I won't attend another AFL game until Gill comes out and apologises to all supporters at the way we are being treated. Some one has to make a stand on behalf of all other decent like minded supporters at the way we have been portrayed. Football is all about banter and fun booing and having a go at the umpiring. It's about us you and me. I have never sensed outrage in the Terraces as what we are seeing now. So AFL get your supporter cardboard cut outs to replace us, get your fake crowd noise over the loud speaker systems at all grounds to replace us. We are the game or at least we thought we were!!
Wedgie wrote:People have been saying the same thing for nigh on 30 years. At the end of the day every person that loses interest is replaced by two that gain interest. We've had posts like this for as long as Safooty had been in existence. It's usually just an attention seeking exercise.
Even on this site hardly anyone talked AFL 15 years ago but the AFL forum has ten times the traffic it had when this site started.
I can appreciate people's feelings though, I've felt the same about SANFL in the last 5 years and the ARL/NRL in the last 25 years.
At the end of the day as long as crowds, memberships and ratings don't go down the controlling body won't care. And that's only happened to the SANFL out of the comps I've mentioned above.
You sound like an SANFL official. Football is not ultimately about web traffic as not every post is postive as Booney has shown. Even so, it will be interesting to see what happens with that particular indicator over the next few seasons. You are right interest comes and goes but can you ever remember fans getting kicked out for calling an umpire a maggot? A line has been crossed there by the administration that could be the start of a genuine fan backlash. I think there is a real chance that some of the things you said the governing body does care about starting to dimish.
As for me I still watch at least seven games a week. I still love the game but some games are obviously more boring than others. I call them Crows games ha ha. I think the standard of umpiring is at an all time low and the score review system has been a crock of shit from the start. Too much PC, too much reactionary thinking and too much tinkering with the rules.
From 1957 to 1967 I went to Norwood matches in the SANFL regularly, and was a club member, but when I graduated in Medicine in 1968 I became simply too busy working a 90 hour week in my first year and a 55 hour week for the next 5 years to attend every week or even frequently, but I kept in touch via the media and went to the odd match when I could. When I was living in Melbourne between 1999 and 2009 I kept in touch with the SANFL on line. My interest in the AFL has always been token driven mainly by state loyalty and enjoying stirring the Carlton and Hawthorn supporters I worked with when I lived in Melbourne.
The reduction of TV and radio broadcasts, and even the on line information in recent years, that kept me in touch and interested, has had an effect. Now that this casual access is limited - presumably to try to force taking out membership or subscribing to on line access - I am less connected and don't even remember to consider going to the odd match much of the time.
As a result of that and the new direction my life has taken since I met my fiancee and drifted into te theatre world where she is prominent, I sometimes don't even remember the football is on some weekends. The effect of the Melbourne run "AFL" on the SANFL hs been a factor in my drifting away too.
Psyber wrote:Both the AFL and the SANFL are losing me.
From 1957 to 1967 I went to Norwood matches in the SANFL regularly, and was a club member, but when I graduated in Medicine in 1968 I became simply too busy working a 90 hour week in my first year and a 55 hour week for the next 5 years to attend every week or even frequently, but I kept in touch via the media and went to the odd match when I could. When I was living in Melbourne between 1999 and 2009 I kept in touch with the SANFL on line. My interest in the AFL has always been token driven mainly by state loyalty and enjoying stirring the Carlton and Hawthorn supporters I worked with when I lived in Melbourne.
The reduction of TV and radio broadcasts, and even the on line information in recent years, that kept me in touch and interested, has had an effect. Now that this casual access is limited - presumably to try to force taking out membership or subscribing to on line access - I am less connected and don't even remember to consider going to the odd match much of the time.
As a result of that and the new direction my life has taken since I met my fiancee and drifted into te theatre world where she is prominent, I sometimes don't even remember the football is on some weekends. The effect of the Melbourne run "AFL" on the SANFL hs been a factor in my drifting away too.
I love your last couple of sentences.
Some Mondays I get to work open my computer up and then remember that there would have been footy on the weekend....probably should check the scores and see what happened.
Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
I'm gonna sit back, crack the top off a Pale Ale, and watch the Double Blues prevail
1915, 1919, 1926, 1932, 1940, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 2002, 2016, 2017
therisingblues wrote:Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
Been ridiculed for not watching games for years.
This thread basically made me give up on SAFooty too.
therisingblues wrote:Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
Been ridiculed for not watching games for years.
This thread basically made me give up on SAFooty too.
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This is true you have been given a hard time on here, but that's the type of site it is really.
Read my reply. It is directed at you because you have double standards
therisingblues wrote:Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
I said it a year ago or so on the SANFL threads somewhere that it is the perfect opportunity for the SANFL to take the initiative, in relation to the state of the game, and offer an alternative to the AFL and attract fans back to the Suburbs.
therisingblues wrote:Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
I said it a year ago or so on the SANFL threads somewhere that it is the perfect opportunity for the SANFL to take the initiative, in relation to the state of the game, and offer an alternative to the AFL and attract fans back to the Suburbs.
The SANFL is a dead as Carltons season. After a few more oldies walk away it will be nothing more than a feeder comp.
Read my reply. It is directed at you because you have double standards
therisingblues wrote:Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
I said it a year ago or so on the SANFL threads somewhere that it is the perfect opportunity for the SANFL to take the initiative, in relation to the state of the game, and offer an alternative to the AFL and attract fans back to the Suburbs.
The SANFL is a dead as Carltons season. After a few more oldies walk away it will be nothing more than a feeder comp.
