2014 SANFL Grand Final underlights on a Friday night?

[SANFLnut]

Leigh Whicker reiterated the idea of having the GF on a Friday night prior to the AFL GF.
What are the main advantages for the SANFL of having the game played at this time?

The crowds for the recent grand finals have been excellent in comparison to other leagues around Australia and in comparison to minor round games. Clearly spectators like the current set-up. Adelaide Oval is seen as giving AFL crowds a boost compared to Footy Park so would expect them to increase on a like for like basis (ie. North v Norwood on a fine sunny day could get 40K next year).

The media coverage during the week is pretty good too - gets more exposure in its current slot via Advertiser and commercial radio than it would in AFL GF week.

The current arrangement would seem to tap in to the latent interest in SANFL footy that is still present in the community pretty well.

Is this a case of something that works better for the 2 AFL clubs in town and damages the rest of the competition?
I can understand reforming the lead up finals as attendances have been really poor over the last few years but I would have thought that the current GF arrangements would help the league with its claim of being the second best league in the country.

[Mic]

Saturday or Sunday (depending on when the Prelim is played), long weekend, after the AFL GF.

[FlyingHigh]

Yeah, Saturday arvo of the long weekend with a Friday night prelim has been discussed many times on here.

To me it's a more important issue than what it might seem on the surface. The AFL clubs wanted to join our comp, and we play our GF in early October. With all the changes they're imposing, to change the GF for them really is the final betrayal that we are rolling over for everything they want. I will be disgusted and mightily pissed off if it happens, and whilst I've said I'll give the new set-up two years, this issue, small as it might be, might just be the final straw.

[Ecky]

With an 18 round minor round, there is no way that the Grand Final will be on the long weekend - there would need to be a ridiculous amount of bye rounds.

Chiggy was well aware that this would be the case when it was raised at the Glenelg "information night" yet it didn't sway him at all from voting yes.

The SANFL have unfortunately been completely brainwashed by the AFL clubs that any changes that suit them are also beneficial to the SANFL.

RIP the SANFL as we know it.

[mickey]

With an 18 round minor round, there is no way that the Grand Final will be on the long weekend - there would need to be a ridiculous amount of bye rounds.

Chiggy was well aware that this would be the case when it was raised at the Glenelg "information night" yet it didn't sway him at all from voting yes.

The SANFL have unfortunately been completely brainwashed by the AFL clubs that any changes that suit them are also beneficial to the SANFL.

RIP the SANFL as we know it.

If you start the season later, you can still have the GF on the long weekend

[tigerhutch]

It would be good to try and maximize the crowds at grandfinals. Would a night grandfinal attarct more people ? and would moving it from the long weekend attract more people since a lot of people go way on the october long weekend ?

[Look Good In Leather]

Wednesday morning for all its worth, not many will care anymore

[Ecky]

If you start the season later, you can still have the GF on the long weekend

But that wouldn't suit the AFL clubs who are our new masters, remember!

[Apachebulldog]

Seeing we are now the SA AFL maybe it should be played as a curtain raiser at the MCG on AFL Grand Final day !!!!! Yipeeeee !!!!

[Rik E Boy]

RIP to the SANFL as we know it? Shit, 1991 was RIP to the SANFL as we know it. In case you weren't watching the first time around it is at least 1996 that it was RIP to the SANFL as we know it.

regards,

REB

[mighty_tiger_79]

I didn't know Glenelg had an Information NIght

clearly not a lot of information was shared by the club apart from how good the cash is

[therisingblues]

RIP to the SANFL as we know it? Shit, 1991 was RIP to the SANFL as we know it. In case you weren't watching the first time around it is at least 1996 that it was RIP to the SANFL as we know it.

regards,

REB

Still true though.
P.S moving the grand final from it's current time slot would be madness. I'm sure thousands of AFLites turn up for this one SANFL game of the year because there's no AFL on. Move it to before the AFL Grand Final and watch crowds drop by about 15,000. Ie. Norwood vs North: perhaps 20,000 tops. Central vs Eagles: perhaps 10,000 to 15,000.

[udogs01]

Doesn't really matter what we think....chances are it will be Crows v Power reserves in the GF from now on, so it will be when the AFL want it to be played.

[areaman]

I'm not fussed what day or time it's played as long as it's the week AFTER the AFL Grand Final.

[whufc]

Only the SANFL could see sense in moving a game from the only week out of the 52 in the year that it becomes the sporting spotlight in SA

But as others have said it will be before the AFL finishes to coincide with our 18 game seaaon

[Aerie]

Yep, it's clearly on a winner being the October long weekend. They should leave it. Move it forward and you're not only competing with the AFL, but Amateurs, Royal Show etc.

IMO, they should play a longer minor round (perhaps 23 games) - top 4 so 3 weeks of finals. AFL Reserves teams not to compete in finals - if they win the minor premiership give them a ribbon.

[RB]

Only the SANFL could see sense in moving a game from the only week out of the 52 in the year that it becomes the sporting spotlight in SA

Yep. Absolute madness. You don't mess with success.

[holden78]

Only the SANFL could see sense in moving a game from the only week out of the 52 in the year that it becomes the sporting spotlight in SA

Yep. Absolute madness. You don't mess with success.

And that's why it's a dead certainty to get moved!
What's left is a version of what we all knew and loved, where even a club like Norwood will one day have only a few hundred weekly followers.
What young kid is going to follow a local club apart from the ones that will be force fed by a diehard dad.
Our leaders have failed us miserably..... where is the upside for us...
Any AFL related games need to be boycotted from day one!

[philcas]

Surely its obvious to have our Gf after AFL it gives us 4days of exposure & promotion without being blanketed out by AFL no matyer what day ior night it is played

[holden78]

Surely its obvious to have our Gf after AFL it gives us 4days of exposure & promotion without being blanketed out by AFL no matyer what day ior night it is played

Watch them go, anything with any tradition attached to it will get the treatment now because our GAYFL clubs know best and that's the way we must bend over now.... what can you expect after the way our club leaders got bluffed bigtime so quickly
Plus the media mouths will sell it in a New York minute for the West Lakes Footy Mafia Bosses!