Comments on: Attention mothers of Sydney: AFL

By: Dave1

Dave1 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:00:39 +0000

AFL in Sydney is strongest in the Hills district

By: Dave1

Dave1 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:53:43 +0000

Lewis Roberts-Thomson for the swans is an ex-union player

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:03 +0000

And peace be with you my brother.

By: Springs

Springs — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:12:17 +0000

Exactly, so lets all live in peace.

By: Jaredsbro

Jaredsbro — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:55:40 +0000

I can’t see Aussie rules as particularly WC in its current image not with their gentlemanly restraint and their occasional clangers of which the Fevola incident is said to be the worst in a long time. Maybe in Vic there’s WC connections but the game’s Australia’s glamour code or (proclaims to be) Thus I suspect Western Sydneysiders will agree with me, so they better market the game to the right people or…well it’s just like the International recruitment drive which is in vogue recently

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:53:08 +0000

Springs
What you are describing there happens all around Australia (kids playing soccer, but following NRL/AFL).

The FFA only need to attract a small percentage of such kids/families to be successful (the numbers of participants being so large).

By: Springs

Springs — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:44:08 +0000

I find it really strange that AFL say they are giving the juniors that don’t want to play rugby league an opportunity by planting a professional team in GWS. I don’t think a mother would say ‘I might sign up my son for that new Western Stdney team’. Hasn’t there been junior AFL in Sydney for years? And even kids that don’t want to play League still follow it. Out here in country NSW it is remarkable how all the soccer playing kids follow NRL more than the A-League. Here there are 4-5 junior soccer clubs and only 2 junior rugby league clubs, last year there was only 1. Yet League still gets more media coverage, is more popular on TV and is more talked about than the A-League.

By: bever fever

bever fever — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:39:55 +0000

Dont reckon Williams has the build for rugby, he would get smashed.

Having said that he looks the build for a endurance athlete (triathlon, rowing, iron man)

Sure he could bulk up for league but i think rules suits him better.

By: bever fever

bever fever — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:36:40 +0000

Junior aussie rules is strongest in Sydney around the city and in areas where Union is also strong.

North of the bridge would have the strongest junior comps, but interestingly that is where the Nth Sydney bears used to be, it is also the only place in Sydney where schools put teams in weekend AFL comps.

The swans draw their fans from around the harbour and eastern suburbs, this is where the rah rahs have always been strong so stands to reason their is crossover.

GWS is meant to be the opposite to the Swans and attract the blue collar fan.

By: Jaredsbro

Jaredsbro — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:29:53 +0000

And of course Basketball. I think the problem is RU players are actually not physically suited to the game by in large, but it’s the clientele that are interested in watching the game (whether this entails that they will give playing the game a go is a moot point as I’ve never played the game, but am connected to the RU scene. BBers do and the technical elements of fielding the ball/avoiding the physical confrontations in transition etc are skills that are quite transferrable. Physique similarities too…but tactically Aussie rules is a physical game where the only physicality in BB is making fouls look worse than they really are/diving

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:25:34 +0000

I thought I read at some stage that they sounded out O’Connor – some Wallaby fans might be wishing that he had accepted!!

There are a few ex-union players in AFL ranks, who converted around the age of 14/15 – but not many.

Tom Williams of my team is one. Awesome athlete – perfect build for a key position player, and he’s not too bad given his limited background in the game – the main thing is that he gives goals away by doing dumb things – which is not too surprising because you can’t develop nous and a gut feel for a game overnight.

In Hawthorn’s premiership year, he played one terrific game where he absolutely blanketed Buddy Franklin – so he definitely has plenty of upside.

By: Jaredsbro

Jaredsbro — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:18:00 +0000

Actually I reckon AFL’s targetting Union players most of all. As always I struggle to find the data to support this, but if the Swans supporters are anything to go by they’re either ex-Unionites or dabble a little here a little there

By: oikee

oikee — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:17:08 +0000

Why chat to him Redb, i have his decipals on here to chat with, i am looking forward to his media reports under pressure from the Sydney press, should be good, i am giving him 1 year, tops.

By: Redb

Redb — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:39:30 +0000

Go and have a chat to him he’s a great bloke.

By: Westcoast929406

Westcoast929406 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:24:01 +0000

Sheedy steps into the vacant promotion spotlight.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/afl-to-set-up-marquee-at-sydney-v8-supercar-race-after-nrl-turns-chance-down/story-e6frfgbo-1225803476439

The NSW Premier turning down the AFL request for funds for The Showgrounds upgrade was predictable.

By: oikee

oikee — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:05:41 +0000

Ouch, i think we can all take note now of how not to try and expand. The war started by the AFL in west Sydney could not have got off to a worse start. Public relations, rule number 1. Dont go into some codes heartland and tell them you are going to bully anyone. Keep your heavy hitters right away.(sheedy) and stay away from government funding when you already have a stadium, World Class,.
Now they are putting a tent up in league heartland to intice the mums, ? mate have they no idea i am frightened of league mums. Anyhow, their campaign is now set back 20 years. With no funding, get used to playing in the Big white elephant, cheers, welcome to league heartlands.

