The Serve

Who are you kidding Andrew Demetriou?

Let’s see if we’ve got this right. The AFL wants to effectively buy out the Kangaroos. A fact finally confirmed after revelations of a secret meeting between the league and the shareholders. Well, except for the biggest shareholder, who is vehemently opposed to such a partnership. Funny that he wasn’t invited. The league, when and if it takes control, wants to maintain the status quo and have the Kangaroos continue to eek it out in Melbourne?

Huh?

The league owning the weak link of the competition is probably not a bad idea. The Kanga’s are constantly knocking on the door at Docklands rattling the tins, so the governing body might as well run the joint if it’s going to pay for it. However, Andrew Demetriou has claimed that there isn’t any intention to take the team to the Gold Coast.

Oh c’mon Andrew, you’re not fooling anybody.

Why would the boss want to keep the Kanga’s where they are? Because he likes writing out cheque after cheque to a club that can hardly crack it for a sponsor or a fan base? Because he likes Victoria bursting at the seams with its 10 teams? Because he likes seeing another sport digging its claws into the untapped market of over half a million people, hungry for it’s own team to support?

You cannot be serious, Andrew.

It is hardly coincidental that the push towards the Gold Coast is happening at the same time the Titans are making their mark. It’s the 21st century edition of the Eureka Stockade. First in, first served. It’s rare the AFL is beaten to the punch. Now it’s chasing its tail.

The AFL is chasing it hard.

So the league is not interested in another permanent team in south-east Queensland. Okay Andrew, answer this: why give the Kangaroos a bunch of games at Carrara in the pre season cup? You rubber stamped it, sir. Why encourage the Kanga’s to take three regular season games a year to the Gold Coast? So the players can get a decent tan in winter?

The league has every reason to ship this basket case north. If they were really content with the club sticking it out in Victoria, it wouldn’t bother trying to take it over. The AFL doesn’t need to pretend it’s looking after the faithful. The faithful know the Kanga’s are just about gone.

They’re losing their team. Bad enough. They don’t need to have their intelligence insulted.