The SANFL Today

[Dissident]

I was going to post this in the Anzac Day thread - but I thought it was getting a bit off topic. Anyway here's my rant - you don't have to agree;

People are fooling themselves if they think the crowds will ever go up substantially again. The AFL (with Crows and Power) took away a huge chumk of the footy watching public for the SANFL.

But I think the problem with the SANFL today, is the 90's. It's not "now" as much, or rather what is being done now.

To keep SANFL crowds up over time, you need to bring the tradition to the next generation under you. In the 60's 70's and 80's, the crowd was dominated by one generation, taking their younger generation to the games. Then in 10 - 20 years, that younger generation would take THEIR kids to the games. That is what has kept the SANFL alive.

Unfortunately, the focus for many parents from '90 onwards was the AFL, and specifically, the Crows and eventually the Power. These two clubs are going to have huge success in years to come with membership and following, because the kids of today are being told that the AFL = football. The SANFL is foreign to many kids which is sad - many don't know the teams, or even what the SANFL is.

Truth of the matter is, if the core supporters from all clubs, when to games, there would be 3000 - 4000 most weeks. Maybe less, maybe more, depending on the clubs playing. Centrals are a beneficiary of their location in many ways. When you compare the Eagles to the Dogs - the Dogs success has meant if you live in that area, you are a Dogs supporter - and it's worked wonders for the club. If the Eagles had won the flags that the Dogs did, when they played, the rise in members and attendance woudln't be nearly as high, because of the area. You wouldn't get all "nuetral" supporters living in Woodville suddenly rocking up to games supporting the Eagles.

(one of my biggest gripes is people calling other people "bandwagon supporters" - on one hand people complain when crowd aren't huge, yet if they were, there's ALWAYS going to be a large percentage of what you'd call bandwagoners)

The people on SAFooty/FootySA are doing wonders for the local competition (and I WILL call it that, regardless of what people say). Truth be told, when I started coming on these sites, my interest and love was reignited. I will be taking my kids to Eagles games when I have some - just as my Dad did with me through the 80's (we were actually at Anzac Day together as well).

The other factor affecting crowds these days, especially in finals - is the trend of going to the footy 'cos it's footy, and not 'cos your team is playing. The percentage of people going to games because it's damn well fun and enjoyable and your team isn't there is less and less. You can't pack footy park for a grand final (45k+) when in one round, you don't even get CLOSE to 45k people to the minor rounds. Not even half.

When commenting on crowd numbers, I wish people would reword it sometimes.

"The crowd was disappointing"

No. The crowd was great. They rocked up - left the comfort of their lounges and went to the footy.

The crowd "numbers" was disappointing - more accurate. Or "The people who stayed home were disappointing".

Crowd numbers don't equal Passion. Don't confuse the two. Eagles games, and other clubs who these days traditionally don't get the big crowd numbers, don't have any less passion from their supporters. They just don't have as many supporters.

Ok I've written to much. Back to work.

[Rushby Hinds]

Hey Diss, they had your mug on TV on Tuesday, the person next to you looked like an attractive female, hope that wasn't your Dad...


BTW, great post, agree with it all.

In a selfish way i'd prefer a 4,000 crowd @ the bay to a 10.000 crowd...

park close, can see, can keep an eye on junior, can have a kick on the oval, can buy a pie (maybe), and still a great atmosphere.

[JK]

Very interesting post Diss and I agree with much of it ... In terms of attendance levels, I still think if you have a successful PAMFC and a struggling Power, you will see a marked increase such is their weight of numbers (4200 v South on the weekend is perhaps an early sign of this) .. Should we reach a stage whereby both the local AFL teams are struggling then this could be further increased, as it could be by having any of Port, Glenelg, Norwood, North, Sturt, Central becoming the hottest teams in town ... In the main though, I agree with your post.

[Dissident]

Hey Diss, they had your mug on TV on Tuesday, the person next to you looked like an attractive female, hope that wasn't your Dad...


BTW, great post, agree with it all.

In a selfish way i'd prefer a 4,000 crowd @ the bay to a 10.000 crowd...

park close, can see, can keep an eye on junior, can have a kick on the oval, can buy a pie (maybe), and still a great atmosphere.

Haha they did ? Is the match repeated on TV at all ?
My Dad was next to me - on the other side of me was Wedgie and at one stage, MagicKiwi.

That's if it WAS me!

