AFL teams to stay, clubs to receive $250k this year - Olsen

[UK Fan]

No, this is not happening.

Whilst the 8 CEOs have managed to meet and provide a united voice to the SANFL which has heeded some results, the League Directors are incapable of doing so.

Any attempt to change the terms of the AFL sides earlier this year were emphatically rejected by the SANFL.

Most people have accepted they are not going anywhere and we are stuck with them but trust me clubs are getting together to look at rules and meetings are going on behind the SANFL's back to bring about ways to make the AFL clubs less competitive.

So the directors did attempt to change the rules for afl clubs. But an Olsen led SANFL denied it.


Seems an easy solution for me

[therisingblues]

Oh dear! LOL! So we've been hearing from people on here for the last 3 years that meetings are going on to get rid of the AFL clubs and it'll happen "next year". Anyone who has called this out as rubbish has been told they don't know what they are talking about. Now we're meant to believe that yes they're staying, but now it's all about making them uncompetitive, because, you know, having two teams getting belted every week will be so amazing for the health of the competition. We know that Adelaide Oval money is being fast tracked to assist the SANFL clubs to retire debt. Let me put it this way; if a money tap can be turned up, it can be turned down. This argument is so 2013. It's done and dusted. Not only are the AFL teams not going anywhere, but hoping there'll be any significant changes to the rules governing them is just setting yourself up for more disappointment. The scary predictions of domination and year after year of Adelaide v Port Grand Finals have failed to materialise.

On another point, I can't let this 5 percent drop in Adelaide Oval crowds go without a response. A significant part of that drop is caused by one particular Crows Thursday night game; the two previous Thursday night games have had huge crowds, but the Crows Thursday night game this year was ruined by a prediction of high winds, thunderstorms and hail. My partner and I almost never miss a Crows home game, but even we made the call not to go that night and the crowd was down roughly 12-13 thousand on what it otherwise would have been.

Dude. Money from the sale of Footy Park is not owned by the AFL clubs. It belongs to us.
Not much point waving around the fact that money is coming in from Adelaide Oval either as evidence of some triumph of the reserves being included in our great comp.
You and your AFL friend do understand this don't you?
Drink some warm milk and lay down now. It's bedtime.

[Magpies96]

Adelaide Oval attendances are down over 5% since it started hosting AFL games. The novelty is wearing off.
Hate to think what will happen when both teams will inevitably slide down the ladder a lot further than they are now.

Adelaide Oval is the most expensive venue in the county, and if it continues the crowds will drop even further.
But Port and Crows average is still in the top 4 of the AFL.

If people are worried about footy in S.A, they should be even more worried in Victoria where crowds are down a lot more than here, both the AFL and VFL.
Least here our junior development is probably the best it's ever been.

Of course crowds are up, majority of sports fans everywhere are front runners. If the Crows and Power were sitting 14th and 15th with only a couple of wins on the board there wouldn't be anywhere near the crowds there.
Victoria is in the unique situation where the big drawing clubs are near the bottom and t two of the poorer drawing vic clubs in the Dogs and Roos are going well.
Swap those two with a Carlton/Collingwood/Richmond/Essendon and Vic crowds would be way up

Nothing to do with front runners, it's the way of the world. People want to watch the best competition possible and not unique to football.
Local soccer in the NPL, crowds are well down and so would the netball since the Thunderbirds came in.

[Magellan]

The AFL Reserves sides have not destroyed the SANFL competition

Not yet, but you'd have to admit the writing is most certainly on the wall. The lack of atmosphere at a Crows or Port reserves game suggests they're not adding anything to the comp. I'd like to know the extent of losses sustained by the home clubs each time they host the Crows or Port. The integrity question of whether they 'play to the line' also remains a live issue for supporters that can never be objectively resolved.

hardly anyone mentions them at the League Director level and the SANFL is 100% committed to keeping them in the competition for the full 15 years.

As if the league directors would now openly or in camera admit that the admission of the reserves sides was an error, given it was their sole responsibility to vote them in the first place. They'll go to their graves convinced one way or another that it was the best thing for the league, even if compelling evidence to the contrary came to light. Surely it's clear that there's way too much reputational risk for these guys to do a 180 degree turn on the issue. There is a quantum leap between judging whether the reserves concept is a success today and the political positions adopted by the league directors.

If these teams were such an issue why has no League Director been removed from their club?

I stand to be corrected, but I presume league directors are appointed by the league, so I'm not sure how a club can removed them from that role.
In terms of removal from their respective club as a board member, this'd be up to the membership. Organising an EGM is no easy task, and from my clubs' perspective, I'd say there's plenty of our (diminishing) membership base who are apathetic or agree with the reserves concept. That doesn't means the reserves concept is an overwhelming success by any stretch of the imagination.

Why is there barely a ripple with club members?

But there has been a ripple because club memberships and attendances are down. More importantly, plenty have simply walked away, given the sheer lack of respect shown by the 'yes' clubs to not even give their members the fundamental right to formally voice their views on the inclusion of the reserves in the first place. A lot of those who cared the most were also the ones who were most offended by the way the whole concept was negotiated and implemented, and chose not be part of something they didn't agree with.

[LPH]

^ This!!!

Eloquent & reasoned as always, Mag...

