Eddies Plan

[tribey]

yeh exactly, the world is forever evolving, move with it or you will be left behind.

But if the vast majority of football followers are 'left behind' - especially the hundreds of thousands of impressionable kids across the country who will have to rely on their parents buying FOXTEL subscriptions in order for them to continue seeing AFL footy - you don't think the game as a whole will ultimately suffer?

We're quite spoiled at the moment. We tend to accept the current success and popularity of the AFL as a fait accompli. But, it wasn't always like that, and it won't always be like that. If we make the game elitist (and in some ways we're already going down that road) the battle for hearts and minds that the game has fought so hard to win may be driven away to competing sports, and those yet to be won in future may not be subjected to the game as we were lucky enough to have been.

 

[afc9798]

But if the vast majority of football followers are 'left behind' - especially the hundreds of thousands of impressionable kids across the country who will have to rely on their parents buying FOXTEL subscriptions in order for them to continue seeing AFL footy - you don't think the game as a whole will ultimately suffer?

We're quite spoiled at the moment. We tend to accept the current success and popularity of the AFL as a fait accompli. But, it wasn't always like that, and it won't always be like that. If we make the game elitist (and in some ways we're already going down that road) the battle for hearts and minds that the game has fought so hard to win may be driven away to competing sports, and those yet to be won in future may not be subjected to the game as we were lucky enough to have been.

Spot on-well said. People tend to forget how many lean periods there have been for football and it is inevitable that if you make it too hard,many people will find another entertainment source. Football is one of many things competing for the disposable income and with the attention span and instant gratification needs of most people, any interrruption to the football accessability could spell trouble. You don't screw with a formula that delivers the profile.