[Rik E Boy]

Excellent post Diss. One of the things I miss most about Adelaide is paying bu99er all to come to a SANFL game and see some hard footy and enjoying the friendly banter with opposition supporters. Go to a Cows or Port game and everyone is barracking for one team..the opposition ha ha.

Last time I came to Adelaide I went to Richmond Oval and watched the Legs win on a wet day. For once our side stood up but the banners failed to do the same. The crowd was not disappointing but those who piked out missed a good day.

regards,

REB

PS - Port suck!!

[Rushby Hinds]

Haha they did ? Is the match repeated on TV at all ?
My Dad was next to me - on the other side of me was Wedgie and at one stage, MagicKiwi.

That's if it WAS me!

Defo wasn't Wedgie, must have been Magic

Were you @ the Northern end, in the outer, in the seats?

P.S. It was you....

P.P.S. It may be on fox footy friday night, either that or the souf /port game.

[RustyCage]

ABC2 are replaying the Port v South game tomorrow night. Nothing else advertised after the game though.

[Dissident]

Haha they did ? Is the match repeated on TV at all ?
My Dad was next to me - on the other side of me was Wedgie and at one stage, MagicKiwi.

That's if it WAS me!

Defo wasn't Wedgie, must have been Magic

Were you @ the Northern end, in the outer, in the seats?

P.S. It was you....

P.P.S. It may be on fox footy friday night, either that or the souf /port game.

I was standing half way between the Chappell Stands and the Scoreboard, on the grassy area.

[RustyCage]

Does anyone else think that there are a lot more really young kids at the SANFL games (aged 3-7) now than there has been for a few years?

[drebin]

Does anyone else think that there are a lot more really young kids at the SANFL games (aged 3-7) now than there has been for a few years?

Yes but hanging onto them into the teens and beyond as SANFL followers when they get a bit of independence plus braining washing from the AFL will be the real task at hand.

Diss - great post and topic!

[RustyCage]

Does anyone else think that there are a lot more really young kids at the SANFL games (aged 3-7) now than there has been for a few years?

Yes but hanging onto them into the teens and beyond as SANFL followers when they get a bit of independence plus braining washing from the AFL will be the real task at hand.

Diss - great post and topic!

The SANFL should do some stuff in the schools to help. I dont just mean footy clinics or whatever, because they only work for about 2 weeks then the students forget about it. The SANFL should try to get the teachers in schools to promote the competition. I know this works in a few classes at Northfield PS, where the teachers are passionate about the SANFL, it rubs off on the students. Have SANFL tipping comps, or in general lessons where footy can be used as a theme, use stuff to do with the SANFL.

I taught an English lesson to a year 7 class where I had to teach them strategies for answering multiple chioce questions. To practice the strategies, I used the history of the PAFC at the reference text, then made the multiple choice questions from the info in the text. The kids in the class loved it because they followed the SANFL comp and had a few Power players in to do a clinic a couple of weeks before. They loved hearing about the different teams that were in the comp in the late 1800s, and asked me questions about the SANFL after the lesson finished. The kids loved it and so did I!

[TroyGFC]

Very good topic to discuss. I believe that the SANFL and inc clubs need to do better to get the younger folks along to games before they get older and start following the more trendier AFL with the ritzy merchandise and television coverage. Give the jumpers a trendy makeover (while piss the traditionalist but will get over it), more games on ABC (Friday nights a start) and get the local primary schools involved in starting a cheer squad up- Glenelg have a primary school right next to it and I think the kids wouldnt even know the Bays!! I think forums like this reunite the passion that was SANFL but we still need the young ones to continue it on and the clubs to freshen up to the new century.

[drebin]

I did an English lesson to a year 7 class

Hmm a Port supporter teaching English? Now I know why people complain about the education system and what it is doing to the younger generation!

[RustyCage]

I did an English lesson to a year 7 class

Hmm a Port supporter teaching English? Now I know why people complain about the education system and what it is doing to the younger generation!

Yeah, I noticed the stuff up in that sentence and corrected it. Shouldn't try to type faster than I actually can.

[Mickyj]

Excellent post Diss. One of the things I miss most about Adelaide is paying bu99er all to come to a SANFL game and see some hard footy and enjoying the friendly banter with opposition supporters. Go to a Cows or Port game and everyone is barracking for one team..the opposition ha ha.

Good point REB one of the reasons why I didnt renew my crows season ticket after the first year,dont get me wrong I still enjoy the CROWS but they are not a shadow on my Woodville West Torrens:shock: .SANFL equals a better brand of footy not so airy fairy as the AWFUL .

