Ok, time to log in for my yearly post...even though Im on this site daily.
It does my head in that people so easily can turn their back on 1 of 5 key Aus cities due to a small crowd in SA tonight.
Im disappointed that tonight was sub 10,000, but yet was only 400 less than Cronulla got - and they have a local team. The only tv ad I saw was played during Origin (which we got at 8.30). There were some good ads in the paper and a few lead-up stories...but all this would have only really assured the core followers would follow up. nothing to make random onlookers want to check it out. Weather has been cold and wet all week, shouldnt be an excuse for hard core followers, but not real ideal to get newbies to come out and check it out. School holidays have also just started and also, Adelaide Oval is amazing, but sucks for rectangle sports.
Ive lived in Adelaide for 15 years, and the media and people here are so insular when it comes to AFL...puts Melbourne to shame. Sadly, for heaps of locals, they almost do have a hate of NRL...not especially for any reason apart from the way the media perceives it. Ive had people spout the whole line to me that they wouldnt let their kids play league becuase of what the players get up to.
Like I said, I think the crowds over the last few years have shown that 10,000 is around that core group size. Without really spending money on promoting the sport, it doesnt surprise me that that is the crowd that will rock up. dont expect it to increase while the status quo remains.
Im realistic, Adelaide is still a while off getting our own team. No way should Adelaide get a team before some of the other bids out there. I think in the meantime, time and cash needs to be spent on 1)positive media...pains me to say, like AFL do in eastern states. The other big need is 2) schools...NRL needs to realise the importance of juniors and schools in particular.
Im sports coordinator/teacher at a primary school and am constantly pushed by AFL to promote their events...they even offered to install permanent aussie rules posts for free becuase it 'looks good' that people see the posts up. No doubt, thats where the posts in Western Sydney have come from. While AFL do lots of things well, the one thing I would disagree with the AFL on is the whole 'let's make the game safe because mum makes the decision on what sport Johnny will play'. Maybe 20 years ago, but now...in my classroom, mum pretty much lets Johnny do whatever he wants, because mum lets Johnny make the rules and not her. And school is by far the most influential power. I came to the school 6 years ago and introduced touch football to the kids. Every year, I run a touch tournament at lunch which now has 7 teams in it! 50(out of about 80) odd kids playing touch yet we have to combine with another school for our aussie rules team to make enough numbers. I now play in a social touch team with 4 ex-students...years after introducing them to the sport. Thats the power of school.
Anyway, rant over.
