North chairman Ron Casey said yesterday the club was aware that the move would include some risks, and could alienate some supporters, but the need to broaden the club's appeal nationally was more important for the club's long-term viability.
"We believe that it's necessary to expand our financial horizons, and the way to do that is to have a presence in the biggest commercial market in Australia, and that's Sydney," Casey said. "There's no reason for the North Melbourne supporters to be apprehensive.
"The risks are that it won't work, simple as that. The risks are that we might lose membership in Melbourne. The risks are we might lose games.
"There are risks attached to it, we understand that. But it's not the first risk that North Melbourne's taken."
Under the plan, North will play four "home" matches and one "away" match in Sydney next year and in 2000. That will increase to six from 2001 to 2003. North will even set up offices in the Sydney and possibly a social club seeing as the Broadmeadows project seems to be going nowhere fast.
"We believe it will certainly enhance our reputation. It will certainly consolidate even further our position in the competition as a truly national team in the national competition," Casey said.
As well, Ron Casey said the club would also give consideration to playing more games in Canberra, providing a suitable venue could be found. "We'd be more than happy to play a game there too, because we believe that's a very fertile market for our game," Casey said.
At this stage, the AFL and North are working on new membership packages, which will possibly include 15-game Melbourne memberships and four-game country/interstate memberships.
The Roos asked the AFL to schedule consecutive games against Sydney at the SCG next year, but the league rejected the proposal. North would have hosted one match, with Sydney the "home" side the following weekend.
AFL chief executive Wayne Jackson threw his support behind North's partial move north.
"I don't think there's a football club in Melbourne that could unilaterally guarantee to you that its home base and all of its home games will forever be played in or around the city of Melbourne. That would be an irresponsible position for any footy club to make," he said.
"The reality is that the Melbourne market will be overcrowded in the long term."
Having nearly given up our name in 1996 to become the North Melbourne - Fitzroy Kangaroos for $8million in cash and an increased playing list North looks set to risk it all on the hope that the people of Sydney embrace another side. There certainly is a market at the moment but how long will it last, after all the Swans managed to draw current crowds back in the early 80's but they soon dropped off once the wins and the money dried up. North is worried that the current membership levels are only just acceptable in the current climate and would struggle to maintain that level once the performance level that has been so impressive since 93 begins to fall away.
Reports in the Sydney media suggest North will relocate to play out of Homebush in 2002 but that has been denied by the club at this stage. North seems serious about the move though Casey said in the press conference that North's players and coach would spend a considerable amount of time in Sydney, does that mean the side will operate and train out of Sydney in the week preceding a home game at the SCG?. The name change is the big thing, after being told as little as 2 weeks ago by the club that the name change was all a media beat up it now seems certain that North Melbourne will drop the Melbourne from its name. I don't mind playing some of the games out to Sydney but I don't like them messing with the name of the club. I think the Western Bulldogs is a stupid name but North Kangaroos is worse, what are we going to be North of in 5 teams time, North of Melbourne or North of the boarder.
North heard an information session at Arden Street on Monday and this is the details that I got.
President Ron Casey and CEO Greg Miller addressed a healthy crowd of North members at Arden Street last night. The meeting was generally a fairly positive one that offered support to the boards proposition. There were some people who weren�t happy though and the meeting did threaten to get a bit heated at one stage. Casey pointed out that when he stated out as North President the total cost of running the club was $3 million a figure that has ballooned out to over $8million this season. This figure is expected to grow to over $10million next season and with players pushing for money all the time the figure can only rise.
With 10 Melbourne clubs a total of $100 million is needed from the Melbourne market to support all its clubs, the North board don�t believe this is viable. North Melbourne will play at the SCG until after the Olympic games when the club will switch to Homebush stadium in Sydney�s West. First the positives
The meeting did get off the track a bit at times, Grand Final tickets seemed to be the biggest concern apparently people are queuing up already at the Art Centre, Pagans Patrons will be able to purchase tickets from the MCG this SUNDAY if North win against Melbourne. The other members are facing an up hill battle to secure tickets. Myer changing its opening hours has really made it difficult with only a handful of ticket agencies selling tickets to the big event. One person even complained about the dancing girls.
Most of the questions aired concerns about losing the team using salami tactics, the old Soviet trick of taking up bit at a time till its all gone. Miller assured the members that North had no intention of playing more then 6 Games in Sydney no matter how successful the move becomes.
The questions on the team name were not really answered satisfactorily, Miller brushed off questions about what name would be engraved on the Premiership Cups we will hopefully continue to win. There was one thing I didn�t understand, in his opening speech Casey said the move was party because the club didn�t have the support to survive a down turn in on field performance so therefore had to make the move in order to broader the supporter base. Later when questioned over why Sydney residents would support North he said that Sydney �Loved a winner� which goes against the argument made earlier that plans had to be made for the inevitable fall when senior players retire in a few years. The move to Sydney in it�s self may see North slip down the ladder by giving up home ground advantage. The biggest fear I have is that north will draw less then 20,000 people to games in the Harbour city meaning we would have been better off staying at home.
Are Manchester United the only club to announce they are selling out it's fans this week. Have your say! on the proposed North Kangaroos sign the guestbook or read the thoughts of other North fans.
Have your say!
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The Future is Sydney
Twice Best and Fairest player Wayne Schwass was the first player to head North but it looks like 42 others might be following close behind. Have your say on the proposed North Kangaroos. North Melbourne has announced this week its Grand plan for the future, and it seems the winner is Sydney, North are to play 5 games in the Nations biggest city next season and 6 from the year 2000.
The deal is for 5 years North wanted a 5 year option but wasn�t able to secure it. A number of people at the meeting raised concerns that North could do all the hard work to establish a presence at Homebush only to have another Melbourne club come up and take it away in the same fashion that we have lost our once exclusive Friday night fixture. 
