Game Day Experience

[Gasometer]

It must be a buzz for fans aged 50 or above.

Too soon for a Pagan version?

 

[muttley45]

Should be a curtain raiser game every time, preferably our own VFL side.

 

[Moti]

Should be a curtain raiser game every time, preferably our own VFL side.

I agree! For me my suggestions are more carnival driven. What I mean is that they are roving and/or placed around the ground and those that want to partake do so, those that don't can just chill and chat. As for when at the seat, I would have big screen content and/or on ground stuff but not make it overwhelming as it usually only engages a small section of the crowd.

 

[Ischenko]

Essendon and their horrendously offensive homage to the mass murder of innocent civilians perpetrated by the Luftwaffe and the RAF.

Yeah what the * is with this? Thought it was horrendous - an air raid siren? Typical of them to do the shittest thing possible of course.

 

[longyroos]

Should be a curtain raiser game every time, preferably our own VFL side.

Only if the game finishes closer to the start of the seniors. I took my son to the dogs game and we went early to watch the 2nd half of the VFL. There was about a 70 minute difference in game times, way too long with a kid albeit 12 years old.

 

[muttley45]

Only if the game finishes closer to the start of the seniors. I took my son to the dogs game and we went early to watch the 2nd half of the VFL. There was about a 70 minute difference in game times, way too long with a kid albeit 12 years old.

Yep, for sure 70 min way too long, 30 would be adequate i reckon, and i seem to vaguely remember that AFL HQ have kind of banned lengthy pre game warm up's for the seniors anyway.

 

[Gorman2Geister]

Kids Zone went down well with the kids. Main issue is they end up with an enlarged vernacular due to spectators using bad language. I know it's a free country but the day is pitched at families and if you see some little kids within earshot, tone it down please.
Still the feral * supporters at Ararat Maccas were even worse.

 

[Mav]

I agree! For me my suggestions are more carnival driven. What I mean is that they are roving and/or placed around the ground and those that want to partake do so, those that don't can just chill and chat. As for when at the seat, I would have big screen content and/or on ground stuff but not make it overwhelming as it usually only engages a small section of the crowd.

Should be one of those guys that’s makes things out of balloons. He can make a plane that looks like a bomber, and then kids can see what happens when you stick a needle in it!

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

Why not Johnny Farnham doing some of his more popular numbers?

 

[Colbys Boots]

Only if the game finishes closer to the start of the seniors. I took my son to the dogs game and we went early to watch the 2nd half of the VFL. There was about a 70 minute difference in game times, way too long with a kid albeit 12 years old.

They had that flag waving multicultural thing and some Village of the Damned children singing. Cut that s**t out and you'd be able to run the games closer together.

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

Announce starting lineups/late changes, the other week half the stadium didn't know what was going on with Waite when he pulled out. How hard is it to get on the mic and announce that Tom Murphy is a late in and is replacing Waite who has a calf concern.

God yes. How hard would it be to get a knowledgeable person to spend 30 minutes pre-game previewing the game? Discuss the ins/outs, how both teams went last time they played and their recent form? Don't give any opinions, just stats and facts. Instead we get that fat Billy on the bigscreen for SomeBettingCo for 12 seconds saying 'I recon BBB is the key to NMFC scores this week, Opposition by 15 points'

 

[Billy Not Really]

Stop with the music, its fine just before a quarter begins as hype music, whatever. But other than that I don't wanna hear s**t.

Also just stop making every single ******* game a themed round or a round to be about something; I don't care. I don't come to the footy to be chastised or sold something or peddled a political opinion even if I agreed with any of those things I don't come to the footy for that.

No more half time shenanigans, the half is for Auskickers and thats about it. At the end of the day, game day experienced is just home team interacting with the home crowd, the feeling of a home game advantage and to just hang around watch some footy. Nothing else. Everything else is superfluous crap. I'm not some old bloke pining for the old days either, I just want footy to be a time to hang around with friends and be able to heckle and cheer all you want.

