GWS chief keen to foster ACT ties (Canberra Times, 1 April)
Why does the ACT have to prove its interest in AFL? Why isn’t the same requirement asked of Sydney and in particular, Western Sydney? Does Dale Holmes realise how threatening this sounds, (i.e. If you don’t support us we will take our ball and game elsewhere)?
Like Sydney, the ACT is predominately an NRL/rugby/soccer state with resident teams, the Raiders and the Brumbies dominating the Canberra Times pages. AFL averages a couple of syndicated articles per day that are usually buried deep in the sports news in black and white, unlike the reams of positive NRL spin reported by local news reporters.
One of the major problems here is the lack of media coverage of AFL. Although money has been spent on tv ads, it isn’t enough. People in the ACT are unaware of what is going on in AFL. They need to get to know the players and the teams. The local news services avoid AFL and at times seem hostile towards the game. Days can go by and some stations provide no news at all.
Most sports news is about NRL – every game, every breath, every muscle twitch . When they do cover AFL, the topics tend to be negative, e.g. Fevola, Cousins sagas. AFL needs to ask the television stations why they are restricting coverage here and in Sydney. Channel Seven is the worst, especially when it is supposed to be the main host of AFL games.
Before Dale Holmes asks the ACT to support the game, AFL will need to solve this problem.
One of the most positive television news items recently was when Paul Roos was interviewed about the new Swans academy and how it is intended for kids to enjoy and have fun as well as to identify talent. His laid back style of talking about their approach would reassure parents. They interviewed one enthusiastic boy and this probably did more to attract parents and young kids to the game than a bunch of expensive tv and newspaper ads.
Perhaps AFL first needs to hire more writers and spruikers who can counter the negativity? And before AFL decides who will get the broadcasting rights, they should ask each channel what television news coverage they intend giving AFL in the ACT and northern states this year.
Is there any government or legal body they could appeal to about deliberate coverage restrictions and the negative AFL campaign in some of the Sydney newspapers?
Why does the ACT have to prove its interest in AFL? Why isn’t the same requirement asked of Sydney and in particular, Western Sydney? Does Dale Holmes realise how threatening this sounds, (i.e. If you don’t support us we will take our ball and game elsewhere)?
Like Sydney, the ACT is predominately an NRL/rugby/soccer state with resident teams, the Raiders and the Brumbies dominating the Canberra Times pages. AFL averages a couple of syndicated articles per day that are usually buried deep in the sports news in black and white, unlike the reams of positive NRL spin reported by local news reporters.
One of the major problems here is the lack of media coverage of AFL. Although money has been spent on tv ads, it isn’t enough. People in the ACT are unaware of what is going on in AFL. They need to get to know the players and the teams. The local news services avoid AFL and at times seem hostile towards the game. Days can go by and some stations provide no news at all.
Most sports news is about NRL – every game, every breath, every muscle twitch . When they do cover AFL, the topics tend to be negative, e.g. Fevola, Cousins sagas. AFL needs to ask the television stations why they are restricting coverage here and in Sydney. Channel Seven is the worst, especially when it is supposed to be the main host of AFL games.
Before Dale Holmes asks the ACT to support the game, AFL will need to solve this problem.
One of the most positive television news items recently was when Paul Roos was interviewed about the new Swans academy and how it is intended for kids to enjoy and have fun as well as to identify talent. His laid back style of talking about their approach would reassure parents. They interviewed one enthusiastic boy and this probably did more to attract parents and young kids to the game than a bunch of expensive tv and newspaper ads.
Perhaps AFL first needs to hire more writers and spruikers who can counter the negativity? And before AFL decides who will get the broadcasting rights, they should ask each channel what television news coverage they intend giving AFL in the ACT and northern states this year.
Is there any government or legal body they could appeal to about deliberate coverage restrictions and the negative AFL campaign in some of the Sydney newspapers?