The overall wellbeing of football in Melbourne?

[mick500]

With only 2 Melbourne based clubs making the finals in Richmond and Essendon, (7th) (Geelong and the AFL don't consider themselves Melbourne based) is that cause for concern for the AFL and or welfare/sustainability of Melbourne based clubs?


Surely seasons like this with so many interstate sides making the finals it has to hit the hip pocket and crowd attendances at the mcg etc? Or do crowds go up with interstate finalists making it?


Just some food for thought, especially as I'm an advocate for merging a few Melbourne based teams for long term sustainability and financial independence of all clubs as I don't believe there's a market for so many Melbourne based teams in a national comp, as well as having the benefit of stronger comp after it being weakened with the expansion teams breaking the back of the talent pool so to speak.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Reckon AFL breathed a sigh of relief that Geelong drew Tigers in qualifying. Is the signature game of the first week and locks in a prelim in Melbourne.

All.good

 

[Darcy 2 Fyfe]

It's needed to happen for year but this pseudo national comp is in denial.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

No. Footy is cyclical.
2010-14 it was 6, 6, 4, 5, 5 for Victorian Finals participants. So 5,5,3,4,4 if you exclude the regional Cats.

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

When the Eagles and Dockers made the final together there was going to be a parliamentary enquiry into the state of footy in Victoria. The Dees missed by fractions of a percent, so footy is fine in Melbourne. Until Mario from Doncaster gets disappointed.

 

[demondavey]

With only 2 Melbourne based clubs making the finals in Richmond and Essendon, (7th) (Geelong and the AFL don't consider themselves Melbourne based) is that cause for concern for the AFL and or welfare/sustainability of Melbourne based clubs?


Surely seasons like this with so many interstate sides making the finals it has to hit the hip pocket and crowd attendances at the mcg etc? Or do crowds go up with interstate finalists making it?


Just some food for thought, especially as I'm an advocate for merging a few Melbourne based teams for long term sustainability and financial independence of all clubs as I don't believe there's a market for so many Melbourne based teams in a national comp, as well as having the benefit of stronger comp after it being weakened with the expansion teams breaking the back of the talent pool so to speak.

It's a national competition. It isn't the VFL anymore. Who cares.

 

[The Swert]

Pretty sure the league attendance record was broken last weekend.

The game is in fine condition.

 

[Truckosaurus]

Reckon AFL breathed a sigh of relief that Geelong drew Tigers in qualifying. Is the signature game of the first week and locks in a prelim in Melbourne.

All.good

Reckon that's what cost the Cats a prelim at Kardinya rather than capacity. Couldn't not have a final in Melbourne!

 

[Gydafud]

Pretty sure the league attendance record was broken last weekend.

The game is in fine condition.

With an under performing Carlton and Collingwood.

 

[Thetrader15]

It's a national competition. It isn't the VFL anymore. Who cares.

If only that were true...the badges say afl, but the contracts still say vfl

Location of GF...
Over half the comp is from..
Brownlow medal naming comes from...


Until these change it won't be a true afl

 

[demondavey]

If only that were true...the badges say afl, but the contracts still say vfl

Location of GF...
Over half the comp is from..
Brownlow medal naming comes from...


Until these change it won't be a true afl

Over half the competition is from Victoria because it started in Victoria? Chas Brownlow was again Victorian? What do you propose we call it? The GF being played in other venues I actually agree with. Start by rotating it every other year between Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

 

[Gavin Excell]

With an under performing Carlton and Collingwood.

That 2 of the big 4 are in the finals is actually an improvement on recent years

 

[nerRADIAN]

Pretty sure the league attendance record was broken last weekend.

The game is in fine condition.

The AFL are spinning this narrative though. Thats total attendance, not average attendance. It has only been an 18 team competition in the last few years so you can't really compare it to "all time" numbers.

