Is it time for a Christmas Gift

The Bay Sheffield has lost its appeal.
Nearly two thirds voted against using the system in a survey , the saal didnt listen.
Victorian athletes are voting with their blocks in not running in SA.
Athletes face the threat of being dq for being trained to run their best on a given day.
The SA sashes have lost their prestige and appeal.
Gift finals are being flooded by first year athletes.
Camden Classic last week was a clear example, Quality athletes such as Stenson ,Watkins and Atkins were left floundering in their heats while young athletes ran in the final.Was their any athlete in the final over 23 years of age.I was told that Leon Burckardt had made 10 Camden finals without winning , thats history and under the new system wont happen again .
Dan Andrews said Why would you want to go to SA , he was right.
Its time .
And its time for the Val to look after and support their own membership.
Lock in a Christmas Gift either public holiday on the 27th or 28th in 2021.
Good prizemoney and a nice bonus for Stawell for all distances.
Get the Vic government on board.
The best pro athletes in SA will support it, NSW and Qld Im guessing will support it and it will be a great lead into Tassie.
Would give the Val athletes somewhere to run between mid Dec to early Jan.
Time to move forward , look after and reward your own membership , Put it out their Christmas Gift leading into Tassie.
Athletes would have a good idea of what handicap they will get in both Vic and Tassie, cetainly no raffle over the border.
Maybe two days of competition to sell it to the Gov , it would absolutely work.

Think that would be a struggle Whisperer. Whilst Tassie has the big one Burnie on the 31st, the smaller carnivals as a lead up make for great racing opportunities and a great week away.

If everything is back to normal next year as well Maryborough comes back into play on the 1st of Jan.

I think you'd be hard pressed for Vic to introduce a NEW gift between Christmas and New Year.

I don't think as a sport either we want to start trying to split athletes' choices by hosting clashes. If Bay is truly deteriorated as people are saying then we should be bolstering the support for the Tassie carnivals. Introducing one in Vic around the 28th with Maryborough on the 1st I think you would find COULD encourage more athletes to not attend the Tassie carnivals.

donatello wrote:I don't think as a sport either we want to start trying to split athletes' choices by hosting clashes. If Bay is truly deteriorated as people are saying then we should be bolstering the support for the Tassie carnivals. Introducing one in Vic around the 28th with Maryborough on the 1st I think you would find COULD encourage more athletes to not attend the Tassie carnivals.

Spot on, donatello.

We will likely lose several gifts post-Covid, so there will be plenty of spots throughout the season for a well-organised and funded new event. It need not clash with Tassie, which could use our support.

Agreed Tom, we also won't have to jam a gift in every week hopefully post-covid!

We all love seeing some racing but with so many carnivals back to back this season trying to give everyone an opportunity (of which very thankful) sometimes a weekend off also doesn't hurt

What we have to remember is that runners aren’t forced to run every week. Every weekend that the VAL isn’t running a meet will cost around $3-$5000 in lost profits.

True Fernando, but by that logic they should run a comp every weekend of the year. I’m also not say the VAL should cancel a carnival, just have them spaced out. You’re right athletes aren’t forced to run, but you want to entice as many as possible to turn up to each one so you actually get profit through entries and you don’t see heaps of scratchings which in my opinion makes a competition look pretty ordinary when you have 2-3 athletes in an 8 athlete heat.

I’m all for more carnivals, if they’re viable, but in between Christmas and new year in Vic to me just doesn’t make sense and I think would have a greater negative effect on the sport than supporting the TAL carnivals.

I don’t agree with squeezing one in before Xmas. Maryborough and Burnie deserve some clear air.