Brisbane Lions Outdrawn By 'Scooby-Doo'

[Le KooK]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21889936-10389,00.html

Scooby skins Lions

Andrew Hamilton
June 12, 2007 12:00am
SCOOBY-DOO was panned by critics when it aired on the big screen, but when Channel 9 ran a repeat against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night it was a ratings bonanza.
Brisbane has not won in five weeks and the defensive mindset and hesitance in attack is a turn-off for fans who are voting with their feet and the TV remote.
But don't expect Lions coach Leigh Matthews to lose sleep over it.
Brisbane failed to draw 30,000 through the gate and a meagre average of 124,000 tuned in for the clash against the Western Bulldogs, well down on last year's figures. But 180,000 watched a repeat of the cartoon dog and his misfit-crime-fighting mates.
Saturday night's clash disintegrated into a yawn-fest as the Lions pushed numbers behind the ball forcing the Bulldogs to chip the ball back and forth among each other in their defensive end.

I was under the impression that the Akermanis vs Brisbane Lions 'grudge match' was the fixture that 'All of Queensland had been waiting for' (well, that's what Channel Ten continually told us Queenslanders last week).

 

[Thrawn]

Raggy?

 

[Dan26]

What's wrong with 124,000 on a Saturday night in a city of 1.8 million?

That's like the Storm getting 248,000 on a Saturday night in Melbourne (3.6 million), which is a pipe dream and will never happen. Saturday nights don't rate as high as Friday nights as we all know. Storm woud be lucky to break 100,000 if they were broadcast on a Saturday night. Their final agaisnt Nth Qld played at the SFS in 2005 on a Saturday night only just broke 100,000 in Melb (equivalent of 50,000 in Brisbane)

The only time the Storm have ever broken 200K in Melbourne was for a Friday night match of the round to open this 2007 season after coming off a Grand final appearance when the AFL hadn't started yet!

And the Lions get 124,000 in a city half the size on lower rating Saturday night after not having won a game for a month, after having finished 13th last year, with an NRL triple header on Foxtel at the same time!

We all know that Aussie Rules is not the main sport in NSW and Qld, but you are hardly in a position to criticizse a sports presence in it's non-tradiitonal areas when your favourite sport doesn't even have a presence in its non-traditional areas at all. Qld had 11 players drafted out of 80 in the last AFL draft. You will never see 11 born-and-bred Victorians debut in the NRL all in one year.

It seems the typical NRL troll relies on finding the "lowest rating they can find" in the AFL"s non-traditional areas and using that figure to justify that the AFL is not big as the NRL in that area! Duh! Thankyou captian obvious!

The irony of using a TV figure for the AFL's non-traditional area when your code's non-traditional areas are miles, miles worse, is hilarious.

It's like you need to "justify" that the NRL is bigger than the AFL in Qld. We all know it's bigger in Qld. But the fact you even need to justify it, shows how paranoid of the AFL you are, hence the existence of this thread proving that paranoia.

 

[Altum Volantes]

At least it wasn't the sequel, then they'd be in REAL trouble.

 

[Thrawn]

At least it wasn't the sequel, then they'd be in REAL trouble.

I wonder who Shaggy would support.

 

[Barry Zuckercorn]

I wonder who Shaggy would support.

Clearly the Eagles...

 

[The Night Shift]

Clearly the Eagles...

LmAO

 

[Pessimistic]

Scooby - Richmand
Thelma - Hawks

 

[jonesy86]

haha...poor troll

how about

Whole NRL Round 13 attendance smashed by the attendance at just 1 AFL game?

 

[Tigger Please!]

The worst storm in Sydney in 50 years may have had something to do with that...

 

[Waverley73]

The worst storm in Sydney in 50 years may have had something to do with that...

Not our fault your weather is ordinary..

 

[Tigger Please!]

Kinda ironic isn't it?

 

[Waverley73]

Kinda ironic isn't it?

Bit like that song from that bird with the long hair type of ironic?

 

[marcuz]

I tell you what will be more embarrassing than the "scooby smacking" the afl copped on sat night will be the EJ whitten legends game rating higher than NRL's showpiece ever has in melbourne. A bunch of unfit geriatrics outrating leagues best of the best.

 

[Tas]

What's wrong with 124,000 on a Saturday night in a city of 1.8 million?

