http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2007/03/09/1173166987116.html
Bigfooty, which has a general chat site as well as chat rooms for the clubs' supporters, has 33,200 registered users. Many thousands more visit as guests.
The biggest day, according to Appleyard, is at the close of trading in October. Just last year, as the clubs wound up their trading, there were 3500 bigfooty members on the site and another 2000 guests, and the server could not provide access for who knows how many others. "The server couldn't handle it," said one of bigfooty's moderators. "It happens every year."
According to Appleyard, a 33-year-old information technology consultant who lives in Brisbane, between 100,000 and 150,000 people visit bigfooty every month. "I thought it'd be a bit of a hobby, a bit of fun. But it just about doubles every year."
Appleyard spends a couple of hours each night managing bigfooty and has assembled 40 voluntary moderators to help him. He had run a footy tipping site before that. Now bigfooty has cricket and rugby league forums attached, it runs social days and a dream team competition.
Hard-core fans, of course, need more specific information and you will find them not only on bigfooty but on the various club sites, such as Puntroadend.com (Richmond), Saintsational (St Kilda) and Nick's Bulletin board (Collingwood). Most of the club boards have training reports from "spies". At the Kangaroos' site, a poster called The Coach does amazingly detailed analysis with match-ups and predictions, as well as reviews of games.
Bigfooty, which has a general chat site as well as chat rooms for the clubs' supporters, has 33,200 registered users. Many thousands more visit as guests.
The biggest day, according to Appleyard, is at the close of trading in October. Just last year, as the clubs wound up their trading, there were 3500 bigfooty members on the site and another 2000 guests, and the server could not provide access for who knows how many others. "The server couldn't handle it," said one of bigfooty's moderators. "It happens every year."
According to Appleyard, a 33-year-old information technology consultant who lives in Brisbane, between 100,000 and 150,000 people visit bigfooty every month. "I thought it'd be a bit of a hobby, a bit of fun. But it just about doubles every year."
Appleyard spends a couple of hours each night managing bigfooty and has assembled 40 voluntary moderators to help him. He had run a footy tipping site before that. Now bigfooty has cricket and rugby league forums attached, it runs social days and a dream team competition.
Hard-core fans, of course, need more specific information and you will find them not only on bigfooty but on the various club sites, such as Puntroadend.com (Richmond), Saintsational (St Kilda) and Nick's Bulletin board (Collingwood). Most of the club boards have training reports from "spies". At the Kangaroos' site, a poster called The Coach does amazingly detailed analysis with match-ups and predictions, as well as reviews of games.
