Autopsy AFLX Review - It...wasn’t bad?

[Pessimistic]

I get it,

If we want our sport to be played overseas there needs to be a way to utilize already established soccer pitches.

But a friend of mine suggested that the preseason is just the wrong time to showcase it.

His suggestion was the week before finals. The pool of players would be from all the clubs that missed finals, the tac cup under 18s and some recent retired players who could still play (think Cyril, Mumford ect...).

Makes sense using 2018 as an example the fans would stoked to see Cyril and Betts play together. Or even Carlton would love to have the opportunity to send Cripps to play along side Walsh and other top 10 draft hopefuls. If a player gets hurt they have a longest possible time frame you could think of to recover. Afl could hand out good money as well as an incentive and the players/clubs who take it cant be seen as salary duping because the season is already over for said clubs.

Edit: i also agree with the AFLXW would be an improvement.

Like most junkets here or overseas, you are hard pressed to see the well thought out strategy to actually grow the game, although it is used as a convenient excuse to spend more on pampered stars
But gillons mob isn’t the first to fail here and won’t be the last

 

[Pessimistic]

I think the concensus from last year was that it looked like fun to play but is boring to watch. It hasn't changed from that. The players probably enjoyed it more than the crowd.

The AFL need to decide if they want to develop a game that would help players develop their basic skills - accurate short kicks, quick handballs, leading and marking which can be played by fewer players - or create an exciting fast paced game in the mould of BBL. The way it is now, they're better off with the former because if you need circus acts to keep the kids' attention during play then you've failed with making it the exciting game they promised.

TBH I think they missed a trick in not simply having an AFL 9s completion with the AFL men playing in teams with the AFL women. Their is such little contact in AFLX it might as well be non contact.

At least try a community competition such as afl nines as a curtain raiser

 

[Doss]

At the end of the day, "it wasn't that bad" isn't really a glowing endorsement though, is it?

 

[Strange Cat]

People are seriously so negative these days

 

[Knox Harrington]

aflx is what women AFL should be.

The smaller ground is perfect.

 

[Matt_TY]

Is this dead yet?

 

[NoobPie]

Is this dead yet?

Apparently it lives for another year for each time you make the same comment on this thread. It's locked in until 2057 at this stage

 

[NoobPie]

People are seriously so negative these days

It's the "spirit" of the times, alas

 

[NoobPie]

At the end of the day, "it wasn't that bad" isn't really a glowing endorsement though, is it?

No, it isn't. But that's not really a valuable observation, is it?

I would have thought if it was as good as the real thing that would be a massive concern

 

[Clint Bizkit]

The game itself is good when the players tackle.

The stupid teams, music and all-round w***ery was what made it bad.

If they treated it like an actual sport there would be more interest and more people would have attended.

 

[Marc_Remillard]

It's like the AFL have identified everything great about the game and then removed it all. Every single thing that makes the game the best in the world

 

[Shane Heard]

Absolute total and utter waste of money that could be better spent on grass roots junior footy clubs around the country who are struggling for funds to survive.

Tens of thousands of dollars for what Gil? Oh yeah ...that’s right..just a bit of fun for the kids at the game as they sit there completely uninterested in what’s going on.

I don’t know what type of drugs these league morons are on when the sit around the board room table coming up with these ridiculous ideas to promote the game ..seriously.

The vast majority of footy fans have got zero interest in this self indulgent, unimaginative bore fest.

It made the Woman’s afl look mildly interesting in comparison.

 

[Shane Heard]

No doubt the AFLW should become AFLXW.....I have a feeling they know that at AFL headquaerters, but fear the feminist backlash?
Last night was directed at kids, it's a game for anyone born prior to the year 2000. So let the women play it and make it "their" competition, something unique and at least watchable by those who are older? You could incorporate all the glitz and glamour, play double headers and the women have their own brand of Football? Sure beats the women playing on a huge oval that is far too big for them and finishing with a 5 goal scoreline. As a bloke writing on a Big Footy comments page, I'm not the right demographic to tell you about feminism. But something's got to give with the women's game and AFLX could be the saviour?

I agree. Woman’s footy is like watching two D grade amateur 3rds teams stumbling about. It’s embarrassing.

It’s nothing to do with feminism.

The AFL has dug themselves a great big ol hole that’ll be impossible to climb out of now. Can’t backtrack now though.

Too late.

