To all those allegedly in charge....Leave the game alone. For gods' sake leave the game alone. Let it evolve by itself. Let the coaches and players play the game without trying to change the rules every 2 months. We have record crowds this year. That says that people like what they see. The NRL would love to have those figures. The one thing that soccer does right? It lets the game play. The ruling body has made only two major changes in the last 50 years. One player + keeper for offside, and passing back to the keeper. The game still evolved by itself. Soccer has the world game; we have the greatest game in the world. Not all games score 20 goals a side. Some are 8 goals to 7 and we can still have an exciting game. The only changes should be outside the game. Conferences, bonus points, making the draw fairer etc etc.

They won't do it, but what they should be doing with Tasmania is an Expansion Draft.

This is a niche sport remember. Not enough player depth for 1000 professional players.

Why do we need to invent a 20th team. With 19 teams we have a bye each week, which clubs may enjoy given the current trend of managing players, and we already have byes this year with 18 teams anyway.

Traditionally the NT was associated with SA. The AFl are seeking to undermine that connection. Which the SA clubs will accept as the AFL controls the SA clubs boards

They want less players means less contests more fast paced game less concussions it will soon become a basketball game and the game we love will be dead

Fewer players on the field is nuts in Australian Rules, half the team is out of gas half way through the third term as it is, you already don't have enough people to share the aerobic load out there, not including people nursing niggles but playing on. Don't do it!! Remember the Bulldogs collapse in the GF against Melbourne. The horror. Why is Eddie in love with this stupid idea?

I'd go a Northern Australian team... 5 or 6 games in Darwin, 3 or 4 in Cairns, 2 in Alice Springs...

GWS Gold coast Syd and Brisb still need to have 2-3 games at the MCG each year and given the ability to train there. Also options with practice matches. That is where the grand final is, so you can't have GWS playing 9 matches Sydney, 8 in Canberra and 2 matches in Victorian at Marvel and Geelong. That isn't fair. So if GWS is working the Canberra market place then they need exposure to MCG. Also it seems unfair that they'd have 16 matches basically at home (Syd and Canb). But if things can work out then its an option. Will Collingwood be selling a home match to Canberra? No, I didn't think so either.

I hate this “less players on the ground” idea with a burning 🔥 passion. It is the worst idea I’ve ever heard. Please don’t ever suggest this nonsense again and leave our game TF alone.

A third team in Perth / South West would have to be owned by WAFC. They will do the sums and see if they are better or worse off having 3 clubs. Currently Eagles and Dockers pay dividends to WAFC and they have a great stadium deal leading to more revenue. No guarantee that 3 clubs necessarily mean more money as crowds may drop per team which means stadium deals get affected. Then where is the team? Joondalup (playing upon West Perth history?). But WAFL glory days and fans long gone. Or do you go for a region like Peel/Mandurah. But thats 80 km from Stadium. Yes, Perth has massive urban sprawl. That would impact Freo membership. But could connect with South West and try to have fans there. But then you'd need infrastructure built at Mandurah and Bunbury. Could it connect with Noongar better with branding and names. Interesting.

Notice they didn’t say a Victorian team to move. Has to be any other side outside of vic to play extra games away from home. The bias is unreal

Bring back the third man up at stoppages apart from the centre bounce to help with congestion 🤷🏽 I still think it was a stupid thing to outlaw from the game.

20th team makes sense. It will either be the Cairns United Northern Territorians or the Northern Tasmanian Turbo Chooks. Although seeing how the Suns are unbeatable in Darwin they might have to play 4+ games up there similar to the Hawthorn in Launceston model and become the "Northern Suns" A fortress away from home which inevitably gets you at least 3 premierships. Therefore clearing the way for the Turbo Chooks. Territory to get a team around the late 2040s (after WW3)

Send a Victorian team to the NT

Gold Coast and Brisbane could play home and away matches against Melbourne Hawthorn Saints at Darwin/Alice/Cairns. If home and away you're talking about up to 12 matches (gold coast 3 home 3 away). (brisbane 3 home 3 away). To be honest its too many games, but you can see how easy it is to do. The Victorian clubs aren't disadvantaged as both the Qld teams and Vic teams are playing home and away matches at neutral venues. That's how to do it. Giants and Sydney should do the same principle with Canberra. Do that with Bullies and North and again up to 8 matches in Canberra easy. (4 Sydney H and A)(4 GWS H and A).

I'm saying this again, Eddie please look at central qld, the Yeppoon side has won the premiership cup 5 years on the trot and with a youth rebuild included too and not one is in a academy squad, the youth in this region is crying out to get picked up help them please look at this region , brisbane are just ignoring them 6 hrs by car to training won't wash with them so hey wake afl here's a region that full on afl , back them up , Eddie please look at this

How about Collingwood play 6 games in NT eddie

So we are going to dilute the player quality, place more financial pressure and create more logistic problems for the sport for the sake of… saying we have more ability to say we are the national’ sport. Ridiculous

What, no mention of an iconic, established, successful club like Norwood ? Come on Eddie, they gave Collingwood plenty of players during the 90's.

