The AFL have announced that they are seriously considering shortening the length of the game. No this isn't too senile men who need to go to bed early like Malthouse and Sheedy suggesting it as previously, Gil has now said he is seriously looking into this.
If this occurs. Its the last straw. I will stop going to the football. Its a big effort to go to the game from the outer suburbs and if the length of the product gets any shorter then it will stop being justifiable to spend all that effort to go and I will just watch it on the tv instead.
The AFL is desperately trying to look for reasons as to why attendances down and they have come up with the bright idea that it is the length of the game. They sight the success of twenty twenty cricket. A sport that is still longer than a current AFL game. Yep its longer but apparently its a reason to shorten the game???? Apparently AFL is the longest football game in Australia. Yep. Its also the one with the biggest game attendances. NRL rates just as well if not better on TV, but the crowds are beyond ordinary. Maybe one reason is there game is too short to justify the effort to go. Evert think of that genius Gil.
What's even more infuriating is that Gil doesn't even care what current AFL supporters think. He actually stated he is interested in what will encourage non football supporters to the game. Bascially he thinks we will go no matter what and our opinions are irrelevant, may as well have literally slapped us in the face with a frozen turkey. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I will stop going if you shorten games. I encourage everyone else who is angered by this to post and let the AFL know this is not on. The AFL needs to stop treating its existing fan base as irrelevant.
Gil I will even give you some tips why fan numbers are down and its nothing to do with length of games or lack of pre game entertainment.
1) Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond are ordinary and with the exception of the Pies in 2010-11 they have been ordinary for a long term. Existing supporters of these clubs are disappearing as a result. Nothing you can do about this but accept it rather making up dumb other excuses.
2) You stretched things too far by introducing GWS and Gold Coast whilst Sydney and Brisbane were still trying to capture their own markets. Dumb move and now you have to simply suffer for it or merge them. Perth and Tassie would of been much more viable options to expand the game or you simply could of kept it at 16 teams (wow - I know I just blew your mind Gil).
3) Cost of Seating has risen beyond belief in the past twenty five years since I started following football. Maybe just maybe you are overpricing seating and overestimated your potential audience. Suck it up, realise you over reached and lower seat prices.
4) The never ending weekend of football. No one likes twilight games, particularly on a Sunday when we are all getting ready for the working week. We love Saturday games. Suns outs, cool winter breeze, lights come on in the last quarter during the middle of winter and we go out for a dinner after a game, or go home to watch the replay. Bring more Saturday games back (you could even have two or three playing at the same time) and get rid of Twilights. Now the never ending weekend of football may be to do with maximising tv rights, if so then fine, keep your TV rights but recognize that attendances will be lower and live with it. Stop trying to find other excuses and change a fundamental of the game like its length in a vain attempt to fix what is not broken.
One supporter who loves going to live games .... for now.
If this occurs. Its the last straw. I will stop going to the football. Its a big effort to go to the game from the outer suburbs and if the length of the product gets any shorter then it will stop being justifiable to spend all that effort to go and I will just watch it on the tv instead.
The AFL is desperately trying to look for reasons as to why attendances down and they have come up with the bright idea that it is the length of the game. They sight the success of twenty twenty cricket. A sport that is still longer than a current AFL game. Yep its longer but apparently its a reason to shorten the game???? Apparently AFL is the longest football game in Australia. Yep. Its also the one with the biggest game attendances. NRL rates just as well if not better on TV, but the crowds are beyond ordinary. Maybe one reason is there game is too short to justify the effort to go. Evert think of that genius Gil.
What's even more infuriating is that Gil doesn't even care what current AFL supporters think. He actually stated he is interested in what will encourage non football supporters to the game. Bascially he thinks we will go no matter what and our opinions are irrelevant, may as well have literally slapped us in the face with a frozen turkey. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I will stop going if you shorten games. I encourage everyone else who is angered by this to post and let the AFL know this is not on. The AFL needs to stop treating its existing fan base as irrelevant.
Gil I will even give you some tips why fan numbers are down and its nothing to do with length of games or lack of pre game entertainment.
1) Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond are ordinary and with the exception of the Pies in 2010-11 they have been ordinary for a long term. Existing supporters of these clubs are disappearing as a result. Nothing you can do about this but accept it rather making up dumb other excuses.
2) You stretched things too far by introducing GWS and Gold Coast whilst Sydney and Brisbane were still trying to capture their own markets. Dumb move and now you have to simply suffer for it or merge them. Perth and Tassie would of been much more viable options to expand the game or you simply could of kept it at 16 teams (wow - I know I just blew your mind Gil).
3) Cost of Seating has risen beyond belief in the past twenty five years since I started following football. Maybe just maybe you are overpricing seating and overestimated your potential audience. Suck it up, realise you over reached and lower seat prices.
4) The never ending weekend of football. No one likes twilight games, particularly on a Sunday when we are all getting ready for the working week. We love Saturday games. Suns outs, cool winter breeze, lights come on in the last quarter during the middle of winter and we go out for a dinner after a game, or go home to watch the replay. Bring more Saturday games back (you could even have two or three playing at the same time) and get rid of Twilights. Now the never ending weekend of football may be to do with maximising tv rights, if so then fine, keep your TV rights but recognize that attendances will be lower and live with it. Stop trying to find other excuses and change a fundamental of the game like its length in a vain attempt to fix what is not broken.
One supporter who loves going to live games .... for now.
