http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 22,00.html

NOT only was Sydney the AFL's premier team of 2005, it was the most popular with television viewers, and by a decisive margin.

They played more games (26) than any other team, yet the total number of viewers -- free-to-air and Fox Footy -- is a graphic reflection of the unique value of their Sydney base.

Yet the sad reality for Victorian clubs is that only Geelong, St Kilda and Essendon* finished in the top eight on the television ladder.

Sydney, West Coast and Adelaide headed the table, with the Kangaroos, Western Bulldogs, Carlton and Richmond occupying the bottom four places.


What a fall from grace - not helped by the fact that the majority of our games are on Foxtel, so broadcast to a smaller audience.

Oh what a manipulated system we work in.

Sydney, Sydney, Sydney - finals 8 of 10 years, extra salary cap...we'll only be happy if they're being watched, and the only reason they watch up there is because they are winning.....what a dilemma for Ben .

Watch the AFL change the system when (if) Sydney and Brisbane slide, there'll be another concession somewhere.

We've had priority picks and we've had money, God knows what else the powers that be have delivered to them behind closed doors.

They're bullshit figures.

The Swans got 26 matches on FTA in Sydney, so the MAJORITY of people in Sydney who wanted to watch any footy HAD to watch Sydney play.

Carlton, North and The Western Bulldogs all got screwed on FTA, hence the small figures.

Salary Cap has nothing to do with Sydney's success. We can't go round blaming Salary Cap concessions for clubs in States where there is a strong "go home" factor, and it's more expensive to live, or we're never going to do anything other than become a new Richmond or Collingwood, all whinge, no results.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

4 finals would help!

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Oompa loompa doompety dee
If you are wise you'll listen to me

Pfffft! It's only because the Iron Chef ended before the finals.

BINGO!

Anyone think that the advertsing $$ and sponsors are that stupid.....you vcan make a turd look good by spraying it gold and putting a ribbon around it.....at the end of the day most know it's just a turd.

I've got a good idea for the AFL, so confident are they?....just broadcast Sydney games everywhere...can't go wrong! Obviously the rest of Australia just hasn't switched onto how great it is to watch Sydney games yet so the AFL should just keep pumping it...

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

Please explain their almost un-rivalled success in the past 10 years other than salary cap? Please don't give me the 'more expensive' line, it's utter crap.

Of course there are more multi million $$ properties in Sydney as they have the water views that bumps the average price of ALL homes up - naturally.

Footballers are 18 - 25 years old, they rent 2 bedroom single fronted houses close to the city - go to realestate.com.au and compare weekly rates for these in sydney comapred to here, I think you'll find there ain't that much difference.

Of course we don't want to be whinging - I accept to a certain extent that those markets needed SOME help, but there comes a time when we have to say either it will or it won't work and move on, otherwise there is never a level playing field. That time has come.

Richards wanted to go to Sydney because they could offer more money, so too Lockett, and Hall who would've come to Carlton otherwise. Kosi was offered great money from us only to be topped by 100k per annum by sydney . Makes it hard to attract/keep good players when that shit goes on.

Duke why dont you move up here and then tell me there is not a difference in the cost of living. Seriously mate you have no idea. New recruits and draftees to the swans get stuck in a 5 bedroom place in Maroobra where they all live together and pay rent to the club. Simply because it is too expensive to buy properties of rent properties close to the SCG and their training facilities. A two bedroom dog box in Paddington or Surrey Hills goes for over $1 mill and the rent returns are incredible. i suggest those places you are looking at are bloody miles out of the CBD. I live over 30km out and places in my street are over $700 a week rent.

so the 15% the Swans were getting was nothing

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Unrivalled?

I think the stats will show that North, Essendon*, Carlton (Except the last couple of years), Brisbane, Port, and Adelaide all have as good, if not better finals records than Sydney since 1993-ish.

Sydney have never had a star-laden team, they've always had one or 2 "big lights" players combined with a solid and committed second tier, which is arguably larger than the second tiers of any other team in the league. Then when they have a form of success, those players get looked upon as "stars" whereas in other teams, they would be B+ or A- players.

Real estate in Sydney is expensive. Sydney players live in the Eastern suburbs, and I doubt that they rent some crap apartment in Randwick. they'd get a 4 bedroom house in Coogee, or Bronte. Look that up for your rates, let alone the price of buying houses. Almost everything, other than chain retail items, are more expensive in Sydney, and in fact it's only the last couple of years where Melbourne petrol prices have approached Sydney prices, which were regularly 10-15 cents/litre less than Sydney.

I don't claim that the real estate/living reason is the sole factor in the concessions. Combine the extra expense of Sydney, with the cost of family visits (getting Mum and Dad to games regularly would have to be part of the Salary, if it's not paid for by the player, as otherwise it would be taxed under FBT), and you'll see that there is a valid argument for the retention of some sort of concessions. maybe in the future it will be AFL-paid flights for family, or for the player to visit the family interstate.

Just as we have to get over the draft penalties of 2002, to actually achieve, every other club has to just get over the concessions, because in reality it does little other than keep the playing field somewhat level. If they really made a difference, Sydney would have been serious flag challengers for years, and there's no way in reality they have been. Even this year, god list-management and solid tactics got them over the line.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Have to agree with Sydney Blue here, I think this is the 2nd time ever...