This scenario is definitely on the horizon, and with the AFL becoming more plastic than ever, the future of football in general looks bleak. SANFL could do with better promotion, but with two AFL reserve teams running around in that league, it's a hard sell. SANFL used to do much better when it had some level of independence from these plastic, clap-when-your-told-to, equal-rights-for-fatties,-rounds, don't-say-bum obsessed AFL. Pseudo said it before, and he hit the nail on the head, the AFL has no governing body, it IS IT'S OWN GOVERNING BODY, and it's approach is to sell, sell, sell without ever needing approval from a greater power concerned more about the good of the game, than making a few dollars.
I'm gonna sit back, crack the top off a Pale Ale, and watch the Double Blues prevail
1915, 1919, 1926, 1932, 1940, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 2002, 2016, 2017
therisingblues wrote:Nice write up Booney. You've managed to encompass all the reasons I don't want the AFL influencing the SANFL. But when I post stuff like this on the other board I get accused of wearing a tin foil hat or worse. I think the key is to wait until things are unbearable.... And THEN complain. Us tin foilers are just ahead of the game.
Hopefully your post influences a few to give up AFL and strengthen the hand of our state league by turning up there. The answer IS obvious.
I said it a year ago or so on the SANFL threads somewhere that it is the perfect opportunity for the SANFL to take the initiative, in relation to the state of the game, and offer an alternative to the AFL and attract fans back to the Suburbs.
The SANFL is a dead as Carltons season. After a few more oldies walk away it will be nothing more than a feeder comp.
This scenario is definitely on the horizon, and with the AFL becoming more plastic than ever, the future of football in general looks bleak. SANFL could do with better promotion, but with two AFL reserve teams running around in that league, it's a hard sell. SANFL used to do much better when it had some level of independence from these plastic, clap-when-your-told-to, equal-rights-for-fatties,-rounds, don't-say-bum obsessed AFL. Pseudo said it before, and he hit the nail on the head, the AFL has no governing body, it IS IT'S OWN GOVERNING BODY, and it's approach is to sell, sell, sell without ever needing approval from a greater power concerned more about the good of the game, than making a few dollars.
The SANFL head honchos seem not fussed at the moment and are happy to let things die away unfortunately.
The AFL and $ell $ell is pretty much right. That where we are at now.
Read my reply. It is directed at you because you have double standards
therisingblues wrote:SANFL could do with better promotion, but with two AFL reserve teams running around in that league, it's a hard sell.
If the two AFL reserves sides leave the SANFL do you think a commercial free to air network will broadcast the league?
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Integrity of league and point of difference v AFL > FTA broadcast
Agreed RB. The SANFL's strong point was once the alternative it offered to this mess that Booney so eloquently laid out in his opening post. We were being broadcast on ABC in those days. I am strongly of the belief that losing the Magpies altogether would not be good for the SANFL. I was often impressed by their drawing power despite having an AFL side. That was before the reserves, and their crowd figures have dropped dramatically since then, although they recently drew good crowds to Sturt and then Norwood at Alberton, (most likely) because the Power hadn't a home game for about a month. It would have been nice for the Power to have better promoted those games, but I understand that's a very sensitive issue for some.
I'm gonna sit back, crack the top off a Pale Ale, and watch the Double Blues prevail
1915, 1919, 1926, 1932, 1940, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 2002, 2016, 2017
therisingblues wrote:SANFL could do with better promotion, but with two AFL reserve teams running around in that league, it's a hard sell.
If the two AFL reserves sides leave the SANFL do you think a commercial free to air network will broadcast the league?
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Integrity of league and point of difference v AFL > FTA broadcast
Doubled edge sword though, "better promotion" comes at a cost and if the league doesn't have the money to spend on that promotion then it can have all the integrity in the world, but it won't "sell".
therisingblues wrote:Agreed RB. The SANFL's strong point was once the alternative it offered to this mess that Booney so eloquently laid out in his opening post. We were being broadcast on ABC in those days. I am strongly of the belief that losing the Magpies altogether would not be good for the SANFL. I was often impressed by their drawing power despite having an AFL side. That was before the reserves, and their crowd figures have dropped dramatically since then, although they recently drew good crowds to Sturt and then Norwood at Alberton, (most likely) because the Power hadn't a home game for about a month. It would have been nice for the Power to have better promoted those games, but I understand that's a very sensitive issue for some.
Back in the day the reserves match of the day used to be televised live on channel 7, as did the Sunday league game on.
You used to be able to go to the match on Saturday afternoon and have enough time to get home to watch the replay after the news to see if you could see yourself in the crowd.
SANFL made my childhood something great, I was a Woodville supporter and would catch anything up to 2 buses and a train by myself as 12/13 year old to watch them and then mingle in the changerooms after the game with them while Blighty and Kevin Harris would be sucking on a dart, Andrew Taylor would be singing "Caravan of Love" at the top of his voice and kangaroo whipping unsuspecting team mates with his towel and then you'd look across and there's Richard Champion getting interviewed with a club polo on and completely starkers from the waist down.
therisingblues wrote:SANFL could do with better promotion, but with two AFL reserve teams running around in that league, it's a hard sell.
If the two AFL reserves sides leave the SANFL do you think a commercial free to air network will broadcast the league?
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Integrity of league and point of difference v AFL > FTA broadcast
Doubled edge sword though, "better promotion" comes at a cost and if the league doesn't have the money to spend on that promotion then it can have all the integrity in the world, but it won't "sell".
It sounds as though the league would save money if the broadcasts ceased.
Either way, TV is only one of a number of issues, and losing TV coverage shouldn't be seen as fatal to the SANFL given what it's survived over the last 30 years.
