Thursday night games at the SCG

[Jewels]

Geez what a pack of sooks ! Considering attendance levels so far at the SCG so far this year I'm tipping a crowd of 8,000 the way you lot are carrying on! . You'll miss out on a an hour of sleep to attend a cracking footy game on a Thursday night. Big deal

Ugg simply asked our opinion on the scheduling and the feed back has been overwhelmingly negative. I think its extremely unfair to travelling Melbourne based Swans fans as well as Geelong fans and a game that should be a sellout will struggle to get a crowd of 30,000. Perhaps in Melbourne with two Melbourne based teams it would work quite well, but I don't think Sydney is the correct place for it.

From my perspective, I'm lucky in that I can pick and choose when I work so I simply choose not to work on Friday, but if this was ten years ago when I didn't have that luxury and my children were all still at school, then I would have to have missed the game as the logistics would just be too hard.

[Matt80]

It is strange, when did they make that switch? It's not really ingrained in our culture down south/west. I know up north NRL has monday night games. Let them have it. I can say as fox footy subscriber, i've not watched one Monday night game this season (at least our Thursday night game is decent match up). Monday is prime US tv night, game of thrones, mad men etc...

I Googled NFL Monday Night Football and was staggered. It began in 1970 and has been running for 44 years. It?s regarded as one of the most successful and longest running T.V programs in US T.V history.We were still playing football on muddy, run-down grounds only on a Saturday afternoons in 1970.

I think Australian society needs to get with the program and start embracing innovation like the Yanks do. They do all the same things on Tuesday morning s as Australians do.

Enjoy the Football however it comes. Tape ?Revenge? or ?Q and A? if you want to watch the Football. If you can?t make the game, simply watch it on T.V and enjoy.

[dimelb]

As I said in another thread, I think these excursions into Thursday and Monday night football came from the TV powers leaning on the AFL; they don't particularly care about crowds, they want filler. Again, part of what Gillon McLachlan will have to give second thoughts to when he considers the trend and the future for AFL.

And personally I don't like the change either, nor do I have any desire to copy the US pattern.

[desredandwhite]

I think the main difference is that in the US, it is super hard to get a ticket to the game, and if you do, it's expensive so you pretty much have to go. They also get massive ratings for their MNF because of this. I also get the impression that compared to over here, comparatively few fans travel to away games.

When we're trying to get more people to the games and build up the profile of the sport, I believe that having a family-friendly, CONSISTENT range of timeslots for game scheduling would do more than weird Monday or thursday night games.

[CJK]

I think Australian society needs to get with the program and start embracing innovation like the Yanks do.

lucille-bluth close door.jpg

[Matt80]

As I said in another thread, I think these excursions into Thursday and Monday night football came from the TV powers leaning on the AFL; they don't particularly care about crowds, they want filler. Again, part of what Gillon McLachlan will have to give second thoughts to when he considers the trend and the future for AFL.

And personally I don't like the change either, nor do I have any desire to copy the US pattern.

T.V ratings is what makes the difference. The NRL can hardly pull a crowd but they get huge volumes of revenue from T.V deals. If Monday and Thursday nights get great T.V ratings then I'm all for it.

I'm sure the fans who don't like going to Monday or Thursday night games will understand that it's in the best interests of the AFL to get bigger and better TV rights deals. This money allows us to put more Auskick practitioners into Schools to grow the game.

[Swansongster]

I think the main difference is that in the US, it is super hard to get a ticket to the game, and if you do, it's expensive so you pretty much have to go. They also get massive ratings for their MNF because of this. I also get the impression that compared to over here, comparatively few fans travel to away games.

When we're trying to get more people to the games and build up the profile of the sport, I believe that having a family-friendly, CONSISTENT range of timeslots for game scheduling would do more than weird Monday or thursday night games.

I don't think this is true. I was in New Orleans the night before the Saints played Oakland and there were (literally) Raiders fans everywhere. Not a room anywhere in town. Not a vacant seat at any bar or restaurant in the French quarter and Bourbon Street was jam-packed all night. New Orleans maybe a more popular destination than an away game to Cincinnati or Cleveland (or Oakland for that matter) but Saints home games are huge tourism business for the locals.

