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

[Thrawn]

I think technology plays a huge part of this? What else did you have to engage with prior to the mid-90's? You didn't hear of much else beyond what was given to you via radio and TV (with only a few channels and no pay-tv etc), so AFL was all people had for the majority. Kids these days are growing up with a phone and an internet connection in their hand, opening them up to niche interests or other popular stuff like gaming etc... Different eras really. So AFL has a lot of competition compared to yesteryear - even other sports like NRL which barely got a mention in Melbourne prior to the Storm. So it's understandable that we lived and breathed AFL in those days.

That was around in the 90s too...

 

[BigPond101]

The NBA has evolved with the three ball it's impossible to defend, Kerr changed it up, here we don't even practice goalkicking, fwds should be automatic from 45 out in a professional environment to stretch the zone and create more gaps. Why aren't AFL fwds taking 1000 shots at goal a week from areas they actually kick from in games, they should be 75% accuracy

It doesnt matter how much they practice no ones skills can hold up when they have spent all game sprinting up and down a 150m field. Then have 15 seconds to catch their breathe before they are required to be in their runup on the way to goal

 

[Vapor]

I think technology plays a huge part of this? What else did you have to engage with prior to the mid-90's? You didn't hear of much else beyond what was given to you via radio and TV (with only a few channels and no pay-tv etc), so AFL was all people had for the majority. Kids these days are growing up with a phone and an internet connection in their hand, opening them up to niche interests or other popular stuff like gaming etc... Different eras really. So AFL has a lot of competition compared to yesteryear - even other sports like NRL which barely got a mention in Melbourne prior to the Storm. So it's understandable that we lived and breathed AFL in those days.

Agree with this, something else that I reckon is contributing is that each match goes for roughly 3 hours when you factor in all of the breaks and time after each goal.

That is a very long time, especially in this day and age where there are so many easily-accessible alternatives at your fingertips with the internet, smart phones and a plethora of games, tv shows, movies and other international sports at your disposal. Attention spans are dropping, especially in the younger generations.

 

[Bjo187]

Agree with this, something else that I reckon is contributing is that each match goes for roughly 3 hours when you factor in all of the breaks and time after each goal.

That is a very long time, especially in this day and age where there are so many easily-accessible alternatives at your fingertips with the internet, smart phones and a plethora of games, tv shows, movies and other international sports at your disposal. Attention spans are dropping, especially in the younger generations.

Agree with this I was very surprised they didn't take the opportunity after the 16 minute quarters year to go to 18 minute quarters. Obviously the tv networks want more content though so they went back to 20. In my opinion the best balance is 16 per side and 18 minute quarters.

 

[giggler99]

Agree with this I was very surprised they didn't take the opportunity after the 16 minute quarters year to go to 18 minute quarters. Obviously the tv networks want more content though so they went back to 20. In my opinion the best balance is 16 per side and 18 minute quarters.

Agree with this, something else that I reckon is contributing is that each match goes for roughly 3 hours when you factor in all of the breaks and time after each goal.

That is a very long time, especially in this day and age where there are so many easily-accessible alternatives at your fingertips with the internet, smart phones and a plethora of games, tv shows, movies and other international sports at your disposal. Attention spans are dropping, especially in the younger generations.

The playing time isn't the issue it just seems that way because a lot of it is played at a stagnate boring pace. Seems everything has to be structured and players don't seems to have the free will to play on instinct anymore. Bontempelli is a perfect example he could be the next Wayne Carey if he want too but he isn't allowed to because you know he needs to do the "team structure" thing, flood the oppositions forward half, kick side ways and down the line etc.. The players are way over coached imo.

Never in previous years has anyone complained about the time of a footy match and it shouldn't change just because a few millennials have short attention spans, plus it was crap when they did change it to 16mins in 2020. The spectacle is the problem not the time. Need to fix this mentality of playing not to loss back to playing to win!

 

[gbatman]

I'm glad you prefer it, but clearly the current game looks terrible to the majority and they have voted with their feet, and switched off the telly also.

Pretty damning way for Gil to sign off his tenure, doesn't matter what you do elsewhere in the game, your number 1 priority is to at least maintain crowds and FTA TV numbers.

They have cooked the golden goose with an AFLX rule book.

The crowds will be back when they bring our game back.

Majority? This has been said constantly for 30 years. A few loud commentators does not make majority, it just feels like it.

Lack of attendance is about other reasons.

Younger generation losing interest in sport. It's not just AFL. It's all sports. Kids haven't grown up watching sport or playing it. There is declining developed interest.

People not going due to covid restrictions and terrible servic at the grounds due to hospitality shortages.

