"Younger" SANFL fans

[Wedgie]

Quite often I talk to mates about how the SANFL doesn't seem to attract the younger fan these days.
From that I mean most fans seem to be either 30+ or less than 12 (getting taken by their parents). I think the SANFL needs to do a hell of a lot more to attract teenagers and people in their 20s.
I know from a North fans point of view we don't have a hell of a lot of teenagers following us, Central seem to lead the way in this category but that might have something to do with the community spirit up North.
1) Do you agree with me that the SANFL is severely lacking in this age bracket?
2) What can we or the SANFL do to target this age group?

[felicity shagwell]

I agree that the SANFL appears to be missing a distinct following by people in this age bracket (which, by the way, I fit into). What I would like to know is if you consider this to be a real problem, and whether this is the way it's always been (at least since SA has been involved in the AFL). I would guess that younger people who've been to the footy as a kid start to get back into it when they get a bit older?

I would suggest that if the SANFL are going to bother with advertising, forget Tim Shaw, and try to get an ad that doesn't make the footy look so dorky...

As someone who moved to Adelaide as a teenager, I didn't even really know the SANFL existed, a lot of young people probably know it exists but only see it as being for hardcore footy followers. Perhaps the social side of it needs to be better marketed?

[Wedgie]

felicity I don't think its always been a problem, mainly since the Crows entered the AFL as I suppose youngsters are very TV concscious.
Every high school/primary school I kid growing up in the 70s and 80s went to SANFL games at one time or another.

I've no idea how to market it at this age group, perhaps get a heap of African Americans to play it, put them in singlets, play hip hop at half time and shoot caps in the asses of anyone that doesn't attend?

[Gilly]

We really need to canvas the 13 - 24 year olds who post here to find out why they follow the SANFL then undertake some analysis to determine if there is a trend. This can then form the basis for a marketing strategy.

[felicity shagwell]

are there really that many 13-24 year olds on here???

[Gilly]

Good point. I apologise for posting that, didn't really think it through. Okay, let's just canvas Sammy cos he's probably the only one that fits into the age bracket.

[Ian]

As someone who moved to Adelaide as a teenager, I didn't even really know the SANFL existed, a lot of young people probably know it exists but only see it as being for hardcore footy followers. Perhaps the social side of it needs to be better marketed?

How the times have changed, in '82 I mooved to Adelaide as a teenager, but for most of my 1st 17 years I lived and breathed SANFL, particullary North, but that was when we had a better coverage of SANFL than VFL/GayFL, live reserves games on TV from Adelaide oval, Replays on Sat night, the Sunday Mail was full of SANFL, as was the News(R.I.P.) & the Advertiser. You could go into a sports store and buy your favourite clubs guernsey, shorts, socks, scarves etc. off the rack, and there was bugger all in the shops from the VFL .......................................those were the days.

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

Hooray for me SBR would fit in this age bracket also.

[SBR]

Me (17) and Sam (16) are a couple of the few posters on SANFL forums I’ve come across.

I'm not too sure there's an easy solution to the problem of age which faces the SANFL as a competition supporter wise, as these supporters are only getting older... which adds to the loss of support no doubt.

Teenagers seem to be more caught up in the AFL, as there's a lot less "gritty" bits or so in their minds, and the football grounds are a bit more "artificial" and they're now feel their taking a backwards step into following the SANFL. As I’ve said myself a lot of times before, and I have friends who are pretty blind the same way, one which follows the Magpies... but has been blinded by the Power so doesn't attend Magpie games (I'm sure he's not alone there).

I don't agree with the fact some people turn a blind eye on our competition, the standards IMO are basically the same, the football definitely seems a lot more real... and boy do I get entertainment out of it.

Wedgie I too have noticed the obvious and the fact that there's not exactly a lot of teenage support at SANFL matches, and it's an age bracket the SANFL need to look at, and salvage something now, even now it could be too late. If anything it's good having Sam going to matches because I have a mate to go there with, even though he's a Dogs supporter, we go to general matches as well, neutral.

What can we do? I really don't know, something would need to draw them to an SANFL match more than the regular weekend’s activity... AFL a main thing. Make them realize it all starts and finishes somewhere, and it’s the SANFL which began football in South Australia. I mean it’s definitely alive and well on ground wise here. I can’t seem to put my finger on some sort of solution; I love the atmosphere at the games, how much more passionate IMO that we are about our clubs compared to some of the AFL supporters.

I’ve tried luring one of my mates out to games, had him going for about literally every game for the first half of a season, but couldn’t get him back for another in the next. He absolutely enjoyed the footy, and the fun and banter you have with other supporters, but for some reason, perhaps laziness, couldn’t quite cement him.

