Do we consider selling home games?

[Sherrinator]

Stockland Park at Kawana can be configured for AR games. The Sunshine Coast QLD Cup team uses it and looks pretty schmick with a couple of grandstands.

 

[western royboy]

Tbh I think its pretty fkd up a club can stoop so low after winning 3 premierships back to back to back. There is something seriously wrong if the AFL has to inject money when a club doesnt make finals for a few years.

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I have just come back from the Sunshine State - we may have won three flags in a row, but I'd suggest there is a chance from the casual observers point of view the sport may be running 4th in the "Football" race. The state is not an AFL state it is Rugby League central, the recent success of the Roar and the Reds traditional rugger base means that AFL is coming from along way back and the glory days of the Lions 3 peat has long since left the arena. Adding the suns has only splintered the support for the Lions.

The club is in massive s**t - it's only the depth which is up for debate. I'm kept up to date by the Brisvegas based folks on our club, but a 4.5 day sample shocked even me in terms of just how the club and game is not cared for by the average punter in the street.

 

[Skoob]

The reigning premiers are very desperate selling 4 H&A games a year then

Hmmm, I suggest you have a look at the fixture.
They might sell 4 home games, but they also play 6 'away' games in Melbourne, 4 of which are at their home ground.
I think their members would be okay with that.

 

[James North]

Very tough AFL market up here - crazy to sell games ... really need as many as possible to get people through the gates and bringing friends.

What is good for the AFL or "the game", is not necessarily good for the Lions.

You may be right, western royboy, AFL could very well be fourth at the moment, not sure on crowds to Roar games, but they get a lot of coverage.

 

[Jimbos1]

I have just come back from the Sunshine State - we may have won three flags in a row, but I'd suggest there is a chance from the casual observers point of view the sport may be running 4th in the "Football" race. The state is not an AFL state it is Rugby League central, the recent success of the Roar and the Reds traditional rugger base means that AFL is coming from along way back and the glory days of the Lions 3 peat has long since left the arena. Adding the suns has only splintered the support for the Lions.

The club is in massive s**t - it's only the depth which is up for debate. I'm kept up to date by the Brisvegas based folks on our club, but a 4.5 day sample shocked even me in terms of just how the club and game is not cared for by the average punter in the street.

Like I mentioned before, a question arises. What do you make of a club that needs afl interjection to stay afloat. So supporters will only come flocking when money gets injected and you make finals? What about just supporting a club for the sake of being loyal and the hopes of it being good in the future.

There is a VERY good chance that im out of line, but... do many people in brisbane have a bandwagon attitude? Brisbane lions dont make finals for a few years.. cya, time to support roar.

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[James North]

There is a VERY good chance that im out of line, but... do many people in brisbane have a bandwagon attitude? Brisbane lions dont make finals for a few years.. cya, time to support roar.

This isn't a long way off, I don't think. It could be because we're used to the Broncos being successful ... so any Brisbane team that isn't winning isn't fashionable.

The Reds sucked for a while and they had membership/money issues ... now they're doing well on-field and thriving. The Broncos will always be big and the Roar have certainly done themselves no harm by winning multiple titles recently and being Premiers this year.

 

[Jimbos1]

This isn't a long way off, I don't think. It could be because we're used to the Broncos being successful ... so any Brisbane team that isn't winning isn't fashionable.

The Reds sucked for a while and they had membership/money issues ... now they're doing well on-field and thriving. The Broncos will always be big and the Roar have certainly done themselves no harm by winning multiple titles recently and being Premiers this year.

Because I do believe AFL needs to help the club but I thought surely its had enough success in its history to be self sufficient. Not to mention its the only team in brisbane.

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[James North]

Because I do believe AFL needs to help the club but I thought surely its had enough success in its history to be self sufficient. Not to mention its the only team in brisbane.

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Considering Fremantle's lack of success and the Lions' great success ... it appears not!

WA loves its AFL and SE QLD loves its NRL. Tough battle.

 

[Jimbos1]

Considering Fremantle's lack of success and the Lions' great success ... it appears not!

