2021 NON AFL Thread - finance, ratings, participation etc.

[BringBackTorps]

In the context of summer, & the popularity of water sports & recreation in Australia, I am adding these 2 videos.
They are from Nazare, Portugal- which has the highest "rideable" waves in the world (particularly around November each year, benefiting from its topography, & the effects of the seasonal Arctic swells).
Because they are so death-defying, Nazare has only been surfed in November since 2008- with full preparation & authorisation.

The video of the official highest wave ever surfed successfully, 101.4 ft by 18 y.o Portuguese A. Laureano

António Laureano surfed a 101.4-foot wave in Nazaré

According to an independent academic analysis, on October 29, 2020, the Portuguese surfer became the first person to ride a 100-foot wave.

www.surfertoday.com

60 Minutes program on how 2 Australians prepared for surfing- & staying alive- the "Gigantes" at Nazare, in November 2018.
"The Eighth Wonder Of The World".

 

[Kwality]

In the context of summer, & the popularity of water sports & recreation in Australia, I am adding these 2 videos.
They are from Nazare, Portugal- which has the highest "rideable" waves in the world (particularly around November each year, benefiting from its topography, & the effects of the seasonal Arctic swells).
Because they are so death-defying, Nazare has only been surfed in November since 2008- with full preparation & authorisation.

The video of the official highest wave ever surfed successfully, 101.4 ft by 18 y.o Portuguese A. Laureano

António Laureano surfed a 101.4-foot wave in Nazaré

According to an independent academic analysis, on October 29, 2020, the Portuguese surfer became the first person to ride a 100-foot wave.

www.surfertoday.com

60 Minutes program on how 2 Australians prepared for surfing- & staying alive- the "Gigantes" at Nazare, in November 2018.
"The Eighth Wonder Of The World".

Watched the series on Netflix, great viewing.

 

[Aussie in exile]

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2022

rolexsydneyhobart.com

There are any number of AFL fans for whom an away game is a step to far. They think they are fans of sport but spend most of their space on seeking to denigrate sport more generally.
IF the cap fits ....

It's called fear and the so called AFL fans have huge fear of other sports

 

[Kwality]

It's called fear and the so called AFL fans have huge fear of other sports

Insecurity not fear, when other sports are mentioned, especially those with an international dimension.

 

[Kwality]

It's not denigrating a sport to question why it gets significant media coverage when that doesn't seem to be based on general interest. It's not like anyone's questioning its right to exist.

Probably gets the coverage because it attracts Australias best & internationals as for the Aus Open (golf or tennis). Its a sports thing & sport appeals to Australians more generally.

 

[Rob]

Probably gets the coverage because it attracts Australias best & internationals as for the Aus Open (golf or tennis). Its a sports thing & sport appeals to Australians more generally.

Aus Open tennis gets 7 figure audiences every day. Golf is a massively popular sport in this country.

Yachting? Seriously, have you ever had an actual discussion about it outside of the Olympics? Is there any objective measure that would suggest more than a handful of people are interested?

 

[Gigantor]

I'd expect that these big yacht races would attract some interest from family and friends.

 

[RedV3x]

Probably gets the coverage because it attracts Australias best & internationals

It gets coverage because it's an unique event etc BUt we're discussing the ratings of this event.

as for the Aus Open (golf or tennis).

Throw in F! and most events with an international flavour but it'd NOT a guarantee of ratings success.
Do Australians watch the America's Cup anymore ? You'd be forgiven for believing it doesn't exist anymore.

Its a sports thing & sport appeals to Australians more generally.

This is the biggest myth ever perpetuated. The majority of people aren't interested in sports and don't follow sports.
People have varying degrees of interest in sport. Sports lovers are actually in the minority.
A lot of people are only interested in their sport.
I have no interest what-so-ever in the slot-car racing of F1. A rally or Dakar event would be more interesting.
I have next to no interest in the Sydney-to-Hobart except for the protest - I'd rather be sailing.
I have no interest what-so-ever in golf - I never got hooked.
I have little interest in tennis - I'd rather be playing tennis.
I have no interest what-so-ever in soccer - though playing soccer is fun whilst watching it is not.
I have no interest what-so-ever in basketball - but that is a long story.

I have probably watched more lawn bowls than played lawn bowls - now there is an under-rated sport - very tactical and skillful.
I would watch Gaelic Football is it were available - but it's not.
I did watch American Football until i found it to be too predictable.
I do watch a bit of rugby union internationals - not much though.
I even watch an occasional bit of r.l. - very occasionally.

So does this make me a "sports lover" or typical sports loving Australian ?

It's IRRELEVENT because I only pay to attend certain sports and i don't regularly watch other regular sports.