Less people watching sport because of streaming services.

Covid. People have got used to staying home. It's a developed habit.

 

[killtaker1993]

Young men aren't the same as they used to be back in my day. Blokes now are happy to be seen at Taylor Swift and Tones and I concerts and putting their hair in buns. Sad times we're in

 

[HugeJohnson]

I reckon you could even go to 12-a-side (still 4 on the bench) and have a better spectacle. There's too many players in the league. Overall we have about 770 players spread over 18 teams, almost all Australian. The Premier league has about 500 players spread over 20 teams, with players and a talent pool from all over the world, in other words - world class.

I think it evens up the competition a bit too. Imagine

Gawn
Petracca
Oliver
Viney
Langdon
May
Lever
Salem
Jackson
Fritsch
Brayshaw
Sparrow

Vs

Bontempelli
Naughton
Liberatore
Daniel
Smith
Treloar
Dunkley
Keath
Macrae
English
Dale
Weightman

Get rid of the deadwood and just keep the elite level players

I think even North could compete with

Larkey
Zurhaar
Horne-Francis
McKay
Simpkin
Davies-Uniacke
Goldstein
Hall
McDonald
Thomas
Corr
Ziebell

Salaries go up because there's less people to pay, makes competition go up. Spectacle is better because there's not so much congestion and you probably couldn't just flood an area of the ground. Skill level is higher because not just any Joe Blow gets a game. Even the lower leagues improve when all the ex-AFL listed players drop back down.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Majority? This has been said constantly for 30 years. A few loud commentators does not make majority, it just feels like it.

Lack of attendance is about other reasons.

Younger generation losing interest in sport. It's not just AFL. It's all sports. Kids haven't grown up watching sport or playing it. There is declining developed interest.

People not going due to covid restrictions and terrible servic at the grounds due to hospitality shortages.

Less people watching sport because of streaming services.

Covid. People have got used to staying home. It's a developed habit.

Young kids have distractions forever, they didn’t invent the internet in 2017

Crowds have been in decline since 2017, when the rules started to change

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Young kids have distractions forever, they didn’t invent the internet in 2017

Crowds have been in decline since 2017, when the rules started to change

The rules started to change in the 90’s. it’s been an ongoing set of new rules yearly for a long long time now.

 

[deck]

since 2017, when the rules started to change

Only a Richmond supporter could possibly think rules changes started in 2017.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Only a Richmond supporter could possibly think rules changes started in 2017.

post season 2017 666 came in, first of a raft of spatial control measures bought in over successie seasons since then. correct me if i'm wrong?

 

[PetterdHoisted]

The rules started to change in the 90’s. it’s been an ongoing set of new rules yearly for a long long time now.

it was like 1970-ish the last major change of the rules (centre square bought in) that is the equivalent of the spatial control rules over the last 5 years.

throughout the 90s the game was lauded as the true 360 degree footy code, you could go where you wanted when you wanted.

not anymore, and the crowds have walked away

 

[Bjo187]

I reckon you could even go to 12-a-side (still 4 on the bench) and have a better spectacle. There's too many players in the league. Overall we have about 770 players spread over 18 teams, almost all Australian. The Premier league has about 500 players spread over 20 teams, with players and a talent pool from all over the world, in other words - world class.

I think it evens up the competition a bit too. Imagine

Gawn
Petracca
Oliver
Viney
Langdon
May
Lever
Salem
Jackson
Fritsch
Brayshaw
Sparrow

Vs

Bontempelli
Naughton
Liberatore
Daniel
Smith
Treloar
Dunkley
Keath
Macrae
English
Dale
Weightman

Get rid of the deadwood and just keep the elite level players

I think even North could compete with

Larkey
Zurhaar
Horne-Francis
McKay
Simpkin
Davies-Uniacke
Goldstein
Hall
McDonald
Thomas
Corr
Ziebell

Salaries go up because there's less people to pay, makes competition go up. Spectacle is better because there's not so much congestion and you probably couldn't just flood an area of the ground. Skill level is higher because not just any Joe Blow gets a game. Even the lower leagues improve when all the ex-AFL listed players drop back down.

12? Do you not remember AFLx, it was practically a kick and mark game with no contests coz there was too much space.

I reckon 16 is the minimum, you could possibly get away with 14.

What people don't realise is the grounds are actually smaller now too because the boundary has to be in 5m from the fence for safety reasons. So bigger players that run further on smaller grounds, no wonder it looks too congested.

 

[Dangerousfield]

Watched the Richmond Swans game, another 60 free kicks!!! About 30 were there, the other 30 were either dead set wrong, not there or so minor they should have been ignored.

