SA Footy

From todays' Advertiser by Doug Robertson:

It's the end of "but wait there's more" with the SANFL going back to footy traditionalist Neil Kerley to promote the League.

The league will launch two new commercials in the next month to promote the 2007 competition.

The first features Kerley - considered the King of SA football - and it will be shown for the first time at the SANFL annual general meeting at AAMI Stadium on Monday.

The SANFL has dumped Sydney's Tim Shaw and his TV catch cry - "but wait there's more"

The league said it wanted to wait until Monday before speaking publicly about the new commericals.

However, it did confirm Kerley - an SA Fall of Fame member who played 260 league games, 32 for the state and coached South Adelaide, Glenelg and West Adelaide to premierships - was the centrepiece of at least one of the commercials.

Hope the whole shebang didn't cost more than $30K...that could have funded Total SANFL on C31 (sorry, but I believe the benefits from that would far outweigh the admirable Kerls on a TV ad and I do think the show has a bigger role, long term, to play in SANFL)

I can see the slogan now. Come to the SANFL - Where it's Heritage Round Every Round!

Honestly, I'd never want to question Kerls' pedigree but when do you reckon he last went to a SANFL game of his own volition? Probably the last time KG saw his 'beloved Bloods'. Lame, SANFL. Always 2 steps backwards, one step forward.

I'd like to see some SANFL history in the promotion (not in every ad but maybe 1) to stir some passion in the old SANFL supporters and remind the next generation of where the SANFL came from. Ads covering current stuff could emphasise being close to the action, hearing the bumps and hits first hand, getting close to the players, etc. They could also start to personalise some of the best players to raise their profile - try to make them more common knowledge to the average football follower. I think the Tim Shaw ads made the SANFL seem like a bit of comic relief and detracted from the overall impression - made it look a bit "cheap as chips" . If we can build an image of toughness, skill, action and intensity (ie, portray the SANFL seriously) we might just lure some supporters back.

zipzap wrote:Honestly, I'd never want to question Kerls' pedigree but when do you reckon he last went to a SANFL game of his own volition?

you are off the mark there ZZ...Ive heard him a few times talking about loving the SANFL and catching up with his old mates at the footy

Plunge Penguin wrote:Hope the whole shebang didn't cost more than $30K...that could have funded Total SANFL on C31 (sorry, but I believe the benefits from that would far outweigh the admirable Kerls on a TV ad and I do think the show has a bigger role, long term, to play in SANFL)

Couldn't agree more.
You've said it all right there.

A father-son sort of ad would have been great. Show some highlights of dad in his SANFL heyday and then some highlights of his son now playing SANFL. Eg at Norwood - Michael/Jesse Aish or (soon) - John/Chase Wynne. No doubt there are other examples at other clubs too. That would help to re-connect supporters of SANFL pre-AFL with the present day.

Also agree that I would rather see C31 ahead of two Kerls ads.

Dutchy wrote:

zipzap wrote:Honestly, I'd never want to question Kerls' pedigree but when do you reckon he last went to a SANFL game of his own volition?

you are off the mark there ZZ...Ive heard him a few times talking about loving the SANFL and catching up with his old mates at the footy

Hmm you could be right. But I suspect he would only go as a special guest or as part of a celebratory function - it's my hunch he would rarely just go off his own back. I could totally be wrong, but in his weekly straight-from-the-shack segment on 5AA he never mentions the SANFL, only Crows and Puffs to a lesser extent.

why not someone that is sole sanfl....robran, or someone like that....players??? someone that when you see them, you dont think AFL straight away....i got to be honest, i doubt many ppl, younger mainly, would know kerls background unless you were already a huge sanfl fan...

as ZZ said, 1 step fward, 2 step back.

Plunge Penguin wrote:Hope the whole shebang didn't cost more than $30K...that could have funded Total SANFL on C31 (sorry, but I believe the benefits from that would far outweigh the admirable Kerls on a TV ad and I do think the show has a bigger role, long term, to play in SANFL)

Is that a attempt of a joke? How many poeple tune into ACE tv anyway. The idea is too have aface non-loyal SANFL people can reconise. I would like to see ads with also Cornsey, Robran and Super.

I think the promotion of the SANFL has to be distinguished from the C31 issue. As passionate as some of us are about that show, I don't think it was drawing any new supporters to SANFL - which is the whole point of spending money on promotion. I think the SANFL's marketing $ has to hit as many people as possible and has to capture the next generation of supporters. C31 was a great show and I watched and enjoyed it - I just don't think the SANFL should be diverting it's marketing budget to fund it. It needs to stand up on it's own two feet with the demand driven by all these new supporters the Kerls adds will bring in

Bring back Tim Shaw!

"I was born under a Wandrin' Star!..."

Lee Marvin would be rolling in his grave!

Kerls will not entice anyone to the football. He is stuck in the 60 still. Agree would have no idea about SANFL footy these days and views on the game are so outdated it is not funny!

Im staggered why people think Kerls would not have any idea about SANFL footy???? FFS he is a legend of the league....just because he comments on the AFL (which gives him his income) doesnt mean he ignores the SANFL...small minds

Dutchy wrote:Im staggered why people think Kerls would not have any idea about SANFL footy???? FFS he is a legend of the league....just because he comments on the AFL (which gives him his income) doesnt mean he ignores the SANFL...small minds

I tend to agree with this to certain extent. The Kerls people see in the media these days is being paid to offer comment on the Crows and the Powser, and that is why he doesn't pass much comment on the SANFL.

I do think, however, that he spends a lot of his time on the river and probably wouldn't be that up to speed with the local league, but I think he would still have a reading interest and would know many of the players ... which is more than I could say for KG.

Dutchy wrote:Im staggered why people think Kerls would not have any idea about SANFL footy???? FFS he is a legend of the league....just because he comments on the AFL (which gives him his income) doesnt mean he ignores the SANFL...small minds

Agreed Dutchy

Kerley is to the SANFL what Whitten was to the VFL / AFL, if some of you complaining bast#@%s let the league plot their own course without complaining we might get some where.

We all support local footy because it is GRASS ROOTS FOOTY unlike the sanitised AFL, let them get on with promoting the product without finding fault in everything, Kerls is an icon to the SANFL like some of our other state icons (King George Whiting, Balfours Frog Cake etc) Go Kerls you have been great to football.

Kerls is an icon to people of our vintage but an irrelevant dinosaur to anyone under the age of 20. Shouldn't be like that but I'm sure it is.

True but the kids dont have a real icon, as coaches go maybe a d or a jarman tring to get the younger brigade out as they are well known

The kerls ad for the older brigade 20+ is a goer

Maybe one of those two lads to get the youngsters out would be good

Kerley in ads for the SANFL...............I dont believe it.I think It's a disgraceful decision .The target audience for the ads is?????. Whats gonna be the angle, Biffing Blokes .Geez Not only bring back Tim Shaw team him up with Ugly Dave Gray,Al Grazby and Ted Bullpit ahead of Kerls.Do we have that many wheelchair spaces at our grounds for the ones that may have be influenced or take seriously anything he has to say these days.

p.s. Congratulations to Doug Robertson on maybe the most pathetically incorrect article on Johnny Plattens carreer in todays paper.We may be the "state of the heart" but we sure aint the state of the accurately researched Journo.