 

[Cmarsh]

Aus Open tennis gets 7 figure audiences every day. Golf is a massively popular sport in this country.

Yachting? Seriously, have you ever had an actual discussion about it outside of the Olympics? Is there any objective measure that would suggest more than a handful of people are interested?

America's cup?

 

[Rob]

America's cup?

What, 35 years ago?

I'd be surprised if 1% of Australians know when it was last held.

 

[Gigantor]

What, 35 years ago?

I'd be surprised if 1% of Australians know when it was last held.

Do they still run it?

 

[The_Wookie]

It's called fear and the so called AFL fans have huge fear of other sports

No its not. In your particular case - as in many other sports fans, its a rabid unwillingess to accept the size and popularity of Australian Football in this country, and a failure to understand that the game outside this country is largely an afterthought because the AFL wills it to be so. If the AFL had the will theyd spend money overseas on promoption and development in the US, Canada and the UK where 18 a side leagues actually exist.

Dont come on bigfooty - a forum noted for its focus on Australian Football of all things - and spout the fear crap. Next time its a ban.

Insecurity not fear, when other sports are mentioned, especially those with an international dimension.

Its neither fear nor insecurity. Its relevance. People like the sports they like and will go to bat for them if pushed especially if idiots start throwing crap like fear around. Doesnt matter what the other code is or whether its international or not. Some people try to see the bigger picture, but by and large in any context dealing with Australian Football, the sport is nationally based with minor outposts here and there around the world.

Say it with me: Bigfooty is an Australian Football focussed forum.

 

[The_Wookie]

Do they still run it?

Yes,. The 36th America's Cup in March 2021 was the latest staging of the America's Cup yacht race. It was contested on the inner Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, New Zealand, between the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia of Italy.

 

[RedV3x]

a failure to understand that the game outside this country is largely an afterthought because the AFL wills it to be so..

Actually you'd be surprised by some early attempts.
We know that Australian Football was popular in New Zealand around 1908 when N.Z. defeated both N.S.W. and Qld. at the Australasian championships
but who knows about "Field football" in the U.S.A. in 1906.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Austral...NpClI7-nq40nH0NlXqwJHufkKTL5hEqagnczxDuZTGgVc

If the AFL had the will they'd spend money overseas on promotion and development in the US, Canada and the UK where 18 a side leagues actually exist.

Very much an over-simplification but the AFL does not allocate money proportionally on development but on an add-hoc basis.
You would think the AFL would allocate a percentage of income to be possibly used on overseas development.
The AFL don't even plough revenue from overseas streaming into overseas development.

A survey showed that the U.S.A. is crying out for some development officers as a bare minimum but promotions are a subject of an essay.
Canada receives a modest amount to leverage on their schools programs.
Europe has done well from their modest development officers and Europe easily has the most sophisticated international competition.
Football in the U.K. has really gone ahead when they invested in 9-a-side football.
That's a snapshot the "organic" side of development.

There has been quite a number of different ad hoc investments.
There was investment in the R.S.A. presumably to gain AFL talent but not to develop a professional league.
There was the foray into China and again more successfully by Port Adelaide.
There have been various leverage made out of Australian aid - RSA, PNG, Fiji etc.
The most serious all-round attempt was made in New Zealand which was on track until derailed by the lack of a suitable stadium
and of course Covid19.

 

[Bjo187]

The AFL should be paying to have the game shown into the US as a filler show. They might just pick up some rich Americans that fall in love with the game and want to pour some money into it. Similar to the American guys on the GWS board.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Canada receives a modest amount to leverage on their schools programs.

I believe Canada's funding is mostly for their development officer. Jacob Hausler has been the development officer for a few years and has been really smart about garnering Canadian government funding. He's worked on leveraging government grants to help grow the game. They've managed to get summer jobs grants to give uni students jobs over the summer holidays (conveniently when their season is).

The recent milestone Jacob's achieved is getting AFL Canada recognised as a Canadian Registered Amateur Athletic Association (CRAAA), which will open up the types of government funding they can apply for.

With the school programs, I don't think there's been any AFL assistance (at least monetarily). Calgary has been the blueprint for school programs. Their junior development officer, which has been in charge of 20k annual participants, has actually been funded by fundraising from the Calgary Kangaroos and Kookaburras. I believe there are hopes with the recent recognition that AFL Canada can use CRAAA grants to expand in-school programs to other cities.

Also worth noting that the majority of Ontario's in-school participants (about 50k pre-Covid), are actually with X Movement, an organisation independent of AFL Canada that also teaches cricket and netball.

 

[Canberra Pear]

The AFL should be paying to have the game shown into the US as a filler show. They might just pick up some rich Americans that fall in love with the game and want to pour some money into it. Similar to the American guys on the GWS board.

