AFLX

[Schulzenfest]

Footy doesn't need segregation - which will lead to supporters becoming less and less tolerant of 'others'.

Quiet please

 

[dirty2]

I'd always considered segregation of fans to be stupid and just highlight the fact soccer fans can't function as normal humans.

But having returned to Australia I can see the merit in it completely. I ******* hate being near opposition supporters and the only way I would ever go to an away Showdown, is the example you describe above.

Went to away showdown 2/3 years ago thought I was gonna get my head kicked in. Don't mind friendly banter but there are alot of dick heads out there...
(Don't want segretation)

 

[Andre]

But having returned to Australia I can see the merit in it completely. I ******* hate being near opposition supporters and the only way I would ever go to an away Showdown, is the example you describe above.

Showdown's are the only possible exception to the rule. No matter how outnumbered in Melbourne, whilst living and attending games there, did I feel as uncomfortable as at away Showdown's. I haven't been to an away Showdown in over a decade and have no inclination to. Shit, unless I was guaranteed to be sitting amongst a large number of Port supporters, I wouldn't go to one, even if I was given a free ticket. Any other game though, free ticket please

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I know one of the guys who started the footy league in Toronto. I came home in March 1989 after 12 months in North America we played a few games of Gaelic football together and he helped start a league with 2 teams in July 1989. They initially had to play on soccer pitches and only had enough players for 12 a side games but they eventually found parks big enough to play full size games and use them during a full season. The Ontario League has 10 teams. Most teams are in Toronto but the 2 further most teams apart are about 200kms. Some teams have a B grade and some have women's teams and it is the oldest continuous league in the northern hemisphere, yet it hasn't really expanded much in terms of becoming a decent sized sport - not professional but decent sized in terms of having say to 15,000 to 20,000 boys and men playing a competitive game each week as they are competing against many other long standing traditional sports. That Toronto and Southern Ontario area has a population of about 10m~11m people, about the same population as SA + WA + Victoria.

That's why China has potential. The sports market both at amateur and professional levels is relatively new thing and given their population size, you just need to get a small slice to produce a big number of players. Get 300,0000 10 year old boys to 30 year old men out of about 400m males in that age group playing competition games every Saturday, and you get another Australian sized player market. Whist the participation numbers say 1.2m people play the game in Oz, most of that is Auskick 6 week program for kids. So that's why we have to find the right version of the game, given the lack of ovals in China and until you get some decent momentum, you won't be able to get park areas that allow you to play games week in week out for 4 or 5 months on a full sized oval. So get AFLX right helps that long term plan.

But we as a club are driving it in China but nobody apart from individuals on the ground are driving it in South Africa or India or West Indies or Bangladesh or England. The AFL did spend monies on trying to get it up and running in South Africa between 2000 and 2010, but that's because the government wanted to find a new sport for the new South Africa and the government of South Africa backed the AFL with $$$. But the AFL gave up because there was no money in it for them and the pay off was very long term, so they concentrated on growing the game in Rugby Union and League heartland of New South Wales and Queensland which have around 52% of the Australian population. Once the AFL, in 2008, said we are going to go to the Gold Coast and then 12 months later said a second team in Sydney, they abandoned any real idea of expanding internationally other than spending some funds in our neighbours NZ and PNG, and gave Hawthorn and Brisbane respectively, some incentive to spend some development $$$ that they could select any players from there as zone players without having to draft them. Both clubs after initial enthusiasm have dropped their backing for developing the game in these 2 countries. Hawthorn have rookied 3 or 4 New Zealanders but none have made it to the AFL.

In China we are going in reverse order. We went after the $$$$ first, then the government support in a one party state and got their blessing, now we are going after the development side of things with hopefully finding some players after a 10 year process. And AFLX will play an important role in that process.