Back on top; I could not come to this game from Melbourne because it is a Thursday but I sure as hell love the idea of watching it on the Teev tomorrow night. As a blockbuster game, I am sure it will rate through the roof in Melbourne and Sydney while still drawing a good crowd. These are the games that we can expect to see on Thursdays or Mondays - good TV raters that are still able to pull a crowd.

[magic.merkin]

haha @ AD pic.

Just because the yanks do it, doesn't mean its right or wrong. As said attending their games is not the same culture as ours. So yeah most just watch and go to bed. We can't half fill our stadiums at times which earns us cash. Making the time slots less desirable for actually being there will be a detriment to our clubs bottom line.

Also i guess the TV rights/gambling is just to high a demand to ignore. The AFL likes to potray itself as more grass roots and family friendly than NFL. So i just can't see how this all fits.

Our culture is changing from going to a game to viewing on tv, and I don't think it's a positive unless every game is a sellout.

[magic.merkin]

T.V ratings is what makes the difference. The NRL can hardly pull a crowd but they get huge volumes of revenue from T.V deals. If Monday and Thursday nights get great T.V ratings then I'm all for it.

I'm sure the fans who don't like going to Monday or Thursday night games will understand that it's in the best interests of the AFL to get bigger and better TV rights deals. This money allows us to put more Auskick practitioners into Schools to grow the game.

Agreed on some points, i guess results will be in the pudding. it's very much a personal preference.

I have more important things to do mid week than footy (and that really is saying something as a die hard). That's just my opinion, and i'd rather not have to choose/miss out at times. The weekend is hard enough, with weddings, birthdays yadda yadda yadda

[ernie koala]

[QUOTE=Swansongster;641932]I don't think this is true. I was in New Orleans the night before the Saints played Oakland and there were (literally) Raiders fans everywhere. Not a room anywhere in town. Not a vacant seat at any bar or restaurant in the French quarter and Bourbon Street was jam-packed all night. New Orleans maybe a more popular destination than an away game to Cincinnati or Cleveland (or Oakland for that matter) but Saints home games are huge tourism business for the locals.

WHO DAT !

My brother lives in New Orleans...It's like that every week the Saints play at home.

Americans love to travel in their own country and the Crescent City is a No. 1 destination.

[Matt80]

The Yanks also have a greater population with less professional football teams to follow

There are 32 professional NFL teams per 280 million of population. We have 22 million people supporting 18 AFL teams, 5 Super Rugby Teams, 10 Soccer Teams and 14 NRL Teams. That's a total of 47 professional Football teams per 22 million population. The Yanks have an extremely vibrant college football system and a professional Soccer competition.

Australia is a heavily saturated marked compared to the USA. That may explain why you never see empty seats at an NFL game.

We must compete like hungry dogs for any fans or any T.V audience.

[Claret]

MNF is big in the States as it was the first timeslot that was not Sunday afternoon, hence huge interest from the get-go which has remained ingrained in their culture.

Reading this thread is a tad emabarassing. Sure, not everybody can go, but nor can everybody attend Saturday arvo games. Just because it doesn't suit you doesn't make it wrong.

My two girls under the age of 8 have been under strict instructions to be unconscious every night this week by 8pm or there is no footy for them. They are excited to oblige. The game is starting earlier than normal so they will be in bed before 11. I think we can cope with that once a year!

Instead of complaining, try getting excited for one of our biggest games of the year!

[magic.merkin]

And here I was thinking we were asked for a personal opinion on tomorrow night and future seasons.

[Claret]

I'm playing basketball at 8.45pm. WHAT ABOUT ME!???!?!!

I would suggest that more people play Saturday afternoon sport than basketball at 8.45pm on Thursdays. WHAT ABOUT THEM?!?!?

That is my opinion.

[magic.merkin]

I would suggest that more people play Saturday afternoon sport than basketball at 8.45pm on Thursdays. WHAT ABOUT THEM?!?!?

That is my opinion.

They only have kids comps on Saturday afternoons

Adults play Sunday night through Thursday night.

See the senselessness in the changes!?!??!

*Not sure if tongue in cheek coming across....*