It’s official!
In just five short years the AFL will welcome in its 19th team with the Apple Isle getting a club to call its own.
However many feel that the expansion story should not end there, with the league needing to add another team to keep the numbers even and avoid the dreaded bye week coming into play.
In the Ladbrokes office plenty of people agree with that sentiment, which naturally sparked a lengthy discussion over where Team 20 should go.
Considering the AFL has never been shy about its plans for world domination expanding the game into brave new frontiers, there are no shortage of options.
Here’s a little short list that we came up of possible locations about where Team 20 might wind up.
Melbourne
Like it or not, this competition was formed out of the VFL and in its current state, half the clubs are from the greater Melbourne area.
In order to keep that ratio intact, Team 20 simply has to be from Melbourne to honour the league’s roots in the Victorian capital.
Perhaps we could see a rebirth of the Fitzroy badge, or they just start counting Geelong as the tenth Melbourne team instead.
Sydney
The Swans have had plenty of success over the years since their move from South Melbourne, so why not bring in some local rivals?
The western corridor around Homebush in the Olympic Park precinct would make for the perfect spot for a second Sydney team…
We have just been informed there is a team there already, disregard.
North Queensland
A few games have been taken to tropical north Queensland over the years and they have been… attended.
If nothing else it would be a great midseason trip for fans from the southern states looking for a bit of sun and an excuse to wear shorts.
Plus Cairns was the venue for the greatest moment of Karmichael Hunt’s AFL career.
Adelaide
We have The Showdown, so why not add a third Adelaide team to give us more showdowns every year since the broadcasters love derbies.
Word to the wise though, don’t go for a black and white colour scheme on the jerseys, but the Adelaide Magpies sounds like a good team name.
Perth
Optus Stadium is arguably the best venue in the country, so give us another excuse to watch late Sunday games out there every week.
We got a Grand Final in Perth in 2021 and boy did it look good.
Canberra
Can Aussie Rules truly be called the national game without a team in the nation’s capital?
They have a side in both rugby codes, the A-League Women with the men on the way, the WNBL and even an ice hockey team.
So why not give them an Aussie Rules team, especially if they have an open air stadium in winter.
Darwin
Another one for the “they’ve hosted Premiership matches for other teams, why not give them their own” camp.
Wellington
New Zealand is a rugby nation first, cricket nation second and Aussie Rules probably comes in somewhere between tennis and ice hockey.
But with the AFL seemingly set on growing the game overseas, give them their own team and let the fan base grow.
They already have a stadium in the Cake Tin in Wellington.
Fiji
Super Rugby has set up the Drua and the early returns are promising for that side.
Plus, it’s a pretty easy recruiting pitch when you can tell the players they can have places like this right on their door step when they aren’t training.
No chance of home sickness on those beaches.
Beijing
The crowds in China flocked to the one-off fixtures and the market is ripe for a permanent team… just ask the people who organised those games.
Although it may not have universal support within the club ranks.
Yes it’s low hanging fruit but we would regret passing up the chance to make the joke.
London
The motherland sent us cricket, football, rugby and some other sports, so why not send a team back.
Think of it like a coronation present for King Charles.
America
Now that 60 Minutes in the USA has told the story of Mason Cox, the American market is primed for an Aussie incursion.
Instead of sending some youngsters to college to learn to punt in American Football, we’ll send them over there for Aussie Rules games.
In Cox’s home state of Texas there’s a 100000 seat stadium just crying out for events that will surely sell out every single week and break all sorts of attendance records.
There’s even an easy name choice given they would be playing in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys, it’s fresh, original and nobody else would have that trademarked.