AFL is on the decline - the younger generation is just not that into you

[Cuzz09]

I hardly watch any games anymore. Plenty of people to see on weekends and even more stuff we want to stream and binge and the weekend is time to chill and relax. Sport in general hasnt got the same hold on me as when I was younger.

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[Nunez]

As a Melbourne supporter I can't agree. My team is reigning premier, on top of the ladder and I've been going to games this year more out of obligation and habit rather than anything else. Attending games is boring. Kids when they come are easily bored and end up spending half the time watching their iPads or wanting to leave because they are bored. The fact games are scheduled to suit broadcasters rather than supporters doesn't help.

I find myself watching less and less other games too - I'll check in on the score and maybe watch the last quarter if it's close but watching games as a neutral now is far worse than 10 years ago let alone 20-30. The presentation by the broadcasters is not the only problem but is also a main issue.

As to the premise of the thread though, it is not us oldies who remember the good old days that are necessarily the problem - kids just aren't into the game as much as they were when I was a kid. You see the kids at games and half of them aren't paying attention/couldn't care less. The game just isn't exciting as often as it used to be, scores are down, gameplans are too risk averse seeing a key forward kick a bag is so rare it basically never happens anymore, forward lines are congested so displays of individual brilliance are extremely rare. What is there to entice kids, keep them engaged?

It's an interesting juxtaposition to Brisbane and Queensland footy as Whole. I've been a member for 10 years now and have gone to games on and off for 20. One thing that has been quite apparent in Queensland is the rising number of kids and young people going to games. On a junior footy level, kids are signing up in record numbers - boys and girls - and there definitely appears to be a spillover effect to AFL attendance.

With that said, I don't find myself watching too many other games in full, nor do I enjoy The Couch or 360. The reasoning is simple - said shows are full of Vic bias and focus on the big four clubs more often than not. I get that they have the biggest fanbase so pandering to their supporters makes sense in that regard, but the end result is boring programming. I'd feel a lot more invested in the AFL and in watching other teams play if AFL media gave me a genuine reason to care. I want proper analysis, detailed discussion and equal focus on all teams + the top matches for the week.

In the streaming era, we have so many sports to choose from. If the AFL want us to watch more games, they simply need to give us a reason to care.

 

[RedV3x]

Wrong , because coaches need to out coach their opponents not the AFL

"coaches need to out coach their opponents" and that my friend has is the crux of the problem.
I would say "end of story" if umpiring consistency wasn't there but it is also there.

 

[RedV3x]

that is a rule change.

No. The law has not changed but the interpretation has in marking and rucking situations.

The kick in rule has been changed.

The kick in law has been changed so many times I've lost count.
That's an example of a law changed only for AFL needs.

The protected area is a rule change

That's an example of a law changed only for AFL needs.

Did the coaches ask for the don't move on the mark rule or the protected area rule?

Well actually they did. The coaches are part of an AFL club and AFL clubs are the AFL.

 

[RedV3x]

Physicality was part of the game for 150 odd years and should remain so.

And it does remain, but three umpires and video recording means most thuggery and cheap shots have disappeared.
In the "old days" many "head highs" were simply missed.
There are still players getting concussion from legal collisions - mostly self-inflicted - that's the difference.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

No. The law has not changed but the interpretation has in marking and rucking situations.



The kick in law has been changed so many times I've lost count.
That's an example of a law changed only for AFL needs.



That's an example of a law changed only for AFL needs.



Well actually they did. The coaches are part of an AFL club and AFL clubs are the AFL.

wait, you are claiming coaches asked for STAND?

 

[HPKS]

I’m not surprised. They’ve taken supporters for granted for way to long. All this garbage of the players make the game is absolute horse shit. The game is dead without the people, as shown during the pandemic how pathetic the atmosphere is without fans but we still get it constantly rammed down our throats how the “stars” are the game. Bullshit!!

Secondly. It’s to late now but there’s to many vic sides. 4-6 huge clubs in Melbourne was always how it should have been, With Geelong Is how it should have been. That ship has sailed though. I’m not suggesting we cull clubs at all now.

As pointed out by another poster, northern clubs have what the draft has taken away from Melbourne based clubs. Tribalism. Local players followed by local fans following players from the beginning to the day they run out for the club. Callum Mills

14

Callum Mills

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

D

18.4

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.4

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

and the Daicos brothers are the perfect example of what it should be. Every club should have a zone that can be drafted just like F/S, NGA & NA players. Take away the discount. Make your club responsible for the area. Bring back what this sport, I use that term loosely, used to have over other sports. An attachment.