GremioPower you might remember this answer I gave to your post about growing the game in countries where cricket is strong. I talked about my experience in Toronto and my mate who started the league there in 1989 and I said it hasn't really expanded much in terms of becoming a decent sized amateur sport - not professional but decent sized in terms of having say to 15,000 to 20,000 boys and men playing a competitive game each week. Here are some participation numbers for all of Canada including women and the modified AFL 9's game. From The Wookie's thread on participation numbers in The Footy Industry board with lots of graphics from the AFL and state leagues like the one below

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2017-participation.1183124/#post-53602088

Lockhart Road see the X with 50,000 school participants, these are the guys I have mentioned to you before, who started off as Aussie X about 9 years ago teaching footy, cricket and netball in Toronto and southern Ontario, they went on Dragon's Den and got a dragon to back them with $150k or more in 2011, and now the have become X Movement which has Aussie X, X Dance, X Fusion (Yoga and meditation stuff) and X Power which embraces karate, tai chi and taekwondo. These guys also do corporate training/bonding stuff ( which is what the dragon was really interested in investing in). They have taught footy to over 350,000 school kids in Canada in 9 years in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia Alberta that I'm aware of - they might have taught in other provinces. There whole schools stuff is to use sport and physical movement to get kids in a better mental space so that they do better at school as they are fitter, healthier and more engaged. The club should talk to them about footy school programs in China. Why re-invent the wheel, when they have already successfully built it? See more at

http://www.xmovement.com/

https://vimeo.com/theaussiex
https://vimeo.com/xmovement

It was never about Aussie sports. That was just the beginning to help us get a foot in the door We are committed to doing whatever it takes to help school communities across the world raise a globally conscious, positive and healthy next generation.
- KAELA BREE, FOUNDER

 

[portly]

That's why I fell in love with Port.

And now I properly understand why you are following Ports. Label me silly but I have never picked up on that before.

Do many females or youngsters attend? Around me in Bay 134 there are many.


On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[GremioPower]

And now I properly understand why you are following Ports. Label me silly but I have never picked up on that before.

Do many females or youngsters attend? Around me in Bay 134 there are many.


On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

Violence exists, but it can be negligible in most games. Girls and kids do go in a fair amount.

TV loves to close up on the beautiful women that attend the games. In the Arena, it hasn't any trouble finding them. My homestate is famous for the abundance of such a natural resource. :-D

 

[RossFC]

I prefer sitting near a bunch of Port fans because if we complete a big comeback or something I want to be high fiving random Port fans instead of keeping a lid on it a bit when I'm near a few opposition fans.

 

[dirty2]

I prefer sitting near a bunch of Port fans because if we complete a big comeback or something I want to be high fiving random Port fans instead of keeping a lid on it a bit when I'm near a few opposition fans.

Instant best mates with everybody in black white and teal!!

 

[Enviable Tradition]

I prefer sitting near a bunch of Port fans because if we complete a big comeback or something I want to be high fiving random Port fans instead of keeping a lid on it a bit when I'm near a few opposition fans.

My favourite game was showdown 1.

Nestled in the middle of the outer amongst Crows fans incredulous that they had been given to Port fans and totally feral in their behaviour toward two teenage boys.

Was a delight to watch them act like the entitled children they are

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Ando39]

It is not necessarily bad. An orchestra is segregated by instrument, for instance. Sport competitions, another example, are usually segregated by handicap, be it weight, type of equipment, age, gender, body limitation, talent, etc.

It all depends on why and how the segregation is done.

I love that this made me think about things in a completely different way. Unfortunately, largely because of those damn Americans, "segregation" is a bit of a dirty word in general.

As for Crows supporters, it would be nice to go to an away showdown without being spat at/punched/verbally assaulted by some ****** whose wardrobe consists entirely of primary colours.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I've missed about 2 away Showdowns in my life and as a fairly vocal supporter i've only ever had an issue with a Crows supporter once.

 

[Ando39]

I've missed about 2 away Showdowns in my life and as a fairly vocal supporter i've only ever had an issue with a Crows supporter once.

You're a lucky man. I havent been to an away showdown at AO without having had a punch thrown at me, or been spat at. The only exception was the time I was physically confronted by 3 crows "supporters" after one game, while I was on crutches after a foot operation. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

 

[GremioPower]

You're a lucky man. I havent been to an away showdown at AO without having had a punch thrown at me, or been spat at. The only exception was the time I was physically confronted by 3 crows "supporters" after one game, while I was on crutches after a foot operation. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

I would try going with some Crow friends. Perhaps, assembling a group of Pears and Crows, who would meet before the Showdown, go together to the stadium, watch the game side-by-side, and share joys and sorrows after the game.

