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Kennel Master

Kennel Master

All Australian
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Sep 8, 2003
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Location
East Fremantle
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Boy am I bored without footy. Thanks to all posters for info posted.

Now I've been thinking about the banners that the players run through before games. Does anyone else think they are a bit silly!
Fair dinkum, I know the cheer squad spend a lot of time getting them ready and I have been on the ground holding them up which is a buzz.
But it seems a lot of effort for about 3 minutes display.
Is it time to come up with something different for the start of a game.
How about sparklers, dancing girls (maybe not), fireworks?

Surely with technology we could get a laser display, holograms of particular players, something more in line with the times.

What are others thoughts? Does anyone have a new idea which could replace the banner.
I'm not anti-banner, just looking for something else!!:thumbsu:

Cheers
KM
 
Kennel Master said:
Now I've been thinking about the banners that the players run through before games. Does anyone else think they are a bit silly!
Fair dinkum, I know the cheer squad spend a lot of time getting them ready and I have been on the ground holding them up which is a buzz.
But it seems a lot of effort for about 3 minutes display.
Click to expand...

It's run it's race and adds little value. It's time to look at other options.
 

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Kennel Master said:
This was the point I was trying to make.
We have some people on this board who can come up with new and interesting ideas,
What could be other options?
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Not sure what other options are available but the grounds now are too clinical for the whole experience of the cheer squad banner. Other than highlight games (300 games etc) I rarely even bother to look at the banners. They are boring and lack imagination plus a number of players run around them anyway.

Not sure what the answer is but banners add little to the game.
 
I think the main value of the banners is the opportunity it gives for the cheer squad to get together and create something interesting and hopefully more interesting than the rivals. It's ephemeral social and community art. Wouldn't try to look at it in any other way.

If you were looking for an another idea why not a well made selection of highlights of the team players with some strong music behind it and played on the screens before the game? (But then you have to fight with the commercial interests.) Worth a thought though.

It wouldn't have to be just contemporary players either. Every club has a rich tradition that could be used in these reels. ;)
 
lindsay_bulldogs said:
With the players coming onto the ground doing the worm ups. It does seem to make the banner pointless.
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Gotta go see those worm ups, lol.

As a TV-only footy viewer, I seldom see the banners anyway, and the ones I do see seem a bit naff, to be honest.

I would think the all-powerful and watchful AFL probably decrees that every club must have a banner, that it says something boring and innocuous, and no departures to this formula will be tolerated.
 
Need a Brain Storming Session:

Put everything down, no matter how ridiculous it might seem at first. Good ideas can develop from crap ideas.

1. Hyde Street band. I used to love them. Bring them back and they can make a corridor of honour when the players come out and really belt out the tune. Put them through the ground speakers by remote devices.

2. Other bands such as the Navy band or the Police band or various highland bands. I have never heard Son's of the West by bagpipes.

3. Marching girls, have several groups.

4. Kennel club dogs, paraded around the ground, and a guard of honour when the players come out. Various breeds. Somebody, maybe a clown, picking up the poo.

5. Have a kicking competition before the start of the game, guard of honour at the end.

6. Open it up to Community groups to form a guard of honour. Wave Teddy's towel.

7. Let off a firework of some sort in the middle of the ground.

8. Invite a celebrity along. Waves to crowd.

9. Have a famous singer sing the theme song.

10. Have the players learn a routine of marching onto the ground and lining up and waving to the fans. From various points on the ground.

11. The players run the boundary line in a particular formation. The Kiwis have their hakka and the Bulldogs have their whatever.

12. Various advertisers demonstrate their wares on the ground.

There are some. Form a committee.

Just have the banner for special occasions.
 
James Cuming said:
Need a Brain Storming Session:

Put everything down, no matter how ridiculous it might seem at first. Good ideas can develop from crap ideas.

1. Hyde Street band. I used to love them. Bring them back and they can make a corridor of honour when the players come out and really belt out the tune. Put them through the ground speakers by remote devices.

2. Other bands such as the Navy band or the Police band or various highland bands. I have never heard Son's of the West by bagpipes.

4. Kennel club dogs, paraded around the ground, and a guard of honour when the players come out. Various breeds. Somebody, maybe a clown, picking up the poo.

5. Have a kicking competition before the start of the game, guard of honour at the end.

6. Open it up to Community groups to form a guard of honour. Wave Teddy's towel.

7. Let off a firework of some sort in the middle of the ground.


There are some. Form a committee.

Just have the banner for special occasions.
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Picks of the bunch.

Banners and fan involvement is part of the game and I would be sad to see it further eroded.

I'd love to see some more cultural aspects of the club / the region given exposure. Half time Trugo, Hyde St Band, Jimmy Wong's v Poons celebrity match etc.

P.S More banners and home made flags in the crowd!
 