WA loves its AFL and SE QLD loves its NRL. Tough battle.

If success doesnt bring supporters then what will?

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[dlanod]

Like I mentioned before, a question arises. What do you make of a club that needs afl interjection to stay afloat. So supporters will only come flocking when money gets injected and you make finals? What about just supporting a club for the sake of being loyal and the hopes of it being good in the future.

There is a VERY good chance that im out of line, but... do many people in brisbane have a bandwagon attitude? Brisbane lions dont make finals for a few years.. cya, time to support roar.

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They do. Same as Sydney. In both towns you see it time and again, with only a few exceptions - the crowds for the Roar and the Reds were paltry, then they started winning and they skyrocketed. We used to sell out the Gabba until we started dropping off - now our crowds are a fraction of what they were. Sydney FC has the same experience, Swans as well - when I first came down here in '04, there were almost more Lions supporters than Swans at a game at the SCG. Most of the NRL teams in Sydney have similar fair weather supporters. The Broncos are basically the only exception to the rule in either town, and that's really unlikely to change.

 

[alscotoz2]

Is it possible the AFL could underwrite junior memberships (free or nominal rate) for the lions or offer incentive based memberships vis a vis attendance levels. Shrug, I don't have a clue but as well as boosting revenue the club has to build a young membership base for the future. I suppose the options are endless? Selling games outside Brisbane ain't gonna achieve either option. if I was sitting in Brisbane and games were being sold away from the Gabba I'd be feeling disaffected (read pissed off) and unwanted. How does that increase their interest...






Actually, that sounds like the situation many Vics are in at the moment. Pissed off that the number of games played in MELBOURNE are slowly disappearing. Personally what has been happening in Victoria is 'disheartening' and I'll be honest and say I hope Brisbane/SE Qld folk don't have to suffer the same.

 

[Crawb]

Hmmm, I suggest you have a look at the fixture.
They might sell 4 home games, but they also play 6 'away' games in Melbourne, 4 of which are at their home ground.
I think their members would be okay with that.

I know, it was a light hearted comment, hence the winky face.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Tbh I think its pretty fkd up a club can stoop so low after winning 3 premierships back to back to back. There is something seriously wrong if the AFL has to inject money when a club doesnt make finals for a few years.

Yeah, because there are no other market related considerations at all...

Been to many Western Reds games lately?

 

[James North]

Western Reds - now that's a chestnut.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Like I mentioned before, a question arises. What do you make of a club that needs afl interjection to stay afloat.

The AFL is a large sport-entertainment machine. Is profitability of each franchise the ultimate benchmark of its success? It has already been explained to you that the returns to the AFL in media rights and market dominance of having a national league that includes Brisbane far exceeds the costs that would be needed to keep the club competitive financially.

Woolworths actually don't make a profit on milk once you factor in the distribution, refrigeration and wastage costs but if they stopped stocking it the flow-on-effects to their business model would be disastrous.

What about just supporting a club for the sake of being loyal and the hopes of it being good in the future.

There is a VERY good chance that im out of line, but... do many people in brisbane have a bandwagon attitude? Brisbane lions dont make finals for a few years.. cya, time to support roar.

Not out of line, just ignorant. Doubt you'll find many posters here are the bandwagon types. Should the diehards have to answer for all the people in Brisbane who follow whoever is winning?

Doubt you'll find a sporting club in the world that isn't subject to somewhat of a bandwagon effect when they are doing it tough. I know you are pretty good at feigning ignorance Jimbo but it can't be too hard for you to understand that the bandwagon effect is probably more dramatic in markets where that sport is third or fourth tier.

 

[Jimbos1]

Doubt you'll find many posters here are the bandwagon types. .

Of course i wouldnt because you are here ahahaha

 

[Crawb]

Western Reds - now that's a chestnut.

After a couple seasons they were down to 6k crowds a quick google tells me. After a decade of no finals apart from 1 year we're still averaging 20k+ somehow

 

[PTizzle]

If success doesnt bring supporters then what will?

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At the moment, sadly, it's prolonged success. We can't afford to not be successful as you can probably see.

