Opinion Match day experience

[stevothedevo]

Geelong supporters are notorious for being quiet during games.

Known this for decades and cant quite reason why. I thought once the new stands were built it would acoustically add atmosphere but it feels like it's made it worse.

As for the songs. I hate them only cause it's rarely my kind of music. I liken it to, imagine you went to see your favourite band, only for a tv to be shoved in front of you every 10mins and you were forced to watch a show you hated. That's what it's like for me whenever I go shopping or just any public place where background music is allowed.

 

[Baudolino]

To me it seems to be required for crap sports (and I loathe basketball so that qualifies). In any kind of decent sport it simply isn't needed. Shouldn't be within a million miles of footy.

This is the correct point. Sports with constant breaks in play have far more need for that artificial atmosphere shit. Hence why most of the American sports (in particular baseball and American football) are saturated with gimmicky "experience" nonsense. Half the time a match is supposedly ongoing with these sports, there's no live, active play going on. Play is waaaayyyy more ongoing in Aussie rules, so there's no need to contrive ways to get the crowd involved.

 

[Turbocat]

I go to the footy to watch the footy. To enjoy the kicking and running and the marking. I have rarely seen this artifical stuff work well at Geelong.... I remember one game years ago..when they tried to get Barry Crocker to sing... talk about a Barry Crocker. I can live with songs after a goal but in truth most arn't relevant or appropriate. These superficialities detract rather than enhance. "Match day experience" ? Do they really want to make it something that you have to endure to go to the football? Most of these things turn a day at the footy as something trending to the artificial. I prefer just the real thing.... Maybe they should try that as a song if not a principle to act on.

 

[Baudolino]

Hopefully people complain about it and it stops.
Highly unlikely though.

I genuinely want to know why they think people want music blaring so loud that you can hardly hear so yourself think. I feel pretty confident it would receive 70%+ disapproval if a fans survey about it was done. In what way do they think it benefits the club?

 

[Partridge]

I go to the footy to watch the footy. To enjoy the kicking and running and the marking. I have rarely seen this artifical stuff work well at Geelong.... I remember one game years ago..when they tried to get Barry Crocker to sing... talk about a Barry Crocker. I can live with songs after a goal but in truth most arn't relevant or appropriate. These superficialities detract rather than enhance. "Match day experience" ? Do they really want to make it something that you have to endure to go to the football? Most of these things turn a day at the footy as something trending to the artificial. I prefer just the real thing.... Maybe they should try that as a song if not a principle to act on.

I was there that day. I believe the atrocity he warbled through was called "Carn the Cats". God it was horrible.

He could have at least done "Chunder in the Old Pacific Sea" for us*.

(* - if you haven't seen the film you won't get it.)

 

[Turbocat]

I was there that day. I believe the atrocity he warbled through was called "Carn the Cats". God it was horrible.

He could have at least done "Chunder in the Old Pacific Sea" for us*.

(* - if you haven't seen the film you won't get it.)

My memory is he tried to get the crowd going and got ice in return.

I think the best things tend to bring supporters along with them, being self seeded not manufactured, grow from within, not be inflicted upon them and not be told what and how they should be. Geelong is not and never will be like every other crowd. I feel they liked to be entertained. At times an excitement can build, sometimes certain matches can develop a verve with anticpation but I think its been a while since there was a undertone of excitement at Geelong. Add the last two years and I think it will take more than an announcer voicing demands THRU PLAY to get an audible Geelong crowd.

 

[you pick one]

They could just chant KNIT ONE PEARL ONE, at GMHBA

 

[Sensible Cat]

We should appreciate KP for what it is.
Yes it's quiet. It always has been.
But why can't we have one quiet ground?
What is wrong with that?
I don't mind the camera gimmicks etc, it's fun for the kids.
But music and announcers talking during games? Nup. It's a turn off.

 

[#cats2021]

We should appreciate KP for what it is.
Yes it's quiet. It always has been.
But why can't we have one quiet ground?
What is wrong with that?
I don't mind the camera gimmicks etc, it's fun for the kids.
But music and announcers talking during games? Nup. It's a turn off.

The thing is, it hasn't always been quiet.

I have very good memories of the place being a cauldron in the mid 2000s. Even during the flag era the crowd could turn it up.

I don't know if it's just a coincidence but ever since the new stands have gone in the atmosphere has been poor. I echo what an earlier poster said, I thought the redevelopment would create a crazy atmosphere in person and on TV but it's gone the opposite way which is unfortunate.

