Swans still not in league league

[Bas]

Latest article from Richard Hind:

Swans still not in league's league

I can never quite work out if this guy is for the Swans or not.

When you look at the television ratings in Sydney compared to the crowd then it is disasterous. "An average audience of just 65,661 in Sydney watched the game shown live by Seven". That is seriously pathetic when you compare to how many were watching the league game. That is serious television advertising dollars and why Channel 7 shows Friday night football early on Saturday morning. There is a risk that they won't show Swans games because there is nothing in it for them. The AFL is probably paying back money to Ch 7 so they can show the game. I'm sure that is going on under the table.

Sure, you can throw up the old chestnut that it is a sunny day in Sydney and people chose to do something else. There is the disaster, the people chose to do something else instead of coming to the game.

[stellation]

League gets better ratings than footy in Sydney, it's the way it is. Highlighting the Swans ratings were poor in comparison to a league game, whilst not highlighting the league crowd was poor in comparison to the Swans game (which he is making a point was a poor crowd for the Swans) is kind of amusing.

I don't really see it as too much of panic stations- 65,661 people in Sydney watched a daytime telecast of a game featuring 1 team from Sydney only while 339,795 watched a prime time league game featuring 2 teams from Sydney. I'd be more interested in seeing what the ratings figures were for 1 team from Sydney vs. a team from outside NSW broadcast during the afternoon.

[Cheer Squad]

The article raises a number of reasonable points.

Obviously our TV ratings are quite poor, and they've been that way for some time now. I don't think they'll improve until there's a general sense in Sydney that we're genuine contenders again.

I also think he's right about GWS taking oxygen away from our publicity. We need our own Israel Folau-type personality.

Come back, Barry, all is forgiven!

[jono2707]

Richard Hind is pretty much pro-Swans and pro-AFL, but he'll call it as he sees it. This article was an interesting read and I agree with the sentiments. Sydney is primarily a league town and those of us who follow the AFL and the Swans are certainly in the (priveliged and enlightened) minority. For all the great things the Swans have achieved over the last number of years, we should be getting more bums on seats and more support in general. Sunday's attendance at our non-home ground was poor and shows the lack of traction the Swans have in Sydney. Its a bit of a worry and I don't see the GWS circus helping us as much as some others do.

[msb]

Richard Hind is pretty much pro-Swans and pro-AFL, but he'll call it as he sees it. This article was an interesting read and I agree with the sentiments. Sydney is primarily a league town and those of us who follow the AFL and the Swans are certainly in the (priveliged and enlightened) minority. For all the great things the Swans have achieved over the last number of years, we should be getting more bums on seats and more support in general. Sunday's attendance at our non-home ground was poor and shows the lack of traction the Swans have in Sydney. Its a bit of a worry and I don't see the GWS circus helping us as much as some others do.

Its been a bit of a worry for 29 years since we went to sydney!...the afl should just accept that this city is rugby through and through and have the swans up there only, who IMO have done incredibly well to get together a loyal supporter base where the days of around 5,000-10,000 going to a game are gone (hopefully anyway). We still draw heaps bigger crowds than the rugby anyway and membership, what more is wanted???

[ugg]

Hinds is a well known Collingwood supporter. Since he writes for the SMH, he has written a lot about the Swans. I think most are fairly pro-Swans but sometimes he slips in a sly dig here and there. I think having the first home game at ANZ is not a good idea as a lot of casual supporters wouldn't have a clue that the season has started. Unfortunately due to the cricket the SCG is unavailable this early (although I wonder how we managed to get it for R1 2005?) so perhaps we just have to live with it for a while.

[jono2707]

Its been a bit of a worry for 29 years since we went to sydney!...the afl should just accept that this city is rugby through and through and have the swans up there only, who IMO have done incredibly well to get together a loyal supporter base where the days of around 5,000-10,000 going to a game are gone (hopefully anyway). We still draw heaps bigger crowds than the rugby anyway and membership, what more is wanted???

It is a worry especially with the AFL talking their 'winning the hearts and minds of Western Sydney' claptrap with GWS. A few hearts have been won over the years with the Swans but we are still a rugby league town here.

[CJK]

Article made sense to me - attendance and rating were terrible.

[ShockOfHair]

Hinds is one of the better sportswriters around, and is actually quite funny. I like the crack about Hunt getting a neck injury.

He makes a good point about the Swans omerta media policy, which guaranteed the team a low profile. Since the hiring of Jennifer McAsey 18 months ago that's gone out the window, thank God.

Does anyone know if our crowd and TV audiences have grown at all ? I get the impression that they're flat, except for the odd final.

[satchmopugdog]

The article doesn't take into account the Australia wide viewing audience of our game as compared to the australia wide viewing audience of the league game.
I would never expect AFL to be the premier footy code in Sydney or not in my life time. The recession is really only starting to bite big time in Australia so that affects memberships and attendances. I know I had to weigh up between re-newing my membership and eating and so I let mine lapse for the first time in 14 years. Also I won't be able to afford to go to the mainland to watch any game notlike inpast years when I could get to 3 or 4. I am only one small fish in the sea but if multiplied by other people in my circumstances it starts to bite.

