Expansion Lowest finals crowd since WW1...

[ChrisHunt313131]

In my opinion the crowd was a bit disappointing however it was wrongly up against the a big NRL final - and GWS/AFL in Western Sydney is a long term strategy - best to judge how it's gone overall in about 2042 rather than worrying about a few small crowds now.

And don't forget the TV revenue the extra game/2nd team in Sydney brings in- more than pays for assistance provided to GWS.

Go North. (And GWS in this years finals)

 

[The Final Word]

In my opinion the crowd was a bit disappointing however it was wrongly up against the a big NRL final - and GWS/AFL in Western Sydney is a long term strategy - best to judge how it's gone overall in about 2042 rather than worrying about a few small crowds now.

And don't forget the TV revenue the extra game/2nd team in Sydney brings in- more than pays for assistance provided to GWS.

Go North. (And GWS in this years finals)

While it's certainly a long burn to win people over, if they're propping up GWS to the tune of $10 million+ year on year for 30 years you'd certainly want a significant payback. David Matthews and the crew at Olympic Park can bleat all they want about the long term vision, but they better start getting people through the gate (and paying to do so) sooner than Josh Kelly's 45th birthday.

 

[ChrisHunt313131]

While it's certainly a long burn to win people over, if they're propping up GWS to the tune of $10 million+ year on year for 30 years you'd certainly want a significant payback. David Matthews and the crew at Olympic Park can bleat all they want about the long term vision, but they better start getting people through the gate (and paying to do so) sooner than Josh Kelly's 45th birthday.

Personally I'm confident of GWS long term - obviously Gold Coast the concern.

 

[The Final Word]

Personally I'm confident of GWS long term - obviously Gold Coast the concern.

Well there is the argument that they're pulling similar crowds and one of the teams is flying and the other is a rabble. Other than on-field success, I'm not sure where GWS is ahead of the Suns.

 

[Smartest Brain]

We shouldn't hold our breath then! Aussie rules is getting softer. Not that it's a soft sport overall, but it'll never overtake bum-sniffing and galoot collisions (AKA league) in raw hardness.

It could with the right management.

 

[NoobPie]

While it's certainly a long burn to win people over, if they're propping up GWS to the tune of $10 million+ year on year for 30 years you'd certainly want a significant payback. David Matthews and the crew at Olympic Park can bleat all they want about the long term vision, but they better start getting people through the gate (and paying to do so) sooner than Josh Kelly's 45th birthday.

They payoff is having, unambiguously, the nationally dominant code. It's a "winner takes most" game and paying these two clubs a premium of $10m a year, even for 3 decades, is well worth it compared to the payoff. To put in to context, $600 million is less than 1 and half years of the new tv deal.

 

[NoobPie]

It could with the right management.

How? It's an endurance based sport that is primarily a passing game compared to the rugby league which is a power based sport that is primarily a "crash through" game

Your reduction of sporting preference down to a degree of softness is silly. Soccer's safety has actually been a massive advantage in terms of participation at least. People prefer their own codes because they've been raised with it primarily. Just like Europeans and South Americans don't prefer soccer because they are "soft"

 

[Craze]

They need to stop decreasing the violence in the game and actually increase it back to the 90s level at least. They think making it softer widens its appeal when it doesn't. Skills may be better now than in the 90s but seeing not every touchy free kick paid, jumper punches, big hits, makes it more watchable as an overall product I think.

MMA is the fastest growing sport and is the most violent sport. It will soak up all the people leaving traditional sports because they are boring in comparison.

And while rugby objectively is a less entertaining product it has one advantage over afl, it's more violent. So a lot of Sydney people think afl is softer, which it is, so to win in that market you need to make it more violent regardless.

Can't agree on this. Go back to players throwing punches and watch participation in local leagues drop. AFL is definitely not softer. The collisions are just as hard as ever.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

GWS told the AFL they should lower the finals ticket prices, but they refused. Nice work AFL.

 

[VL3OJ]

It might have been due to Spotless running out of beer before 1/2 time last prelim. How @% ironic was that?

How many GWS fans went?

Out of the 15000 or so, I would suggest that
1000 travelled from WA,
2000 Sandgropers who live in Sydney
3000 Expats from other AFL states/ACT
2000 Swans fans
3000 Give away tickets

That leaves around 4000 fans in a city of 5.77m ignoring the ACT which is roughly what the 2016 prelim was with 21,000 attending, 10,000+ Bulldogs fans, 6000 ANZ Stadium members and Gil's mob of interlopers.