Not sure how it gets fixed but it needs to be fixed.

 

[iameviljez]

It's an Americanism that the NRL has clearly taken to. There's no need for it in the AFL.

We cheer when we want to. We don't have to be told when to cheer.

I completely agree, it is so out of touch with Australian (and UK) culture. We have a pretty significant amount of cultural cringe factor here. Being told to get on board and cheer... eugh.

In terms of the notion that Kardinia Park goes quiet - yes, it absolutely can, but I tend to find that the noise at KP matches the quality of the game. Geelong entered three quarter time, in a game played in sunshine, with nine scoring shots on the board. Nine. For an hour and a half of footy. If it was quiet, it's because the game thoroughly deserved that reaction.

In my experience, if the game has been good to watch, the crowd absolutely gets on board.

 

[Sensible Cat]

The thing is, it hasn't always been quiet.

I have very good memories of the place being a cauldron in the mid 2000s. Even during the flag era the crowd could turn it up.

I don't know if it's just a coincidence but ever since the new stands have gone in the atmosphere has been poor. I echo what an earlier poster said, I thought the redevelopment would create a crazy atmosphere in person and on TV but it's gone the opposite way which is unfortunate.

Not sure how it gets fixed but it needs to be fixed.

I've always found it quiet. Have been going since the early 90's.
Except when Gary snr went near the ball, then the crowd would perk up.
In the late 90's they actually tried this tactic before.
Had an announcer trying to get the crowd to cheer for cringeworthy results.
Loudest I've ever heard the crowd was one year we beat Sydney to make the finals. Was crazy loud that day.

 

[iameviljez]

I'd love to see the research done that found that fans want this artificially generated atmosphere at games.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it's about getting small children on board.

 

[Jemaine]

That woman screeching over the PA telling us to cheer was shocking, my mates and I were saying so to each other at the time. Really hope it stops, hey at least we weren't subjected to that stupid Hoops song at the end of the game (and got to laugh at the Dockers' song).

But re the atmosphere, and yeah we're a bunch of nannas down there at times but nobody on here has pointed out that we're currently missing a whole stand of crowd, and the outer at that. Remember when the Players Stand was being built, the atmosphere was garbage for a year, the only yelling from the crowd was aimed at Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

49

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

for keeping on wasting Harry in the forward line.

I reckon Saturday night games down there from next year will be absolutely electric.

 

[Willo_]

What the fu** is that Seahorse shit at 3QT time?

As well as the dancing cams and rave parties after goals. It’s just rubbish and it really ruined the experience for me.

I mean that is a sponsor thing, but the worst thing was in our first home game against the Lions they cocked up the timing of it, and then in doing it actually delayed the game because they then had to wait for them to get off the ground to start the last quarter... and that frankly, should never ever happen... if you mess up the timing then you make it up to the sponsors and apologise profusely, but the game is the important thing.. not a stupid gimmick promotion, and the game should NEVER be held up for a promotional thing during a break

 

[catempire]

I have a sneaking suspicion that it's about getting small children on board.

My small-ish children were saying “why do they keep yelling that at us?” The only time they got out of their seats all day was when Blitz kicked that final goal.

 

[fpm84]

In my experience, if the game has been good to watch, the crowd absolutely gets on board.

I sit in the Hickey Stand and the crowd was electric during the final quarter v Brisbane when Hawkins and Cameron were clunking those marks inside 50.

We don't need to be patronised and told when to cheer. We will damn well cheer when we feel involved with the game. As others have said there was very little to cheer about on Saturday afternoon before the final 10 minutes... and the crowd seemed pretty loud to me when Blicavs kicked that late goal.

 

[Partridge]

I sit in the Hickey Stand and the crowd was electric during the final quarter v Brisbane when Hawkins and Cameron were clunking those marks inside 50.

We don't need to be patronised and told when to cheer. We will damn well cheer when we feel involved with the game. As others have said there was very little to cheer about on Saturday afternoon before the final 10 minutes... and the crowd seemed pretty loud to me when Blicavs kicked that late goal.

Exactly this. Crowd noise is organic, some days they're quiet, some days they're deafening. You can't orchestrate it, because people will turn off.

 

[iameviljez]

I sit in the Hickey Stand and the crowd was electric during the final quarter v Brisbane when Hawkins and Cameron were clunking those marks inside 50.

