AFL Once Again Snubs WAFL

[hassa]

Once again I am totally disgusted by the AFL's treatment of Western Australian Football. Andrew Demetriou stated 2 years ago we (the WAFL) had to be more flexible and experiment with our fixturing with the introduction of Saturday Arvo AFL games in Perth. The WAFL has been experimenting for a few years now; Sunday games, Friday Night games... all with minimal success. It is always us that has to move around what the AFL wants. Yet I believe no AFL football is beamed into Victoria on Saturday arvos.... must keep their home turf protected and as usual as they shaft WA and SA not giving a cr*p about state competitions. Crowd attendances in the WAFL have declined by 18% purely due to Saturday arvo AFL games.

I have less of a problem if the WAFC received monetary compensation for this decline of the WAFL crowds due to the AFL Saturday games. 100 million dollars per annum they received from the fox deal and not one extra cent is given to the WAFL in compensation.

The Dockers & Eagles prop up WA football with 70% of their profits (when they make them) going to the WAFC. I think the AFL puts in a pathetic $1 million. Yet the Victorian AFL sides don't pay one single cracker towards football development - who's getting shafted? WA yet again.

Let's hope the WAFC/SANFL negoitate with the AFL and demand a tripling of the draft fees to around $180,000 per draftee rather than the 60 odd thousand now received. It seems these draft fees have increased annually only by the CPI yet everything else in football has risen greatly - including costs!

AFL, it's just the VFL. What gets me is that we West Australians lay down for them time and time again. We should have the same attitude as the Croweaters - we should HATE them. What if the Brisbanes, Sydneys, Port, Adelaide, WCE and Freo threatened to pull out of the AFL and form another division? How I would like to see that... be interesting to see how many Vic clubs would then survive if the non-Victorian clubs also implemented increased amounts for transfer/draft fees? But then who gives a sh*t about the AFL Victorian sides.... I certainly don't because they don't give a sh*t about us....

The thing people fail to realise is that if you play Friday night games then the colts & reserves have to be played the next day. This adds extra an extra burdon on the support staff (trainers, physios, doctors, runners, scoreboard people) as they have to make themselves available twice in a weekend which can be hard on their families. I am also not convinced the lighting at our WAFL grounds is up to scratch - certainly Peel's lights aren't. Freo oval & the Arena are not the most comfortable venue on a cold night either...

The answer is simple - have the AFL games played on Friday nights and Sundays. From memory Friday AFL football in Perth was extremely popular previously - before the Victorians became greedy once again and ensured Friday games were only played in Victoria. Sunday games for the WAFL has been slammed by the players/supporters as then have to recover from the games at work. Also it limits the team celebrations and functions a club can hold because people are less likely to have a few drinks on a Sunday night - once again less bar takings - and therefore less income for the WAFL clubs...

Simple, the WAFC makes a stand and bans AFL Saturday arvo games making Subiaco Oval unavailable. Tell the AFL to go sh*g themselves - this is the way footy is in the West... just wish it would happen! Mr Fong - put the pressure back on the AFL...

The AFL, which is really just the VFL, really Sh*t me:mad: :mad:

[mud n blood]

yep ! :mad:

(And this from a Brizzo ....)

[Port Adelaide 1870]

I've said it once and I'll say it again..

The former VFL waltzed into WA and the WAFL on a spur of the moment board decision decided to throw out over 100 years of WA footballing tradition.......

The VFL have no concern for football in WA nor SA..None...the have concern for the two teams that play in their comp from both states.

It is simply despicable what has happened to such proud and mighty clubs such as East Fremantle, West Perth, Souths in the wake of this Eagles/Dockers AFL admission..

East Fremantle were at one period in their History..The most successful and powerful football club in Australia dominating all comers from SA and Vic..yet they are relegated to an almost beggar outfit now...and patronized by a none recognition by VFL history..

How Dare the AFL do what they have done!!


PA1870:mad:

[hassa]

Let's have a look at the AFL fixtures 2003 for South Australian teams. There are 3 Saturday afternoon matches in Adelaide this season, 2 port, 1 adelaide. This makes a total of 8 Saturday arvo matches in 2003 with SA teams involved in 5 away.

Now the WA clubs. They are involved in a total of 13 Saturday arvo matches - 7 at home, 6 away. Compare that to the SA caper and who is getting ripped of? WA of course!

Because of the delayed telecast, when awat WA teams Sat arvo matches are telecast at midday in WA but that still affects attendances as they don't finish until the WAFL 1st quarter is complete.

Let the AFL explain that? Sometimes I wish I was a South Australian football supporter.... at least you stand up to the AFL :mad:

[Port Adelaide 1870]

Is it true the WAFL will be renamed AFLWA as of 2003 ?

[FISH]

good thread you are spot on with pretty much everything there i'd didn't realise you have so many afl games pushed into the sat timeslot but rest asurred the the afl has little or no intrest in our leagues execpt for the raping and pillaging of our young stars !:mad:

[Port Adelaide 1870]

Originally posted by hassa

Sometimes I wish I was a South Australian football supporter.... at least you stand up to the AFL :mad:

Hassa, I believe unless we get people with ONLY the SANFL at heart, once Max Basheer and Leigh Whicker are gone, all the youngsters coming through the system will have grown up with AFL, History / Propoganda / Product / Philosophy, embedded deep in their psyche..their objective will be to follow the gravy train to AFL house.......

.( yes of course they'll talk about honour, being men of character and being judged on that, yes they'll say they have SANFL at heart its traditions, history etc, but they will know where ultimately their bread will be buttered in the glamorous populist sense..it certainly wont be as a perceived nobody in a regional local comp......recognition "and TV exposure", which lets face it drives so many of the wannabes these days...is with the AFL )

It will soon be over here at Rourke's Drift too.

PA1870:( :mad:

[timelord]

Have to add my two cents worth to this!

I think it's about time the AFL started to act with more common sense towards the fans on this issue of when to play matches!

Look at it this way. Victoria is the only state that top level footy has always been on Saturday. When the ill fated SAFA was introduced in 1978, they played on Sunday from the start - the VFA was on Saturday until they shifted to get away from the VFL.

In WA country footy has been always on Sunday, to avoid the WAFL. In fact - except the Sunday FL - metro footy in Perth has always been on Saturday. But the rest of the state has been on Sunday.

The trouble is that the TV coverage is driving people nuts - all over the shop. Now this is the way that it should be!

1. ALL Friday night matches should be non Victorian, involving a Victorian club. That way Melbourne has a live Friday night game.
2. All Victorian derbies to be played on Saturday - subject to ground availability (it might need Sunday purely because of that)
3. All Sydney and Brisbane home games should be ranged against the NRL (if the Broncos are at home then the Lions should be as well at the same time).
4. If one must have Saturday matches in Adelaide or Perth then they should be when there's a state league break (ie Easter or the Queens Birthday - Foundation Day in WA). Hey! How about an interstate match as a curtain raiser to either a Western Derby or a Showdown?

Basically I think the WAFL do need to stand up to the AFL more. I think the difference is that the WAFC have more to do directly with the Dockers and the Eagles than the SANFL have to do with the Crows and the Power. That doesn't mean to say that the SANFL have NOTHING to do with them but they have less to do with them. They don't rely on them. The WAFC do - and in the process all the money for ground work is going to Subiaco when grounds like Claremont BADLY need work (or so I hear).

On the lights, I agree. Joondalup is not a warm night venue. Freo is not so bad. Norwood is a great night venue - except when the sun gets in your eyes while watching the Magoos (or trying to!!). Couldn't comment on any others although one assumes the Adelaide Oval is damn good.