Revealed: VFL’s crazy plan to relocate a Melbourne team to Los Angeles in 1988
AS THE VFL transformed into a national competition, a radical submission was tabled to send a team to California. Sponsors, an airline partner, stadiums, team name and even a logo were all locked in.
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A RADICAL plan to relocate a Melbourne club to Los Angeles in 1988 is detailed in documents uncovered by the Herald Sun.
The LA Crocodiles would have played home matches at the Rosebowl in Pasadena or the Los Angeles Coliseum.
The audacious proposal had the backing of powerful football administrator Allen Aylett, who was consulting for the league on potential club mergers and relocations.
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A formal submission was presented to the VFL commission in September 1987, but it was rejected at a board meeting one month later.
Aylett - the VFL’s chairman from 1977-84 and a key player behind South Melbourne’s shift to Sydney in 1982 - approached a WA consortium about financing the relocation of a club to Canberra before the group presented the Californian counter-plan.
“It is proposed to relocate an existing Melbourne team to Los Angeles, preferably in time for the 1988 season,” the submission declared.
“The team would return to Melbourne four times a year, play three games within a two-week period, and then return to Los Angeles.
“Eight teams would fly to Los Angeles once a year to play one away game.
“Most games would be played during the northern summer, and therefore, night games would be held during June, July and August.
“A day game would be arranged in San Francisco, and possibly Seattle.
LISTEN: FORMER VFL BOSS ROSS OAKLEY EXPLAINS WHY THE LA PROPOSAL WAS REJECTED
“We have had discussions with VFL clubs who have expressed strong interest in our proposal.”
The submission - included in a cache of 30-year-old documents unearthed by the Herald Sun - said of the LA Crocodiles moniker: “The name would allow Americans to instantly identify with Australia ... and arouse their interest to inquire further.
“All existing club debts would be discharged ... and preference would be given to a team with younger, single players so that a relocation would be less disruptive to a family.
“Jumpers would be redesigned, but the existing colours may be retained. Off-field, players would be dressed in an Australian theme, eg: Akubra hats.”
The WA consortium, led by property developer Errol Marron, had established offices in the US and signed Continental Airlines as a sponsor and carrier.
A letter from the airline said: “We would be delighted to participate in the proposed relocation of an Australian football team to be relocated in Los Angeles ... we would not hesitate to be involved as the official carrier and be sponsors of this proposal.”
A fax from Aylett to Marron on September 14, 1987 reveals VFL chairman Ross Oakley requested that a press conference announcing the LA proposal be delayed until after that year’s Grand Final.
“I had a long conversation with Ross Oakley on Friday and was pleased to hear after you had a phone conversation with him that you decided not to go ahead with the press conference,” Aylett wrote.
“Ross was not against a public statement at the appropriate time ... he did mention to me that the week after the Grand Final would not receive any negative feedback from him.
“Errol, the more definitive statements that can be made at that time including a real positive interest from a club, the more impact the press conference will have ...
“My enthusiasm for the concept is second to none and we are keen to use our expertise and contacts within the VFL to put together those necessary ingredients to speed up the acceptance and subsequently make the concept happen as soon as possible.”
In another letter from Marron to Oakley on September 11, 1987, the property tycoon wrote: “Dear Ross ... Further to our conversation regarding our proposal to relocate a VFL team in Los Angeles ... we will respect your requests and not make any announcement to the media prior to the Grand Final.
“The proposal is in its final stages and will be forwarded in the near future.”
Asked about his recollections of the LA Crocs concept, Oakley, 75, told the Herald Sun: “We were at a stage in the development of the competition where we were prepared to look at anything - but I’ve got to say this was one of the more way out concepts that was put to us.
“We really didn’t have a focus outside of Australia, we were trying to save the game in Australia, and didn’t really see that going to LA was going to have a massive impact on that.
“There were discussions that were held, but in the end the thing that really killed it were the distances the players were going to have to travel.
“It went to the board table but it was a unanimous no.”
Aylett, 83, said: “I thought it was a bold idea and it’s still a bold idea. I supported and encouraged any concept that was going to grow Australian football.”
Originally published as Revealed: VFL’s crazy plan to relocate a Melbourne team to Los Angeles in 1988