8 AFL Teams That Were NEARLY Created 

Hello

Aussie Rules was by far and wide the most popular sport in the ACT from the 20s through to the mid 80s, with the ACTAFL drawing big crowds in the 70s for such a small city. It was only after the Raiders were accepted into the NSWRL in 1982 that rugby league became more prominent in Canberra. Really makes you think what could have been if the ACT proposals in the early 80s weren't dismissed so readily by the powers that be.

Here's a fun addition to the list: In 1924, Hawthorn and Footscray became the 10th and 11th teams to compete in the VFL, however we very nearly had Prahran join as the 12th club, only for them to be replaced by North Melbourne at the last moment. Imagine the butterfly effect that decision would have caused

Great video, surprised the Fitzroy Bulldogs didn't get a mention considering it actually happened for a minute in 1989-90 and footscray raised 2 million dollars 3 weeks after it was announced to get their licence back

Sharks were probably rejected because of concerns about South Freo Bulldogs not getting on-board with their fiercest rival under a Sharks moniker. Similar with Southport Sharks on the Gold Coast, not that there were fans of the local comp but Southport put in bids in their own right and there were concerns that one power club would run the new club. Had a Canberra side come in before the Raiders, the ACT and surrounds would probably not have been so over-run by rugby league and rugby. At the time, the region was possibly slightly Australian Football dominant. Post-Raiders that change very quickly. Really, the VFL/AFL should have accepted both Port and Norwood bids when the SANFL shut out a bid. That would have left open the possibility of a combined bid, what is now Crows, later as a third team still with a large supporter base to come. Instead, by running with the amalgamated side first, there is no scope for a 3rd SA side. (Four WA sides are still quite possible, and make more financial sense than one Tasmanian side - but that's just a function of demographics and WA being sponsorship-potential-heavy; something SA and Tas simply are not.)

Fantastic Work Cardy!! I always enjoy these Footy off-season videos that you put out.

I reckon the AFL should fund the USAFL instead of adding a team in the US and make a league of their own so there are no time clashes with Australian clubs. Maybe some international friendlies in preseason when the USAFL becomes more competitive with AFL clubs

You forgot the 1989 Footscray/Fitzroy attempted merger - it was actually further along than the Melbourne/Hawthorn one... Bulldog supporters raised an extraordinary amount of money in about a month to save their club

Great video Cardy! Love these sort of offSeason content, Keep it up

Great video cardy! Love this! Keep up the great off season content!

10/10 vid Cardy, absolutely love these types of videos in the AFL YT community, keep up the elite work, member for life

Awesome video! Have always been interested in new afl teams

Really great video! Some of these were news to me and I’m nearly 40. Have you thought about looking through the big trades that never eventuated in the AFL era, hell even how Matty Lloyd made it to the bombers with Freos top access pick?

Not having the Port-Norwood rivalry showcased on the AFL stage was a real tragedy The Crows and Port have developed a rivalry in time but it's slightly contrived and soulless compared to what would have been.

Thanks for the vid cardy it kept me entertained as I did a exercise

Great video and interesting video Cardy!

The Sydney Celtics would’ve been such a banging name

Great video Pat keep up the great work mate

The Melbourne Hawks song is a blended parody that some RU-vidr put together. Fitzroy Bulldogs was a done deal for 3 weeks but didn't get a mention. Canberra had a high interest in Australian Football before the Raiders changed everything. GC Suns would have been the Sharks but despite Southport's backing (they incidently had their own bid in the 1990's but were beaten by Fremantle and Port Adelaide) they didn't want to disenfranchise people from other local clubs.

Great video Cardy Keep it up 👍🏼

Great video cardy keep up the great content

If the LA Crocodiles had been successful I imagine it would have led to the formation to a US based conference, and a Grand Final between the winners of the USA and Australia conferences.

Good content mate 👍

There was Ports original proposal from 1990 which would have seen them become the the Port Adelaide Pirates, keeping the Black & White Strip. Norwood's Bid was actually a dual team bid between Norwood and Sturt, don't know what they would have been called but it was a merged bid.

Great video keep up the great content.

Back in the late 80s im pretty sure both port and norwood where talking with the AFL there was a strong rumour of norwood merging with fitzroy and playing games in adelaide,Im a port man and they had become too big for that comp and when the crows where formed port where straight away the natural rival a lot of glenelg sturt norwood etc members became crows members and it became obvious Port would go in next

AFL does need a ACT, Tassie and NT team......how can it be called Australian Football League with still so many clubs still been based in Melbourne, and they won't even move a GF if a interstate team ends up on top and makes a gf and I'm a Hawks member, it didn't merge because of Don Scott and us supportera rattling tins for the funds and the great Ian Dicker

Awesome vid Cardy

Great vid mate. More history videos will be appreciated.

Great video and as a hawthorn supporter, im glad we didnt merge bc my rival goes for Melbourne

When Tassie enters the AFL, one would assume that they would be the Tassie Devils

About the LA idea for a team you got to remember it'll be summer time in the states + you'll also need to rival the MLS and MLB.

nice content cardy love the vid

As a hawks supporter I’m so happy the Melbourne Hawks never happened

Let’s go good vid cardy

You forgot about the Port Adelaide Magpies' failed bid in 1990.

Great video!

Demons and Hawks = DAWKS Best named club for sure!!

1950s a Bendigo team nearky joined the VFL

You should do afl SuperCoach

Is it possible to make a part 2 of AFL teams not playing at a particular AFL ground again Cardy?