By: bever fever

bever fever — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:54:14 +0000

I agree with you here, all talking on different levels.

In my experience it would not be league that the bulk of these so-called new juniors will come from, it will be basketball and soccer if they cross at all and it will be slow.

I just cannot see thousands of new players fronting up next year, maybe a couple of hundred.

The juniors ranks of soccer and BB can afford to lose quite a few juniors and really not miss a beat.

I could be off the mark here but in my experience the bulk of junior RL players are from rusted on RL families and the AFL has little hope of converting them, whereas plenty of soccer kids and BB kids are from families who have little historical connection to either game.

These are the kids to target.

By: MyGeneration

MyGeneration — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:12:55 +0000

Population

By: bever fever

bever fever — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:06:02 +0000

Talking countries or cities here.

By: MyGeneration

MyGeneration — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:23:18 +0000

I often think of mindless sporting monoculture when I visit Melbourne, Republican. Thankfully, this thought has been passing in recent years.

Cheers

By: MyGeneration

MyGeneration — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:19:28 +0000

Why on earth would you think that? These guys are from different levels of coaching and different geographical areas, and they are speaking from different experience. The fact that they’re not regurgitating some corporate message is a good thing. I’m not aware of this ‘RL Junior Councils’ entity that you speak of.

By: Westcoast929406

Westcoast929406 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:30:16 +0000

This article is a classic because two different Junior Rugby League Coaches cannot agree if GWS is going to affect them or not, and to what degree. You would think the RL Junior Councils would agree on a common answer/policy for the stirrers in the media.
http://blacktown-advocate.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/on-football-s-battle-lines/

By: Republican

Republican — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:32:56 +0000

I agree that Aust Footy sits between Soccer and the ‘thugby’ codes which gives it a niche in this respect.

i also think this niche will be even more appealing than Soccer in NZ’s transition, as they embark on shedding their brutal sporting monoculture.

Cheers

By: Ziggy the God

Ziggy the God — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:28:54 +0000

So if you play a sport when you are a kid, you are going to be a fan of the sport when you are older?

This has become the prism that the AFL spruiks, but where is the proof?

NFL is watched by millions in the US, but how many have played the game? What about cricket in India, how many have actually played it?

Then, you have Football, which has the most participants, yet how many watch the A-league?

Take it further, I have never pole-vaulted, run a marathon (slob) or played field hockey, but i watch the Olympics. I only played a handful of league games, a few seasons of Union and plenty of seasons of Football, but I mainly watch League. Go figure. The vica versa is Mothers who take their kids to Football on the weekend, but never watch a game on the box. That will be what befalls the GWS.

People want to watch the product for many reasons, but to think that it is because you had to play it as a child is ludicrous.

Last time I ventured out to Western Sydney, they all had TV sets, and they could all have switched over to watch the Sydney Swans play live every week, but they don’t.

Keep giving away the bribes, I mean free backpacks and waterbottles at Auskick clinics.
Just make sure that the AFL chips in for the Waste management Services which will have to pick them up on the side of the highway.

Cheers

By: Westcoast929406

Westcoast929406 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:42:11 +0000

It looks like some mothers -and fathers are listening Michael C Jordan in the West Sydney Region – Talk about a melting plot of nations which our game will get a share of.
How big a share – That is what everyone will be watching.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/mickey-o-dips-into-sydneys-melting-pot/2009/11/21/1258220007495.html

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:20:16 +0000

I dont see the stats for the question that asks “is your mother a control freak and secretly wanted a girl”.

If a kid wants to play something else I can’t imagine him having to play Soccer instead. It’s more expensive than Auskick and Mod League for one. And if a parent is that uninformed and ignorant as to think Mod league is dangerous wouldn’t they be worried about their little precious heading the ball or perhaps being kicked by a boat person?

By: Dave1

Dave1 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:08:17 +0000

heres the stats

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/2D0179A15287F5BFCA2574E400117321?OpenDocument

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:02:44 +0000

I don’t think that’s a big market. I think the kids that get moved towards less contact sports would only play sport for a couple of years and then drop out.

Has it ever actually happened that a kid wanted to play AFL or Rugby League and his parents said no…you have to play Soccer or Tennis. I just can’t beleive that there are parents in Australia that would actually do that.

By: Dave1

Dave1 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:53:55 +0000

In the southern states mothers have been know to steer their kids to soccer because they are worried that AFL is too tough.

This doesn’t happen in NSW. The AFL would be thinking to be targeting those kids who would normally be forced by their mothers to play soccer.

By: Michael C Jordan

Michael C Jordan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:48:37 +0000

Thanks for all the comments. That was pretty much the response I was expecting.

If there is anyone who would like to read or comment on anything else I’ve written please visit my new blog at http://www.thefinalsiren.blogspot.com There isn’t a lot there at the moment but I am hoping to update it daily.

Hope to hear from you.

Thanks

Michael C Jordan