogram got the nod...

This is an unofficial Bulletin Board - owned and run by its users. We welcome all fans of the Mighty Collingwood Football Club.

Changes to VFL team alignments looming from 2012