As for the vic bias. It’s not real. The bias is big MCG club bias. I walked away from the sport, entertainment, and follow my local club and watch Sydney most times after the game is played. It’s just not worth it anymore. It’s skewed so hard in the big clubs that play at the mcg. Posters on here would always say “leave then”. Well we have and now your pissing n moaning that fans have left. Yeh well it was the best thing I have done. Others would think the same to.

And lastly. As for the media coverage, it’s deplorable. It caters for the bogan boomer. I watched the Sydney game on replay after I got home then watched the extra 30 minutes of the show after I had on record. FMD if your under 40 you’d have no interest in that whatsoever. It’s boomer heaven. It should be about building the excitement for Sunday not a nostalgic look at boomer bs from years ago. As for 360 “in the paper tomorrow” says enough. They’re not building anything for future years. I wouldn’t blame younger people turning away from watching just because of the media coverage. It’s from a bygone era.

As for my local side. Second on the ladder. Saturday arvo with friends, family and talking to players after the game, I would never go back to AFL as my number one fix for footy. Goodbye and good luck because the AFL needs it.

 

[burge13]

This 4th quarter has been fantastic. The umpires have just got out of the way and what do you know, its better to watch. What a novel concept

 

[HPKS]

This 4th quarter has been fantastic. The umpires have just got out of the way and what do you know, its better to watch. What a novel concept

Do you seriously think that’s why younger people are not watching?

Young people don’t complain about umpiring. Why? They’re not invested like the average supporter. They never have been. It’s not the reason they’ve never switched onto the entertainment.

 

[burge13]

Do you seriously think that’s why younger people are not watching?

Young people don’t complain about umpiring. Why? They’re not invested like the average supporter. They never have been. It’s not the reason they’ve never switched onto the entertainment.

Honestly i couldn't give a **** what young people like, theyre morons. More worried about climate change and being activists than enjoying life

As a whole, people in general are off this sport due to the farcical officiating and constant rule changes. That 4th quarter was very entertaining despite the weather and it was because the umpires stfu

 

[HPKS]

Honestly i couldn't give a duck what young people like, theyre morons. More worried about climate change and being activists than enjoying life

As a whole, people in general are off this sport due to the farcical officiating and constant rule changes. That 4th quarter was very entertaining despite the weather and it was because the umpires stfu

Well your lost then. Find a thread about umpiring & rule changes. The thread title is

AFL is on the decline - the younger generation is just not that into you

And whether you like it or not if you don’t cater for the younger generations you don’t have a future.

 

[burge13]

We’ll your lost then. Find a thread about umpiring & rule changes. The thread title is

AFL is on the decline - the younger generation is just not that into you

And whether you like it or not if you don’t cater for the younger generations you don’t have a future.

AFL is on the decline due to what i said. Its down overall, not just young people.

 

[terrybull]

I’m not surprised. They’ve taken supporters for granted for way to long. All this garbage of the players make the game is absolute horse shit. The game is dead without the people, as shown during the pandemic how pathetic the atmosphere is without fans but we still get it constantly rammed down our throats how the “stars” are the game. Bullshit!!

Secondly. It’s to late now but there’s to many vic sides. 4-6 huge clubs in Melbourne was always how it should have been, With Geelong Is how it should have been. That ship has sailed though. I’m not suggesting we cull clubs at all now.

As pointed out by another poster, northern clubs have what the draft has taken away from Melbourne based clubs. Tribalism. Local players followed by local fans following players from the beginning to the day they run out for the club. Callum Mills and the Daicos brothers are the perfect example of what it should be. Every club should have a zone that can be drafted just like F/S, NGA & NA players. Take away the discount. Make your club responsible for the area. Bring back what this sport, I use that term loosely, used to have over other sports. An attachment.

As for the vic bias. It’s not real. The bias is big MCG club bias. I walked away from the sport, entertainment, and follow my local club and watch Sydney most times after the game is played. It’s just not worth it anymore. It’s skewed so hard in the big clubs that play at the mcg. Posters on here would always say “leave then”. Well we have and now your pissing n moaning that fans have left. Yeh well it was the best thing I have done. Others would think the same to.

And lastly. As for the media coverage, it’s deplorable. It caters for the bogan boomer. I watched the Sydney game on replay after I got home then watched the extra 30 minutes of the show after I had on record. FMD if your under 40 you’d have no interest in that whatsoever. It’s boomer heaven. It should be about building the excitement for Sunday not a nostalgic look at boomer bs from years ago. As for 360 “in the paper tomorrow” says enough. They’re not building anything for future years. I wouldn’t blame younger people turning away from watching just because of the media coverage. It’s from a bygone era.

