What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Peter V'landys - New NRL/ARLC Chairman

Warrimoo3

Juniors
Messages
1,006
Don’t underestimate the massive effect of the success of the NRLW and Women’s State of origin on the popularity of league. Touch football is massively popular in public and private women’s schools and it suits all body shapes. Pathways are there for those who want to go further. A lot of NRLW fans pick an NRL team to follow as well. It’s cool to play and follow rugby league.
 

Yosemite Sam

Juniors
Messages
817
Maybe in the west but in the east, north and south there are definitely lots of teams and school programs in action. We can't be complacent about them.
There may be programs in schools but the kids simply aren't interested. As someone who works in schools all over Sydney I cant tell you the AFL has completely lost the next generation of kids here. Even in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore.

We can only hope the Swans have a barren decade of minimal finals appearances to really compound the issue the AFL is going to have in Sydney in the future.
 
Messages
12,297
There may be programs in schools but the kids simply aren't interested. As someone who works in schools all over Sydney I cant tell you the AFL has completely lost the next generation of kids here. Even in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore.

We can only hope the Swans have a barren decade of minimal finals appearances to really compound the issue the AFL is going to have in Sydney in the future.
drove past moore park yesterday, watched a bunch of kids play bugger ball at the lights... it was pretty pathetic
 

Vlad59

First Grade
Messages
5,295
There may be programs in schools but the kids simply aren't interested. As someone who works in schools all over Sydney I cant tell you the AFL has completely lost the next generation of kids here. Even in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore.

We can only hope the Swans have a barren decade of minimal finals appearances to really compound the issue the AFL is going to have in Sydney in the future.
This. What some forget is that we have over 200000 registered players, tens of thousands of oztag players, three or four hundred thousand touch players, and god knows how many other participants in schools programs etc.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
16,897
There may be programs in schools but the kids simply aren't interested. As someone who works in schools all over Sydney I cant tell you the AFL has completely lost the next generation of kids here. Even in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore.

We can only hope the Swans have a barren decade of minimal finals appearances to really compound the issue the AFL is going to have in Sydney in the future.
Interesting.
On a similar note I recently looked up the NSWCCC AFL team and 85% of them are from the Wagga/Albury area. That is not a good sign for AFL in NSW.
That said RL really needs to re-engage in Wagga and Albury.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
7,221
There may be programs in schools but the kids simply aren't interested. As someone who works in schools all over Sydney I cant tell you the AFL has completely lost the next generation of kids here. Even in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore.

We can only hope the Swans have a barren decade of minimal finals appearances to really compound the issue the AFL is going to have in Sydney in the future.
AFL is flat in Brisbane too, and off the back of a Lions premiership. It's not too surprising, the Lions and Swans only grew off the back of the SL War, RL is flying again now and AFL is struggling in NSW and QLD. Normal service has resumed after 30 years, except we didn't waste those years completely, Storm have a fantastic little Niche foothold in Melbourne and we've absolutely increased our standing in NZ as a sport.
 

i0Nic

Juniors
Messages
594
AFL is flat in Brisbane too, and off the back of a Lions premiership. It's not too surprising, the Lions and Swans only grew off the back of the SL War, RL is flying again now and AFL is struggling in NSW and QLD. Normal service has resumed after 30 years, except we didn't waste those years completely, Storm have a fantastic little Niche foothold in Melbourne and we've absolutely increased our standing in NZ as a sport.
Yep and I’m confident we can make inroads into WA at a much faster rate than Melbourne. The Storm had to grow off the aftermath of super league, and in a crowded AFL state.
 

Dark Corner

Juniors
Messages
1,836
This. What some forget is that we have over 200000 registered players, tens of thousands of oztag players, three or four hundred thousand touch players, and god knows how many other participants in schools programs etc.
Is OzTag bigger then Touch in Australia ?
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
16,897
AFL is flat in Brisbane too, and off the back of a Lions premiership. It's not too surprising, the Lions and Swans only grew off the back of the SL War, RL is flying again now and AFL is struggling in NSW and QLD. Normal service has resumed after 30 years, except we didn't waste those years completely, Storm have a fantastic little Niche foothold in Melbourne and we've absolutely increased our standing in NZ as a sport.
I think it is a bit too dismissive to say they only grew as a result of the SL war. That was most likely the main thing but the AFL also got smart a lot sooner than RL and worked out how to take advantage of that opportunity. Eg targeting a niche fan base as well as the overall fan base.
They really seem to do well in Sydney with the white elites - I suspect its the same in Brisbane. Part of the reason they get good crowds compared to the actual overall interest is their fans have a good amount of money that they probably inherited and so can afford to go.
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
41,064
Yep and I’m confident we can make inroads into WA at a much faster rate than Melbourne. The Storm had to grow off the aftermath of super league, and in a crowded AFL state.
Nrl grant being five million over the salary cap (and rising) basically means expansion teams can be sustainable just from that grant and have low crowds and memberships

30 years ago the tv grant was many millions below the salary cap
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
7,221
I think it is a bit too dismissive to say they only grew as a result of the SL war. That was most likely the main thing but the AFL also got smart a lot sooner than RL and worked out how to take advantage of that opportunity. Eg targeting a niche fan base as well as the overall fan base.
They really seem to do well in Sydney with the white elites - I suspect its the same in Brisbane. Part of the reason they get good crowds compared to the actual overall interest is their fans have a good amount of money that they probably inherited and so can afford to go.
TV ratings and crowds have been relatively stagnant for both teams since an initial spike in, wait for it.... 1995 - 1997.

Swans chairman at the time confirmed that the SL War was a massive leg up for them. AFL got arrogant thinking that it was their superior product that was just surging in RL heartland so they introduced GWS and Suns and... How did that work out?

Souths came back, Manly came back, Gold Coast came back, Brisbane 2 came back, Perth came back, Bears came back, Vlandys is in charge, RL is back and is flying.
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
41,064
TV ratings and crowds have been relatively stagnant for both teams since an initial spike in, wait for it.... 1995 - 1997.

Swans chairman at the time confirmed that the SL War was a massive leg up for them. AFL got arrogant thinking that it was their superior product that was just surging in RL heartland so they introduced GWS and Suns and... How did that work out?

Souths came back, Manly came back, Gold Coast came back, Brisbane 2 came back, Perth came back, Bears came back, Vlandys is in charge, RL is back and is flying.
The struggles of the giants and suns and stagnation of swans and lions shows how afl expansion goes when it doesn’t have a super league war to help it along
 
Top