"Younger" SANFL fans

[Dog_ger]

Why would a 14-18 year old go to the footy, stand in the cold and rain when he could be home in the warm watching the AFL with a couple of mates or a girl friend...? When it gets booring turn the play station on...? I think it's something the older people do... But with proper marketing and plenty of promotion nothing fails....!

[spell_check]

but mostly because I simply don't want to put all my support towards a league which is about shoving Victorian history down everyone's throats. We've got history too, it deserves to be celebrated.

So true. As a 20 year old, I can't remember the SANFL pre Crows days, but I can imagine what it was like - it was THE talking point. At work, school, the pub, the 10 clubs from the SANFL was discussed like the V/AFL is now. Now, all young fans are being fed the AFL and 99% of books you see on football are the history of the AFL. It just so happens that history is ALL Victorian. Look at the Fox Footy Channel. It had for a couple of years some past SANFL games, but not any more. For almost all the SANFL knowledge I've got pre-1991 is through research at the library. I've had so much enjoyment doing it, but indeed it's such a sad indictment on our competition that it's the way it is.

[JK]

As per CJ's post, I would have thought own footballing commitments would play a reasonable part in this, I know I hardly ever got to the SANFL when I was having a kick ... CJ you're obviously involved at Amateur Level, are there many guys who follow SANFL teams at your club who simply can't get to the footy because of a timetable clash, or do the majority follow AFL only??

[cj_blacks]

put it this way... the majority of the state football lovers that are under 30 play on saturday between 12 and 5 pm (B graders will stay around for Agrade games more than likely and who could seriosuly be botherd going to an SANFL game after playing themselves so id have to say timetable clash for sure. Maybe SANFL reduce saturday day fixtures.. more friday nights maybe even a thursday night (could disrupt team prep) and more sunday games

[spell_check]

Yes, the SANFL must schedule more Sundays and night games, simply because of this issue.

[westside]

The weather too is a critical issue, as I find even myself struggling to drag my arse to games when it's cold and wet (soft!).

I've often thought a great idea would be to start the season a couple of weeks before the AFL season. That's 2 more weeks of warmer weather (and if too warm, excellent opportunity for night football). We'd probably get more of average Joe along to games, as their only other choice would be the preseason "what will they call it next" cup.

[Dog_ger]

Crowds have fallen away because too much AFL during the time SANFL is played. Simple, play SANFL during summer..? Wouldn't happen. SANFL is the feeder to the AFL. AFL needs its second tier playing in this comp so they can draw on players because of injury. As long as there are 50,000 at Footy Park each week paying to watch Crows or Power nothing has to change. That and all the corporate deals that go on and sponsorship..? When they need more $$$ from people watching the game SANFL will build another floor to the grandstand so more seats can be sold......
They (SANFL)don't seem to be too worried at this stage with the attendance figures falling the past 7 years..?

[therisingblues]