Agreed. I think they should be doing similar things to their agreements with Channel 7 in NSW and Queensland.

I assume these sports channels are paying for AFL content. I think the AFL should be offering big discounts (or even offer it for free) if they can guarantee more air time. The loss from international rights would be negligible, but more air time could really increase its international value over time.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Surely the big unresolvable issue for Aussie Rules expansion outside Australia is that most countries outside England and India don't have dozens of cricket grounds dotting their major cities? And England is in a soccer stranglehold and India is too effing hot all year for footy.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Surely the big unresolvable issue for Aussie Rules expansion outside Australia is that most countries outside England and India don't have dozens of cricket grounds dotting their major cities? And England is in a soccer stranglehold and India is too effing hot all year for footy.

Having played a bit of footy in England and Canada, I think there's a bit of over-emphasis on the importance of permanent ovals. In Toronto, the main oval has hosted six clubs (including women's and div 2 teams), but most of the teams trained at different areas. We trained on soccer pitches, and baseball and gridiron fields. Another team had a temporary oval placed on side-by-side gridiron fields.

A lot of places (including in England and Canada) have a nine-a-side leagues, which make it playable on soccer/rugby pitches. It also makes starting a team much easier to get off the ground. Nine-a-side is probably the key to international growth. The annual Euro Cup and European Champions' League are already nine-a-side.

Cricket fields can actually suck overseas because they're less likely to have temporary pitches.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Having played a bit of footy in England and Canada, I think there's a bit of over-emphasis on the importance of permanent ovals. In Toronto, the main oval has hosted six clubs (including women's and div 2 teams), but most of the teams trained at different areas. We trained on soccer pitches, and baseball and gridiron fields. Another team had a temporary oval placed on side-by-side gridiron fields.

A lot of places (including in England and Canada) have a nine-a-side leagues, which make it playable on soccer/rugby pitches. It also makes starting a team much easier to get off the ground. Nine-a-side is probably the key to international growth. The annual Euro Cup and European Champions' League are already nine-a-side.

Cricket fields can actually suck overseas because they're less likely to have temporary pitches.

Thanks, that’s put me much better in the picture.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Thanks, that’s put me much better in the picture.

No worries. Ready-made ovals would obviously be amazing for footy overseas (it's like a free advertisement when they ask what those weird posts are), but it's not a necessity.

 

[The_Wookie]

Actually you'd be surprised by some early attempts.
We know that Australian Football was popular in New Zealand around 1908 when N.Z. defeated both N.S.W. and Qld. at the Australasian championships
but who knows about "Field football" in the U.S.A. in 1906.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Austral...NpClI7-nq40nH0NlXqwJHufkKTL5hEqagnczxDuZTGgVc

Id only be surprised if I didnt know about this.

Very much an over-simplification but the AFL does not allocate money proportionally on development but on an add-hoc basis.

Its an oversimplication based on a number of people ive spoken to at length in canada, the US, europe, Asia and NZ - albeit a few years ago now. The AFL does allocate some very small funding for development purposes and the funding of a development officer/co-ordinator type.

You would think the AFL would allocate a percentage of income to be possibly used on overseas development.
The AFL don't even plough revenue from overseas streaming into overseas development.

Yeah.

 

[BobbyMorri]

The AFL already gets complaints from a certain state about the lack of funding it gets compared to the northern states. Any money for international expansion has to come from somewhere. Lets not forget that it was only 30 years ago that Sydney nearly died and with that, expansion North. The fact the AFL doesn't even help fund an NZ game is an indication of how much they care outside of this continent.

be interesting to see the crowds for the Aus Open in a fortnight. Yes, the A-league and BBl crowds have been really poor but they have been going downwards for a while so who knows how much covid is having an impact on them. I feel like covid will have an increasing impact on events with people being more cautious about going out. The AFL season might be perfectly placed to avoid this phase of the pandemic.

 

[RedV3x]

The AFL does allocate some very small funding for development purposes and the funding of a development officer/co-ordinator type.

It's important to note the three different funding types.

1. Organic - various grassroots funding like footballs, goal posts, development officers and schools.
Specific worthy projects like purpose-built ovals and championship events are left to the organizers.
2. Leveraged - government aid and private sponsorship. This has been extremely effective where it has been applied and lasted.
You might include promotions like the Foster's Cup in here.
3. Investment - most investment has been on attaining AFL talent and not promoting the general development of Australian football.
For example the Irish experiment and various combines.
There has been the occasional business arrangement which includes AFL media.
New Zealand is the only true GWS-style approach by the AFL outside of Australia.

 

[RedV3x]

I don't think there's been any AFL assistance (at least monetarily).

The AFL acknowledged AFL Canada's effort and provided funding to expediate results .
it should be in the A.G.M.