No-one posts here anymore...

[Pekay]

Ever consider that no-one, apart from those competing at that level, even give half a @@@@@@ about the Premier Division?

Ever consider that Premier Division isn't the only football played in Sydney?

Ever consider that Manly or UTS got sick of being the only two teams in the old 1st Division, and wanted to spread their wings?

Maybe consider the way it was pre-2009........the only teams with a realistic chance being UTS and Manly. Geez, that was fun to play against. Had they kept it that way, you'd have your precious Premier division and nothing else. Think outside the square a bit.

[mountainsofpain]

Sydney footy hasn't drawn crowds for as long as I've been around, and probably for decades before that. Any decrease in crowd numbers due to divisionalisation is more than offset by an increase in player numbers.

The arrival of the Swans was the beginning of the end of crowds (and interest) in Sydney footy. There used to be a photo at the AFL headquarters years ago of an SFL grand final at Trumper Park in the late 60s I think - with the entire hill side of the ground packed. Those were the days of crowds.

We haven't had decent numbers attending Sydney footy for many a year. Nor have we had any substantial interest in the senior game here for a long time.

I find it a bit strange to see suggestions we are having a dropoff in either in recent years when you are starting from such a low base.

[mountainsofpain]

Ever consider that no-one, apart from those competing at that level, even give half a @@@@@@ about the Premier Division?

Ever consider that Premier Division isn't the only football played in Sydney?

Ever consider that Manly or UTS got sick of being the only two teams in the old 1st Division, and wanted to spread their wings?

Maybe consider the way it was pre-2009........the only teams with a realistic chance being UTS and Manly. Geez, that was fun to play against. Had they kept it that way, you'd have your precious Premier division and nothing else. Think outside the square a bit.

That's the problem.

Some people think Sydney senior football starts and ends with the Premier Division.

They have zero appreciation for the senior game as a whole in Sydney.

Whilst PD should still be the focus, it doesn't mean that the health of the game at lower levels isn't vitally important, because it is.

[tara]

The thing that killed the crowds in Sydney was rugby league going from one day a weekend to two. Prior to this both sports were played on seperate days and there were healthy crowds. That was decades ago though.

[Benchwarmer]

From what I've seen around the traps, what causes the loss of club spirit is when the seniors are getting belted every week.
Divisionalisation has helped, in that more clubs have a realistic chance of getting a senior premiership - and the feeling around the club when the seniors are finals contenders does help boost numbers. We've seen clubs like Moorebank and Penrith take on extra teams on the back of that.
But when the seniors are getting flogged every week, it doesn't help morale; and it spreads through the club, especially when it happens nearly every week for several years in a row.
That's why the number of lopsided games in Premier Division is a concern; and why extending promotion and relegation to Premier Division may be helpful. All clubs go through phases where they bottom out, but if they can have competitive games while they bottom out, it does help them to regroup and get back to the top division as a stronger club.

Norris, you have nailed it on both points.
Couldnt agree more.

[ShortHalfHead]

Slightly amused that a thread entitled "No-one posts here anymore" is up to the fifth page in no time at all. Maybe someone should start a thread "No-one goes to footy anymore" and see a sudden surge. Might put on our own website "No-one comes to training anymore".

But I agree, Norris has spoken the truth.

[Pekay]

Might put on our own website "No-one comes to training anymore".

But I agree, Norris has spoken the truth.

We share that common affliction of training at the foot of the mountains..........the temperature range last night was 1-3 degrees at Bensons, not counting wind chill out of the Grose Valley. Bitterly cold doesn't even come close to describing it.

[Norris Lurker]

Slightly amused that a thread entitled "No-one posts here anymore" is up to the fifth page in no time at all. Maybe someone should start a thread "No-one goes to footy anymore" and see a sudden surge. Might put on our own website "No-one comes to training anymore".

Maybe I've been wasting too much time on Facebook lately; but that comment had me looking for the "like" button.