Great topic disssident my 17 yo has been coming to the footy with me on and off since the Eagles played home games at footy park ,these days he goes to all the games we can get too.He even tells his mates its better than Power games (we live in the Port ) not sure they believe him .
You know they are hooked when they know stats etc off the top of their heads.And going on the school topic last year I think he did a maths project on WWT WEST torrens and Woodville comparing everything pre and after merger . He has discovered a few Eagles fans down here in the heartland of Port adelaide!!

To me the SANFL is the better FOOTY RELIGION than the AWFUL!!!

[Dissident]

Excellent post Diss. One of the things I miss most about Adelaide is paying bu99er all to come to a SANFL game and see some hard footy and enjoying the friendly banter with opposition supporters. Go to a Cows or Port game and everyone is barracking for one team..the opposition ha ha.

Good point REB one of the reasons why I didnt renew my crows season ticket after the first year,dont get me wrong I still enjoy the CROWS but they are not a shadow on my Woodville West Torrens:shock: .SANFL equals a better brand of footy not so airy fairy as the AWFUL .

Great topic disssident my 17 yo has been coming to the footy with me on and off since the Eagles played home games at footy park ,these days he goes to all the games we can get too.He even tells his mates its better than Power games (we live in the Port ) not sure they believe him .
You know they are hooked when they know stats etc off the top of their heads.And going on the school topic last year I think he did a maths project on WWT WEST torrens and Woodville comparing everything pre and after merger . He has discovered a few Eagles fans down here in the heartland of Port adelaide!!

To me the SANFL is the better FOOTY RELIGION than the AWFUL!!!

Definately.
I think the AFL is an easy alomost automatic option these days. Following the SANFL, at least initially, does take a lot of dedication!

My Dad used to take me to Thebarton in the 80's to see Torrens (I'm a 3rd generation Torrens man) and then Footy Park as you said. That's what really got it in my blood and whilst I didn't go a GREAT deal for a few years in the 90's - once I became more independent (car, etc) I ventured out myself. So now I'm 28 and, although I'm still a Crows member (Dad got the tickets in the first year, and it's difficult to give them up because of the demand!!) I go as much as I can (including every game this year so far) to the Eagles.

I even got in trouble on Tuesday - it's my fiance's sisters birthday (ANZAC Day) and she wanted me to go to Malalla with her (her parents are there) for the birthday. I wanted to do both, in the end I went to Adelaide Oval with my Dad, then after the game I dropped Dad off and drove to Malalla in time for cake and a coffee.

[Mickyj]

I even got in trouble on Tuesday - it's my fiance's sisters birthday (ANZAC Day) and she wanted me to go to Malalla with her (her parents are there) for the birthday. I wanted to do both, in the end I went to Adelaide Oval with my Dad, then after the game I dropped Dad off and drove to Malalla in time for cake and a coffee.

LOL my wife has had a few days like that with me
Its a pity more people dont make the effort the ones on the crows waiting list may get a big surprise.
By the way Im 43 Dissident my earliest memory of a Torrens game was at Alberton with billy barrat kicking a drop kick goal from centre . And I guess my son is 3rd generation as my parents moved here from Broken Hill before I was born and started following Torrens !!
All my family in NSW laugh because when I was a teenager and torrens lost I wouldnt talk footy,I always look them staright in the eye with a straight face and say nothing has changed

Go the SANFL

[godoubleblues]

[quote="Dissident
My Dad used to take me to Thebarton in the 80's to see Torrens (I'm a 3rd generation Torrens man) and then Footy Park as you said. [/quote]

what happened with your brother the Bulldogs

[CK]

Great post, Diss. This is very much why we have been so passionate about getting the shows together on C31 - all of us on the panel grew up with the same memories as you, of the competition where rivalry was so vibrant at school and Saturday afternoons (it was rare to see a Sunday game in those days) meant everything. To think that so many schoolkids today don't know who North Adelaide, Norwood or Glenelg are, apart from suburbs, really bothers us and its great to know there are still so many fans out there with the passion and hunger for OUR league!

[Dissident]

[quote="Dissident
My Dad used to take me to Thebarton in the 80's to see Torrens (I'm a 3rd generation Torrens man) and then Footy Park as you said.

what happened with your brother the Bulldogs [/quote]

He was a Westies man.... because our grandma was (Mums side, not Dad's Torrens Side) because she loved Knuckles.
Then knuckles moved to CD and so did Grandma, and Scott!