Ideas to bolster the SANFL

[twentydollarnote]

They're the bastard child of the AFL. NOTHING could possibly be regarded as bizarre where they're concerned. The logic behind GWS is bewildering to say the least.

seems pretty logical to me 2 million and growing of people with no AFL team.

 

[Ingall]

seems pretty logical to me 2 million and growing of people with no AFL team.

And about 7 people who follow 'aerial ping pong'


Night games are obviously a great way to go as long as they are scheduled to suit families.

Also, I'm sure they are already working hard in this area, but the SANFL clubs need to maintain the links to the amatuer and country clubs in their zones as well as the schools.

 

[Vader]

seems pretty logical to me 2 million and growing of people with no AFL team.

Almost none of whom have any interest in footy, most of whom derisively refer to the game as gayFL. Yep, bound to be a success.

The only way they're going to have a crowd at their games is if most of them are blow up dolls, put there just for the TV factor. Bad luck if it's a windy day.

 

[twentydollarnote]

i'm sure it was the same with brisbane and sydney when they started up there although they probably benefited more from ex-victorians/SA's/WA's than west sydney will.

 

[zest88]

How early would you have to leave to see the start of the reserves i like to get there a half hour before?


plus if the teams failed then there would be no SANFL at all it would be a huge risk and i dont wanna get stuck watching AFL

 

[dbcrow]

Moving teams out of Adelaide to the country will destroy the comp. There is no ****ing way North will move to Port bloody Pirie!

But DJ did say it would never happen.

I just hope the people making these outrageous suggestions do attend SANFL games regularly as that is the best way to bolster the SANFL.

This is what I was thinking. Anybody regularly going to SANFL games over the last few years will have noticed the increase in crowds. In my opinion, the SANFL is getting better and better each year. I'm not saying it will get back to what it was in the 80's, but it's definitely on the improve.

The SANFL seems to be more pitching itself towards the family market, which is a great idea. Kids under 18 are free, and if (like me) you have young kids who won't sit still for 5 minutes, let alone an entire Crows game, then the SANFL is the answer with family friendly areas. One thing I'd like to see changed is the vast amount on concrete around each ground (ie. Richmond), and be replaced with grassed areas like at Woodville and Unley.

And night football. Night football is the biggest improvement they could make. They should be making the most of the warmer weather at the beginning and end of each season, and have 2-3 night games per round. I'm not a Norwood fan, but I'd still go to Coopers Stadium to see a neutral game (and for the Coopers and Vili's afterwards).

 

[AngelEyes]

GC17/GWS aren't staying in the VFL when they migrate to the AFL...are they? And the QAFL has one interstate team. So, if a league has teams in three states, and another has two, and the national comp has five, then surely the one with three states is the second most national??? Not on a scale that will strike fear into the AFL, but it's certainly got some sort of appeal.

I would have little to no doubt that the GC17 and GWS sides will have reserves teams based in the VFL. The AFL has stated many times that they want a national reserves competition but this has been blocked by the SANFL and WAFL. One other idea they had was an east coast reserves competition.

Make no mistake the VFL will feature teams from both GC17 and GWS in the long run. The push is even on amongst Victorian clubs to have stand alone VFL sides and the Swans reserves currently play in Canberra so flying to Victoria isn't that much different. I would anticipate that all Vic, NSW and QLD teams will have teams in a VFL/National Reserves competition.

The pressure will then mount of the SANFL to allow this for Adelaide and Port etc. The AFL may say that they won't put NSW/QLD teams in the VFL long term but they said at one stage they wouldn't join the TAC Cup or VFL at all. Its all political. They even suggested that they might join the QAFL or SANFL but everyone knows that was never going to happen.

I do think expansion is a good thing but more for Port and the Crows to expand into new areas etc. Like if the reserves were know as the Murray Bridge Crows etc or the Gawler Power etc in order to get more of a presence in certain areas. I think you have to be realistic too about expansion into regional South Australia - its alot less populated than regional Victoria, NSW and QLD. Regional Victoria's population isn't much less than the whole of SA and its towns are no where near the size of Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat etc. But a slight rejigging may add appeal.