goddy11 wrote:
In todays Advertiser
"It is understood Adelaide also is in line to play a SANFL match before one of the Crows’ AFL games next season.
South Adelaide is expected to be Adelaide’s opponent, with the club willing to sacrifice one of its home games at Noarlunga to play in front of a big crowd at Adelaide Oval."
I wonder why SA would be willing to give up a home game to play there. It makes no sense unless there is a financial inducement and if yes is it the SANFL who pay it.
Playing "in front of a big crowd" and "players relishing the opportunity" were among the pitches spruiked when these things were in vogue years ago. The alleged net 'benefits' to both supporters and clubs were shown to be, essentially, bollocks, which was why they died a death at the time and only mourned by a handful of the more severe cranio-rectal cases.
For starters, the majority of the crowd didn't turn up until towards the start of the AFL game, attendance even more sparse if the AFL game started some time after the SANFL match. Secondly, those that were there for the AFL game had varying (putting it nicely) interest in what was going on the field compared with a more focussed home crowd at a smaller stadium.
Thirdly, there was the annoyance of the exponentially increasing flow of crocheted blanket, thermos carrying fresh arrivals to the stadium setting up to watch 'their' main game at critical times towards the later stages of the SANFL game - as opposed to SANFL supporters that had been intrinsically following the spectacle before them.
I put it to the readership on here that, even in the modern "Sanfull", these 'benefits' remain a furphy in the main even given one of the sides is associated with the AFL, and the pure SANFL contingent notably lower these days. Don't be surprised to hear it flogged from Salesman Jake and co in coming times, though. Much easier to slip things in when those left standing are already grabbing their ankles with straight knees.
Financial incentive for the SANFL clubs is, of course, a very different matter - especially in the era or AFL reserves and occasional three digit attendances. I'd suggest this (well, derr!) would be the true reason any SANFL clubs might be inherently interested.
Dutchy wrote:Why not play the SANFL game after the AFL game?
Solves a lot of issues and you may get a bigger crowd hang around rather than turn up 3 hours before
See above.
Even if those AFL supporters that do hang around only do so for a quarter or so, they're there
for the game and enjoying it (or otherwise) for what it is.
If they want to promote the SANFL to the AFL supporters, do it while they're actually at the stadium and in footy mode. An in-store product promotion, if you will - even if only one of the clubs involved is actually SANFL.