Opinion Saturday twilight home games

[Brisbane2013]

I don't give a crap if we give out 10 thousand tickets every week, as long as the stadium is full, then i'm happy

 

[____]

Bump. More saturday twilight home games next year please.

We seem to play better in that timeslot as well as get better crowds in that slot.

BL v Carl (2014) 4.40pm - 24625 (rained before the game). BL v Carl (2013) 7.40pm - 24037 (no rain before or during game)
BL v Ess (2014) 4.40pm - 26432. BL v Ess (2011) 7.10pm - 24921 (Ess didn't play at 'Gabba in 2013 or 2012).
BL v GC (2013) 4.40pm - 27170. BL v GC (2012) 7.40pm - 21980.
BL v Adel (2013) 3.40pm - 21308 (rained before and during the game). BL v Adel (2012) 7.40pm - 18979 (no rain before or during game)
Source - Footywire

In conclusion: More Saturday twilight and no more Saturday 7.40pm games please (unless if we get on FTA in Melbourne).

 

[Schache It Off]

Bump. More saturday twilight home games next year please.

We seem to play better in that timeslot as well as get better crowds in that slot.

BL v Carl (2014) 4.40pm - 24625 (rained before the game). BL v Carl (2013) 7.40pm - 24037 (no rain before or during game)
BL v Ess (2014) 4.40pm - 26432. BL v Ess (2011) 7.10pm - 24921 (Ess didn't play at 'Gabba in 2013 or 2012).
BL v GC (2013) 4.40pm - 27170. BL v GC (2012) 7.40pm - 21980.
BL v Adel (2013) 3.40pm - 21308 (rained before and during the game). BL v Adel (2012) 7.40pm - 18979 (no rain before or during game)
Source - Footywire

In conclusion: More Saturday twilight and no more Saturday 7.40pm games please (unless if we get on FTA in Melbourne).

the carlton and essendon game were really good, had we been around the 8-12th mark, we may have been pushing towards 30k. really impressed with the turnout considering how bad our season has been.

 

[jackess]

As long as the sun setting isn't an issue like at Metricon it's great for watching the game live.

 

[chopperduck]

7.40 is simply too late to take the family to the footy. If that is our target, to try get more kids and families to the gabba supporting the lions, 4.40 time slot is the way to do it. Free tickets or not, we get more people through the gates, which can lead to more supporters in 10 years time, and looking to the future is what we need to do. We are trying to get new supporters and grow the game in general in SEQ.

I think any of our games against the bigger drawing teams at home need to be this time slot. This helps our crowds and gate takings. When we aim for national tv audience with a friday night game, we are best off playing away games or games like anzac in NZ. Trade the easter thursday game for an away friday night game and get another 4.40 satursay game at home I think.

 

[Caiphus]

Just the half hour difference from the old channel 10 timeslot of 7:10 has really pushed the prime-time games into the "too late" category for families. 4:40 really is perfect in my eyes as well.

 

[Davemonkey]

Love it from my perspective. Can get the lad there and he has a great time, not to hot and no sun in our faces at the school end. Tears last night when there was no kick on the ground though.

 

[joshhem]

Definitely my favourite time slot now. Late enough in the day to get other things done, early enough to take the boy, and early enough to get home and unwind...

 

[GabbaGirl]

Definitely my favourite time slot now. Late enough in the day to get other things done, early enough to take the boy, and early enough to get home and unwind...

Exactly. I am not a fan of 1 pm games but love the 4.40 time slot.

 

[Milux]

IMO its the best timeslot available. Being a younger dad (23) my boy is 8 months and will be taking him to the next game I can. But also if I don't take the family I can go out for a massive night after the game and still be home by 12 (if the handbrake allows). WIN/WIN in all areas especially numbers at the game. Went to the essendon game (went out after of course)(and was home by 12 of course) and havin 27000 plus there was unreal best atmosphere Ive been in since 09 final against carlton. Love it..

 

[Grizzly86]

I'm a fan, the only hassle is that it rules out your local footballers, who generally get into the sheds at 4.30 around SE QLD. Not a major worry to the club, or any of those who don't get into the local scene. But I've missed the last two 4.40pm games... May need to twinge a hammy on the Thursday night before the next one!

 

[James North]

Great slot - don't get home too late ... great for families etc to get to the game. Great vibe at that time of the day in Brisbane winters.

 

[Chasing the Dream]

Tears last night when there was no kick on the ground though.

I cried too.

Didn't want to leave last night ever!!

 

[Danny3]

I'm a fan, the only hassle is that it rules out your local footballers, who generally get into the sheds at 4.30 around SE QLD. Not a major worry to the club, or any of those who don't get into the local scene. But I've missed the last two 4.40pm games... May need to twinge a hammy on the Thursday night before the next one!