Some have already put their finger on the problem; it is MARKETING!
I should qualify my next comments by admitting all my information has been gleaned off the net because I haven't been home to see a game for almost half a decade, but;
I think that the fall in coverage of the SANFL has led the decline in crowds.
Every year it seems the Advertiser hits a new low in its coverage of the SANFL.
The advertisement released this year for the SANFL appears as an utter joke to me, and that's after reading the comments for the ad, as well as those against the ad. If they try to flog the SANFL off as a bargain priced comedy side kick against the AFL they are doing the competition more harm than good. For f*ks sake if I want to eat a pie I go to a f*kn bakery! I don't need the SANFL for that! And if I want to save money I'll f*kn stay home and watch the footy on TV! What can get cheaper than that? And if I want comedy I'll watch f*kn Seinfeld!
The SANFL is a huge part of the foundation on which we have built our sporting culture as South Australians. It was once the salt of our sweat, the competition that kept the State enthralled in times of War, Depression, Adversity, Good times and Bad. The SANFL grand final was the biggest sporting event on the annual calender for over a hundred years. The champions that met each other on suburban soils during that time cared little for corporate riches but fought for the esteemed pride of champions of our state.
It was OUR game. The champions were OURS. The ovals were OURS. Week in week out we (the majority) would watch OUR chosen club and still be home for dinner and see the kids to bed.
This was a time of community identity and higher social values, and the SANFL was right at the heart of it. Even during the minor round the fervour of local rivalries was often the dominant event in the proccedings of areas surrounding the local grounds; the tide of supporters arriving by buses would swell with the crowds emerging from the clustered streets surrounding our urban treasures, and immerse the home team's territory in the excitement of football. I remember when I was living a few streets away from Glenelg oval during the early 80's, and still being able to hear the massive noise reverberating from it during a North game on the split round. (North got up narrowly to win that one, circa '82 I think)
I have also spoken with people who would rather watch paint dry than watch a game of footy who grew up around Thebarton in the 50's and even they confessed that they couldn't help but be touched by the excitement of the hordes of people that choked the streets and footpaths of their suburb whenever West Torrens played at home.
I believe that the SANFL is a proud and mighty competition that reflects our character as South Australians, wherever we may be on this globe. This history should not be buried under an eastern bias which has dubbed it unworthy of equality with their own great history, nor should it be forgotten in the midst of a national competition which has no true history of any real length, if we count only the years when it was truly a national competition.
My idea is:
The SANFL's history and what it means should be front and center of an ad campaign featuring images from throughout our competition's great history. Still photographs, moving images, headlines from the day, commentaries, and a sense of the old paraphernalia which once dominated our sporting culture, played as a backdrop to some select scripted comments by a well spoken narrator, and concluded with the line "The legend continues today", with the nine SANFL team captains depicted towering over the Stanley H Lewis Cup for which they compete every year.
Don't want to be seen to be trumpeting my own idea but I really do believe that the above campaign would see an increase in crowd figures. What do others think?
I am also a fan of the Reserves being live rather than the actual League game. I think the current practice may be good for ratings but damaging for the gate.
This post will also be available in hardback within a few weeks (sorry about the length).

[Dog_ger]

SOLD...! Just reading your post TRB wants to make me go to the footy...!

[Jimmy]

HERE ******* HERE TRB!!!!!!!!!!

[spell_check]

A copy of that post should be on the desk of every SANFL staff members, plus the sports editor at the Advertiser.

[Magpiespower]

Promotion and marketing of the SANFL has long been a problem.

Website. An urgent priority. It's a disgrace.

Footy Budget. It's only been good enough to use as confetti for far too long. There are no shortage of struggling writers who would properly edit/write it each week for a nominal fee just to tide them over while working on other projects.

Merchandise. Like everything else the league does, it seems to be done on an ad-hoc basis. No focus or strategy. The SANFL needs to take control of this. Remeber the 80s?

History. Jesus, the league has to do basic things like make grand finals available on DVD and release an annual stats yearbook similar to AFL 200?. Football Times Yearbook anyone? Maybe as simple as having a bumper Budget GF edition.

Community focus. Without this, the SANFL will be a glorified bush league in 20 years. Central have done it beautifully. When I was growing up, a fair whack of Salisbury barracked for Port and Norwood and a few for Glenelg. Not so much anymore.

Simple fact is, the SANFL has to SPEND a little bit of MONEY. It's not like the tight-arses don't have it.

[Ecky]

The Footy Budget is one aspect where I believe the SANFL actually have improved since the 1980s. Looking back at a 1984 Budget, there were:

- only details of League players were their numbers (no mention of games played, age, height, weight)
- reserves teams were hidden away on a different page
- no ladder of the reserves
- no player of the year votes
- no injury list (although the current injury lists are never very accurate!)
- printed on lower quality paper

And I thought that this year's Grand Final Budget (all 84 pages of it!) was a great read.

I agree totally though with Magpiespower on the other points. Although I did hear a rumour that a yearbook (similar to the old Football Times yearbooks) may be coming out next year. Let's hope so!

[Brad]

Im 24 and one of the last of the generation when the SANFL was the only thing the VFL meant nothing excep something to watch on a Sunday afternoon, mostly Swans games. I can remember the Ressie games being on Channel 9, yes they were the days!

