The first fact is that Melbourne can't support 9 sides. At least 4 of those sides (almost half of Melbourne's clubs) are struggling through prolonged financial problems. There isn't enough public support for most of those teams to stay alive. Which means the AFL has to throw a lot of it's money at these struggling clubs to try keep them afloat. Obviously the AFL is going to have to help out the new teams to come into the competition, which is understandable. But for clubs which have been around for as long as the Bulldogs and Melbourne to still be needing the AFL's assistance is terrible.

I would suggest that any club with a small supporter base and a questionable ability to bring fans to their games, with a sub-standard home base/training facility who is no more than a drain on the AFL's resources should consider moving or merging.

As a fan of the sport I think that the money the afl spends on keeping some of these AFL teams alive should be spent on developing and nurturing the game's growth all over the country. Some AFL clubs have the resources to look after themselves and keep growing without leeching of the AFL. And those who can't should have a good hard look at themselves.