[justabaraker]

Sydney footy hasn't drawn crowds for as long as I've been around, and probably for decades before that. Any decrease in crowd numbers due to divisionalisation is more than offset by an increase in player numbers.

Yes, I've been wondering where all these Sydney AFL "crowds" were before they disappeared. And just when it was that we used to get big crowds.
We did a bit of a survey at our club and found that there are THREE people who turn up who are from the general public (ie - not players. past players or family). Another THREE used to play or have a son who used to play and the dads still turn up. All other spectators have a son/boyfriend playing this season.
I'd be interested if contributors to this forum did a little head count and posted the results.

I've been involved with the Sydney AFL for 19 years and I can't remember when the "crowd profile" was anything other than what it is now.
So the notion that crowds are dwindling is a little hard to figure

[Hard Times]

Not been around long enough to recall big crowds but what I have seen from 2002 to 2012 is a drop from 50 - 80 people down to 8 - 18 if you exclude officials. Probably a lot can be attributed to Clubs not all playing at the one venue all day. Personally disappointed but maybe I don't understand what is important for Sydney football.

[unconfuseme]

If you have your Senior side and your Ressies playing at the same time and on the opposite side of town, there's 30 or 40 people missing from the potential crowd at each of those games.

So we get smaller crowds, but more spread of flags.

... and NO-ONE from any Sydney club, other than Sydney Uni or ECE (and not many of them I would guess) is going to watch a NEAFL game either.

[chatovadafloor]

It would be interesting to see from all clubs if there revenues have increased or decreased since the start of the spliting of games.

[justabaraker]

... and NO-ONE from any Sydney club, other than Sydney Uni or ECE (and not many of them I would guess) is going to watch a NEAFL game either.

Yes UNCONFUSEME, correct - attendance at the NEAFL games is even worse than at Sydney AFL games...a few mums and dads, couple of girlfriends, fini.
ECE has a few barackers, perhaps 20, (mostly on the days when there is another game before or after) but Sydney Uni doesn't seem to have many supporters for ANY of their teams - just ask the other team's timekeeper about how good Uni is at rustling up a timekeeper !
The Canberra NEAFL teams come up to Sydney by coach (other than Tuggeranong) so the mums and dads don't come (and of course the players are older and more independent anyway) - there might be five or six supporters of a Canberra NEAFL team in Sydney.
Imagine the canteen takings on those days !

[Pekay]

Yes UNCONFUSEME, correct - attendance at the NEAFL games is even worse than at Sydney AFL games...a few mums and dads, couple of girlfriends, fini.
ECE has a few barackers, perhaps 20, (mostly on the days when there is another game before or after) but Sydney Uni doesn't seem to have many supporters for ANY of their teams - just ask the other team's timekeeper about how good Uni is at rustling up a timekeeper !
The Canberra NEAFL teams come up to Sydney by coach (other than Tuggeranong) so the mums and dads don't come (and of course the players are older and more independent anyway) - there might be five or six supporters of a Canberra NEAFL team in Sydney.
Imagine the canteen takings on those days !

You'd think a bit of foresight and thinking outside the box would occur here......you have Blacktown, magnificent facilities being underused. Why not play a NEAFL game under lights, and have Premier Div/Prem 18/Div 1/Div2 'match of the rounds' all on the same ground, same day? At least some residuals would hang around, make a better atmosphere.

Same with GFs in my opinion, play all grades on the same day. Premier/Div 1/Div 2/Prem 18s on main ground, Div 3/Div 4/Div 5/18s Div 2 on the back ground. Keep the Prems game at a standalone time, watch the hill fill up all arvo. Just a thought.

[KTigers]

Justabaraker, you obviously weren't at Sydney Uni last Saturday evening. There were about 100 people watching the U18s game between Uni and Penrith.
And while I'm here, full credit to the Penrith boys for showing up week in, week out despite losing by massive margins. They obviously include a number of players who haven't played a lot of footy and the mach was played in good pirit despited the lopsided scoreline. And the NEAFL game between Uni and
SHE that was played just before the 18s had a similar crowd.