Im not sure how we try and keep the competition vibrant, but the website is absolutely pathetic and needs updating.
Its a real pity that we have pretty much lost a generation to the AFL but with the way that game is going maybe people will go back to local games more.

People go on about how much quicker the AFL is but what about the quality of the football, most of these guys are athletes who don't have good football brains like some SANFL players who couldn't make the AFL.

It really irks me the lack of promotion on ABC Radio, you don't get regular updates of scores and they only cover a handful of games each year, this station reaches all of the state and could be a huge medium.

[bayman]

i agree with all that is said & if they had a friday night game at norwood every week ( not with norwood every week) the crowd is good & young because they go to the footy probably to meet/be seen, then they go out afterwards all you have to do is look at a night game at norwood & the talent is everywhere & i always think back in my day we went to the footy & ended up at lennies its the same now they still go out

[Punk Rooster]

The SANFL site is crap, because it is under "Big Brother's" control- can't have the "lesser" league with a superior website now, can we? The AFL's domination/manipulation of the State Leagues must surely be a deliberate attempt to lessen their importance to the point of complete disinterest (or unless the AFL is that self-absorbed, that it's happenning by accident). There need to be people on the SANFL Commission who care about SANFL football, and not worry whereabouts in the Corporate Box him, the wife plus 6 friends can sit for Crows/Power games. SANFL wresting control of marketing of merchandise would do wonders for the league if they were serious about it. Getting sports bags/jumpers/t-shirts/guernseys/mobile phone covers etc done in bulk, and with uniformity would be a very good staring point. Use the money made from the Power & Crows to finance this. We own the profits made, let's use it for promotion of our league. Unfortunately, councils have a huge part to play in the "re-building" of the legend of SA football. Unley (?) council have decimated Unley Oval, & City of Prospect are attempting to rape & pillage Prospect Oval, all so that should a couple of golden shower taking/art loving/metro sexuals decide to discuss Kafka, then they are free to do so on the centre of Prospect Oval. The maintenance of facilities probably ceased before I was born. Every SANFL ground is dying, and no-one wants to save them. If North were given a longer lease, they would inject money into the facilities knowing that their investment would be warranted. City of Prospect is treating a long term tennant with a large degree of contempt. Give North a 100 year lease, and I'm sure the re-building would start as soon as the ink was dry on the plans.

[Centralian]

At the beginning of each season, every kid that is playing junior footy for any club or school should be given 2 free tickets to an SANFL game and the same should be done mid year. That way, little Johnny or Mary can drag Mum or Dads arse down to their nearest oval and see how good the competition is.
This was done for the Grand Final (every school player received a pass to the GF) and it got a few more there.

[Magpiespower]

At the beginning of each season, every kid that is playing junior footy for any club or school should be given 2 free tickets to an SANFL game and the same should be done mid year. That way, little Johnny or Mary can drag Mum or Dads arse down to their nearest oval and see how good the competition is.
This was done for the Grand Final (every school player received a pass to the GF) and it got a few more there.

Take it even further I reakon and give them free season passes.

Do the clubs still have pie'n'pasty nights?

Looked forward to them every bloody year, even though I was stuck in Centrals zone

[Ian]

Do the clubs still have pie'n'pasty nights?

North started the "Pie night with Jars" in 2004.
It is for Junior Roosters only, my kids had a ball both years, and 2005 was bigger and better than 2004. I think the Pie night should stay for junior members only, but other incentives are needed to get the kids along.
The SANFL should get players to schools regullary through the season, not just to Aus kick, but to the older kids footy training as well, last time I saw a Eagles player at the school was for Auskick, while they are at the school, get them to hand out some of the merchandise Punky mentioned, and throw in a Adults pass that gives free entry to the Adult if with a child.

[Magpiespower]

The SANFL should get players to schools regullary through the season, not just to Aus kick, but to the older kids footy training as well, last time I saw a Eagles player at the school was for Auskick, while they are at the school, get them to hand out some of the merchandise Punky mentioned, and throw in a Adults pass that gives free entry to the Adult if with a child.

My nephew goes to the Eagles Auskick and loves it so much he now barracks for them.

His father isn't impressed.

The league is probably a soft target for our collective ire but the club's need to get off their arses as well.