I made that once in Porto Alegre, for a Grê-Nal derby away. My brother and I went to the game with some Internacional's barrackers, friends of mine. We went to the stadium early (my brother and I, incognito) and participated of the pre-game among opposition fans. Other people knew us, but they all stayed quiet — they all went along, even pulling a friend to the side who was, unwillingly, uncovering our disguise.

Nowadays, there is a section where opposing barrackers go together, but not back then. Everything went fine at the bar before the game. The worst part was getting in. We realized nobody expected friends of opposing teams going together. We pleaded the security to let us cross through the barrier, so we could go to Grêmio's gates without having to walk against all the Internacional supporters heading to theirs. The barrier was there to protect the away fans, but the idiot, unBrazilianly, stood by the book: "no one can pass."

We had no problem walking around against the tide, but those were scary minutes. Still, I would like to repeat the experience some day. Some few years later, I moved to the US, and now I am living 400 miles away from Porto Alegre. Besides, there was only one derby last year. Let's see what I can do in 2018.

I miss the derby, specially away. Watching the stands and feeling yourself in the minority side is thrilling. One passes the whole game trying to compensate the numbers. It is a hell of a party!

P.S.: It was better, though. For decades, the visitors would get 25% of the tickets:

(Internacional's Beira-Rio stadium circa the 1970's/1980's — the "non-red stands" on the top right are all Grêmio barrackers)

In the late 1990's, a trend to reduce the number of visitor's supportes began. Now, if they get 5% would be a lot:

(Grêmio's Arena, a few years ago — Internacional's barrackers are restricted to that small area on the top ring)

I hope such a trend can be reversed.

 

[Ando39]

I would try going with some Crow friends. Perhaps, assembling a group of Pears and Crows, who would meet before the Showdown, go together to the stadium, watch the game side-by-side, and share joys and sorrows after the game.

I made that once in Porto Alegre, for a Grê-Nal derby away. My brother and I went to the game with some Internacional's barrackers, friends of mine. We went to the stadium early (my brother and I, incognito) and participated of the pre-game among opposition fans. Other people knew us, but they all stayed quiet — they all went along, even pulling a friend to the side who was, unwillingly, uncovering our disguise.

Nowadays, there is a section where opposing barrackers go together, but not back then. Everything went fine at the bar before the game. The worst part was getting in. We realized nobody expected friends of opposing teams going together. We pleaded the security to let us cross through the barrier, so we could go to Grêmio's gates without having to walk against all the Internacional supporters heading to theirs. The barrier was there to protect the away fans, but the idiot, unBrazilianly, stood by the book: "no one can pass."

We had no problem walking around against the tide, but those were scary minutes. Still, I would like to repeat the experience some day. Some few years later, I moved to the US, and now I am living 400 miles away from Porto Alegre. Besides, there was only one derby last year. Let's see what I can do in 2018.

I miss the derby, specially away. Watching the stands and feeling yourself in the minority side is thrilling. One passes the whole game trying to compensate the numbers. It is a hell of a party!

P.S.: It was better, though. For decades, the visitors would get 25% of the tickets:

(Internacional's Beira-Rio stadium circa the 1970's/1980's — the "non-red stands" on the top right are all Grêmio barrackers)

In the late 1990's, a trend to reduce the number of visitor's supportes began. Now, if they get 5% would be a lot:

(Grêmio's Arena, a few years ago — Internacional's barrackers are restricted to that small area on the top ring)

I hope such a trend can be reversed.

Interestingly I used to sometimes go with a crows supporting friend of mine. He rarely goes to games anymore as he is as fed up at dealing with their supporters as many of us are.

 

[Trewth]

You're a lucky man. I havent been to an away showdown at AO without having had a punch thrown at me, or been spat at. The only exception was the time I was physically confronted by 3 crows "supporters" after one game, while I was on crutches after a foot operation. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

Can confirm. You aren’t the type to instigate either.