I really don't think kids like Adnan and Moukhtar from Rooty Hill will ever give a tinker's cuss even if they knew what one was.

 

[VL3OJ]

Move the home matches further west into the Murray Darling basin, people would flock to it like to the Deni ute muster.

A game in Wagga against GCS would be great for everyone in the Riverina.

Move their games around the country like the Spring show. Make it coincide with the Henty Field Days. Some of the punters could watch a game and then go home in a brand new Massey Ferguson, maybe take the fcuker to Manangatang, and enter it into a tractor pull. Then pull a root at the Rainbow B&S after doing 100 shots in 100 minutes. Get amongst it!

Henty is on at the moment. Pencil in the Prelim just after the cow judging and before the Lamington / Vanilla slice judging

and it makes even less sense when it looks like the ground won't be sold out. It works if they are expecting a sold out venue, or close to it, but it is beyond stupid in places like Spotless. If AFL lowered the price to that of a regular season game I think a lot more people would have gone.

Totally agree. If it is a 24,000 seater stadium, get at least 22k there.

 

[RupieDupie]

A game in Wagga against GCS would be great for everyone in the Riverina.



Henty is on at the moment. Pencil in the Prelim just after the cow judging and before the Lamington / Vanilla slice judging



Totally agree. If it is a 24,000 seater stadium, get at least 22k there.

Yeah and check it out,
200,000 Bathurst over 4 days
100,000 Summernats over 4 days
60,000 Henty Field days over a few days
30,000 Deni ute muster over a few days

Put a Giants game in amongst it, have the Deni Ute muster on Friday, the Giants on the Saturday afternoon and the Bunyip-Horsham B&S ball on the Saturday night.

Call it Donuts-Footy-Root

 

[Bokonon_]

GWS told the AFL they should lower the finals ticket prices, but they refused. Nice work AFL.

Ummmm
No that didn't happen

 

[Smartest Brain]

How? It's an endurance based sport that is primarily a passing game compared to the rugby league which is a power based sport that is primarily a "crash through" game

Your reduction of sporting preference down to a degree of softness is silly. Soccer's safety has actually been a massive advantage in terms of participation at least. People prefer their own codes because they've been raised with it primarily. Just like Europeans and South Americans don't prefer soccer because they are "soft"

How? By not punishing heat of the moment violence that comes out of interactions on the field. There is obviously a line here, I'm not advocating anything on the field I'm just saying the current line needs to be shifted back to around the 90s level, maybe 80s. All violent interactions should be taken in context, ie if two guys are jumper punching or pushing, no fines even if there is high contact. If it's clearly one guy bullying people then maybe punish him on field first and if it goes too far then off field.

What you grow up on obviously has a big impact on what you like. But objectively afl is better than rugby and soccer, on the entertainment level. But it can be made even better and it needs to become more violent to compete with fast growing sports like MMA and to get more rugby people watching.

 

[Smartest Brain]

Can't agree on this. Go back to players throwing punches and watch participation in local leagues drop. AFL is definitely not softer. The collisions are just as hard as ever.

So why didn't Aussie rules die when it was more violent? Why is rugby still around? How is MMA, clearly the most violent sport the fastest growing sport including at the kid level? Hmm.

 

[fishardansin]

Tissue?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Why? Doesn't affect me personally. I just think the AFL should have consolidated with 12 comp. 10 clubs that can completely support themselves, even when on the bottom of the ladder, and all games selling out and/or rating their socks off. The expansion should be done through funding junior programs and funding a huge growth in state leagues.

The way to grow state leagues is to have 10 to 12 teams who are basically the representative teams of a local league or two. They could have junior teams being the equivalent of TAC cup.

They could also have their program set so finals are in August and then run an interstate comp during September. Players of all ages can be under the nose of recruiters then. I'd also make sure players were paid much higher in state leagues than local leagues so that being full time state league is financially viable for young men and semi professional is viable for 25 year olds.

The AFL has 6 games of premium product on free to air each week, plus extra games in September. There are extra leagues worthy of attention for footy tragics and pay tv coverage.

Every young man knows that they get into a rep team for their comp and there is a clear development path to either represent their area or make the AFL. The game can be grown in northern states by having one team in AFL the whole state can get behind and a junior program that is cost free for families to get incolved in.

That is how you eat into the market up north. Not impose a team that is not really a club upon them.

