Will soccer ever be a serious threat to footy, long-term?

[Garlic muncher]

Granted and just to get side tracked for a second, how the wa government didn't go for a 100k stadium is beyond me. At least make it 80k expandable to a 100, anyone who thinks the MCG is enough is in denial - we need another 100k stadium in this country

WAFC didn't even want it that big AFAIK, to big and memberships don't become a scarce as hens teeth, there is a reason why memberships to Perth AFL club are the highest by a long way in the nation.

I reckon 60k is big enough though for Perth

 

[Carringbush2010]

WAFC didn't even want it that big AFAIK, to big and memberships don't become a scarce as hens teeth, there is a reason why memberships to Perth AFL club are the highest by a long way in the nation.

I reckon 60k is big enough though for Perth

Disagree I live in WA and could tell you that if they made an 80k expandable to 100k then week in week out there'd 50k + - guaranteed

 

[Garlic muncher]

Disagree I live in WA and could tell you that if they made an 80k expandable to 100k then week in week out there'd 50k + - guaranteed

Disagree back at ya, i live in WA as well.

Keep it 60k and i will guarantee it will get 50k week in week out like you say.

 

[Gigantor]

Disagree back at ya, i live in WA as well.

Keep it 60k and i will guarantee it will get 50k week in week out like you say.

Good point, if you are going to get 50k a week either way, may as well only spend on a 60k stadium.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Disagree back at ya, i live in WA as well.

Keep it 60k and i will guarantee it will get 50k week in week out like you say.

And if the AFL wants to play a GF elsewhere beside the G?

 

[The_Wookie]

And if the AFL wants to play a GF elsewhere beside the G?

Well you've got 20 years to justify stadium expansion....

 

[smasha]

Adelaide Oval will have to expand soon.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Well you've got 20 years to justify stadium expansion....

Yep and no other stadium but the G will be able to accomodate

 

[madmug]

Yep and no other stadium but the G will be able to accomodate

Yes, you've got to accommodate a huge number of Victorian corporate hangers on. They're far more important than the supporters or the game itself.

 

[The_Wookie]

Yes, you've got to accommodate a huge number of Victorian corporate hangers on. They're far more important than the supporters or the game itself.

Yes, it really is that simple. I really do adore the "its all about corporates line". The AFl estimated in 2014 that 17,000 seats would be taken by corporates and events. This leaves only about 83,000 seats for supporters - about 60,000 if you take out the MCC.

• 21,000 AFL members
  
• 30,000 members of competing clubs
• 25,000 MCC members (90% of whom support AFL clubs according to MCC survey data)
• 7,340 tickets issued to all non competing clubs - these are generally flogged off by the clubs to well to do members and club sponsors, corporates etc. Then theres corporate boxes and other areas.

 

[Gigantor]

Yes, you've got to accommodate a huge number of Victorian corporate hangers on. They're far more important than the supporters or the game itself.

Pretty close to the mark.

 

[BringBackTorps]

I'd say by casual observation around here over the years, including this year, that Netball sees friends & families & lots of passionate support. Womens soccer has virtually nobody watching. I saw a couple of TSLW games in 2016 & their were a few people around & they were noisy supporters. The girls like to screech & screen a lot

Women's adult lower grade football, like women's adult suburban soccer, attracts only a handful of spectators.

Girl's junior football (ie u10 -u18) is getting much larger, and often more enthusiastic, attendances than female junior soccer, netball, basketball, hockey etc.
The football girls know this (they are generally very sporty, usually coming from netball, basketball, soccer, or hockey backgrounds), and it gives the girls a thrill!
A lot of the football girls'fathers are excited and happy too! (Some pop psychology - does football help with the AF father/teenage daughter bonding?)
No one is predicting female football will surpass female netball, basketball, soccer, dancing etc -but it will significantly close the gap.

The AFL expects the AFLW will be big, possibly very big. But if played during the AFL season, AFLW TV ratings, media coverage, value of advertising & sponsorships, attendances, general impact, and overall "goodwill" (how do you measure the emotional & monetary value of "goodwill" for female jnr. & snr. football) will be greatly minimised.
The 3.9.2016 STANDALONE Footscray V Melb. women's game peaked at 1,050,000 nationally, average 650,000. The potential media rights etc. bonanza, IF similar ratings can be achieved for the AFLW, won't be sacrificed by games contemporaneous with the AFL. Was it the "novelty" - are the ratings sustainable?