Need teams in different geographical areas too many close together

Needs to go to Auckland for a New Zealand side like the NRL, Basketball, A-League and NBL nowhere else stacks up especially not the Northern Territory at least 50 years away yet until it has enough of a population to sustain itself like Tasmania now

Going to be awkward when they do the Doug round when they're down in Tasmanian.

Football in the NT is unwatchable. It would need a new indoor stadium and good luck trying to get a government to build that.

I was at the games here over the last 2 weeks, this place is stinking hot, no one can enjoy playing here

Much easier to get rid of some of the parasite clubs in Melbourne that can’t support themselves.

I'm so tired of the endless BS about standards dropping and the talent being too thin to cope with an expanded competition. The game has never been healthier with 18 teams and I cannot recall a time when there were so many genuinely good teams competing for the flag. Record crowds as well.

As someone who lives in Darwin I can say with 100% certainty we will never have an AFL team here.

If you want sides to be more competitive, introduce a draft lottery. Stop incentivising teams bottoming out and "rebuilding". If you finish 2nd last or 3rd last or 4th or whatever the formula is, you should still be a chance to get the no1 pick.

You want good games to watch in Darwin, then send good teams there to play each other. Sydney Geelong Collingwood Carlton. When you constantly send mediocre teams there, they are mediocre games. The game last night was a free flowing there was 260 points for the game. People want big scores kicked but then complain it’s to one sided. I’d soon watch a game where they fighting it out all night and only kick 6 goals all night.

Aflx here we come

Who can remember another game? Seriously!! How VIC-centric There’s been some great footy played in Darwin.

Reduce the number of teams in Melbourne to 6 maximum. That solves the talent issue.

Melbourne loses every year the week after their game in the NT. I wouldn’t want to be playing 6 games up there. Very draining on the players. Eddie wouldn’t want collingwood playing up there

Why should the Suns & Lions compromise their seasons flying up to Darwin 5-6 times. Get real. Melbourne teams often manage players flying to QLD once or twice a year. The QLD teams priority is to their local supporters and consolidating the fan base. That was some of the dumbest and Melbourne centric nonsense I’ve heard.

Dying to see these empty NT ghost games

Vic club rationalisation is the answer.

Kinda crazy idea but what about New Zealand? Opens up a new potential talent pool and they breed them different over there. Imagine how many freak athletes are over there and could play footy. The hardest thing would be getting it going with a strong Rugby culture. Its been hard enought in NSW and QLD. But long term thinking, it could work...

All Victorian teams need to merge, VFL history needs to be just that history and new Victorian clubs established and then at least one team in each state and territory, WA and SA to have 3 teams. Should stir a few hornets nest.

To be honest, I believe the AFL made a mistake in creating a new team for the Gold Coast, they should've just relocated North Melbourne up there. There's too many teams in Melbourne. Reducing the number to 8 teams in Melbourne (9 in Victoria as a total) would've been a much better decision. North Melbourne (in Melbourne) are just not a sustainable team going forward.

what is the motive behind an NT team? inclusion for inclusions sake? they'd be the worst team ever. the supporters would dry up faster than Uluru after the novelty wore off. We already have half the clubs being charity cases.

Please don't change the amount of players on the ground.. It will *RUIN OUR GAME* JUST LEAVE OUR GAME ALONE PLEASE

the elephant in these melbourne media studios remains the excessive number of mediocre melbourne teams just making-up the numbers. eliminate north melbourne, footscray, hawthorn &/or melbourne and watch the competition flourish.

Leave the game alone

Why are you groping a Sherrin, Eddie?

People go on about NT having great indigenous players. But you need to look no further than the noongars of the south west. No other aboriginal group has provided more superstars in the competition. They have an incredible history at AFL VFL and WAFL. So the NT indigenous argument can be easily shot down. On those grounds you'd have a team in Mandurah and South West and embrace the noongar heritage while you're at it.

Move North Melbourne to Darwin

Rubbish idea. Less players will turn the game even more into rugby with coaches sending all players into defence and running the ball out. Changing the fabric if the game to fit in teams that no one hardly watches.

Not commercially viable

Absolute treason to suggest this nonsense

16 on the field would be better 🤷‍♂️ 16 teams would be even better

16 on the field is a brilliant idea

Goodbye 👋🏼 North Melbourne

TASSIE IN - NORTH MELBOURNE OUT.

Relocate Gws to Canberra and get rid of saints and north, to many Victorian teams.

Eddie needs to stop repeating himself constantly