Anyway I’ve crapped on enough, but something needs to be done, supporters won’t fly out of nowhere, it’s all about youth from here on in.

[rubbers0ul]

im 18! I have been following centrals ever since i was born. Both my parents grew up in the area; salisbury and gawler so its in my blood! I was there when we had the heart breaking loses to the warfies back in '95 and '96 when we were favourites and now im riding high on sweet times!

Cant see anyone beating us next year either so we are on track to beat Ports 9 out of 12 from 88-99! But with salary caps and zones and this and that are feat is even better!

I dont care at all about AFL i dont mind the crows but when the crows lose i dont give a shit BUT when centrals lose man that ruins my weekend!

CARN THE DOGS

[Ian]

Theres a fair few younger kids going, but not many in Sam & SBR's age group, that is the age group that used to be the heart and soul of cheer squads, I just hope we can keep the younger kids interested until they are old enough to bring their kids along.

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

when i was at primary school Norwood players used to come every couple of months, now according to my younger brother they are lucky to see them once a year (probably becouse 80% of his class are Centrals supporters becouse of him )
but things like free adult tickets given out at schools would be a start.
more things need to be in the media, you cant get away from afl news, but if you want SANFL news you really have to go looking.
just about every person between 14 and 20 i talk to that lives in the Northern suburbs goes for Centrals, but when you talk to people between 14 and 20 in the Norwood zone, most of them say Nor-what, so Centrals are certainly doing somthing right there.
could always bump the prices of childrens afl tickets up to about $90, or make the afl 18+ could work.

[cj_blacks]

im 18 aswell

[Jimmy]

are there really that many 13-24 year olds on here???

arhemm.....hello, 24 right here

[lesthemechanic]

One of the best attractions of the SANFL , and therefore a marketing gem, should be that you can see your team every week. Maybe that can be tried to attract a younger crowd at our games.
And the fact that it is dirt cheap, good value sport entertainment. It cost me more to go in the 70's as a kid than it costs kids now!!
In my high school years , saturdays consisted of catching a bus to school, playing a game , catching bus to the footy, & home after.
A few of us used to meet at the footy after playing sport for school or club ( some footy, some soccer ). There is no reason not to aim at younger kids that age to entrench an SANFL tradition in them & their mates. Who knows , it might catch a few.

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

When i think about if ever since about age 12, my dad didn't drag me along to the footy, i would go becouse i wanted to, there probably would not be to many 12 year olds like that i guess.

[Dog_ger]

When I was a kid you turned on the TV around 11.30 and there it was, The seconds was on TV. See if I could see any of my mates there. Yep, there's a couple boot'n the footy around, I'll go and have a few kicks with em. I didn't know them as my usual mates but when you seem to go everyweek at a that age, you got to know the other fellas your era, just like you do now. Our group seem to congregete around our age group. I was probably play'n a scratchy against some of em but over the years our looks have changed so much we don't recognise each other...? The seconds on TV was good publicity for the game because after that I think nothing interested me on tele..... So you went because there was nothing else better to do...?

[Dog_ger]

You have to remember back in those days if you wanted take away for lunch or tea, it was fish and chips only. There was nothing else...! things have changed a little since them days. SANFL must compete with the real world. Get out of the fish & chips only days......!
Bad marketing. Thats all it is.

[cj_blacks]

i think the main reason it dosnt appeal to teenagers is a mixture of a couple of things... own footballing commitments... also when you are a kid you look up to the players more but as you get older you find some of your mates and stuff are playing and SANFL is not asbig of deal as you think it is when your a kid. It attracts the older crowed cause its a good excuse to catch up with mates and have a beer and watch a game we all love... i cant explain it as good as i have it in my head but get the gist?

[westside]

It comes down to the old saying, if you promote it they will come.

Kids around the 15 year and younger mark have known nothing but a popular AFL and small local league. It's not rocket science that they end up following AFL.

I'm 22 years old, so I wasn't quite old enough to truly remember the SANFL as a top flight league. That and i'm from a migrant household, so I was brought up on soccer. Even still, I follow the SANFL for a variety of reasons, 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.

I also hate Football Park and the football culture it promotes. No drinking or smoking in your seat, and have you noticed half the crowd sits there with their earphones on, and the other half are too busy glued to a seat staring straight in fonrt, instead of... heaven forbid.... chatting and having fun with their mates?



BTW, all that said, i'm not entirely convinced the league is lacking in young fans. Clubs such as Norwood and Central have a great deal of younger fans, however my club (West) has absolutely bugger all. In all honesty, I don't think anyone at West is brave enough to consider the possibility that we will have nobody when the current older generation moves on.