I don't disagree with any of Ross' points but I'll go to a game if I can mate I got deadlines to meet , its not like Etihad should be our home ground anyway. I think it sucks honestly, its just commercial, expensive and feels inauthentic, the only plus is the roof being closed.

At the end of the day less is more with game day experience.

 

[The Other Dean]

Why not Johnny Farnham doing some of his more popular numbers?

That's freedom!!

Awesome idea, SoS. You're the voice of genius. Tell me Farnsey donning an old match-worn Jason Daniltchenko jumper and belting out a couple of rounds of "Playing To Win" isn't going to whip the home crowd into a frenzy. Seems almost stupid not to make it happen, Eugene.

Feel like the could be the first link in a chain reaction that sees North secure its 5th Premiership.

 

[Hojuman]

That's freedom!!

Awesome idea, SoS. You're the voice of genius. Tell me Farnsey donning an old match-worn Jason Daniltchenko jumper and belting out a couple of rounds of "Playing To Win" isn't going to whip the home crowd into a frenzy. Seems almost stupid not to make it happen, Eugene.

Feel like the could be the first link in a chain reaction that sees North secure its 5th Premiership.

Johnny.......BFNAAK ?

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Should be a curtain raiser game every time, preferably our own VFL side.

Agree with this wholeheartedly. Anything else, I don’t care.

 

[sutcliffe's hotel]

Why not Johnny Farnham doing some of his more popular numbers?

Excellent idea SOS.

Johnny leading the North faithful in a tweaked rendition of our unofficial anthem:

Johnny: You're the voice try & understand it make a noise and make it clear.

North faithful: We're all someone's daughter, we're all Cunnington.

North's introverted fans: We're gunna just sit in silence, we're just gunna sit in fear.

At half-time he can join with ONJ & we get to sing Your The One That I Want like excited school kids as a homage to our lasted rumoured trade target.

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

North's introverted fans: We're gunna just sit in silence, we're just gunna sit in fear.

Gasometer should start a thread

 

[gokangas]

That's freedom!!

Awesome idea, SoS. You're the voice of genius. Tell me Farnsey donning an old match-worn Jason Daniltchenko jumper and belting out a couple of rounds of "Playing To Win" isn't going to whip the home crowd into a frenzy. Seems almost stupid not to make it happen, Eugene.

Feel like the could be the first link in a chain reaction that sees North secure its 5th Premiership.

I have run trivia nights for years and this is one of my fave questions. I play 'Playing to Win' and ask who sings it. 95% say John Farnham - wrong. Little River Band is the correct answer. I have more arguments over that than just about any other question.

 

[Snake_Baker]

This is pointless, they simply don't give a stuff about what we want, and they are not prepared to listen. Just check out the recent email that seemed to only entertain the idea that seating was the only issue we could possibly have. Of course, it's a condescending marketing exercise that restricts all opportunity to actually have any input in the matter.

There needs to be some regime change at the club.

Things that need to be changed?

- The complete lack of any after match gathering/player question time for the supporters.
- The moron that does the mindless spruiking in the breaks. Virtually every person I am around at the footy cringes when he rants on incessantly and mindlessly, talking over the top of anyone he is interviewing. BTW, for those that don't know, he isn't even a North supporter.
- The repetitive "make some noise" video chants, as if we are all just mindless morons.
- 10 minutes of mindless player introduction, as if we don't already know who the players are!
- The fact that Docklands DOESN'T replay most of the contentious free kicks that are given.

In all honesty, I'd rather just talk to the person next to me about the game than be drowned out with all the mindless crap.

The "game day experience" has never been more bland and soulless in all my years following the game. I'm not far off pulling the pin.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Kids Zone went down well with the kids. Main issue is they end up with an enlarged vernacular due to spectators using bad language. I know it's a free country but the day is pitched at families and if you see some little kids within earshot, tone it down please.
Still the feral * supporters at Ararat Maccas were even worse.

They were probably on day leave.

 

[gokangas]

I'm a 'just start the game' man. Cannot stand loud music, so loud you can't hear those around you speaking. Cannot stand 'hype man' trying to talk up the game. It probably doesn't matter too much when there is a big crowd as the atmosphere is already there but I suppose when you have a low number something might help. Now we are gonna cop all the American superhero crap with the new sponsorship so lets expect plenty of trailers on the screen promoting their movies.

Bring back Ashton's Circus elephant or the cheer squad carrying a tarp around the boundary line collecting donations as we try to take one of their eyes out with a sixpence. I'd even prefer the Princes Park peanut man.

 

[King Corey]

I have run trivia nights for years and this is one of my fave questions. I play 'Playing to Win' and ask who sings it. 95% say John Farnham - wrong. Little River Band is the correct answer. I have more arguments over that than just about any other question.

Do you follow it up with "where was John Farnham born?" and when all the answers come back as England or somewhere within it you counter "no, the correct answer is Earth"?

 

[gokangas]

Do you follow it up with "where was John Farnham born?" and when all the answers come back as England or somewhere within it you counter "no, the correct answer is Earth"?

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Also just stop making every single ******* game a themed round or a round to be about something; I don't care.

This.

The game is over-marketed and out of touch.

This is what happens when you replace football people with bean counters.

 

[Marstermind]

As a football supporter who goes to other games, if we compare our home game "match-day experience" to other clubs, we can conclude that we stack up fairly evenly with everyone else. Every club has the same sort of stuff. That is, it's all s**t.

Less is more. Strangely, I go to the football to watch the football. I don't go to see or hear the following

• Cultural dancing
• Cultural ceremonies
• Drumming
• Loud music
• A game day host
• Interviews with crowd members. ("Who's your favourite player?" "Ummm...Bwownie." "Yeah he's awesome!")
• Clips of past matches set against loud music
• The players listed like they're about to fight for heavyweight champion ("Number 2. Marrrrrrleeeeee WILLLLLLLLIAMSSSSS!!!")
• Themed games
• People racing against mascots
• People racing against some image on an LED fence
• People trying to catch a ball after spinning around three times
• People kissing on the scoreboard
• People pretending to play a musical instrument on the scoreboard
• People flexing their biceps on the scoreboard
• Being told to "Make Some Noise"
• Being told to "sing the song"

There are more but none of this crap "engages" me. It makes me think "not this s**t again". The clubs/league/stadium devalues its own product by thinking all this nonsense attracts people to the stadium, not the game itself. It's like the game needs all these ridiculous bells and whistles otherwise no one will go. I don't expect silence but how about just focussing on the game and let the crowd react accordingly. Play a curtain raiser, announce the teams, play the songs as the teams run through the banner and get on with it. During breaks, pay the bills with some ads I guess, show the stats and get on with it. After the game the winners sing their song, do some good and audible interviews and the home team gets a down-to-earth function.

As for NMFC all this is a bit more pertinent. I found the "game day experience" against Essendon quite exciting. Not because of any of the faff the Bombers do before a game - I totally agree about the inappropriateness of air-raid sirens. It was exciting because it was a big crowd mingling before a big game. Seven days later when the stadium was mainly empty against Gold Coast it was completely flat. And all the match-day entertainment/bullshit actually emphasised how flat the day was. Which leads me to the two main things that can be done to make the North Melbourne game day experience better

• The AFL to schedule decent home games for NMFC. This year, like last, it's been rubbish - Good Friday against another small club, Hawthorn (fair enough), Port, Richmond (Mothers Day), Brisbane, Suns, Swans, Dogs. Six of these on Sundays, no Friday or Saturday nights, only Port on Saturday arvo.
• North fans to show up and make their own home atmosphere. Whilst we've been dealt an ordinary draw we need to create something ourselves. Life is busy and there's plenty of other things to do. We all have family, sporting and work commitments. But somehow, and I'm no marketing expert, the club needs to attract fans to all games regardless of who and when we are playing. 14,000 will always produce a flat atmosphere in a stadium that size. What I do know is that having "theme games" and all the other bollocks that goes on attracts no one.