[stan]

Come on guys, AFL-SA is just having a troll using half facts to rile you all up. You will probably see a few more coming along soon from shut stirrers around the place. Try not to feed it.

[Magellan]

Come on guys, AFL-SA is just having a troll using half facts to rile you all up. You will probably see a few more coming along soon from shut stirrers around the place. Try not to feed it.

Yep, apologies, couldn't resist the temptation.

[Gozu]

John Olsen in the Sunday Mail:

SANFL President and SA Football Commission chairman John Olsen told the roundtable group of club officials that it was unlikely the AFL would change it's scheduling. He also conceded the SANFL had erred with it's program this season and the oversupply of byes was too stop-start for fans.

"The scheduling cascades down on us from the AFL" he said. "The crowds have dropped off - the South Adelaide versus Port Adelaide game had a low crowd. But 39,000 people watched that game on TV, so that tells me people are interested in the competition and want to follow it.

"They just didn't want to drive to Noarlunga to see it. We have a quality competition and people are interested. The scheduling is something we have to work through, with adjustments for 2017".

[Magellan]

John Olsen in the Sunday Mail:

SANFL President and SA Football Commission chairman John Olsen told the roundtable group of club officials that it was unlikely the AFL would change it's scheduling. He also conceded the SANFL had erred with it's program this season and the oversupply of byes was too stop-start for fans.

"The scheduling cascades down on us from the AFL" he said. "The crowds have dropped off - the South Adelaide versus Port Adelaide game had a low crowd. But 39,000 people watched that game on TV, so that tells me people are interested in the competition and want to follow it.

"They just didn't want to drive to Noarlunga to see it. We have a quality competition and people are interested. The scheduling is something we have to work through, with adjustments for 2017".

Is 2017 a reference to next year, or what Olsen thinks is a suitable attendance?

[saintal]

"The scheduling cascades down on us from the AFL" he said. "The crowds have dropped off - the South Adelaide versus Port Adelaide game had a low crowd. But 39,000 people watched that game on TV, so that tells me people are interested in the competition and want to follow it


Out of curiosity I looked up the TV ratings for minor rounds

2013- 16,604 (source- article on sanfl website)
2014- 31,364 (ditto)
2015- 29,823 (source- stats nerd on a ‘big’ footy forum, so not official)
2016- 28,636 (ditto)

So 2016 has seen a 4% drop on 2015, and 9% on 2014. Not disastrous, but coupled with declining attendances it’s something that the likes of Kelly, Parkinson and Olsen conveniently ignore.

[Apachebulldog]

Its bye bye bye bye bye SANFL !!!!!!

[holden78]

Yes men the lot of them, just like Davies And Chandler before, only waiting for the next job to come along through the Boys Club!
Zero integrity or heart, just slaves to the paypacket.
History means nothing To these Vampires.

[VALE PARK]

Clever Apachebulldog was that 5 byes?
Hopefully come 2017,nil.
An Interstate state game if they must be one,there is clearly no need to waste a Saturday .
But we shall see.

[csbowes]

I love how SANFL and club officials come to the same conclusion we did but months or years later. If they spent five minutes consulting fans they would have known the zillion byes was a dumb ass idea.

Just annoys the hell out of me how they do this time and time again.

[Ecky]

Don't worry everyone, I assume this means the AFL teams will be gone in a couple years given Olsen's unique definition of "not negotiable"!

“That is not negotiable - we have deal with the AFL clubs and they will be there for the next 10 years,” Olsen said. “The SANFL competition is better with them in - that is my strong view.”

Compare the similarities to

"Reserves teams in the SANFL for the two AFL clubs is not negotiable.
We will not compromise the SANFL competition (with AFL reserves teams)."

[Reddeer]

Don't worry everyone, I assume this means the AFL teams will be gone in a couple years given Olsen's unique definition of "not negotiable"!

“That is not negotiable - we have deal with the AFL clubs and they will be there for the next 10 years,” Olsen said. “The SANFL competition is better with them in - that is my strong view.”

Compare the similarities to

"Reserves teams in the SANFL for the two AFL clubs is not negotiable.
We will not compromise the SANFL competition (with AFL reserves teams)."

Well he was an out and out liar as a politician so nothing has changed when involved and destroying football. I mean he was a used car salesman in Port Pirie so that says it all as well. Dumb SANFL for putting in the position he is in. Don't know how he had the gaul to return to SA after the ETSA sale lies

[UK Fan]

Don't worry everyone, I assume this means the AFL teams will be gone in a couple years given Olsen's unique definition of "not negotiable"!

“That is not negotiable - we have deal with the AFL clubs and they will be there for the next 10 years,” Olsen said. “The SANFL competition is better with them in - that is my strong view.”

Compare the similarities to

"Reserves teams in the SANFL for the two AFL clubs is not negotiable.
We will not compromise the SANFL competition (with AFL reserves teams)."

Well he was an out and out liar as a politician so nothing has changed when involved and destroying football. I mean he was a used car salesman in Port Pirie so that says it all as well. Dumb SANFL for putting in the position he is in. Don't know how he had the gaul to return to SA after the ETSA sale lies

Dumb move by SANFL or handpicked by afl clubs who knew he was a clueless sell out.

I wonder ??