But now - almost right on the heels of that - talk of an 18th club. And worse still, it's a second club in Sydney!

This is ridiculous. The market in Sydney is still too small to support a second club. The AFL just aren't getting it through their skulls that a population equal to Melbourne does NOT equal a big enough market to support two teams in thugby league central!

This seems to be linked to the next time the TV rights go up for negotiation - which I think is in 2011, and two more clubs puts a bigger price tag on it.

Excuse me, idiots - but that sort of thinking is precisely why we have inflation problems! Not to mention the money WON'T go into local football where it's needed (as the most recent TV rights proceeds proves). Two more clubs will have a flow on effect as the money quickly dries up to support football at the local level in Sydney and maybe on the Gold Coast as well!

Now Southport may be able to compete financially. But their move will have a negative effect on the skill level of AFL Queensland. Aside from Southport, the only other footy clubs on the Gold Coast are Labrador, Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Palm Beach/Currumbin, Burleigh, Robina and Coolangatta. Robina would be the most vulnerable as the weakest of the clubs, and one of the two premier clubs (Labrador and Broadbeach) would have to drop back a division. That means Division 1 would go back to six clubs!

The Sydney FL have always been the weakest of the state leagues. It's why the Sydney seconds play in the Canberra competition (along with the ground conditions being better in Canberra). A second club so soon will destroy a league that is trying to develop and it's actually doing reasonably well considering. But it has a long way to go still, and pushing a second AFL club in Sydney would very effectively stimy this push forward, if not push it backwards!

My message to the AFL is a VERY firm NO! The league MUST stay at 16 clubs, and they must change their tune and tell North Melbourne to move as they did to South Melbourne. The message must be sent - there are too many clubs in Melbourne. The game needs to be strengthened and adding more clubs will weaken the structure. 2007 was a poor season quality wise in the AFL in general - and this was proven by the margin in the grand final. I'm all for exploiting the Gold Coast, but it has to be a current Victorian club to move - and maybe merge with Southport for stability in the local market. And by pursuing Sydney, Canberra and Tasmania are being ignored. At this point I favour Canberra, but who to move there is the problem. If I was the ACT government I'd be in the AFL's ear, and also in the ear of local residents in Manuka about increasing the capacity their and putting lights in. It will be a boon for tourism in the ACT - not just for the AFL but for cricket as well. The Raiders and the Brumbies are struggling and the time is ripe for an AFL raid. The local comp is strong enough - there are good quality venues at Ainslie, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan, and venues with room for improvement at Jamison (Belconnen) and Stirling. They look after their local grounds better in Canberra than they do in Sydney.