Opinion Port Adelaide post-match in Adelaide Oval's Magarey Room

[Sir Watchalot]

I was excited and happy after our win v Brisbane and wanted to bask in 'the vibe' a while longer. Popped along to the Magarey Room along with several thousand others. Dispiriting. Nice to chat with other happy fans for a bit but there's no effort from the club at all.
45 minutes of nothing with some kid I don't know (edit: Jarod Walsh, thanks Expat power) trying to jolly us along. Finally Nathan Bassett

Nathan Bassett

Age

47

Ht

190cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

5.1

4star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

9.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.2

3star

and a few players turned up. Evans I guess representing the new players. Farrell as just played his 50th. Georgiades for no obvious reason.
So why do they run the function? It's obviously something they quite dislike. Is it an obligation imposed by the AFL or AO?

 

[NoddyHolder]

I was excited and happy after our win v Brisbane and wanted to bask in 'the vibe' a while longer. Popped along to the Magarey Room along with several thousand others. Dispiriting. Nice to chat with other happy fans for a bit but there's no effort from the club at all.
45 minutes of nothing with some kid I don't know trying to jolly us along. Finally Nathan Bassett and a few players turned up. Evans I guess representing the new players. Farrell as just played his 50th. Georgiades for no obvious reason.
So why do they run the function? It's obviously something they quite dislike. Is it an obligation imposed by the AFL or AO.

I think it's a continuation of the tradition of the coach and key players fronting up to the members and basking in the glory, or explaining themselves. Unfortunately it's become a very watered down 'safe' version of what it once was. My sister still goes and tells me that Hinkley hasn't shown his face for years, and whenever they lose it's always a couple of kids that get put up there - because who's going to give Jace Burgoyne and Jed McEntee a hard time, when it's the senior players and coach that should be facing the music.

It should be senior coach, captain, best player or milestone players up there every time but it's treated like a chore by the inner sanctum - you can't expect the bloke on $800k to spend 10 minutes in front of the white noise when there's still races 9 and 10 at the dapto dogs to be run

 

[Sir Watchalot]

I think it's a continuation of the tradition of the coach and key players fronting up to the members and basking in the glory, or explaining themselves. Unfortunately it's become a very watered down 'safe' version of what it once was. My sister still goes and tells me that Hinkley hasn't shown his face for years, and whenever they lose it's always a couple of kids that get put up there - because who's going to give Jace Burgoyne and Jed McEntee a hard time, when it's the senior players and coach that should be facing the music.

It should be senior coach, captain, best player or milestone players up there every time but it's treated like a chore by the inner sanctum - you can't expect the bloke on $800k to spend 10 minutes in front of the white noise when there's still races 9 and 10 at the dapto dogs to be run

In the early AFL years we'd head back to Alberton and so did squillions of others, squeezing into the top room which then overflowed out onto the grandstand. The kids were just too young to go when Jack coached us. But when we did start going back to Alberton around 1999 Choco would bring nearly the whole team back quite quickly. They'd walk around shaking the tin for a raffle and signing autographs. Great times.
There's been various locations and effort put into it since but IMO the current iteration is the worst and really just damaging for the club/fan relationship.

 

[RossFC]

I was excited and happy after our win v Brisbane and wanted to bask in 'the vibe' a while longer. Popped along to the Magarey Room along with several thousand others. Dispiriting. Nice to chat with other happy fans for a bit but there's no effort from the club at all.
45 minutes of nothing with some kid I don't know trying to jolly us along. Finally Nathan Bassett and a few players turned up. Evans I guess representing the new players. Farrell as just played his 50th. Georgiades for no obvious reason.
So why do they run the function? It's obviously something they quite dislike. Is it an obligation imposed by the AFL or AO.

It takes 45 minutes I think because the players are warming down.

 

[NoddyHolder]

In the early AFL years we'd head back to Alberton and so did squillions of others, squeezing into the top room which then overflowed out onto the grandstand. The kids were just too young to go when Jack coached us. But when we did start going back to Alberton around 1999 Choco would bring nearly the whole team back quite quickly. They'd walk around shaking the tin for a raffle and signing autographs. Great times.
There's been various locations and effort put into it since but IMO the current iteration is the worst and really just damaging for the club/fan relationship.

Yeah, reflection of what those running the club think of us. Pay up, turn up, shut up - keep your distance.

 

[Sir Watchalot]

It takes 45 minutes I think because the players are warming down.

Then send all players at the game who didn't play (with appropriate 'baby-sitters') up to the post-match to schmooze the crowd. And once warmed down send a decent slab of that games' players up. Or just stop doing them.

 

[tribey]

Getting back to Alberton after a win (or loss — the buzz after Butcher’s 6 goals in 6 kicks and clamour for autographs and photos amongst kids and adults alike <3) was awesome.

 

[bomberclifford]

Getting back to Alberton after a win (or loss — the buzz after Butcher’s 6 goals in 6 kicks and clamour for autographs and photos amongst kids and adults alike <3) was awesome.

