No Home? No Deal!
You don’t have a home for us?, then stuff ya !
They were the words of the North Melbourne Football Club’s chairman James Brayshaw, or as he known among the Kangaroo faithful “GOD” (not those exact words but that’s what he implied).
The North Melbourne Football Club is staying in Melbourne, while the AFL will push on with it’s interests in the Gold Coast it will not be with the Kangaroos. It’s good to see the passion is still alive in today’s football world, you just can’t beat “People Power” !
The North Melbourne fans turned out in droves to the Dallas Brooks Hall to hear their new “GOD” James Brayshaw outline his plans to resurrect the future of the embattled AFL Club. Hours earlier the Kangaroos board rejected the AFL’s rail roading tactics to try to lure them with a $100 million carrot, one I am sure was very tempting. But like most other football followers I am glad they refused, there is still enough room here in Victoria for the North Melbourne Football Club.
The AFL’s appalling tactics
The AFL’s decision to prey on a club that is in a vulnerable position like North Melbourne are just so Mr Demetriou 
and his board to can say they grew the game into uncharted territory is disgusting to say the least. I hope all North Melbourne fans and supporters of other clubs “Stick it up em”, to use one the late great Teddy Whitten’s cliché’s. Remember this is a club with 138 years of tradition here in Melbourne, and what a lot of people may not realise is that this is a club that battled for 30 years to get into the VFL, and then another 50 to win their first premiership !, but the AFL brushed this aside and could only see their own agenda.
What now for the Roos?
The North Melbourne Football Club’s board will obviously be vacated by those who do not share Brayshaw’s optimism and rightly so. Here are some key points in his plan
- 4 people prepared to lend $2 million each over 10 Years
- This will increase to 5 people and $10 million by 2009
- Invest that money to pay of over $4 million in debt
- New sponsor to be announced in 2 days to replace Primus
- Development of Arden Street to go ahead, bringing with lucrative naming rights
Tough Road Ahead
It is going to be a very very tough road ahead for the Roos, given that the AFL funding that is keeping the club afloat at the moment ends at the end of the 2009 season. Let's hope for footballs sake James Brayshaw can deliver on his plans. The Roos fans need to get behind the club now that James “GOD” Brayshaw has given them what they wanted.
Now begs the question will the AFL now introduce a 17th license for another club ? To get this over the line the league must have 2/3rds of the clubs pass this decision.
great article mate
and its definitely GREAT news about the roos!!
(and nice site you have here btw!)
Yes I think it is great news and I hope all the Kangaroo members get behind new chairman James Brayshaw and his new board.