AFL is losing fans with this over officiating, let the players play, stick the whistle up your arze - PLEASE!!

 

[Back One Out]

post season 2017 666 came in, first of a raft of spatial control measures bought in over successie seasons since then. correct me if i'm wrong?

Yeah, it was a cOnSPiRaCy tO bRiNg riCHmONd dOwN

But just ignore all the other rule changes which were made to combat the outside-the-box defensive tactics of Alastair Clarkson, Ross Lyon, Paul Roos or Mick Malthouse

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Yeah, it was a cOnSPiRaCy tO bRiNg riCHmONd dOwN

But just ignore all the other rule changes which were made to combat the outside-the-box defensive tactics of Alastair Clarkson, Ross Lyon, Paul Roos or Mick Malthouse

You are the only one talking about Richmond, I refuse to indulge whatever issue you have with that.

Fact: 2017 was the high water mark of AFL attendance, and it has been in relentless decline ever since, (now down about 20% from that high!).

666, stand, dissent, massive exclusion zones when kicking out etc
all came in from post-season 2017.

Sorry, but the fans have voted with their feet.

 

[bzparkes]

You are the only one talking about Richmond, I refuse to indulge whatever issue you have with that.

Fact: 2017 was the high water mark of AFL attendance, and it has been in relentless decline ever since, (now down about 20% from that high!).

666, stand, dissent, massive exclusion zones when kicking out etc
all came in from post-season 2017.

Sorry, but the fans have voted with their feet.

Hmm, I wonder what could have possibly happened over the past few years that may have caused lower attendances at games...

 

[Back One Out]

Hmm, I wonder what could have possibly happened over the past few years that may have caused lower attendances at games...

I'll tell you what's happened over the past few years...

The decline of Richmond as a super power thanks to Steve Hocking deliberately targeting them with rule changes designed to bring them back to the pack

You can read all about it on the Richmond Board

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Hmm, I wonder what could have possibly happened over the past few years that may have caused lower attendances at games...

Channel 7 is down too, they have axed their ancilliary footy shows around the game

there is not enough money in it for them with so many switching off

 

[Goosecat]

Watched the Richmond Swans game, another 60 free kicks!!! About 30 were there, the other 30 were either dead set wrong, not there or so minor they should have been ignored.

AFL is losing fans with this over officiating, let the players play, stick the whistle up your arze - PLEASE!!

This is a common error made by many IMHO, including so called expert and experienced old timers saying,"Oh just put the whistle away".
What actually ends up happening when the kicks aren't paid continually is the grappling, scragging, stacks on, arm chops,in the backs, pretend to be punching a ball whilst holding it to yourself, stoppages etc etc increase. It always goes too far because if you give them an inch, it doesn't take long before they try to take a mile. That applies to players and coaches alike.
It can work in finals to an extent because it doesn't become ingrained and grown on over games/seasons. This is what people see and think;"well let's just do that all the time, let it go". However If it becomes a permanent fixture of letting this free kick go, that free kick go etc etc, the precedents are set. The players and coaches all move to the new baseline and then try and push to the next. It breaks down, becomes crap, the real talent and skill gets scragged to death by the less talented and it always fails accordingly.
You have to pay the frees.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Young men aren't the same as they used to be back in my day. Blokes now are happy to be seen at Taylor Swift and Tones and I concerts and putting their hair in buns. Sad times we're in

Yep, good point. It's a tragedy we don't have young men doing what they did back in the day instead. It's horrible that there's less violence, drink driving, homophobia, etc. Dreadful

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

Watched the Richmond Swans game, another 60 free kicks!!! About 30 were there, the other 30 were either dead set wrong, not there or so minor they should have been ignored.

AFL is losing fans with this over officiating, let the players play, stick the whistle up your arze - PLEASE!!

you would’ve hated the footy back in the 70’s and 80’s then.

 

[windyhill]

Channel 7 is down too, they have axed their ancilliary footy shows around the game

You say this as if it’s a bad thing ?!?!

 

[terrybull]

While the over sensitive no dissent rule and no criticizing of umpires is protecting their welfare….

But what about the players? Not being allowed to show any emotion on decisions will lead to more retirements due to mental health. Plus the scrutiny of the media watching their every move.

Dusty Martin is looking frustrated by the game. He is oddly protected and back chats umps without getting 50 against him. I think this year will be the last with the Tigers. But won’t go to Sydney , but retire.

The game is frustrating to watch, and I’m in the position of explaining the game to people who hardly seen it. About 40% of decisions I say have not got a clue.

The last one, they asked is ‘common sense” a rule? Well I guess it is now.