The memory of the after game at Alberton after the 2002 Rd 22 game against Brisbane will forever be etched into my psyche.
I've never felt more connected to the club and the players than at that time. Was incredible.

 

[dirty2]

Always wanted to go... Never have... Doesn't help I live out whoop whoop... And more often drunk

 

[manureid]

Would you really want to see Kens smug expression after a win? Would ruin it for me. And after a loss, would you really want to hear his usual work hardery/tough competition/someone has to lose crap?

Better off him not turning up really.

 

[Alberton Proud]

Tend to do this for interstate games only
When the lad was younger it was always a good opportunity to shake hands and get a few autographs
He still fondly remembers chatting to SPP at the MCG a few years back
It's a tradition worth keeping IMO

 

[Sir Watchalot]

... It's a tradition worth keeping IMO

It can really make you feel part of something when done well. Doesn't need bells and whistles. In the late 90s the players would sign autographs and sell raffle tickets for signed guernseys. Just needed a meat raffle and a sausage sizzle and you could have been at your local club. I'm probably applying the nostalgia filter a little heavily here but look at all the effort and marketing that goes into getting people to games. Yet this potential drawcard just gets trashed.

 

[MrMeaner]

Given that they are happy to have the players hit the phone lines to cold-call non-renewing members, you would think they could get them to meet the fans after the game.

 

[raptalia]

I think it's a continuation of the tradition of the coach and key players fronting up to the members and basking in the glory, or explaining themselves. Unfortunately it's become a very watered down 'safe' version of what it once was. My sister still goes and tells me that Hinkley hasn't shown his face for years, and whenever they lose it's always a couple of kids that get put up there - because who's going to give Jace Burgoyne and Jed McEntee a hard time, when it's the senior players and coach that should be facing the music.

It should be senior coach, captain, best player or milestone players up there every time but it's treated like a chore by the inner sanctum - you can't expect the bloke on $800k to spend 10 minutes in front of the white noise when there's still races 9 and 10 at the dapto dogs to be run

Things may have changed recently but the last time I went to a post match function it was at AAMI in the days of Duncanson and Haysman, I think that room was also called the Magarey Room. They had a tape down the centre of the room and one side was for the 'corporates' the other side was for the rest. That was too much for an old timer like me who had fond memories of the halcyon days at Alberton when the likes of me could rub shoulders with the players, officials, Board Members and the VP coterie etc. and listen to Jack telling us 'the boys hit the ball hard today' then dipping into our pockets for a collection for the players. Then of course there was all of us singing cheer, cheer the black and the white.

Hopefully your right and they are continuing a tradition but from the sound of it I suspect post game is yet another example of the slide from a footy club to a corporate entity.


FOOTNTE: A curious thing about that post match function at AAMI was that I posted some candid comments on line and was invited to Alberton for coffee with Brett Duncanson. Before I had the time to absorb the news and accept Brett was gone and some TV show host had taken his place.

 

[RangaInTeal]

I did when the whole Game Day Village was set up, now I don’t want to give the SMA one cent more than need be and get to the Cassini asap

 

[raptalia]

I did when the whole Game Day Village was set up, now I don’t want to give the SMA one cent more than need be and get to the Cassini asap

Yes, the SANFL/SACA alliance otherwise known as the SMA has a lot to answer for. It is a pity that the Tennis Association caved in otherwise we might have maintained a small piece of Alberton within the Memorial Drive precinct.

 

[Alberton Proud]

Close your eyes and imagine the GDV pumping after a big win, fairy lights twinkling overhead, beers flowing, and the players casually moving from group to group for a chat and a pat on the back

Could have so easily been if we'd given the SMA a big middle finger and didn't just bend over

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I used to go, could catch up with a few mates and chat about the game. Covid put a clamp on it but even before then it seemed to drag on longer and longer and became all a bit sterile.

I don't blame the players who attended, they were generally happy to interact with supporters and it was never a hostile atmosphere even after a loss.

I imagine all players have a contractual clause about how much time they have to give to these sort of events, some players will stick to it, others happy to go over.

As other long time supporters like raptalia NoddyHolder 1954 can and have attested, it is a completely different atmosphere to the good old days at Alberton in the sanfl where players would stay around for much of the night talking and drinking with supporters.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

I used to go, could catch up with a few mates and chat about the game. Covid put a clamp on it but even before then it seemed to drag on longer and longer and became all a bit sterile.

I don't blame the players who attended, they were generally happy to interact with supporters and it was never a hostile atmosphere even after a loss.

I imagine all players have a contractual clause about how much time they have to give to these sort of events, some players will stick to it, others happy to go over.

As other long time supporters like raptalia NoddyHolder 1954 can and have attested, it is a completely different atmosphere to the good old days at Alberton in the sanfl where players would stay around for much of the night talking and drinking with supporters.

My Dad tells a great story of me giving $1 of my pocket money to Bucks as my best player at Alberton after the game and Bucks spending the whole night to finally find me and thank me.