Gonna be a good as video

You should do afl 2022 rewind

Good video. Fremantle Sharks would not’ve been the best idea as it sounds too similar to my team, East Fremantle Sharks.

It still shocks me that Canberra doesn't have a club

Great video

6:02 this killed me 😂😂😂

The Fremantle Sharks is what it should have been with a uniting of the Port which has and still remains a problem for the Dockers today

Little extra info, with Norwood entering this was discussed when Port were set to be the team going into the AFL, Idea was Port first then Norwood would be the other SA team. Of course Crows were formed instead and Port ended up being the second team

I’m pretty sure there will be a tasi team in next season or the one after

Could you imagine the Melbourne Hawks being the back to back to back grand final winners

Great vid

Do you think future the AFL there will go to Darwin make a side

Cardy could you do History of the WAFL

Canberra will come eventually! If you ever do a video on where the 20th team should go (after Tasmania), hit me up, and I'll give you the numbers on why it should be Canberra.

Speaking of American clubs when I was little I thought other countries like America and ect played Aussie rules just like us in fact I didn’t even know about American gridiron until I was 12

I would like the AFL to play a game in the UK ( I'm a Western Bulldogs supporter ) !

There already is a sharks in Gold Coast it is the south port sharks there in the vfl

Fun at the cricket today

I reckon that North would have backed to out of the Fitzroy deal when we won the flag that year.

I remember how the combined Melbourne and Hawthorn teams were going to be called the Dawks.

You need to more content like this

Melbourne Hawks jumper is almost indistinguishable from Adelaide Crows.

This is clearly your most hysterical video

Let’s go! 🙌

2:53 strong wa bogan confederate vibes for the "united" kit

Missed the Fitzroy bulldogs one

G'day mate

nice vid man enjoyed it I think for your own self development you should work on putting the material you are reading from more in line with the camera it might help seem as if you are addressing us a bit more often. otherwise mate. kudos great job

I think Fitzroy and the bulldog’s actually merged but the fans stopped it

Dockers > Sharks. Sounds better.

A well spoken young man

The Fremantle sharks would’ve been a cool name

Awesome video. Well done. I had no idea about the Freo one in the 80s - but I'm not from Perth. Gold coast Suns is one of the best names though, not a fan of the Sharks. But their guernsey is atrocious and needs a designer. Norwood is an unfortunate one, they are almost as big as Port Adelaide and a history as long, huge local fanbase but they and Glenelg were both gobbled up by the SANFL determined to play state of origin and put a state team (The Crows) into the AFL. Sad that those teams are now stuck in the SANFL for eternity despite having such a long and rich history, even not long ago when Glenelg made the finals they were pulling sellout crowds bigger than what North Melbourne get today.

Good research on a number of those potential clubs, but you did stuff up on the North Melbourne Fitzroy history. The Merger between North Melbourne and Fitzroy proposal only was between May 1996 to June 1996, when in early June all the AFL club presidents at the time came together to discuss the merger with AFL CEO at the time Ross Oakley, the other club CEOs rejected the Fitzroy North Melbourne merger proposal and Brisbane Bears CEO stepped in to offer his own Merger proposal with Fitzroy and the majority of the other AFL club presidents agreed to the deal, saving Fitzroy's legacy in the process since Brisbane Bears already had their own Maroon colors that were similar to Fitzroy's original Maroon and Blue from the early 1900s when they were known as the Maroons in the early VFL years. Another club that was almost formed with Fitzroy was the Brisbane Fitzroy Lions relocation in 1986, this was when Fitzroy was already on their way to bankruptcy but were still winning games during the year compared to what they were 10 years later when they were shambles. But you were right with most of the information.

Norwood tried again in 1994 as a joint bid with Sturt but they lost out to Port

🔥

Fire

What I like about the Dockers name is the uniqueness. No other sports team in the world is called the Dockers, there's a strong identity factor. Now Fremantle Sharks is not a bad name, but how many teams are called Sharks... A lot. It's like Lions, Eagles, tigers ... it's pretty bland if you ask me.

Bit stupid not to include Fitzroy Bulldogs

LA team was designed to try and capitalise on Croc Dundee

Actually it was East Perth in 1980 that was the first team to make a bid to make a bid to join the VFL from interstate not Canberra

mate plenty of footy fans in act and new south wales just not all of us go for the clubs of our area

The North Melbourne - Fitzroy one was terrible. AfL clubs jealous of North Melbourne being too strong and fitzroy being shipped off to Brisbane against their will. This merger should have been able to go ahead

With the time difference easier than USA and with over 1b people why not a Chinese team with the correct marketing it could be huge success or with the addition of 2 new teams in coming years Tasmanian Kangaroos and the Terroritorians from NT

Do a part 2

An AFL team in the US playing in the Australian competition would have never worked. There's been CFL teams in the US and they never got traction either. You'd need to start a completely separate amateur comp in the US and then slowly grow it to become a viable professional league.

stuff mate im glad the melbourne hawks didnt happen. i wouldve like the norwood redlegs to come true

How about Footscray and Fitzroy in 1989

Fremantle were nearly called the Shitfish.

Lots of historical inaccuracies here

Finally tassie got a team in

Good vid . Although the Irish team more likely that the LA team I reckon .

do afl logos if they were realistic.

Turn it on 😅

I think an Irish Team makes the most sense. Gaelic Football is very simular to AFL football.

It’s funny that America attempted afl 😂

Nice

Southport sharks in qrl would have dine legal action if gc team was called sharks

I go for Collingwood and wanted Collingwood to take over Fitzroy