How times have changed

[Norris Lurker]

I think that's a bit harsh, Mug Punter. They were in the grand final the year before.
Good clubs can have a season where they struggle on the field.

[Monty Burns2]

Whatever the circumstances, there can be no doubt whatsoever that the merger between UNSW and Easts was a complete debacle. Start with a strong SFL club and a strong SFA club and end up with a merged club that this last season performed woefully in every grade. It completely destroyed the history of two clubs and was an insult to those involved with each club. The merged "super club" deserve all the future struggles and miseries that thety will get and it is a monument to the incompetence of the NSWAFL leadership at the time.

Still, what goes around comes around. Whatever the exact circumstances of their formation UTS would not be in existence or would be very weak had it not been for the huge demographic gap that moving Easts down to Kensngton created. they have filled that inner-city void well with a brilliantly run club and I wish them all the best. How ironic it will be if they stay up and Easts go down after 2011....

Granted, we have sometimes struggled in the volunteer department, leading to some off-field issues, but in the 10 years since the merger, the club has achieved:
- SFL premierships ?02, ?03
- Premier division minor premiers ?08
- Premier division grand finalists ?09
- SFA premiers ?02
- 3 Phelan medalists
- Prem div leading goal kicker twice
- Under 18 Challenge Cup premiers 08
- Above average Sydney rep and State representation over that period
- Div 4 premiership 09
- Numerous lower grade league B and Fs
- Biggest playing list of any club for the majority of the decade (top 2 or 3 now)
- 10 local juniors playing Premier division in 2010

I would argue that no reasonable person could consider the above to be a ?complete debacle?.

[Mug Punter]

Granted, we have sometimes struggled in the volunteer department, leading to some off-field issues, but in the 10 years since the merger, the club has achieved:
- SFL premierships ?02, ?03
- Premier division minor premiers ?08
- Premier division grand finalists ?09
- SFA premiers ?02
- 3 Phelan medalists
- Prem div leading goal kicker twice
- Under 18 Challenge Cup premiers 08
- Above average Sydney rep and State representation over that period
- Div 4 premiership 09
- Numerous lower grade league B and Fs
- Biggest playing list of any club for the majority of the decade (top 2 or 3 now)
- 10 local juniors playing Premier division in 2010

I would argue that no reasonable person could consider the above to be a ?complete debacle?.

You are on a downhill fast and itr is all thanks to the get-rich-quick muppets that hijacked your clubs and who have no doubt now left the building

Quick Stats....

2009 2010
First Grade 3rd 9th
Second Grade 3rd 10th
Third Grade 2nd 10th
Fourth Grade 2nd 11th

THE worst set of numbers in Sydney football

Marvellous effort that, simply super stuff. All I can say is that we can re-visit this assessment in 12 months time to say whether or now you or I are right. I fully expect the UTS elevation to further weakened your position.

Very sad........

[Seagull]

More than a bit harsh, downright mistaken.

Two Premier league/SFL Premierships, two SFA Premierships, Third Division Premiership in '09, Under 18s premiership in '08, all four adult sides in the finals in '09, with three in GFs!

FYI, East Sydney was forced to merge due to the Swans Reserves' inclusion in the SFL in 2000, a move that last one whole year before they dumped the SFL and went to the ACTAFL. The league's view was it was ridiculous for potential AFL players to play on Trumper Park and it also stipulated there was a need for a greater monetary turnover at the club. I know this because I was playing at Easts at the time.

The Uni expressed a desire to feature in the best competition and it went from there...anyone who knows anything about our club at all, knows it was nowhere near a plot hatched by some group of get-rich-quick schemers! We actually lost a few old Easts boys who didn't want to merge.

This year we had an unusual situation where around 30 ones and twos players retired or went home to the country/interstate, apart from a couple who joined other Sydney AFL clubs. The club was forced at short notice to elevate players to the upper grades etc and rebuild, therefore we struggled.

Mug Punter, I have no idea why you dislike our club, that's your issue, but the facts speak for themselves...one rebuilding year at the state's oldest and most successful Sydney AFL club is no signal to start playing the 'death march.'

[Benchwarmer]

[QUOTE=Monty Burns2;515515]Granted, we have sometimes struggled in the volunteer department, leading to some off-field issues, but in the 10 years since QUOTE

Monty,
Not on your own with the volunteer struggle,
I must say it has always intrigued me why some clubs have a need to be so big though.
Need a small army to run them. Attracting volunteers is a tough one.
Good luck

[beameup]

[QUOTE=Benchwarmer;515678]

Granted, we have sometimes struggled in the volunteer department, leading to some off-field issues, but in the 10 years since QUOTE

Monty,
Not on your own with the volunteer struggle,
I must say it has always intrigued me why some clubs have a need to be so big though.
Need a small army to run them. Attracting volunteers is a tough one.
Good luck

Having had a son at UNSW I would think it is not a desire to be so big but simply that so many turn up to play and the Club rightly does not want to turn them away. 2009 for example the bottom 2 teams had 100+ boys after a game. Many do not have cars so where else do they go?

The results this year were also influenced by the success of the previous year. A buch of top graders retired and the 4ths were promoted so results went backwards. Between UTS and UNSWES numbers there is no wonder Maroubra can fit in and grow. This is a stronghold of footy and is growing fast