The years after our premierships gave us roughly a 12,500 member increase, some of which were retained but we lost roughly 6500 of them when we went 11th/13th in 2005/2006. We even lost a thousand after losing the GF in 2004.

We gained roughly 2,500 after making the semis in 2009 and then lost over 8,000 following the 2010 debacle.

It's a fickle supporter group for a lot of it; the fans you see on BigFooty would probably not represent the majority of Lions supporters.

Contrasting that with Fremantle, after finishing 5th in 2003 your membership hasn't dropped below 31,000 and has repeatedly gone above 40. They're Australian Rules lovers and actively invested. I know Freo are a good club at the moment, but historically they're not a successful AFL side but their member numbers are still very healthy.

We've never hit the 31,000 mark as the Brisbane Lions AFL team and although all clubs have peaks and troughs, ours hurt more than most due to the lower number we're operating from and the sheer drop-off during down periods (for the most part).

Speaking about things like selling home games are looking at ways to help ease the financial burden.

Very interesting topic and I'd be keen to hear more about the situation, not living in the state anymore I don't often get the full picture.

 

[Jimbos1]

At the moment, sadly, it's prolonged success. We can't afford to not be successful as you can probably see.

The years after our premierships gave us roughly a 12,500 member increase, some of which were retained but we lost roughly 6500 of them when we went 11th/13th in 2005/2006. We even lost a thousand after losing the GF in 2004.

We gained roughly 2,500 after making the semis in 2009 and then lost over 8,000 following the 2010 debacle.

It's a fickle supporter group for a lot of it; the fans you see on BigFooty would probably not represent the majority of Lions supporters.

Contrasting that with Fremantle, after finishing 5th in 2003 your membership hasn't dropped below 31,000 and has repeatedly gone above 40. They're Australian Rules lovers and actively invested. I know Freo are a good club at the moment, but historically they're not a successful AFL side but their member numbers are still very healthy.

We've never hit the 31,000 mark as the Brisbane Lions AFL team and although all clubs have peaks and troughs, ours hurt more than most due to the lower number we're operating from and the sheer drop-off during down periods (for the most part).

Speaking about things like selling home games are looking at ways to help ease the financial burden.

Very interesting topic and I'd be keen to hear more about the situation, not living in the state anymore I don't often get the full picture.

Yes, very interesting.
Conversely I think the people of gold coast are going to get a sense of pride and will have a supporter base that will rival the lions.

 

[PTizzle]

Yes, very interesting.
Conversely I think the people of gold coast are going to get a sense of pride and will have a supporter base that will rival the lions.

Agree with you there and it'll be tough for us in the near future with GC. If people are jumping on board with the AFL the majority will go with the side that's winning.

 

[dlanod]

Yes, very interesting.
Conversely I think the people of gold coast are going to get a sense of pride and will have a supporter base that will rival the lions.

I find that more difficult to believe. Gold Coast crowds are even more fickle than Brisbane/Sydney. Look at the history of the Titans, GCU and previous league franchises and it isn't pretty. At the moment you've got early adopters, but if they peak and then regress it could easily become a wasteland.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Yep, as soon as the Suns start to struggle again, you can bet their punters will jump straight back to crystal meth.

 

[Jimbos1]

I find that more difficult to believe. Gold Coast crowds are even more fickle than Brisbane/Sydney. Look at the history of the Titans, GCU and previous league franchises and it isn't pretty. At the moment you've got early adopters, but if they peak and then regress it could easily become a wasteland.

Then do you agree/disagree there is a bandwagon type attitude in brisbane?

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[James North]

Then do you agree/disagree there is a bandwagon type attitude in brisbane?

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It's probably fair that bandwagoners exist for any sport except NRL in this part of the world.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Then do you agree/disagree there is a bandwagon type attitude in brisbane?

I find that more difficult to believe. Gold Coast crowds are even more fickle than Brisbane/Sydney.

Pretty clear that was implied.

You aren't really doing much to advance the discussion Jimbo. It really is coming off like you are looking to cause trouble.