The real estate here in Sydney is shocking. Paddington two BR terrace is about 900K to 1 million depending on interior. A flat in Randwick is about 600K, near UNSW where I go. Rooms go for about $150-160/week and 3 bedroom units in Kensington, Kingsford, Randwick, Coogee, Bronte where a lot of the Swans players live (and where Rodney Eade used to live - I know someone in my uni course who lived a few doors down the road from Rocket) can regularly fetch $500/week in rent.

Chippendale, Redfern, Newtown, Glebe - similar - uni student demand is high and hence rents are high.

Similarly Maroubra, Malabar etc as mentioned by SB.

A house in some of the decent burbs will cost you minimum 500K nowadays for 3BR. 4BR is minimum 600K. Add 50-100K depending on area and train line.

To say that real estate is the same in Melbourne and Sydney is quite frankly ludicrous.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Barry Hall lives in Matraville. The prices there aren't too over the top, unless I'm mistaken...

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

YEP!

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Oompa loompa doompety dee
If you are wise you'll listen to me

Where to start......

Firstly, I don't deny Sydney's prices are higher than melbourne, but no-where near the extent of 600k per annum.......Paaaalease, and the cost of fuel? I've been driving to and from your fair city twice per year for 4 years.... 10-15cents per litre?? What??? My car takes 100 litres of juice I reckon I'd notice.

The reality is, no 18-24 year old should be living in a 4 bedroom house in Bronte or Coogee. My first shit box was a 3 bedroom weatherboard I shared with 2 others - if it's good enough for Karl........

Maybe the AFL need to have retention allowances for ALL clubs, being a national comp and everything. Wasn't it Heath Black who wanted to go home, and Chick and so-on. ALL clubs loose players to home sickness where was the AFL when Stevens wanted to come home?? What about Judd - how will the eagles be compansated for him wanting to come back?
It's a crock of shit.

Players 18-25 should be allowed to claim FROM THE AFL for extra-ordinary out of pocket expenses eg rent, PETROL etc.

That would include us with a player from interstate - say Tasmania - if we had one(apart from wiggins).

The AFL don't put forward good policy, it's knee jerk stuff. Now they'll pull all concessions away (after Brisbane dominated for 4 years) and they'l be back to square one . If they want it to work, they need to have a 10 year plan in place that looks after all clubs as equally as possible.

1. 600K divided by 40 players = 15K per player, that's not a lot.
2. The reality is they do and the only reason they do is because they share and split each room up so they only have to pay $160-200/rent per week.
3. There are few weatherboard sh*t boxes in suburbs close to the SCG and Foveaux Park where the Swans train. The ones that are are not on the market, they're government housing.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Ok but by this logic it's cheaper to live in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide so Melbourne clubs should also get these concessions relative to these clubs.
In fact exclude Geelong it cheaper there too.

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Green Shooter

Well, Clem, it is actually a lot seeing as they don't use it for this specific reason.

What was Brisbanes 600k for? Did they all want to live at Noosa Heads? I can't imagine rent in Brisbane being MORE than Melbourne. and I know for a fact petrol is cheaper there, so........

As I said, let the players claim compensation, like tax deductions from the AFL rather than handing over a gift that gives a distinct advantage when wooing other clubs champions.

We found ourselves in the sh!t when brisbane and sydney got their first cheques and, quite with-in their rights, started inflating the market value of blokes like Kouta, McKay, SOS, Campo, Hird, Lucas, Lloyd. Forcing those clubs to either let them go or cheat the system........the rest is history

For 4 years, eh? I did say it's only in the last few years that there has been closer prices between the cities. I've been driving between Sydney and Melbourne for the last 15, and before that, a further 10 as passenger.



And I'd wager you're not an AFL footballer, teenage boy-brain and pockets of cash earning $100-200K per year.


I didn't realise Eddie McGuire posted here. this is the Collingwood whinge, almost word-for-word.



I think the Australian Tax Office would have a fair bit to say about that, and the FBT bill would be enormous.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Sorry to be pedantic, Kaptain, but I'm no wet nosed uni student either.

I've been around for a while and up and down the hume over many years (15 also) and I'm flabagastered at your fuel claims. Yes, my gasta is flabbard.

So when we were paying .75c you were in fact paing .90c that's an outrage and should be all over the current affairs shows.

Anyway, I wasn't advocating the players do a allan bond type tax scam on the ATO, but should claim their expenses FROM the AFL, LIKE a tax deduction.

Hope this helps.

the comment about Edfdie and collingwood was just plain offensive and I don't know whether I can get over it still I didn't hear a fair argument to contra mine, so I guess we'll just leave it at that.

I wasn't meaning to belittle you personally about the Eddie jibe, apologies for any offence, but to my ears that's the line that comes from his end of the cess pit.

I also didn't mean to imply that you were a wet-behind-the-ears newby either. If I had have realised back then that we would be debating the petrol price difference, I would have recorded it for posterity to back up my arguments.

I think part of the problem is that there are equally valid arguments on both sides of the ledger.

I'll just have to face the fact that You'll always be wrong, no matter how much I try to help you...

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

That's funny, you strike me as the kind of guy who has a spreadsheet dedicated to state-by-state fuel prices since 1990 .

I'm going home to wash this Eddie stench off me, I feel so dirty .