When British semi-professional women's soccer moved to the summer season about 4 years ago, ratings and attendances increased significantly, as was expected (They were miniscule whilst being played during the EPL winter season). They are moving back to the winter season, to help their representitive sides better prepare for competition against other nation's womens'teams, who play winter comps.

The A League understand the need for clear media air, away from AFL/NRL, so has a summer comp - but playing in a summer comp, temperatures are often extremely hot; or in Syd. & Bris. sometimes also very high humidity, or semi tropical downpour, poor for soccer. The A league schedules its biggest games/derbies directly after the AFL/NRL GF's -for clear media air;but deliberately BEFORE the omnipresent Test cricket & BBL !

 

[aCunningPlan]

Women's adult lower grade football, like women's adult suburban soccer, attracts only a handful of spectators.

Girl's junior football (ie u10 -u18) is getting much larger, and often more enthusiastic, attendances than female junior soccer, netball, basketball, hockey etc.
The football girls know this (they are generally very sporty, usually coming from netball, basketball, soccer, or hockey backgrounds), and it gives the girls a thrill!
A lot of the football girls'fathers are excited and happy too! (Some pop psychology - does football help with the AF father/teenage daughter bonding?)
No one is predicting female football will surpass female netball, basketball, soccer, dancing etc -but it will significantly close the gap.

The AFL expects the AFLW will be big, possibly very big. But if played during the AFL season, AFLW TV ratings, media coverage, value of advertising & sponsorships, attendances, general impact, and overall "goodwill" (how do you measure the emotional & monetary value of "goodwill" for female jnr. & snr. football) will be greatly minimised.
The 3.9.2016 STANDALONE Footscray V Melb. women's game peaked at 1,050,000 nationally, average 650,000. The potential media rights etc. bonanza, IF similar ratings can be achieved for the AFLW, won't be sacrificed by games contemporaneous with the AFL. Was it the "novelty" - are the ratings sustainable?

When British semi-professional women's soccer moved to the summer season about 4 years ago, ratings and attendances increased significantly, as was expected (They were miniscule whilst being played during the EPL winter season). They are moving back to the winter season, to help their representitive sides better prepare for competition against other nation's womens'teams, who play winter comps.

The A League understand the need for clear media air, away from AFL/NRL, so has a summer comp - but playing in a summer comp, temperatures are often extremely hot; or in Syd. & Bris. sometimes also very high humidity, or semi tropical downpour, poor for soccer. The A league schedules its biggest games/derbies directly after the AFL/NRL GF's -for clear media air;but deliberately BEFORE the omnipresent Test cricket & BBL !

This is only partly true, yes they wait until after the finals (which is a mistake I believe as they should start the season in August) but the summer season is largely due to it fitting better into the FIFA calendar with no need to stop the season due to world cups, with the exception of the locally hosted Asian Cup, and the opportunity to take advantage fully of the transfer windows. While there are some players that do move about in January, it is far more advantageous of any league to have their season end in May to tap into the huge numbers of footballers coming and going at that time.

 

[BringBackTorps]

This is only partly true, yes they wait until after the finals (which is a mistake I believe as they should start the season in August) but the summer season is largely due to it fitting better into the FIFA calendar with no need to stop the season due to world cups, with the exception of the locally hosted Asian Cup, and the opportunity to take advantage fully of the transfer windows. While there are some players that do move about in January, it is far more advantageous of any league to have their season end in May to tap into the huge numbers of footballers coming and going at that time.

Running + strong heat and/or high humidity of Aust. summer + no interchange + no water carriers + only 1 half time break =dehydration =physical tiredness =mental tiredness =reduced leg speed = less ability to execute soccer skills proficiently & quickly.
The goal keepers would be very happy playing in heat and/or humidity -less so the other players.

You have transcribed the reasons for a summer season from the A League Media Dept. well.

You concede the A League is free to start 2 months earlier in the cool August period, perfect climate for the running game of soccer. Why don't they?

Soccer around the world (except for Canada, I presume, winters have all grounds snowed under!) is a winter sport -for a very good reason ie soccer players are almost constantly jogging, occasionally sprinting, with only the half time break,no interchange, no runners delivering water. It is unreasonable to expect optimum soccer performance when playing in the heat of the Australian summer; can also be very humid sometimes in Brisbane & Syd. Even November & March in Aust. can occasionally be very hot. (A very big problem for the summer AFLW also, bodies being battered cause physical & mental tiredness, more running on a bigger ground, sweaty hands hindering ball control -but more breaks, interchange, and water carriers. The AFL wants the AFLW to have clear media air).

