To set the scene, it is the preliminary final live from Perth on the TV, a packed pub in the City of London.
No rugby, soccer and only a replay of an old Ashes game for competition.
The AFL prime time on three large screens with 200 city boys enjoying a Friday lunchtime drink (yes it still happens in London). Ordering a pint of Landlord I settle in, excited to watch the game and also curious to get a feel for what London city boys think of AFL football.
Expectations were high. Surely a lot of there guys being rugby men, would be jaws ajar the spectacle in front of them.
Sadly not.
Like a lighting bolt it hit and quickly, I started to see an AFL game from the perspective of the people around me – and its not a pretty sight.
There were plenty of looks over the shoulder but the game fundamentally failed to grasp their attention, mostly because they didn’t have a clue what was going on no was was there to explain it. The coverage itself was perhaps the bigger obstacle.
The coverage was so woeful, that after that one pint I walked out. The AFL is in my view a better game to play and watch than all other codes, but come to TV is far far behind and sadly this matters.
There is little point broadcasting AFL in foreign countries in the same format shown in Australia. As we have seen in the UK, the massive rise in interest in the NFL shows there is plenty of room for niche football codes in the home of association football. The AFL could be a hit given its combination of silky skills, toughness and speed. In the UK, there is a growth of curious people interested in other sports beyond the never-ending EPL season.
Sadly the AFL is nowhere to be seen and a rethink on how the game is packaged is needed. Step back and see the game though the eyes of others and it becomes obvious.
What was so wrong with the coverage?
The overall coverage looks cheaply put together, like you would expect of a third division league club in Europe.
The Perth ground looked like a patchwork of green and brown and therefore second rate for TV.
The cameras were far too distant from the play. Furthermore, there was the horror of the whistle blowing every few seconds. Tone it down. No done needs to hear this.
Umpires and non playing personal cluttering the ground – very confusing
Hearing the umpire speak is another horror
Does the AFL have the vision to package and tailor the game for the uninitiated?
Without this tweak I can’t even see the game getting a TV toe hold, which it should get given what a fantastic sport it actually is.
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