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Sydneyfan
22nd January 2003, 10:30 PM
A NSW-ACT State League has been mooted about before and I believe it would be beneficial in having the better players out of each respective region play in the State League.

If a State League were ever to start up, how many teams and from where would you like them based?

I'd pick 4 Sydney teams, though have separate entities to the SFL/SFA clubs: a North Sydney team representing north of the harbour, Sydney team representing eastern and southern suburbs and inner west, a West Sydney team representing everywhere west of Homebush, and a South West Sydney team representing everywhere from Canterbury/Bankstown to Camden.

6 Regional Teams: 1 Murray team based in Albury, 1 Riverina team based in Wagga Wagga, 1 South Coast team based in Wollongong, 1 North Coast team based in Newcastle, 1 Central West team based in Bathurst, and a Canberra team.

All up it would be a 10 team league and look like this:

North Sydney
Sydney
West Sydney
South West Sydney
South Coast
North Coast
Murray
Riverina
Canberra
Central West

I'd also like to see another Canberra side and, if money and logistics weren't a problem, a Far West (Broken Hill) side.

What sort of composition of teams would you like, if a State League were to start up?

Charlie
23rd January 2003, 08:30 AM
5 Sydney sides
3 Canberra sides
1 Riverina
1 Wollongong/South Coast
1 Newcastle
1 Central West
1 Murray
1 Central Coast

14 teams. Basically Canberra deserve it, it's a very high standard there. Apart from Newcastle, which to my knowledge doesn't have a football league, that also represents all the major leagues in the NSW/ACT area.

Charlie

TheMase
23rd January 2003, 09:42 AM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Charlie
Apart from Newcastle, which to my knowledge doesn't have a football league[QUOTE]

Thats funny. I swore that I played in the Black Diamond Football League for about 4 years. I am also sure that the Black Diamond Football Shield is the longest contested shield in history.

Perhaps I was mistaken :D

Charlie
23rd January 2003, 11:16 AM
My apologies Masey... I thought that was a Central Coast league. Is it both???

TheMase
23rd January 2003, 11:22 AM
Originally posted by Charlie
My apologies Masey... I thought that was a Central Coast league. Is it both???

They used to be seperate leagues.
There was the Central Coast Australian Football League.
And the Black Diamond Australian Football League. Unfortunately the Newcastle comp was struggling, so they basically took over the Central Coast competition (apparent merger).

The juniors still have their seperate competitions (Central Coast Junior Australian Football League, Newcastle Australian Junior Football League).

The seniors though have sides from the Central Coast (Woy Woy, Gosford, Terrigal-Avoca, Wyong-Lakes, Kilarney Vale) and Newcastle/Hunter (Newcastle City, Cardiff, Nelsons Bay, West Newcastle/Wallsend and Warners Bay).

The seniors contest the Black Diamond Shield, which I believe goes back to something like 1876 IIRC. (something like that).

Charlie
23rd January 2003, 11:24 AM
In your opinion then, is there enough talent in the area to support 2 teams??

Bearing in mind they have to compete with the best of Sydney, Canberra and Southern NSW.

TheMase
23rd January 2003, 11:33 AM
Originally posted by Charlie
In your opinion then, is there enough talent in the area to support 2 teams??

Bearing in mind they have to compete with the best of Sydney, Canberra and Southern NSW.

Definetely NOT.

1 team to cover Hunter/Central Coast regions would suffice.

Charlie
23rd January 2003, 11:41 AM
Hmm. In that case, another team is required. How about the Swans reserves? Can't believe I forgot them.

TheMase
23rd January 2003, 11:44 AM
Originally posted by Charlie
Hmm. In that case, another team is required. How about the Swans reserves? Can't believe I forgot them.

Swans reserves should definetely be in the competition.

The Hunter side won't have THAT much talent, and will probably struggle at first. But eventually it would benifit them and football in NSW.

Central West side similarly, but we do have some talented players out this way ..

robbieando
23rd January 2003, 03:27 PM
Look a state league is a must but it must be of the following

5 Sydney Based Teams (4 merged SFL teams and the Swans reserves)
4 Canberra Teams (The 4 Best ACTAFL Teams)
Wagga Tigers
A Central Coast Team (Which includes Newcastle)
A Illawarra Team (Maybe St George of the SFL move down there)

Thats a 12 team comp. I wouldn't have a Murray based team because most teams down there compete in the Victoria leagues and have been in the past unwilling to leave these comps.

The SFL would continue but as a feeder league to the State League with each club merging to form a State League club but the orginal club acts as a form of reserves.

TheMase
23rd January 2003, 03:31 PM
Originally posted by robbieando
Look a state league is a must but it must be of the following

5 Sydney Based Teams (4 merged SFL teams and the Swans reserves)
4 Canberra Teams (The 4 Best ACTAFL Teams)
Wagga Tigers
A Central Coast Team (Which includes Newcastle)
A Illawarra Team (Maybe St George of the SFL move down there)

Thats a 12 team comp. I wouldn't have a Murray based team because most teams down there compete in the Victoria leagues and have been in the past unwilling to leave these comps.

The SFL would continue but as a feeder league to the State League with each club merging to form a State League club but the orginal club acts as a form of reserves.

I like this plan. I would call the CC team a Hunter team though, covers a wider area.

TheMase
23rd January 2003, 03:33 PM
Originally posted by TheMase
I like this plan. I would call the CC team a Hunter team though, covers a wider area.

Rather than have the Wagga Tigers, have a Riverina side, a new team. The Riverina League can then feed into that.


