Relocation for Storm decided

[robbieando]

]That has given away Thousands of $ worth of free ickets. (oh before you question this statement) I use to be the president of an AFL club's cheer squad that was paid by the AFL to ensure we travelled up to Sydney in the early stages of the Swans moving to Sydney.

What crap, who cares if the AFL paid for you to travel up. When was that??? The 1980's or the early 90's. That was then this is now. Heck we twice managed to get 70,000 to games in Sydney without needing to hand out free tickets and tickets to the prelim final cost no less than $40 (with most costing $60. The Swans as a policy limited the amount of free tickets to 1000 per match and these aren't just given out to anyone, these are given to community groups and local schools.

 

[Stormwarning[c]]

That is still damn expensive. Especially for a club that should not be worrying about game-day revenue right now - If News is serious they should be backing the club to such an extent that games are maybe $10-20 (best seats) per person - to make it viable for a family to go every home game - even if they go watch collingwood or whoever sometimes as well. Link membership to entry and make it worth being a member...!!

How is it damn expensive? It is the cheapest GA in the comp and can get a seat. under that admission
How is the club going to run and be successful if it doesn't worry about game-day revenue?
If you have cheap seats you then P*&% off the members that have spend the few hundred dollars to become members (around 6000 at this stage). Our membership is linked to entry always has been.

AFL may be in the blood of Victorians but RL IS the greatest game of all - and surely, with exposure, they will come to love it too - even if they suport AFL as well. Hell, we should be targeting AFL supporters - make the Storm everyone's second favorite team. I dont know why they aren't already. Oh wait - not a great venue, and not enough media support....

The club have been doing this for the past 4 years, it is getting that exposure that is the hard part.

It has only been the past year that the Herald Sun have started giving League more coverage down here. The only issue I believe now is the placement of that coverage, (the last sports page before the death notices or 6 pages after the Racing liftout) The club have spent a fortune on radio spots and are currently sponsoring of the weather report on the new sports radio station, this gives us at least 2 ad's an hour.

There hasn't been ONE radio broadcast of ANY Rugby League game in Melbourne since 2000. Not one radio station will touch it, even when the club has offered to PAY for the air time. The club has been in talks with 2GB to get something happening down here but there is no sister station to 2GB down here so we are left in the same boat, no League coverage.

Redevelop Olympic Park (and extend the in-goals for chrissakes), get the people to the games, give it some media (Channel 9, that means you) and watch them be a success.

The club would love to, but they are only tenants and the MOPT wont do anything about it. We had hoped that everything would have been done from when Kennett is the Premier down here and had allocated $17.5 million on the redevlopment of the ground. The Labour party got into power the new Sports Minister was named (an ex AFL player and president of AFL's Players Association) and he took that $17.5 for redevelop and moved it to AFL junior development.

$23.7 million was later given for a major redevelop at O.P. (just being completed) but for the Collingwood football club to move there. Nothing else. The old 1956 Olympic Swimming Pool is now the new office and gym for Collingwood and the Storm's old Gym, Club rooms and Social club is now an AFL football ground.

You wont get many people saying the stadium doesn't need an upgrade. Many supporters have been having this fight with pollies and on radio for years.

I have faith in how great Rugby League is. I am certain it is the toughest, most adversarial, hunt-like-a-pack team sport. It is beautiful and brutal all at once - the definiton of skill and toughness. We have some personalities too, even though Fatty doesn't set the right precedent....

Totally agree but again we can't get any radio or television coverage to show it or them.

The Storm have a pretty good footy team too. They deserve bums on seats.

And the supporters are some of the best in the comp.

Why wont News (and channel 9 and the media) show that sort of faith in our game? These are the people that told us they had the best interests of the game at heart. :evil: [/storm]

Coz someone like Ken Aurtherson (ARL) sold out League to Packer in the early 90's. That contract is up for renewal in 2007 and it will be one that all League supporters down here and around the rest of the country can't wait for.

Lets hope that the NRL follow the AFL's lead here and make it part of the contract to run ad's on the up coming games for the week and run club membership ad's, AUSTRALIA WIDE.

I believe the move to Colonial was the sole reason for the storms drop off in crowds, alot of fans felt alienated when they moved and haven't returned. To my last alot of fans like docklands and wont attend OP

It was because people didn't like Colonial in the first place that people dropped off, in fact around 3,500 members. It also didn't help having Monday night games coz the AFL had first preferance of the ground for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, also not knowing WHAT DATED we would be playing until 5 weeks out doesn't help at all either.

When the club moved back to O.P it was because of the fans wanted it. Then in my mind one of the worst moves ever, 3.00pm Saturday games. Families have kids sports and wont give that up to come to a new sport in their books.

Although it was great for Television (over 400,000 watched Storm games at this time on Fox) it really did start to kill us.

A supporters forum was held before yesterdays game with the club and a lot of answers and details of what the club and News and trying to do in improving all aspects of the game and coverage and I for one am happy to do what ever I can to help them get everything in place for League to succeed.

As I use to post on another forum....ONE GAME, ONE TEAM........STORM