 

[Benny78]

AFL-X wasn't bad

Your on you're own their buddy

 

[Ok Boomer]

AFLX doesn't have a chance while douchebags like Luke Darcy are going to commentate it.

 

[Astro Bomber]

There's fast scoring and then there's this. A goal should be built with hard work and celebrated. Not scored every 20 seconds where it's meaningless. This isn't basketball.

 

[Nankervis brothers]

Congratulations to the Gatorade Football Club — great night for their true believers.

 

[telsor]

At the end of the day, "it wasn't that bad" isn't really a glowing endorsement though, is it?

That's what the AFL spent millions hoping to achieve.

 

[Luv_our_club]

"It polarises people because it is so different.... But it's got to be different because the next generation, young kids now, are different. They see the game in a different light. They're less inclined to follow teams... they love following the stars - we've seen that overseas" - Patrick Dangerfield.

This must be what happens when you are so good at a sport at a young age that you never got the full experience of being in the outer as just another supporter.

 

[Topkent]

"It polarises people because it is so different.... But it's got to be different because the next generation, young kids now, are different. They see the game in a different light. They're less inclined to follow teams... they love following the stars - we've seen that overseas" - Patrick Dangerfield.

This must be what happens when you are so good at a sport at a young age that you never got the full experience of being in the outer as just another supporter.

Danger is just a flog. He sits at home wanking over the popularity of American sportsmen and cries himself to sleep wishing people liked him like that. I guarantee no one at Geelong would change teams if he left and no one from Adelaide did either. The American athletes have genuine personality, there's like 5 AFL players who don't freeze and spit media trained lines infront of a camera.

Danger should shut the * up

 

[Luv_our_club]

Danger is just a flog. He sits at home wanking over the popularity of American sportsmen and cries himself to sleep wishing people liked him like that. I guarantee no one at Geelong would change teams if he left and no one from Adelaide did either. The American athletes have genuine personality, there's like 5 AFL players who don't freeze and spit media trained lines infront of a camera.

Danger should shut the **** up

Except for that part... i totally agree.

Kids might love Buddy or Martin. But that's about it. AFL is a team sport.

 

[Gibbke]

What happened to International Rules? Square field, limited tackling, they even use soccer goals and the ball!

Why aren't they plugging that instead? Far superior product...

AFLX is designed to appeal to foreigners, so it's pointless trying to market to Aussies who have new franchise teams in every non-footy state designed specifically to suck them into the sport (or was the entire spiel back then about "developing and expanding the game" either a failure, or a wank to cover up the real reason, which was keeping free to air tv happy?)...

I do like the fact that footy fans are a bit more resilient and less swayed by shiny things than cricket fans. This summer has been the flattest, dullest non-event I can ever remember, absolutely littered and saturated with pointless T20's and no investment from anyone in the sport. When the Hurricanes were 9-1, I recall mowing the lawn and thinking to myself I wouldn't even care about the comp if it wasn't for the fact that the Tasmanian side was dominating, and as soon as they were bundled out I didn't watch either of the remaining matches...wasn't a boycott either, I simply forgot about the final! The product itself and structure of the season sucks. I can't imagine AFLX infiltrating our sport though...

 

[footyfan1978]

What happened to International Rules? Square field, limited tackling, they even use soccer goals and the ball!

Why aren't they plugging that instead? Far superior product...

You do realise it is played with a round ball, right ?
State of Origin so far superior to international Rules it is not funny. It is actually our game with our ball at the highest level it can be played and in AFL wisdom they cannot find a time in early March to play it. Most neglected part of our game in last three decades.

 

[rumply]

I didn't expect to like it but ended up moderately entertained so as a chewing gum version of Aussie Rules, it wasn't all that bad. The commentary box stunk though & I had nfi how the scoring worked most of the time so that didn't help.

If the sole purpose of AFLX is to attempt to attract new young fans & drum up a bit of publicity at the start of each season then I have no problem with it. It's a gimmick along the lines of the NBA Allstar game so if people want to hate on it, yeah I have more important things to concern myself with.

 

[Topkent]

Except for that part... i totally agree.

Kids might love Buddy or Martin. But that's about it. AFL is a team sport.

Mate have you ever heard some of the American athletes get interviewed? No one tells them what to say and if they wanna start s**t against someone they'll do it.

Danger is a mouthpiece for the AFL. I can listen to a Max Gawn interview, other than that maybe Rance, Roughead an one or 2 more can speak a little differently. The rest sound exactly the same.