SANFLnut wrote:If drawing a crowd and getting media coverage were genuine goals for the SANFL then they would not have programmed the GF on AFL prelim weekend in preference to a long weekend free of any AFL.
But 2 new teams that asked to join the comp wanted it that way? Oh sorry, excellent reason to abandon a set up that was clearly working well.
This part of it makes me as angry and p!ssed off as any of it, perhaps because to me it was the final straw in rolling over.
And really it is all because of 6-10 players of two teams potentially playing who are wanted on AFL lists, given from history we know there will always be a few on the list and rookies that will never, or barely, play an AFL game.
Don't also underestimate the impact of numerous Amateur and Country leagues close to the city that have their GF's Saturday, that may give preference to attending their local GF and watch Sunday on the box, not to mention players with sore heads. Other clubs still having their end of year functions etc, footy trips that used to come on the long weekend. City-Bay. All factors that I can't believe the SANFL were so blind to, or the AFL clubs were so selfish about, given we are talking about promoting a football event in the community.
My "stats" are having missed 3 out of the last 29 GF (one couldn't get tickets, two whilst living on West Coast). One year finished playing cricket at 5.30 Saturday and drove 6 hours to Adelaide to make the GF. Last ten years, have lived about two hours from Adelaide and made 90% of the finals over that time, even when Eagles weren't playing, usually dragging 2-4 more people with me. Could have made all the finals this year, including this weekend, but really just couldn't have been f**ked. May have gone if South were playing, but even on the weekend was half watching Port/South, half watching the Rugby League.