I think this is actually a major oversight in the AFL's scheduling. For those of us involved in local club footy, Saturday arvo/twilight games are terrible. It means we are forced to choose between supporting the game at a grassroots or professional level — a conflict that's hardly conducive to growing support for the code. In a fickle expansion market, where attracting new fans is difficult in all but the best of times, surely it's shooting yourself in the foot to make it hard for heartland people to attend.

While I'm on it, I think the Club's membership department could do more in this area. How many thousands of people, who already love the game, are involved in senior footy around Brisbane? Is the Club doing anything to try to convert these people into Members? We've had player visits to junior training/events, like I'm sure most around Brisbane have. But in 13 years, I can't remember ever seeing a targeted membership promotion at senior level.

My preferences for home game times are:
1. Friday night — tell him he's dreaming!
2. Saturday night — but at 7:10
3. Sunday twilight — I do love the feel of a night game but with an early finish... just not on a Saturday
4. Everything else

 

[POBT]

I've heard people who work Saturdays also talk about how the twilight timeslot doesn't suit them. Fair enough.

I guess the point to be made in response is that there probably isn't a timeslot to suit everyone. Night games are hard for very young families. 1pm or 2pm starts on a Saturday don't help those working or playing sport (and, indeed, probably rules out a lot of junior sports participants too). Sunday day games don't draw crowds, for whatever reason. And Sunday twilight games starts to encroach on the working week.

 

[Fatcat08]

Saturday night games would be alright if they started earlier. As far as a crowd goes surely a 5:30-6:30 start time would strike a decent balance between families and people who have sat sport etc on. 7:40 is just too late and the AFL need to start thinking about people who go to games rather than just tv audiences lest they end up like the NRL with no-one going to games.

 

[Danny3]

I've heard people who work Saturdays also talk about how the twilight timeslot doesn't suit them. Fair enough.

I guess the point to be made in response is that there probably isn't a timeslot to suit everyone. Night games are hard for very young families. 1pm or 2pm starts on a Saturday don't help those working or playing sport (and, indeed, probably rules out a lot of junior sports participants too). Sunday day games don't draw crowds, for whatever reason. And Sunday twilight games starts to encroach on the working week.

Agreed. But the point I was making is, of all the various 'customer' groups you could potentially inconvenience with your timeslot, why would you choose those who are most inclined to buy your product?

Agree with Fatcat (and others) that 7:40 is just too bloody late. Half an hour later than it used to be doesn't seem like much, but geez it makes a difference at the end of the night.

Compounding this is how long the games are going these days — quarters are regularly 32+ minutes. I reckon the umps need to stop blowing time on for every little thing. The clock should only stop when the ball is dead, or if there's an injury requiring play to be halted. All the time the ball is within the oval white line, keep the clock running. Shorten the halftime break to ten minutes as well, and games should finish 20–30 minutes earlier.

But, of course, the AFL will do none of this. Because TV says no.

 

[POBT]

Agreed. But the point I was making is, of all the various 'customer' groups you could potentially inconvenience with your timeslot, why would you choose those who are most inclined to buy your product?

You could mount an argument that people going to local footy don't really need to be marketed to. They already go to games, watch on tv etc. I'm not saying it is right, mind you.

FWIW, families should be the most important market in Qld. Even when I was young, dumb, single and going to the footy regularly, it made sense to get mums and dads onside.

 

[Skoob]

. Sunday day games don't draw crowds, for whatever reason. And Sunday twilight games starts to encroach on the working week.

campaigners are probably at ****ing church, like me.

 

[Bucking Beads]

How many people out of 10 would be inconvenienced by the Saturday twilight games I wonder?? For myself I love the time slot. You can take your family to the game and not get home so late but you still get most of Saturday to do what you do. Obviously the time slot is inconvenient for people who work on Saturday but I would suspect they are in the minority.

 

[luthor]

How many people out of 10 would be inconvenienced by the Saturday twilight games I wonder?? For myself I love the time slot. You can take your family to the game and not get home so late but you still get most of Saturday to do what you do. Obviously the time slot is inconvenient for people who work on Saturday but I would suspect they are in the minority.

Unfortunate for loyal supporters who fall into this category but it really is a numbers game.

If crowds are up overall for the twilight games, then we must go this way.

Personally, i find it great because it opens up other possibilities for the rest of Saturday night.

 

[wabaa]

There are 23 Saturday twilight games per year, and we are hosting three of them. I think that's more than our fair share and all we can realistically expect. If we continued with that number and the rest Saturday night with a couple of early Sunday afternoon games thrown in, I think we should be happy.

I think there has been some selective analysis on the crowds for twilight games. The teams playing, their place on the ladder, other things on in the market and the weather are all factors in addition to just the timeslot which would affect the crowd number.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Loads of free tickets helps too

"three please"

 

[Caiphus]

The twilight games are always foxtel produced aren't they? That means the chance of a national free-to-air slot is also reduced.

 

[Chezzalenko Reborn]

Great time for kids and parents. Bad time for local footy supporters/players/officials