We don't need to be patronised and told when to cheer. We will damn well cheer when we feel involved with the game. As others have said there was very little to cheer about on Saturday afternoon before the final 10 minutes... and the crowd seemed pretty loud to me when Blicavs kicked that late goal.

Yeah, exactly. Australians hate inauthenticity in sport, but particularly in AFL.

There is room to also acknowledge that between the fact that lower-drawing sides (i.e. teams who aren't doing so well, or interstaters) are scheduled at KP, and our very conservative style of play over the last few years, there have been a lot of games which have been particularly unentertaining at KP.

I think people also forget that KP is an open-air stadium with 25,000 people attending. It's not going to blow your ears off.

 

[Catman]

The crowd can deliver when the occasion deserves it.

Two games at home that stick in my memory are the famous St. Kilda game in late 2004. Two up and coming sides, hyped up all week, The Footy Show filming live beforehand, top 4 spot up for grabs, the buzz was incredible and the match lived up to it and so did the crowd. One of the best atmospheres I've ever experienced at Geelong.

The Richmond game in late 2017 is the other. Once again the crowd were involved because of the importance of the game and the added spice of Richmond squealing about it not being moved because their bandwagon fans apparently wanted to attend.

You only had to hear the noise on Saturday when Blitz kicked that goal to bring us within 3pts to see how we respond as a crowd when the moment arises.

Even during the golden era, such was our winning streak at home, the crowd was often subdued. When you're 10 goals up, result in no doubt, there isn't a lot to get carried away with, particularly if we're beating up on a lowly side.

 

[iameviljez]

Two games at home that stick in my memory are the famous St. Kilda game in late 2004. Two up and coming sides, hyped up all week, The Footy Show filming live beforehand, top 4 spot up for grabs, the buzz was incredible and the match lived up to it and so did the crowd. One of the best atmospheres I've ever experienced at Geelong.

That was a ripper, one of the best games I've seen. From memory, one Ben Graham pretty much lifted us over the line... he would have been handy at CHF the following year.

There are a couple of other really good games in more recent memory at KP where the crowd has gotten right into it. Stokes, SJ and Kelly's last game vs Adelaide was excellent - and a very good game of footy to go with it.

You can't keep serving up just one-sided spankings, or games where there are 25 goals kicked between two sides on a perfect day for footy, and complain that the crowd is subdued.

 

[iameviljez]

Now that the team is starting to drop away, you will find it'll become even more subdued and bleak so we're going to have to accept the annoying audio effects and music added in between drinks.

I think it almost goes the other way. If your side is a bit crap, you'll go nuts for anything approaching a competitive performance.

 

[Two Planks]

Agree with everything written on this thread but it's not my biggest gripe. The food and drink prices are an absolute joke. The cost to take a family to the footy is nearly putting it out of reach of most people. Happy to pay for anything if it's a good product, but the food on offer at most afl venues is rubbish. Would absolutely prefer a bunnings $2.50 sausage than anything that's offered up these days. I'm just preparing myself for the St Kilda game where if my information is correct I will have the pleasure of purchasing the $12.50 cans of Goat beer.

More and more likely to be my final season as a member and instead I will support from afar and attend all St Mary's games instead.

 

[iameviljez]

Agree with everything written on this thread but it's not my biggest gripe. The food and drink prices are an absolute joke. The cost to take a family to the footy is nearly putting it out of reach of most people. Happy to pay for anything if it's a good product, but the food on offer at most afl venues is rubbish. Would absolutely prefer a bunnings $2.50 sausage than anything that's offered up these days. I'm just preparing myself for the St Kilda game where if my information is correct I will have the pleasure of purchasing the $12.50 cans of Goat beer.

More and more likely to be my final season as a member and instead I will support from afar and attend all St Mary's games instead.

Yeah you have to self cater if you don’t want to be seriously stung.

 

[TheTimeCometh]

Even worse - and this was unforgivable - was the ground announcer trying to rev the crowd up while the game was being played. At least twice during the last quarter she chimed in with a “come on Cats fans, this is when the team needs your support”… when 99% of people there were feeling tense, frustrated and freezing.

Nailed it Fakey.

Awful, awful direction to take. And once embedded will be w us forever.

 

[Partridge]

I think it almost goes the other way. If your side is a bit crap, you'll go nuts for anything approaching a competitive performance.

Another great example - the last round of 2003. We played St.Kilda, who already then were being hailed as having this amazing list of youngsters. We had a great win, and even though we missed finals and finished 12th, you had a genuine feeling that we were on the way up.