That's like the Storm getting 248,000 on a Saturday night in Melbourne (3.6 million), which is a pipe dream and will never happen. Saturday nights don't rate as high as Friday nights as we all know. Storm woud be lucky to break 100,000 if they were broadcast on a Saturday night. Their final agaisnt Nth Qld played at the SFS in 2005 on a Saturday night only just broke 100,000 in Melb (equivalent of 50,000 in Brisbane)

Queensland is the rainbow of the AFL, their perception of the QLD market is at the time of the tripple premiership era, it is that state of the market they think is sustainable and it is why they are pushing for the Gold Coast.

When you factor the AFL spends more money in QLD per year than the NRL will spend in 50 years here in Melbourne the difference is significant.

AFL has 1000x more grass roots support in QLD than NRL has in Melbourne. Just compare how many QLD players made it into the AFL last year compared to Victorians in the NRL.

AFL should leave NSW and QLD to slowly mature at a normal pace and have realistic expectations about the speed the market can be developed.

 

[Le KooK]

What's wrong with 124,000 on a Saturday night in a city of 1.8 million?

Nothing - just ask Barry Dick (sports journalist at The Courier Mail):

Considering the whole Aker hype last week (front page on Saturday, front page of MainGame etc, TV news every night) the crowd and the ratings were worse than poor

I'd say he knows a little more about the situation than you or I.

That's like the Storm getting 248,000 on a Saturday night in Melbourne (3.6 million), which is a pipe dream and will never happen. Saturday nights don't rate as high as Friday nights as we all know. Storm woud be lucky to break 100,000 if they were broadcast on a Saturday night. Their final agaisnt Nth Qld played at the SFS in 2005 on a Saturday night only just broke 100,000 in Melb (equivalent of 50,000 in Brisbane)

The only time the Storm have ever broken 200K in Melbourne was for a Friday night match of the round to open this 2007 season after coming off a Grand final appearance when the AFL hadn't started yet!

Yes, the Storm's FTA ratings are encouraging (though your always hilarious 'like vs like' comparisons should be dismissed based on previous form).

If (as you suggest) Friday Nights rate higher than Saturdays, Channels Seven and Ten should have no problem broadcasting AFL matches live into Brisbane on Fridays, no? No of course not, but you love to continually insinuate that the AFL TV ratings in Brisbane are 'underdeveloped' because they are placed in a Saturday night timeslot. Laughable. If Channels Seven or Ten (or Nine) thought they could derive higher AFL TV ratings in Brisbane by placing matches in different timeslots, they would have done it by now. It is obvious that they cannot, and therefore do not - so do not attempt to argue that it is feasible.

And the Lions get 124,000 in a city half the size on lower rating Saturday night after not having won a game for a month, after having finished 13th last year, with an NRL triple header on Foxtel at the same time!

You fail to understand the situation. The match was marketed on the 'personalities' that would be taking part in the match. The fact that the Lions are well down on the ladder was of little consequence to the marketing narrative that has been created by the media concerning this match. The promotion of the 'Aka vs Lions' match-up started nearly 6 months ago with incessant advertising of the clash on Channel Ten, and has continued through to the week of the match - where TV promotion of the match went to another level again.

People were not being advised to 'tune in' on the basis of a top of the table clash, or even a quality match - they were being advised to watch the match because Jason Akermanis was 'taking on' his old team in a 'grudge match', and as Channel Ten told us "emotions could boil over". It was billed as an 'event', not as a regular run of the mill fixture.

Furthermore, the 'NRL triple header' did not involve any NRL teams from Sth-East Queensland, and many of the matches were sullied through the lack of top-tier players - who were unavailable due to their participation in this weeks State of Origin.

We all know that Aussie Rules is not the main sport in NSW and Qld, but you are hardly in a position to criticizse a sports presence in it's non-tradiitonal areas when your favourite sport doesn't even have a presence in its non-traditional areas at all.

Well that statement is plainly untrue. The non-traditional Rugby League area of Victoria plays host to the 'Melbourne Storm' in the NRL competition. Don't lie Dan.

Qld had 11 players drafted out of 80 in the last AFL draft. You will never see 11 born-and-bred Victorians debut in the NRL all in one year.

I see Dan has spouted out another logical 'like vs like' comparison:

How is being 'drafted' to an AFL club in any way equal to 'debuting' in the NRL?

