The AFL is killing footy

[dimelb]

At the game on Saturday I carried on to mrs d and ms d because i couldn't hear what they were saying. I read the paper when we got home and found this:

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/how-the-afl-is-killing-footy-for-the-fans-20150508-ggw7di.html

Today there were several letters griping about the same thing.

AFL: Loud music, spruiking silence football fans

I'd bet good money that most on this site would agree. Does anything similar happen at SCG, ANZ, Spotless?

[CureTheSane]

I'll probably make it to one of two games this year.
I travel a lot so only have a couple of options - 5 or 6 in Melbourne doesn't leave much scope for being available for mare than that.
I've found that I've happily slipped into what the AFL want me to do, and that is watch the games on TV.

Most games which are being played in Melbourne are shown live or delayed on FTA so I'm guessing most people decide not top venture out in the middle of winter and put some pies in the oven at home.

The AFL seemed to decide 10 years or so ago that the future was in televised rights etc.
Which is why equity and Collingwood should never be mentioned in the same sentence, as they have the vast majority of their games taking advantage of what the AFL sees as the new "mother lode"

[Sandridge]

I don't mind the music so much but those electronic advertising signs around the fences are a blight on the game and an awful distraction - which they're meant to be of course!

Remember when the VFL/AFL would entertain us pre-match by giving us another game of footy? Really miss the ressies before the main game!

[ScottH]

I don't mind a bit of music before the siren. I like the music they play.

At ANZ in round one it was super loud drums.
I found it very disturbing and I only have low end hearing issues.
For people who are worse off it would be very disturbing.

[bodgie]

Going to the footy is not as much fun as it used to be. Its a controlled consumer experience.

[ScottH]

Actually the thing that REALLY annoyed me on Saturday was the changing signs around the ground.
New to the MG this year, it is very distracting.

I know other ground already have it, and I find it just as distracting and annoying on TV.

[CureTheSane]

I noticed on TV a (I think) NAB electronic boundary sign which had a yellow football bouncing around during play.
Surely distracting to some players...

[AnnieH]

I don't mind the music at the SCG... other than the team songs, we only really get two blasts; one for the Cyggy dance (where everyone gets up and dances for their chance to make it on the big screen) and the other is "Up there for Sydney", which is a bit of a sing-a-long.
There's some bloke that talks before the game up on the big screen... he comes back at half time to pick a CITI winner (hold up the banner for a grand).
All in all, an entertaining day for everyone.

[Mel_C]

Do they have those flashing electronic signs at the SCG with Swans specific graphics? At the MCG they are on 2 levels and on Saturday night they were distracting. I also went on Friday night but it wasn't as bad because the Collingwood colours are black and white so it wasn't too bright.

I think supporters are fed up with the gimmicks and just want to see the football. On Friday they had fireworks when the pies went through the banner. Then they had the Collingwooooooooood chant through the speakers and not one supporter joined in. All I heard were comments from supporters wanting the game to start.

[Kelpie_X]

I noticed on TV a (I think) NAB electronic boundary sign which had a yellow football bouncing around during play.
Surely distracting to some players...

And dogs

[AnnieH]

Do they have those flashing electronic signs at the SCG with Swans specific graphics? At the MCG they are on 2 levels and on Saturday night they were distracting. I also went on Friday night but it wasn't as bad because the Collingwood colours are black and white so it wasn't too bright.

I think supporters are fed up with the gimmicks and just want to see the football. On Friday they had fireworks when the pies went through the banner. Then they had the Collingwooooooooood chant through the speakers and not one supporter joined in. All I heard were comments from supporters wanting the game to start.

Something flashes... I'm not sure what. I don't take that much notice to the advertising around the ground.
The piped Collingwood chant was just creepy.
Hope we never do that.

[dimelb]

Others are taking up the cudgels and whacking the AFL around the head. First, Greg Baum says you will have a gameday experience whether you want to or not:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/gameday-no-experience-necessary-20150515-gh2qug.html

Then Martin Flanagan chimes in with this disclosure of what the AFL is doing to Tasmanian football:

AFL marketing fiction of its own making, with flashing lights

I hope the inmates at AFL House start to take notice of this, prise the fingers of the US-infected PR merchants off the game and put it back in the hands of the ordinary punters who made the game originally.

[Mel_C]

One introduction that I saw last Saturday night that I really liked was having the numbers of the players that were on the interchange listed on the level above the bench. If I was trying to find Buddy or Parker etc I could check the numbers and see if they were on the bench. You would also know when the sub is made...although with Heeney's injury it didn't really matter last week.

[Xie Shan]

I've noticed in recent years it's become harder to have a conversation at half-time, the PA system is so loud now.

[cos789]

There is no doubt that the AFL has focus on AFL first and football second.
There are numerous examples of the AFL taking the AFL team perspective over football with NO NETT GAIN.
Ban affiliations so second tier competitions return to being legitmate.
Ensure every AFL ground has an external warmup ground so we can return to realistic curtain-raisers.
Re-instate curtain-raisers to encourage the earlier filling of stadia and to promote non AFL football..
Move electronic signage to upper levels because it IS distracting to spectators and players.
And above all remember we come primarily to watch football. Everything else should be secondary.
We rather kick the football on the oval rather than watch/hear some promotion.