Basically what I am saying is the problem is not about comparisons between AFL and League but the forces in society in general

[msb]

It is a worry especially with the AFL talking their 'winning the hearts and minds of Western Sydney' claptrap with GWS. A few hearts have been won over the years with the Swans but we are still a rugby league town here.

Ok, rugby league sorry....its all rugby to me anyway, a horrible, boring game that it is.

[BSA5]

One major problem is that there is no advertising. I'd be willing to bet plenty of people who take an interest but aren't exactly die-hards like we are would flick on if they knew the game was happening, but they don't. The advertising for Swans games in Sydney is frankly pathetic. I still haven't gotten over the final against the Roos out at ANZ. The first ad I saw for that game was at the pub.... after I'd got back from Homebush! And then another one 15 minutes later. It was bewildering. Didn't see an ad all week, then saw two after the game had already been played.

Also, in Sydney, only the real fans watch AFL. If you're a young bloke from Sydney who likes a bit of both codes, and you wanna grab a beer and watch some footy with your mates, chances are most of your mates are League fans rather than Aussie Rules fans. So even if you like both equally, you're always going to watch more League.

The AFL really needs to splash out on advertising. Also, a new approach to branding the game would be beneficial. Showing highlight reels with cool music is all very well and good, but it's not going to resonate with your typical Sydney League fan. They know what the sport looks like already, watching a few cool highlights isn't going to convert them. I reckon an ad campaign which focuses on the everyday aspects of sitting down and watching the footy, Australian Rules footy, whether it be with beer and mates, with your husband/wife, with your family, over dinner, the lone fanatic kid with the face pressed up to the TV, etc. Redefine footy not as just another thing on TV, but a part of life, and something that can be a part of your life.

Anyway, that's my advertising/marketing advice.

[Triple B]

If you're a young bloke from Sydney who likes a bit of both codes, and you wanna grab a beer and watch some footy with your mates, chances are most of your mates are League fans rather than Aussie Rules fans. So even if you like both equally, you're always going to watch more League.

BSA5, your whole post is excellent, but this is the part that is very very relevant.

My nephew came with me to watch games from his early teens, loved the games. He was also a keen follower of League which most sporty teens in Sydney are, but being a young bloke, his Mum (my sister) was always happier to see him come to watch the Swans with me. As he got older, left school and started working he was obviously well old enough to go where he liked and drifted away from the Swans and off to watch Parramatta.

Now this had nothing to do with not liking the Swans anymore but everything to do with getting out with his mates on a weekend and having a few bevvies and chasing some skirt. Therein lies the problem most young fellas that age have, most of their mates follow league and if you want to do what young blokes do, it's off to the league.

I'm pleased to announce he is now in his early 30's and whilst not settled down with a wife and kids, the pull of the 'bevvies and skirt' is not as strong as it once was and after attending most of the games with me the past few years joined as a member this year and is well and truly back on board.

[DLBIA14]

Hinds is one of my favourite journos actually. Always satiric and generally has a good grasp on the realities of AFL in Sydney. If only the administration of the game could take their blinkers off and realise that the introduction of GWS probably wasn't the best option at this stage.

The promotion of the game up hear is quite dreadful. The media gives them nothing and every time GWS opens its fat mouth and allows all those News Ltd grubs to propagate the 'us vs. them myth', there is no doubt in my mind that the Swans suffer too.

[happy]

i dont think it has much to do with marketing and/or promotion personally. afl in this town is simply not taken seriously. your average sydney bloke who is primarily interested in league but who is open to having a look at afl is simply not going to have the ability to flick over to afl during the odd boring league game. because the game is simply not on. it is my contention - and i do rant constantly about this - that afl will never happen in sydney until it is taken seriously on tv. there are absolutely no casually interested people who will stay up until 2am to watch a game they arent even sure they like.

of course if they have fox it is a different story. but the sydney market has been screwed over the last few years and the afl will suffer because of it. it has happened to the a-league, which is only available on fox due to some licensing agreements ... there was an early interest for the first few seasons but crowds are in decline there - why? - because your average punter never sees it - if they are already a fan they have fox, or meet their mates at the pub to watch it ... but you dont need to convert these people - they are already fans..

if you want fans in sydney it needs to be accessible - i am a fan because my dad took me out to games in the early days of the swans and it has stuck with me (i have also never really liked league much) ... i am a fan because it was made available to me ...

the consequences of this and the coverage is that "serious" football people deride sydney fans for only knowing (or rather barely knowing) their team .. but seriously there are no other teams on tv at prime times...

i think afl will eventually take off in sydney despite all of this, however I think the AFL needs to force free to air rights holders to show the games live in sydney - and 7 and 10 need to freakin man up and play it head to head with the league on 9 - they will cop a hiding in the short term but it is - in my opinion - an investment in the future ...

-endeth the rant-