What a club

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sir Watchalot]

Things may have changed recently but the last time I went to a post match function it was at AAMI in the days of Duncanson and Haysman, I think that room was also called the Magarey Room. They had a tape down the centre of the room and one side was for the 'corporates' the other side was for the rest ....

Yeah there have been a few iterations of our post-match in the AFL era. I can't think of a way to check dates for some of these.

1. 1997 Alberton - unlimited numbers. Most players returned and mingled, with some selling raffle tickets
2. ? date Alberton - numbers capped (2,000?) as someone somewhere deemed the crowding in as unsafe, and this caused real angst to those arriving too late to get in. Most players returned and mingled, with some selling raffle tickets.
3. ? date AAMI - big room which I didn't remember was the Magarey Room (thanks raptalia). Barry Curtin jollied the crowd on as we waited for coach/players. Still a fair few players turned up but didn't mingle and no more raffle I can remember. All corrections welcomed.
4. 2010 The Hanger - the old Crows Shed which was rebranded by the SANFL as ‘The Hanger’ as told in AAMI A Power Cauldron (by 2010 it was less a cauldron for us and more a lukewarm cup of tea). Barry still MC. As above with lots of players up the front watching those presented, but not much interaction with fans.
5. 2011 Alberton - This entry edited in, thanks to tribey for info about it only lasting a year at The Hanger.
6. 2014* Adelaide Oval - Barry MC initially but in recent years a few different people have hosted. And the unstructured wait for someone to appear seems to go forever. Now, as far as I can tell, only the players being presented turn up.

* yes I know we played 1 game there in 2012

 

[tribey]

Yeah there have been a few iterations of our post-match in the AFL era. I can't think of a way to check dates for some of these.

1. 1997 Alberton - unlimited numbers. Most players returned and mingled, with some selling raffle tickets
2. ? date Alberton - numbers capped (2,000?) as someone somewhere deemed the crowding in as unsafe, and this caused real angst to those arriving too late to get in. Most players returned and mingled, with some selling raffle tickets.
3. ? date AAMI - big room which I didn't remember was the Magarey Room (thanks raptalia). Barry Curtin jollied the crowd on as we waited for coach/players. Still a fair few players turned up but didn't mingle and no more raffle I can remember. All corrections welcomed.
4. 2010 The Hanger - the old Crows Shed which was rebranded by the SANFL as ‘The Hanger’ as told in AAMI A Power Cauldron (by 2010 it was less a cauldron for us and more a lukewarm cup of tea). Barry still MC. As above with lots of players up the front watching those presented, but not much interaction with fans.
5. 2014* Adelaide Oval - Barry MC initially but in recent years a few different people have hosted. And the unstructured wait for someone to appear seems to go forever. Now, as far as I can tell, only the players being presented turn up.

* yes I know we played 1 game there in 2012

After ‘The Hanger’ debacle of 2010 (which I went to a few times, the last being Liam Jurrah’s MOTY game in R21), the club returned it to Alberton from 2011-13.

From the odd wake after a loss featuring a smattering of people and 1 or 2 fringe players/kids like Simon Phillips or Jasper Pittard circa 11/12, to packed upstairses in 2013 when things were buzzing and clearly on the up, and most of the younger brigade (inc. Boak, Broadbent, Trengove, et al) would come back and mingle.

 

[Ports1870]

After ‘The Hanger’ debacle of 2010 (which I went to a few times, the last being Liam Jurrah’s MOTY game in R21), the club returned it to Alberton from 2011-13.

From the odd wake after a loss featuring a smattering of people and 1 or 2 fringe players/kids like Simon Phillips or Jasper Pittard circa 11/12, to packed upstairses in 2013 when things were buzzing and clearly on the up, and most of the younger brigade (inc. Boak, Broadbent, Trengove, et al) would come back and mingle.

Yep I remember going back to Alberton as a younger kid after the first showdown win in 2013.
From memory most of the squad was there

 

[bomberclifford]

The Hangar was so so shit. Massive industrial shed with poor acoustics and so much space it felt empty even with a reasonable crowd. An absolute low point for the club.

 

[Sir Watchalot]

After ‘The Hanger’ debacle of 2010 (which I went to a few times, the last being Liam Jurrah’s MOTY game in R21), the club returned it to Alberton from 2011-13.

From the odd wake after a loss featuring a smattering of people and 1 or 2 fringe players/kids like Simon Phillips or Jasper Pittard circa 11/12, to packed upstairses in 2013 when things were buzzing and clearly on the up, and most of the younger brigade (inc. Boak, Broadbent, Trengove, et al) would come back and mingle.

Thanks for that, I edited it into the relevant post attributing the info to you. Wow, only one year at The Hanger. It felt longer. It was clearly a Crows' space, it felt cringey being there. Ah 2010, one year I'm never visiting when they perfect time-travel.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

The Hangar was so so s**t. Massive industrial shed with poor acoustics and so much space it felt empty even with a reasonable crowd. An absolute low point for the club.

I actually 'mind the hangar, mostly because I could just get a later bus home so it was still easy to get to and away from.