AFL relying on the kindness of strangers in the west

[goswannie14]

This is an interesting article in The Age online today. I think the last guy makes sense.

But Dean Greethead, 35, who was wearing a NSW State of Origin jumper and described himself as a lifelong league fan, positively identified all three of the Swans. Greethead thought the new AFL team would go well.

"Not in the short term but I think in the long term, they [NRL] should be very worried," Greethead said. "A lot of people are getting sick of the NRL and all the rubbish that is going on with it. In general, I don't think the NRL does a lot with juniors. I don't think it does enough to promote the game in that sense."

AFL relying on the kindness of strangers in the west

[mcs]

interesting article overall. The AFL certainly I feel thinks the area is far closer to being ready then what it is, but I think that Greethead has got the right idea. Short term itll be a tough struggle for the new team, but if the AFL does it right then in the long run it will do alright. There is plenty of discontent within the ranks of NRL supporters generally I feel, and I really dont think those at League HQ have much idea about how to manage the game at all, let alone have enough forward thinking to plan in the long term.
I still think the AFL should be looking at a far longer term for a 2nd sydney team (Perhaps closer to 2015), and would be better off spent using the money and time at the moment to getting the message out about the game and building a presence in western sydney, especially in junior ranks. I feel the AFL has a far superior junior game (Auskick vs Junior RL/RU) and they run it far better. If they agressively spent 10 years pushing it hard in the Western suburbs of sydney I feel it could be far easier to establish the second sydney team, and would also allow the Swans another 10 years to further strengthen their market share.
For as well as the swans have be going, I still would like to see what happens if we hit a patch of 2 or 3 years when we really struggle. Id like to think that maybe what has happened so far this year that that is not going to happen anytime soon, but I dont think our market share is as strong as the AFL would like to believe it is.

[barry]

I wouldnt draw any conclusions from that article. An impromptu street poll says more about the journalists intentions than any accurate market survey.

[Zlatorog]

AFL must move very quickly to establish second teams in NSW and QLD, because of TV rights and have a chance that at least one team from those teams will be playing in the finals. Last year the ratings were very bad for AFL in northern states and AFL is weary that they might loose some of the big money they get in form of TV rights. I'm sure Ch 10 wasn't very happy with the ratings last year and had obviously told AFL about it hence this urge to expand even further. It probably doesn't make much sense to some people, but to be honest AFL cannot rely on VIC, SA and WA only to provide the bulk of the revenue for Ch 10, 7 and Foxtel TV rights. IMO this might be the major drive for this push. $750M+ is lots of money.

[Dunger]

Of course TV ratings in the northern states are going to be bad when the AFL and the TV networks won't back the sport in prime time slots.

IF we get a game, it's played late at night or it's delayed by half an hour , so online results come in handy and the TV is redundant.

Look at the first round, 7 and 10 replayed their respective games at 10:30 on a Thursday night. How can you watch 2 games at once?

Surely the AFL can negotiate a condition that at least one or two games a week are live to air (in Sydney or Brisbane) and go head to head with the NRL. Seriously, if they did it people would watch it. Both Friday night NRL games were floggings and over by half time. People who watch sport on TV want to watch a good contest, not their preferred code or their team getting flogged.


The set top ratings boxes are rigged anyway - I heard one guy who deliberately left his TV on a different channel when the AFL was on, even if he wasn't home. If one person does it, I'm sure there's more boofheads doing the same thing.

[Zlatorog]

I don't know whether it's rigged or not, but the point is that advertising dollars are following the ratings. No ratings, no money. Period.
I just can't see what else would drive AFL in allocating 2 more clubs in NSW and QLD. Maybe last year early exit o fteh Swans and Lions not playing in the finals was perhaps a wake up call? I don't know. Just a guess.

[cruiser]

A second team in Sydney needs an established support base or it will fail miserably (worse than the Brisbane Bears). It must be a relocated Melbourne team. Time to relocate the Western Bulldogs.

[stellation]

I don't think the NRL does a lot with juniors.

That's going to have a huge impact in 10 years time. Everyone I have spoken to, regardless of whether their kids are involved in it or not, have the understanding that Auskick is light years ahead of what any other code is doing.

How many kids will compete in the Paul Kelly cup this year that play another code on weekends? The AFL apparently sponsored Nippers last summer along the Northern Beaches, according to a parent I spoke to part of the agreement was that they came down a couple of times and ran the kids through some very basic Auskick stuff. Smart, smart, smart stuff.

[goswannie14]

This is the next installment in the establishment phase of Western Sydney's team.

Demetriou sells the west to Roos.

[floppinab]

This is the next installment in the establishment phase of Western Sydney's team.

Demetriou sells the west to Roos.

Something interesting from that article

"Demetriou mooted a "more radical, more innovative" method of accelerating the production of elite players in new markets, but would not provide details."

I'm guessing this means an expansion of the current scholarship scheme with a lot more $$$ put into it. Currently there's not a huge incentive for elite ball players to swap codes but put some more cash into it, that would make it more interesting

[stellation]

Maybe Andy should throw a bit of money into senior club footy in Sydney.