 

[Zakk Wylde]

I've missed about 2 away Showdowns in my life and as a fairly vocal supporter i've only ever had an issue with a Crows supporter once.

I had a water bottle thrown at me from behind at an away showdown.

Who knows what that was for??

I politely enquired who threw it with no response of course. Only incident I've ever had.

 

[Visenfest]

I had a water bottle thrown at me from behind at an away showdown.

Who knows what that was for??

I politely enquired who threw it with no response of course. Only incident I've ever had.

I assume 'politely enquired' means you threatened to stab someone.

 

[Zakk Wylde]

I assume 'politely enquired' means you threatened to stab someone.

That day still haunts me....

 

[chiwigi]

I’m a right lairy bastard sometimes and I’ve necer had trouble at a Showdown (home or away).
Having grown up on the terraces of UK foortball the atmosphere at footy is serene as ****! Very chill.

 

[dirty2]

I’m a right lairy bastard sometimes and I’ve necer had trouble at a Showdown (home or away).
Having grown up on the terraces of UK foortball the atmosphere at footy is serene as ****! Very chill.

Love to go over and watch arsenal game one day... it's on my list of things I will probably never do...

 

[DaTBird187]

Love to go over and watch arsenal game one day... it's on my list of things I will probably never do...

The Emirates has about as much atmosphere as a boiled turnip.

 

[dirty2]

The Emirates has about as much atmosphere as a boiled turnip.

Yes I heard away games have more passionate fans....

 

[GremioPower]

I love that this made me think about things in a completely different way. Unfortunately, largely because of those damn Americans, "segregation" is a bit of a dirty word in general.

As for Crows supporters, it would be nice to go to an away showdown without being spat at/punched/verbally assaulted by some ****** whose wardrobe consists entirely of primary colours.

It doesn't need to be a complete segregation, meaning that anyone would still be able to seat anywhere, but allocating tickets for different parts of the stadium preferably to different clubs.

The seating map above is Port Adelaide Oval's (PAO). Imagine that Power is hosting a Showdown on Saturday.

Up to Wednesday, only members can buy tickets: Rest of Adelaide's members, for the "General Admission" and "The Hill" (maybe "Scoreboard" and "Silver" as well, but it doesn't matter); Port's members for the remaining sections. On Showdowns at Rest of Adelaide Oval (RAO), the opposite would happen.

However, from Thursday onwards, available tickets would be open to the general public, and anyone would be able to buy any ticket for any section. Hence, there could still be Crows in the Port's sections, and vice-versa (thus, no segregation), but most visitors would be concentrated at the northern end.

Such an arrangement would allow Port barrackers, in a Showdown away (RAO), to sing NTUA, together and loud, when our players enter the field. Wouldn't it be beautiful? Doesn't it give you all goosebumps only imagining it?

 

[chiwigi]

It doesn't need to be a complete segregation, meaning that anyone would still be able to seat anywhere, but allocating tickets for different parts of the stadium preferably to different clubs.

The seating map above is Port Adelaide Oval's (PAO). Imagine that Power is hosting a Showdown on Saturday.

Up to Wednesday, only members can buy tickets: Rest of Adelaide's members, for the "General Admission" and "The Hill" (maybe "Scoreboard" and "Silver" as well, but it doesn't matter); Port's members for the remaining sections. On Showdowns at Rest of Adelaide Oval (RAO), the opposite would happen.

However, from Thursday onwards, available tickets would be open to the general public, and anyone would be able to buy any ticket for any section. Hence, there could still be Crows in the Port's sections, and vice-versa (thus, no segregation), but most visitors would be concentrated at the northern end.

Such an arrangement would allow Port barrackers, in a Showdown away (RAO), to sing NTUA, together and loud, when our players enter the field. Wouldn't it be beautiful? Doesn't it give you all goosebumps only imagining it?

It already happens mate, each cheer squad has an end.
The lack of segregation means there’s no obligation to sit with your own club fans, it doesn’t mean there’s no opportunity.

 

[GremioPower]

It already happens mate, each cheer squad has an end.
The lack of segregation means there’s no obligation to sit with your own club fans, it doesn’t mean there’s no opportunity.

I know about the cheer squads. I'm suggesting moving into another level.