 

[SterlingArcher]

Victorian teams have won all bar 1 flag since 2006. In multiple years every team in preliminary finals in this time were Victorian.
Remove Geelong and make it Melbourne clubs - 6/10 in that time (60% of the flags, yet make up only 52% of the comp in that time - 9/16 for 4 years, 9/17 for 1 year and 9/18 for 5)

The game is slowly expanding into NSW and QLD (don't look at attendences merely, look at the work done at junior level - slow but gradual increase), Perth is getting a first-rate stadium (bigger and better than concrete Subi), Adelaide has a first-rate stadium (bigger, better and wins in the first rule of real estate - location, location, location - compared to Footy Park), the AFL has bought out Etihad relieving the knife in some small clubs, Geelong has expanded Kardinia even further and is on the cusp of getting their 11 H&A home games there, the Dogs have had success at the right time and are venturing into regional Victoria (about time country Victoria got some reward!), North are innovating with some new shit, Essendon have shown they can survive anything.

By most objective measures the AFL is doing well. Just need to hold firm in the northern states, particularly QLD, and not give up too soon. QLD is the area of concern, not Victoria.

Whilst probably a troll, if not, this is as stupid as Ron Barassi calling for an inquest into Victorian footy circa 2005-2006. Only won a decade of flags after that...

 

[Damon_3388]

It's a national competition. It isn't the VFL anymore. Who cares.

This.

The clubs aren't a direct representation of the area they're named after, or the "health" of the game in that part of the country.

 

[SterlingArcher]

The AFL are spinning this narrative though. Thats total attendance, not average attendance. It has only been an 18 team competition in the last few years so you can't really compare it to "all time" numbers.

I'd imagine with GWS & GC as the 'extra' teams, average attendance would still be pretty high for games elsewhere. GWS & GC drag the average attendance down so a more reasonable comparison would be the average crowds of the 16 clubs of 1997-2010 in 2017, not all 18 clubs.

 

[SterlingArcher]

If only that were true...the badges say afl, but the contracts still say vfl

Location of GF...
Over half the comp is from..
Brownlow medal naming comes from...


Until these change it won't be a true afl

Yeah the naming of an award (that apparently 'no one cares about') is holding the game back.

 

[Damon_3388]

The AFL are spinning this narrative though. Thats total attendance, not average attendance. It has only been an 18 team competition in the last few years so you can't really compare it to "all time" numbers.

I'm pretty sure average attendance per game these days would still piss all over most years pre-2000, if only due to ground sizes and available seating.

 

[Nomad12]

Over half the competition is from Victoria because it started in Victoria? Chas Brownlow was again Victorian? What do you propose we call it? The GF being played in other venues I actually agree with. Start by rotating it every other year between Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Out of them you agree with changing the location of the GF? Im from Perth and even to me it wouldnt be the GF if it wasnt at the G.

 

[Papa G]

It's a national competition. It isn't the VFL anymore. Who cares.

I don't think anyone has told anybody in the Malbun based "national" football media yet.

 

[Altum Volantes]

With an under performing Carlton and Collingwood.

And Hawthorn.

And Essendon recovering from the brink.

It'll never stop being an over saturated market but success comes in waves.

 

[Thetrader15]

Over half the competition is from Victoria because it started in Victoria? Chas Brownlow was again Victorian? What do you propose we call it? The GF being played in other venues I actually agree with. Start by rotating it every other year between Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

My point exactly...it's still a vic competition not an Afl

 

[Altum Volantes]

I don't think anyone has told anybody in the Malbun based "national" football media yet.

That will never change - the entire media and entertainment industry in this country is centred around Sydney and Melbourne...and they don't give a shit about the AFL in Sydney.

Perth and Adelaide are an after thought - no matter the subject matter.

 

[Thetrader15]

The AFL are spinning this narrative though. Thats total attendance, not average attendance. It has only been an 18 team competition in the last few years so you can't really compare it to "all time" numbers.

Sshhhhh!

 

[Thetrader15]

Yeah the naming of an award (that apparently 'no one cares about') is holding the game back.

So let's change it....but but but...it's not important so no need to change it