The A league could run normally in a winter season, much fairer for the players -but would get lower media coverage, attendances, & ratings.

The A League would not have to be stopped whilst the WC was on (Although if Australia was playing in a game, the ALeague would ensure that no A League game was being played contemporaneously). Few A League players are selected for Aust. in the WC, so hardly disruptive -it would provide "more glory"for that A league club. The Asian Cup, anyway, did show the A League could easily be stopped for a tournament.
As for foreign players wishing to transfer outside of the usual May transfer window, players do transfer at other times. Also, a mutual agreement can result in a transfer at ANY time ie an overseas player not being regularly selected in the first team, discontented/frustrated, his club will often be happy to let him go -"just missing out on selection, enormous potential, a great club man, better for his career to go elsewhere". Basically surplus to requirements, & reduce their wage bill.

If the summer season for a domestic professional soccer comp. is ideal for the reasons you have stated, why don't other countries in the sthn. hemisphere, in the same latitudes as Australia, also play their domestic prof. soccer comp.in their summers eg Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, anyone? (I have been to Argentina & Chile -their southern areas are cool in their summer, often close to zero in winter, so perfect for a summer prof. soccer comp.).

 

[Port182]

What you guys forget if while the HAL benefits from clearer air during summer, it's run Oct-May largely to line up with European leagues. Makes transfers easier.

 

[Gigantor]

What you guys forget if while the HAL benefits from clearer air during summer, it's run Oct-May largely to line up with European leagues. Makes transfers easier.

Therefore it's out of sync with the major East Asian leagues in our own confederation (and where a lot of our players also play).

Anyway, we all know the reason why the A-League chooses to play in the height of Summer.

 

[NoobPie]

Therefore it's out of sync with the major East Asian leagues in our own confederation (and where a lot of our players also play).

Anyway, we all know the reason why the A-League chooses to play in the height of Summer.

To be fair, this is not correct. At least two soccer posters above have swallowed the crap that soccer, a winter sport, is playing in the Australian summer to align with the northern hemisphere rather than avoid the afl and nrl seasons

The Australian soccer pathology is far more comfortable with its place relative to European soccer than it is towards the dominant bogan codes in Australia it seems

#culturalcringers

 

[peppy la pew]

Therefore it's out of sync with the major East Asian leagues in our own confederation (and where a lot of our players also play).

Anyway, we all know the reason why the A-League chooses to play in the height of Summer.

Well it wouldn't have anything to do with the crowds your mob turn out

 

[Gigantor]

Well it wouldn't have anything to do with the crowds your mob turn out

So you defend this official story that the A-League chooses to play in the height of the Australian summer to fit in with the European transfer market?

 

[NoobPie]

Well it wouldn't have anything to do with the crowds your mob turn out

The irony of course being that the giants are precisely going head to head with the league season

 

[Colonial]

Well it wouldn't have anything to do with the crowds your mob turn out

At least our mob have the balls to take on the NRL during its season.

Wanderers crow getting a little more than us with clear air and in its heartland.

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[Garlic muncher]

Well it wouldn't have anything to do with the crowds your mob turn out

I seem to remember Freo crowds being a bit thin a while back, not to mention playing a brand of football that is a good cure for insomnia.

All this in the cradle of football in the West.

 

[Freomaniac]

I seem to remember Freo crowds being a bit thin a while back, not to mention playing a brand of football that is a good cure for insomnia.

All this in the cradle of football in the West.

Despite being 0-10 in 2016, Freo were averaging 30,000 a game. Yeah they got 20,000 in one game but that was because it e=was bucketing down with rain.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Despite being 0-10 in 2016, Freo were averaging 30,000 a game. Yeah they got 20,000 in one game but that was because it e=was bucketing down with rain.

I am talking about when the club was formed, they did not get big crowds, although Neesham had them playing at times entertaining football.

Recently under the current coaching regime they play a ugly brand of football, quite frankly a great cure for insomnia.

 

[Colonial]

given the money in china and the arab football worlds australian football (association) will only continue to grow as a biproduct

Or hurt it, as anyone with talent leaves to play in those leagues, on top of those who make the classic European Leagues.

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