In 20 years time when the golden generation of WAFL fans have died off (for want of a better word).
Huge concern.
Huge concern.
Where Will The Fans Come From?
- Thread starter Hu$tler
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the WAFL clubs are going to have to really get out in the communities and promote their brands, they do it now but i'd think maybe a bit more effort in the promoting department would need to occur. hopefully the foxtel cup can pick up a bit of interest along the way thus heightening the profile of the state league clubs.
Essentially its down to the clubs really pushing their brand and parents of footy fans to keep the kids included/interested in the WAFL. Lord knows if I ever have kids and am living in Perth i'll be dragging them to watch the sharks anytime possible.
Essentially its down to the clubs really pushing their brand and parents of footy fans to keep the kids included/interested in the WAFL. Lord knows if I ever have kids and am living in Perth i'll be dragging them to watch the sharks anytime possible.
My kids (9,7 & 2) love going to the WAFL and hopefully will continue under their own steam when older.
The people who run the game need to have a bit of a look at how they promote it as round 1 this year was a non-AFL round and WAFL should have been promoted on a free or $5 entry to get people in and have a look - perhaps some would make it a regular outing, some would only go as a once off because it was free but we'll never know because it wasn't tried.
I think the crowds are getting better at Basso and the game is healthier now than it was a few years back.
The people who run the game need to have a bit of a look at how they promote it as round 1 this year was a non-AFL round and WAFL should have been promoted on a free or $5 entry to get people in and have a look - perhaps some would make it a regular outing, some would only go as a once off because it was free but we'll never know because it wasn't tried.
I think the crowds are getting better at Basso and the game is healthier now than it was a few years back.
yeah i mean about 10 years ago crowds on the big days (anzac day, wa day etc) were surely not as good as they are now.
mianfei
Club Legend
The difficulty of course - one inherent with Australia’s all-powerful road lobby fed by vested mineral and energy interests - is transportation. This problem of itself cut badly into attendances at VFL matches in the 1970s and 1980s and killed Waverley Park stone dead, and for Perth’s young and growing suburbs it was and is no different. Probably, given the small size of WAFL venues, the problem with car parking would be worse.
Attracting more television viewers is a logical alternative given the insurmountable political barrier in Australia to reasonable public transport, but there are many costs with night games and avoiding competition with the AFL. It’s tempting to suggest playing on weeknights for that reason, but would that remove more traditional fans than attract new ones??
Should WA Footy be concerned that this season has seen 5 of the top 11 lowest WAFL crowds since 1987?
http://www.waflfootyfacts.net/team/all/attendances.php#6
http://www.waflfootyfacts.net/team/all/attendances.php#6
Hope this doesn't seem like an intrusion but I grew up in Perth and attended the WAFL weekly until moving to Melbourne just before the WCE joined the national comp, and still go to WAFL games when in Perth during winter. I note first that several of the 2019 games on the above list involve West Coast's seconds side. Given their member base was considered so large that 42000 seat Subi Oval wasn't considered big enough, and assuming they have other supporters such as pensioners/umemployed who can't afford a membership, and also assuming half these crowds consisted of opposition fans( friends and relations), seems less than 1 in 100 WCE followers go along to keep an eye on their up and coming talent. I'm wondering what if any thing the Eagles do to try to mobilise more of the supporter base to get along , particularly given how keen they were to insert a standalone side into the comp.
The other disconcerting thing is that 2 of the games on the list this year were at Joondalup Arena. As I understand, the whole point of West Perth's re-location out to Joondalup was to tap into the growing outer suburban region full of young families as a means of growing their base so it's discouraging that this doesn't seem to be paying off. I know the club has had major financial issues over the last year or so which obviously hasn't helped promoting the club.
I suppose the imbalance in the competition isn't helpful either. Given that I followed Subi through 10 years in which we were the competition whipping boy ( until the year after I left when we magically transformed first into a grand finalist and then a year later premiers) I find it difficult to say but it might be helpful if the spoils were shared more equally( and I don't I don't mean by the rort that gifted Peel 2 flags). I don't pretend to know enough about much less understand the player points system but it would appear to need some work
The other disconcerting thing is that 2 of the games on the list this year were at Joondalup Arena. As I understand, the whole point of West Perth's re-location out to Joondalup was to tap into the growing outer suburban region full of young families as a means of growing their base so it's discouraging that this doesn't seem to be paying off. I know the club has had major financial issues over the last year or so which obviously hasn't helped promoting the club.
I suppose the imbalance in the competition isn't helpful either. Given that I followed Subi through 10 years in which we were the competition whipping boy ( until the year after I left when we magically transformed first into a grand finalist and then a year later premiers) I find it difficult to say but it might be helpful if the spoils were shared more equally( and I don't I don't mean by the rort that gifted Peel 2 flags). I don't pretend to know enough about much less understand the player points system but it would appear to need some work
I think the fact they have broadcast quite a lot of the Eagles ressies games on channel 7 has meant a lot more people have just opted to stay at home and watch.
Right , OK. Would make a difference , specially if it leads straight into telecast of an AFL game
Ljp86
West Coast Eagles - 2018 AFL Premiers!!
- Moderator
- #11
I can't see the WAFC not having a WAFL presence in the northern suburbs, whether that is with West Perth or perhaps another club in the area given their financial troubles over the past 12 months. West Perth are the WAFL's representative team for the far northern suburbs, for the competition to not have a presence there would be a disaster. Given West Perth's performances this year in all three grades, there are some talented players within the region and it would be an extremely poor move for the code to not have a team in the area for developing players to strive to represent but also to further their careers to the highest level as well.
The West Perth situation is a rather worrying one though. I'm a Lions supporter and I was at Joondalup Arena for the game on 29 June against the Falcons and I was quite surprised at how few people were at the ground. The official crowd for the game was 825 but that was fairly generous I thought and it has been a pattern for the Falcons for the year. The weather wasn't great that day but you can generally get at least 1,000 people to a game most weeks. Quite a number of people at the ground were Subiaco supporters as well which would also be fairly worrying for the club. The Falcons have had four games this season where the official crowd has been under 1,000 which is something that doesn't happen that often and would also be worrying too I feel. The being said, the crowd for the match against South Fremantle last week was strong and I imagine there will be a reasonable crowd tomorrow for the game against the Eagles despite the weather forecast not being the best.
For the WAFL to stay relevant, there needs to be a presence in the northern suburbs, whether that is with West Perth or perhaps another entity. It would be an extremely poor move to not have a side there given the region is home to number of people and is only going to get bigger given the expanding suburbs there. If Fremantle were to get their own side, while it would see teams get a bye each week, it would also offer the opportunity for clubs to host an eleventh home game which is another opportunity to boost themselves financially as you would assume Fremantle would play away games as per the current situation with the Eagles at the moment.
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megadeth86
Team Captain
- Jul 15, 2020
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This picture I took at Lathlain Park can bar shows the issue starkly - only one person probably aged below 30 in the whole picture (the guy in the middle with the Sid Vicious style hair). Photo was taken 2 July 2011, Perth v Swans. Rest in Peace all those amazing trees behind the southern-end goals.
The shed and the Bar On The Hill also long gone now Megadeth along with the scoreboard on the outer wing.
In fact the pathetic excuse for a scoreboard that was used last week was a portable number on the back of a rusted out old ute...embarrassing really!
In fact the pathetic excuse for a scoreboard that was used last week was a portable number on the back of a rusted out old ute...embarrassing really!
megadeth86
Team Captain
- Jul 15, 2020
- 393
- 285
- AFL Club
- Carlton
I suppose looking on the bright side the northern half of the ground is still the same, and the main grandstand.