In Reality, there should be a team where there are a couple of Leagues.

Ie. Central West, Riverina etc Representing their areas. Then the players of these Leagues feed into that side.

Charlie
23rd January 2003, 04:19 PM
Rob, why the need to merge SFL teams? How about taking the best team from each region of Sydney (South, North, Central, Inner West/NorthWest, South West) and putting the remaining SFL teams in a combined SFL/SFA? There's no real need for two comps there anyway, and it will cut down on costs. It also means the State League teams actually have a soul to go along with the jumper and song.

Do the same thing in Canberra with 3 teams (4 is overkill, it simply isn't THAT big). Probably Ainslie, Tuggeranong and Belconnen. Put Quenbeyan, Weston Creek and Eastlake into the Canberra District league. Let the Wagga Tigers represent Riverina, feeding from the Riverina league. They are the top team in the state, they deserve to be there. It's important that Albury is included, otherwise you are you conceding from the get-go that the NSWAFL is lower than the Ovens and Murray league, when it is actually aspiring to be on the same level as the VFL/SANFL/WAFL.

No need for St George to move to Wollongong. I'm sure the Wollongong SFA club could team up with the South Coast AFL and be competitive. I agree with one team in the Hunter/CC area, based on what Mase said, however the Bathurst/Orange/Dubbo region also needs a team.

robbieando
23rd January 2003, 05:09 PM
Charlie a Murray team would be very hard to start. Because the local teams will not be willing to leave the Victorian leagues there are in now. Most of these places cannot support a second team as it is. Trust me I know.

Charlie
23rd January 2003, 05:42 PM
You know how?

I have no doubt that between the 3 Albury based O&M teams, the Hume league, and the Murray FL, there is enough down there to put a team together.

Sydneyfan
23rd January 2003, 07:03 PM
Some good suggestions there, robbieando, Charlie and TheMase. A couple of areas I overlooked in my initial post were further up the North Coast (north of Port Macquarie up to the border), the New England region (Tamworth, Armidale plus anywhere further north or west of those cities).

Does anyone know of the quality of the leagues in these areas? I know there's a North Coast AFL, Tamworth AFL, Summerland AFL(?) and North West AFL(?)

I'd presume that they wouldn't be all that great so it probably be suffice just to have the Newcastle-Central Coast side accomodate players from these regions.

robbieando
23rd January 2003, 10:09 PM
Charlie first of all NSWAFL doesn't have control in the Murray area, even though part of it is in NSW. Players born in NSW are regarded as NSW. However the clubs are not and are under the control of Football Victoria.

I know because my Mother was born in Nathalia which is 30km from the border and the local side plays in the Murray League. The NSW based clubs have in the past refused such a move because they get better standard of football than in NSW.

the manager
31st January 2003, 11:09 PM
3 SFL teams (North Shore, Campbelltown, St George)
2 SFA/SFL composite teams made up of Sydney North (Norwest Jets, Manly, Pennant Hills and East Coast Eagles) & Sydney West (Parramatta, Penrith, Western Suburbs and Balmain)
3 ACTAFL Teams (Ainslie, Tuggeranong, Swans Reserves)
1 MVAFA Team (Wagga)
3 CWAFL Teams (Orange, Cowra & Katoomba-Lithgow)

That would be my State League


the manager

Charlie
1st February 2003, 10:18 AM
Wagga is in the Canberra league.... and 3 CWAFL teams???

You think it's as strong as the SFL or ACTAFL??? No way. I haven't seen the standard of play but you won't convince me of that, ever!

robbieando
1st February 2003, 10:41 AM
Was thinking about this last night while bored at work. What about a 12 team league to start with. The brake up as follows

Swans
NSW/ACT Rams
4x Sydney Based teams (SFL)
3x Canberra based teams (ACTAFL)
Wagga Tigers
Illwarra based team
and
Hunter Valley based team.

Now first of all I have included the Rams because I was think of the benifit of having these kids play at a higher level and how much of a bonus that would be to us because when we draft them we know they are that extra bit ready for the step up to AFL and that could save heaps of time. The SFL teams brought in would be either stand alone teams or mergers covering Inner Sydney, Western Sydney, Northern Sydney and Southern Sydney. The 3 Canberra based team would for me be Ainslie, Tuggeranong and Quenbeyan. I would suggest moving St George to Illwarra to give that side a chance to have a solid side to start with. Hunter Valley would be a side to grow long term.

Now this League should have 3 years to steady itself before introducing 2 new teams to make 14. It also gives you time to set up 2 new clubs be it in Albury, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Cofts Habour or even another Canberra based team. I would be inclined to give Canberra a 4th team and Cofts Habour a team.

It can't be State Wide stright away but it should be able to cover most major areas of NSW/ACT first before going fully state wide. Alot of issue have to be worked out such as which clubs, facitiltes, costs, sponsors, media coverage and travel before it is attempted but given the right start there is no reason why it shouldn't work.

the manager
1st February 2003, 07:43 PM
Do not relocate St George to Wollongong as there is already a strong SFA Side based there

TheMase
3rd February 2003, 09:59 AM
Originally posted by Charlie
Wagga is in the Canberra league.... and 3 CWAFL teams???

You think it's as strong as the SFL or ACTAFL??? No way. I haven't seen the standard of play but you won't convince me of that, ever!

I have seen the standard of play. I play in it :D

You're entirely correct though. It would probably be the standard of the Black Diamond or the SFA.
There are some gun players out here though :eek: