Expansion Giants seek US game for points

[theyellowsash]

So the following was a silly comment considering we haven't gone there yet.

except that we were a private club that had existed for over 100 years looking for some short term extra money, not a franchise under 10 years old set up at great cost (both money and opportunity cost) to the AFL and other clubs with the express purpose of expanding into NSW which is already looking to sell games elsewhere.

 

[Ron The Bear]

who could forget "the worst 47 seconds in footy"!

'The worst 47 seconds in footy'

Richmond have urged their shattered supporters to keep the faith after "the worst 47 seconds in footy" against Gold Coast Suns.

www.foxsports.com.au

The only clubs to lose to the Suns with younger sides than Richmond's are Brisbane and GWS. Embarrassing, sure, but we were cut less slack than quite a few others.

Derickx 1 game
O'Hanlon 3
Morris 13
Ellis 14
Webberley 15
Dea 16
Batchelor 27
A.Maric 28
Conca 30
Angus Graham 47

It was kinda bound to happen.

 

[Colonial]

except that we were a private club that had existed for over 100 years looking for some short term extra money, not a franchise under 10 years old set up at great cost (both money and opportunity cost) to the AFL and other clubs with the express purpose of expanding into NSW which is already looking to sell games elsewhere.

Lots of differences there. Nice run with the fishbowl view.

But still after 100 years you would think k you wouldn't have to sell games.

 

[W.C. Fry]

I’d like to see this develop. Would have no issues with Collingwood playing away in this fixture.

Pies fans are already on board, have been seen waving the stars and stripes, also chanting USA at games already.

Would quadruple the travel of Collingwood this century in just one game though!

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Which is much smaller than the field needed for an AFL game - or any adult 18 a side Australian Football game. You could fit an American Football field in pretty much any major cricket oval in the world (except maybe Auckland's Eden Park); but that doesn't mean they are anywhere near suitable for AFL level footy.

Not much smaller actually. A gridiron is quite large compared to a soccer/rugby field.

Look at this scene from ghost rider. Filmed at the then Etihad stadium. This was one of the few location scenes not shot with an abundance of CGI, and was chosen because a gridiron fitted perfectly.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...BMAN6BAgFEAw&usg=AOvVaw2cOxG7Obk-lYEDFvV454xn

[/URL]

 

[Seedsfan]

Imagine the support we'd get tho if the game is in LA being West Coast and all.

Half of the west coast would hate you for wearing blue

 

[Coaster2012]

As long as they're not playing West Coast, go for it.

Like WC need the money

 

[Cmarsh]

I’d like to see this develop. Would have no issues with Collingwood playing away in this fixture.

Eddie might though.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I don't agree. The US is a completely saturated sports market. China isn't. Even if the odds of China ever latching on to AFL are remote, they're still higher than footy ever making a dent in the American market.

I don't think the AFL should bother trying to expand internationally at all, but if they do, they should be looking at up and coming nations that haven't yet been sucked into the American sports orbit, like India, Indonesia or Nigeria.

Eric Wallace
Mason Cox
And I think 1 or 2 others whose names escape me
Have all made it onto AFL lists from the US.

That's already several more than China.

 

[saints_333]

They have pursued it..many times.

But the simple fact is that Americans are single minded about their 3 core sporting loves of NFL, baseball and basketball.

Another exhibition game over there is a pointless waste of money and would serve absolutely no purpose.

Our game is too confusing to understand.

We can’t even work out wtf is going on half the time.

It creates about as much excitement as Japan holding sumo matches here to generate some kind of interest.

A fleeting moment that passes by.

The clubs and the AFL should be ploughing every dollar available back into promotions aimed at their core base and stop wasting money on fruitless pursuits on audiences who have no ####ing idea wtf they’re watching.

This is the only comment that's needed to sum it up.

 

[tandino]

 

[Senor M]

Why dont you tell me 'richmond fan'

we played 3 years in a row but im pretty sure 1 was a legit suns home game

All three were Richmond home games (2011, 2012 & 2013).I gave you the opportunity to correct your mistake and you just doubled down on this uneducated bullshit and you question me on being a 'Richmond fan'.Supporters like you who try and have a go at other supporter bases unnecessarily (and inaccurately) is what gives Richmond supporters a bad name.

In my opinion-- if the Giants want to pursue it, good for them. I wouldn't want Richmond playing overseas, but if other clubs want to go overseas to grow the game, let them do it.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Eric Wallace
Mason Cox
And I think 1 or 2 others whose names escape me
Have all made it onto AFL lists from the US.

That's already several more than China.

We're talking about audiences here, not players. Yes, there are plenty of basketball cast offs with bodies fit for Aussie Rules. How does that relate to drawing a regular crowd and turning a profit?

 

[Adz]

Doesn’t work.

 

[Giant Pete]

I’d love them to give it a try.

 

[tandino]

Doesn’t work.

What doesn't work.

 

[Rod Stroker]

We're talking about audiences here, not players. Yes, there are plenty of basketball cast offs with bodies fit for Aussie Rules. How does that relate to drawing a regular crowd and turning a profit?

Yanks love to support their own. If there are more American guys playing AFL, then they'll get more crowds to AFL games played in the US. That will then lead to more memberships purchased for AFL clubs, which leads to more revenue and profit.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Yanks love to support their own. If there are more American guys playing AFL, then they'll get more crowds to AFL games played in the US. That will then lead to more memberships purchased for AFL clubs, which leads to more revenue and profit.

I think that's a pretty fanciful notion. Rugby has a much bigger profile than Aussie rules in the States, it's in their colleges, there's more participation, they have their own domestic league and their own national team. And they still can't draw a crowd to it. Yanks don't just watch everything with an American in it, they watch what their guys can actually dominate at, and even then it's only temporary enthusiasm that lasts about a week if it's not one of their traditional sports.

I also don't see how it follows that a few thousand people turning up for a match here and there must translate into memberships being sold. Was that the case in NZ or China?

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

What’s the point. How about we focus on fixing the current game instead of exploring Gils quest for world domination.

Don’t like playing in nz
Don’t like playing in china
And USA is just way too far

 

[roz1812]

There is just no market for the AFL in other countries. Its not a global sport at all, its hardly played anywhere else. Its not like American football or NBA Baskteball who already have massive fanbases across the world. Maybe the US would be a better option than China but I think the jetlag will catch up with the teams who play there. The AFL have no common sense on any issues at the moment, playing games in other countries is just flogging a dead horse.

 

[kaiserchief13]

There is just no market for the AFL in other countries. Its not a global sport at all, its hardly played anywhere else. Its not like American football or NBA Baskteball who already have massive fanbases across the world. Maybe the US would be a better option than China but I think the jetlag will catch up with the teams who play there. The AFL have no common sense on any issues at the moment, playing games in other countries is just flogging a dead horse.

Jetlag after returning home 1 week before a game?

 

[Carringbush2010]

I remember back in the 80s it was a novelty for the yanks and the TV audiences were high for Finals and Granny's.

At the minute there is a "silent" interest around the world - particularly in the states

World Footy News - Independent News and Views from the International Aussie Rules Community

www.worldfootynews.com

| United States Australian Football League

usafl.com

So the notion that it is completely unknown is completely unfounded. There's even a team in the USAFL that have named themselves the giants.

All depends on the risk really

 

[TheKanga]

Travel time makes it tough on the players.

 

[Americanpies]

Hopefully GWS goes to The US and stays there.

 

[Finn Jim]

Offhand I cannot think of a venue in the US large enough to hold an AFL match with any sort of a crowd attached. The Cricket stadium in Florida was mentioned, but other than that most US stadiums are designed to host Gridiron Football (120x53-1/3 yards) and possibly soccer/rugby, but the seats encroach pretty swiftly after that. 30 years ago it was not uncommon at university stadiums to have a track circle the field, which would provide more room (Still probably not enough), but alas most of those have been renovated out of existence. The Oakland Coliseum, for example, would need to remove the entire uncovered portion of it's lower tier to make it work.

I could imagine a temporary venue setup at something like the Golden Gate Park Polo Fields (plenty of space, just erect temporary seats) but then come problems of pitch quality, etc. Another option could be some kind of oval built in front of the main grandstand of a horse track... again I feel like I'm grasping at air here.

Then comes the matter of "Will anybody show up?" I wouldn't expect a crowd much larger than a pre-season community series match (Even that might be generous)

I would think a better option would be a tournament of some modified variety (AFLX perhaps?) in Las Vegas a few weeks before the season or after finals. I think the players could be sold on the trip to Vegas and if there is any town where random people will show up to watch a random thing, that'd be Vegas. Some Aussies might be lured out to watch/make a holiday out of it as well. If there is sufficient interest then consider a proper game on a proper ground and cross that bridge if needed.