The arguments pertaining to the superior recruitment of 'non-heartland' players by the AFL as compared to the NRL are very much valid and not up for debate - unless someone attempts a farcical comparison (such as Dan).

It seems the typical NRL troll relies on finding the "lowest rating they can find" in the AFL"s non-traditional areas and using that figure to justify that the AFL is not big as the NRL in that area! Duh! Thankyou captian obvious!

No - 124K is in no way the lowest Brisbane TV ratings figure I could find for a Brisbane Lions match broadcast exclusively by Channel Ten this year (the lowest figure is 69K).

I am not attempting to justify the argument that the AFL is not as big as Rugby League in Brisbane (that's not up for debate). I (along with 'Hammo') am simply arguing that the huge marketing and promotional 'push' that coincided with last weekend's Brisbane Lions match fell flat - very flat.

The irony of using a TV figure for the AFL's non-traditional area when your code's non-traditional areas are miles, miles worse, is hilarious.

The State of Origin match generated a Melbourne audience of 366K last month. I would not say that is "miles, miles worse" - would you?

It's like you need to "justify" that the NRL is bigger than the AFL in Qld. We all know it's bigger in Qld. But the fact you even need to justify it, shows how paranoid of the AFL you are, hence the existence of this thread proving that paranoia.

Did I write the relevant Courier-Mail article? No.

'Hammo' must be the paranoid one....

 

[notting18]

\
just look at the 7 or so QLD draftees who are yet to play a senior match for the Brisbane Lions.

HUH?!

We only have 1 Lions listed player who is a QLD'r who hasn't played a game!

 

[Le KooK]

HUH?!

We only have 1 Lions listed player who is a QLD'r who hasn't played a game!

So all these players have played a senior match (all drafted from QLD clubs)?

Pat Garner, Albert Proud, Haydyn Kiel, William Hammill, Scott Cloutson, Daniel Dzufer, Joel Tippett

Or is my 'info' out of date?

 

[Roylion]

So all these players have played a senior match (all drafted from QLD clubs)?

Pat Garner, Albert Proud, Haydyn Kiel, William Hammill, Scott Cloutson, Daniel Dzufer, Joel Tippett

Or is my 'info' out of date?

Haydyn Kiel, William Hammil, Scott Cloutson, Daniel Dzufer and Joel Tippett are all rookies. They're obviously not eligible to play senior matches.

 

[Chewy]

Le Kook, I'm slightly jealous of the Lions fans who get to see their team live on free to air.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Melbourne Storm games televised, but it hardly ever happens. We have the top team in the competition, we're the "sporting capital of Australia" and yet the NRL doesn't get a look in.

Who cares about NRL? People in NSW and Queensland.

Who cares about AFL? People in WA, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and some people in NSW and Queensland.

Why do you continue to fight this?

You think it's a contest, but it isn't.

 

[pazza]

"those meddling kids"

 

[notting18]

Haydyn Kiel, William Hammil, Scott Cloutson, Daniel Dzufer and Joel Tippett are all rookies. They're obviously not eligible to play senior matches.

And not counted in the 11 QLD draftees last year!

 

[Le KooK]

Haydyn Kiel, William Hammil, Scott Cloutson, Daniel Dzufer and Joel Tippett are all rookies. They're obviously not eligible to play senior matches.

Thankyou.

I am mistaken.

 

[Le KooK]

Le Kook, I'm slightly jealous of the Lions fans who get to see their team live on free to air.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Melbourne Storm games televised, but it hardly ever happens. We have the top team in the competition, we're the "sporting capital of Australia" and yet the NRL doesn't get a look in.

Who cares about NRL? People in NSW and Queensland.

Who cares about AFL? People in WA, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and some people in NSW and Queensland.

Why do you continue to fight this?

You think it's a contest, but it isn't.

All your points are very valid.

Again, I'm not arguing against the fact that the Brisbane Lions have a foothold up here - it's simply a case of I (along with the mainstream media) being rather surprised at the lack of incidental and cursory public interest in the most heavily promoted Brisbane Lions match of the home-and-away season.

Simple.

 

[fishmonger]

You can't blame the fans for switching off. I did. Was a terrible game of football to watch. Flooding, icing, chipping, kicking backwards, uncontested, coast to coast - 100 times worse than watching D grade soccer IMO.

The Lions are turning into what the Swans have been. They need to play a more exciting, attacking brand of footy to keep the fans interested.