 

[Smartest Brain]

Why? Doesn't affect me personally. I just think the AFL should have consolidated with 12 comp. 10 clubs that can completely support themselves, even when on the bottom of the ladder, and all games selling out and/or rating their socks off. The expansion should be done through funding junior programs and funding a huge growth in state leagues.

The way to grow state leagues is to have 10 to 12 teams who are basically the representative teams of a local league or two. They could have junior teams being the equivalent of TAC cup.

They could also have their program set so finals are in August and then run an interstate comp during September. Players of all ages can be under the nose of recruiters then. I'd also make sure players were paid much higher in state leagues than local leagues so that being full time state league is financially viable for young men and semi professional is viable for 25 year olds.

The AFL has 6 games of premium product on free to air each week, plus extra games in September. There are extra leagues worthy of attention for footy tragics and pay tv coverage.

Every young man knows that they get into a rep team for their comp and there is a clear development path to either represent their area or make the AFL. The game can be grown in northern states by having one team in AFL the whole state can get behind and a junior program that is cost free for families to get incolved in.

That is how you eat into the market up north. Not impose a team that is not really a club upon them.

Some good ideas. I think afl offering financial rewards for kids who compete in Grand finals might help push more kids into it too. Either way it will take time.

 

[ApplecrossWC]

No matter what way some people try to spin it, it was a piss poor, embarrassing crowd.

 

[Bokonon_]

Why? Doesn't affect me personally. I just think the AFL should have consolidated with 12 comp. 10 clubs that can completely support themselves, even when on the bottom of the ladder, and all games selling out and/or rating their socks off. The expansion should be done through funding junior programs and funding a huge growth in state leagues.

The way to grow state leagues is to have 10 to 12 teams who are basically the representative teams of a local league or two. They could have junior teams being the equivalent of TAC cup.

They could also have their program set so finals are in August and then run an interstate comp during September. Players of all ages can be under the nose of recruiters then. I'd also make sure players were paid much higher in state leagues than local leagues so that being full time state league is financially viable for young men and semi professional is viable for 25 year olds.

The AFL has 6 games of premium product on free to air each week, plus extra games in September. There are extra leagues worthy of attention for footy tragics and pay tv coverage.

Every young man knows that they get into a rep team for their comp and there is a clear development path to either represent their area or make the AFL. The game can be grown in northern states by having one team in AFL the whole state can get behind and a junior program that is cost free for families to get incolved in.

That is how you eat into the market up north. Not impose a team that is not really a club upon them.

"Not really a club"
What utter nonsense

 

[randyzany]

Well there is the argument that they're pulling similar crowds and one of the teams is flying and the other is a rabble. Other than on-field success, I'm not sure where GWS is ahead of the Suns.

The GC population has remain stagnant (around half a million) since the 90s. West Sydney might be a hard nut to crack given the ethnic make up of the area (strong soccer following) and the antipathy rusted on thugby followers have of footy but it is an area of more than 2 million people. Western Sydney is a huge market that is just too important to ignore.

In my opinion establishing a club on the Gold Coast was a mistake but if Australian Football is to grow nationally serious inroads have to be made in the Western Suburbs of Sydney even if it is a slow and painful progress. Gold Coast can discarded as far as I'm concerned, only imbecile would've thought starting a franchise there was a good idea and that's exactly Demetrious was; an idiot of the highest order.

 

[Cyg1992]

Love that the western bulldogs fans have to make yet another discussion about themselves.

Your 2 seconds of media attention are well over and you played one of the worst and most embarassing title defenses in history. Scurry off back to your sh#thole now.

 

[fishardansin]

Love that the western bulldogs fans have to make yet another discussion about themselves.

Your 2 seconds of media attention are well over and you played one of the worst and most embarassing title defenses in history. Scurry off back to your sh#thole now.

I said from the outset of this year that they would be just like Essendon 94 and Hawthorn 09. Look at best players under22. They dominate that. They just have some adapting and list dvelopment to do. They wil be a power house in a few years.

 

[Chumly]

hat leaves around 4000 fans in a city of 5.77m ignoring the ACT

Somehow I don't think that is right. 5.77m?

 

[Tasfut]

I was at the game, easily the worst AFL game/stadium I've been to. No atmosphere for a home final even with their team up by heaps.

 

[Bokonon_]

I was at the game, easily the worst AFL game/stadium I've been to. No atmosphere for a home final even with their team up by heaps.

We'd like to think all oppo supportets will leave Spotless in a sour mood.