As for my local side. Second on the ladder. Saturday arvo with friends, family and talking to players after the game, I would never go back to AFL as my number one fix for footy. Goodbye and good luck because the AFL needs it.

Funny thing is my next door neighbor in the 70’s Mr.McKenzie had very similar views. Called the VFL soft over commercialized garbage and preferred local footy (where he coached a team). On TV he would watch VFA (which he semi-accepted). I thought he was nuts.
But there are more and more of us becoming Mr.Mckenzies.

 

[HPKS]

AFL is on the decline due to what i said. Its down overall, not just young people.

I’ve got plenty of relatives and their friends who are young. They never got into it like we did as kids. Got a 9 year relative who plays auskick, never watched a game in his life. Will be lost to the game in his teens. A 20 something relative who laughs at the AFL. Prefers NBA and doing other things. His friends the same. I help out at our local club. You’d be surprised how many couldn’t give a shyte about AFL. It’s the equivalent of a reality Show. Something to watch occasionally but not taken seriously.

You can’t get disillusioned with something you’ve really never cared that much about.

There’s just no connection. Older generations had it but we took it away and this is the result.

As for rule changes, it’s been happening for decades and will continue to happen. I remember Lou Richards going on about rule changes coming in midweek.

 

[HPKS]

Funny thing is my next door neighbor in the 70’s Mr.McKenzie had very similar views. Called the VFL soft over commercialized garbage and preferred local footy (where he coached a team). On TV he would watch VFA (which he semi-accepted). I thought he was nuts.
But there are more and more of us becoming Mr.Mckenzies.

It’s not sport anymore. Its entertainment. Try and name one part of the AFL which is even handed & fair?

 

[Evolved1]

It’s not sport anymore. Its entertainment. Try and name one part of the AFL which is even handed & fair?

Salary cap.

 

[HPKS]

Salary cap.

Are third party deals facilitated through sponsors included in the cap? Nope

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

It’s not sport anymore. Its entertainment. Try and name one part of the AFL which is even handed & fair?

It's not even entertainment. All it is at this stage is an old habit.

 

[HPKS]

It's not even entertainment. All it is at this stage is an old habit.

I’ve kicked the habit. Will watch Sydney games only and a fair few are recorded. I just cbf anymore trying to take it serious.

It is a shame because our younger generations will never get to feel the attachment & tribalism we grew up with.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

I’ve kicked the habit. Will watch Sydney games only and a fair few are recorded. I just cbf anymore trying to take it serious.

It is a shame because our younger generations will never get to feel the attachment & tribalism we grew up with.

It's a pity, but it's also a good thing. There are plenty of other things to actually watch and do these days. I think there was just too many grey areas in the sport and a few decades of professionalism has killed everything that was good about it. The rule changes are stupid but they are mostly desperate moves to try and rectify what the coaches have done, the coaches long ago coached away the fabric of the game and all we were left with the supporters and the tribalism aspect, but now that is dying away too.

 

[Cuzz09]

People will still go coz its tradition etc but maybe theyll never have that tribal feel for it like the old days

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[Alberto_Magnifico]

I'm in my late 30s and don't care much for the footy anymore, and it's not just because Essendon are crap.
Stupid rules changes and frustrating umpiring ruins it for me, even in neutral games, I used to watch around 4 games a week now I struggle to watch the one.

Plus all the dumb politicisation and vampiric media that's associated with modern AFL, just piss off already.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Hell even the PLAYERS don't follow AFL these days, they would rather watch NBA or NFL. They only play AFL because if you're a mediocre athlete it's a great way to earn a lot of money.

 

[Billy ray]

They defn need more GA priced seats for walk-ups. And slash price to $20 adult. $10 concession. $5 kids. $40 family.
And cut food prices too

 

[Aussie in exile]

I’ve got plenty of relatives and their friends who are young. They never got into it like we did as kids. Got a 9 year relative who plays auskick, never watched a game in his life. Will be lost to the game in his teens. A 20 something relative who laughs at the AFL. Prefers NBA and doing other things. His friends the same. I help out at our local club. You’d be surprised how many couldn’t give a shyte about AFL. It’s the equivalent of a reality Show. Something to watch occasionally but not taken seriously.

You can’t get disillusioned with something you’ve really never cared that much about.

There’s just no connection. Older generations had it but we took it away and this is the result.

As for rule changes, it’s been happening for decades and will continue to happen. I remember Lou Richards going on about rule changes coming in midweek.

Funny you should mention the NBA as Basketballs popularity has grown in the Caribbean, and at the same time Cricket participation has declined there. I don't believe its a coincidence. Basketball is certainly the IT sport for a lot of young people around the world