I enjoy the banners and used to take my kids to make them, and were thrill to be holding the banner as the boys ran out, James you missed pole dancers , high heels and bulldogs clobber, just a though
 

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ours do look pretty average in comparison with other clubs...(but kudos to those who give up their time to make them)...
 
best team introduction ever (in my humble opinion) was done by the Chicago Bulls during the Jordan era of the 1990s. It started with the lights going off and some awesome slow-building music, the crowd would begin to roar. Cue the swirling spotlights and a cool announcer who introduced the starting line-up. Still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it.

I've often thought as to why this couldn't be done, perhaps at a night game. However we probably aren't allowed to turn the lights down due to H&S issues etc. Still, don't see why we couldn't use the best elements of such an introduction.
 
They used to just tie streamers over the end of the race where the players ran out - remember that famous shot of Sutton running out with Collins behind him...
I think the banners are old hat - a short lived tradition that could easily be replaced. No doubt they offer some more exposure to sponsors because I reckon only one side has a message on it with sponsorship on the other.
Add that to the fact that the dogs refure to run through it for bad luck and we get nothing out of it.
The whole idea is that the team breaks through it and the crowd goes crazy - the dogs just duck under it or run around it - shithouse!

I like the guard of honour of bagpipes idea - an instrument that always gets the emotions going - it would be unique as well
 
We have a big asset that is not being used. That asset is advertising in front of a large crowd and some small exposure on television and radio.

1. Exposure for people who want the public to know about them. This includes singers and buskers and other performers.

2. Advertising by anybody from car sales to home items and even services.

3. Clubs and charities. I'd like to think that the local athletics organisations could put something on. organisations

4. Recognising achievements by other individuals eg Danny Green or women's netball team or Nobel Prize winner.

Could also have other sporting competitions on just prior to the game.

Maybe a world record attempt of some type.

West Coast have a wedge-tailed eagle fly around the stadium just prior to the game. Looks very impressive.
 
I agree banners are a bit quaint and yes, some players won't run through them for whatever superstitious reasons they have. However I'm with those who say the game is already too commercial, clinical and antiseptic. Heck, even the club websites are nearly all Bigpond-operated adverts disguised as an AFL website. Banners do involve the cheer squads and give us a rare chance of something spontaneous, imaginative and unscripted.

I used to love the huge supporters signs that were hung around the boundary fences and sometimes hung from upper tiers of grandstands. They must have gone out 30 or more years ago when the (then) VFL realised how much money they could rake in by selling the space to advertisers. As usual the rank and file fans got short shrift. Tradition counts for little if it's a choice of that or advertising income.

Another example of quaintness was the goal umpires' uniform but that's now changing as well.

I don't mind exploring some new ideas but please, spare us any further razzamatazz on the big screen.
 

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Bagpipes, brillant, I reckon its a winner, bagpipes playing sons of the west forming a guard of honour of kilt wearing pole dancers, yes that could replace the banner :)
 
Streamers were plenty in Canberra this year, the kids went beserk with them at the final siren siren. Great moment as a fan in 2009.
 
Kennel Master said:
Boy am I bored without footy. Thanks to all posters for info posted.

What are others thoughts? Does anyone have a new idea which could replace the banner.
I'm not anti-banner, just looking for something else!!:thumbsu:

Cheers
KM
Click to expand...

Gutsy post...love your style. I agree 100%.

I know our cheer squad put plenty of time into making the banners.
BUT, you cant be 1/2 pregnant and our banners look...well...you all know what i mean (some of the players look a little embarassed to me).

We are now the 'Community Club'.

Can you imagine the exposure and awareness some community groups would receive by being introduced before each game. Representatives from the community group would then form a guard of honour as the players ran out, and then hosted to watch the game.

One team in the AFL will get the 'First Mover Advantage' on doing something different. Lets BREAK the mould.
 
I would hate to see the banner out of the game, it's tradition.
 
Had never really thought about the banner that much until your post.

On reflection I am all for getting rid of it or reserving it for very special occasions such as major milestone games and for all finals.

When we are advertising "call Marge on 9689XXX for catering" on our banners, surely everyone must agree that we coudl do something better.

Lets break the mould and come up something new to welcome our team onto the ground.

Suggestions;

  • All Members go into a ballot to form a guard of honour at the start of each match. Ballot is drawn before the start of the Home and Away (60 members notified via email with first 40 to confirm their availability given the gig, faciliating 20 members for each side of the guard.) - Reserve places given to Cheer squad members on the day if some people do not show up (otherwise could be embarrassing if only 5 people show up on the day).
  • Using barcode information captured when entering the ground (good luck getting Ticketmaster or Ticketek to share this) select at random 40 members who are at the game and annouce and or display them on the big screen.
  • Drop it all together and simply allow the players to run straight onto the ground to Sons of the West
 
BWFC said:
Its part of the tradition of the game, I'd be sad to see it go.
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AS someone said - let's keep it for special occasions - big milestones, and the like - maybe just 3 or 4 per home and away season.

I rather like the idea of looking for something new.

I agree that with the pre-game routines, the banners are a bit of an anti-climax these days.

Bring back the Hyde St band?

Mayby every home game we honour a few past players?
 

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