Gold Coast football boss Wayne Campbell on travel for non-Victorian clubs, northern academies
A bold plan from Collingwood could be the first step to addressing what has been labelled the AFL’s “biggest issue”. Find out more here.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Gold Coast football boss Wayne Campbell welcomes the prospect of Victorian clubs taking home games to interstate venues declaring the “biggest issue” in the AFL right now is travel inequality.
With Collingwood in talks to move a Marvel Stadium home game to the Gold Coast as soon as next season and the AFL considering a winter footy festival in Perth after consultation with the West Australian clubs, the wheels are in motion for a more equitable travel schedule.
“Is (travel) the biggest issue? It’s probably the biggest issue,” Campbell told this masthead.
“And we know why, because we have 10 clubs in Victoria. That’s no one’s fault, that’s just where we’re at. But it does create inequities and inefficiencies that could be addressed by Victorian clubs travelling a little bit more. That would be one of the things that would make it more equal.”
The Suns are not agitating for a complete upheaval of the established order. They know there is no silver bullet solution and do not expect there to be. But they – like other interstate clubs – would welcome any changes which would minimise the travel inequality between Victorian and non-Victorian clubs.
One of those would-be solutions is moving more games outside of Victoria.
Since the beginning of the 2021 season, not including finals, Victoria has hosted 546 AFL matches to the rest of the country’s 314. Put simply, there are many more teams flying into Victoria than there are out of it.
Over that same period, Collingwood has left Victoria just 21 times. Meanwhile GWS (57), Gold Coast and Sydney (45 each) have travelled outside their home states more than twice as many times.
West Coast and Fremantle routinely cover in excess of 50,000km in the air over the course of a season.
“We all understand the complexities of that,” Campbell said.
“The complexities to get it done and also the decision making that is required to break down some of the things that we’ve always been accustomed to. As in, the grand final being played at the MCG for the next 50 years.
“We all understand that’s the way it is – and we all love the MCG, don’t get me wrong – but if you were starting the competition today that wouldn’t happen. So how do you break down some of those things in order for the competition to become more even and more equitable? Travel is the one.”
The Suns-Magpies June-July School Holidays clash has become a fixture staple in recent years. It is regularly the Suns’ largest home crowd each season.
Collingwood’s pitch to play a home game on the Gold Coast from next season, either side of the traditional Suns clash, would appear to be good business both from a Queensland tourism perspective – enticing travelling fans to stay for an extra week – and for competitive balance.
Asked if his preference would be for the Magpies’ Gold Coast home game to be against the Suns — ostensibly giving the Suns an extra game at Carrara — Campbell said: “If you are looking to competitive balance and equalisation that seems logical.”
The Suns will play just nine games on the Gold Coast this season, with their other two home games in Darwin as part of an ongoing partnership with the Northern Territory.
But the club’s priority remains growing the game in Queensland and an extra game at People First Stadium each year would help with that aspect.
The South Australian clubs this season will play 13 games each at Adelaide Oval, courtesy of Gather Round, while the West Australian clubs each have 12 matches at Optus Stadium.
GWS will play just eight games this season at ENGIE Stadium, with its remaining three home games at Manuka Oval, while the Swans have the traditional 11 matches at the SCG.
“We know it’s never going to get to 100 per cent even. But travel is one of the things that could lend itself to being a bit more equal,” Campbell said.
“And it’s probably the reason why we are strongly defiant on ‘don’t touch our academy’ because it is an advantage for us.
“But in the mix of all the other advantages and disadvantages, we feel like we fall on the wrong side of the ledger of the majority.”
There was considerable outcry after Gold Coast was able to draft four of its Suns Academy products in an extended first round of last year’s national draft.
Campbell believes the rest of the competition now appreciates the resources the Suns and other Northern Academies put into their talent pathways and that “we are not just getting a free kick”.
He says other clubs should be given a licence to build similar programs and strengthen the talent pathways, rather than limit the NSW and Queensland clubs’ access to their academy products.
“My sense is the competition understands the four northern clubs (Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney and GWS) do their academies very well and in fact if you want to grow the talent pool there’s probably some things to be learnt from that,” he said.
“Which is why we would propose the NGAs (Next Generation Academies) be expanded, not contracted, and the restrictions on taking those NGAs (removed), which doesn’t help us.”
Currently clubs with NGA programs cannot select graduates of those talent pathways inside the top 40 selections of the national draft.
Gold Coast benefited from that when it took Mac Andrew fifth overall in 2021 and Melbourne was unable to match the bid despite Andrew being a Demons NGA product.
“Do everything you can to grow the talent pool, not restrict it,” Campbell said.
“If you place limitations on acquisition of talent, people in clubs will put less resources into it. Which in a time where we feel there is less talent coming through, that makes no sense.
“And on top of all that, the news clubs in the Giants and Suns have some structural inequalities that will always be there. So why would you restrict one of the advantages they have? That’s our pretty strong argument.”
Originally published as Gold Coast football boss Wayne Campbell on travel for non-Victorian clubs, northern academies
The reason Dusty won’t snare big Gold Coast payday
Gary Ablett Jr was paid stacks of AFL cash to head to the Gold Coast, but there’s a big reason Dusty wouldn’t should he decide to move, while Lance Franklin is considering a return to football.
How Hawks could snare defensive duo in trade coup
Is Hawthorn a destination club once again? It could well be after a scintillating two months of form, with the Hawks now the frontrunner for two mammoth defensive targets.