AFL breaks attendance record again

Jimbo - just as not everyone is attracted to Rugby vs Soccer or Soccer vs Rugby, so too, not everyone is attracted to footy. However, it does happen: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24268059-27258,00.html a nice little example of a game of footy being a 'tourist attraction', i.e., HOLLYWOOD star Brendan Fraser was in the big crowd at Telstra Dome last night to watch Carlton take on Hawthorn. Fraser, in Melbourne promoting The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the third instalment of The Mummy franchise, had asked to attend an AFL match while in Australia. Fraser apparently became fascinated by Aussie rules on seeing glimpses of a few matches on cable TV in the US and was intrigued that players do not wear protective padding as in American gridiron. Now............would you get the same for a game of soccer in Melbourne? Hardly, they play soccer everywhere. btw - - Jimbo, the organic growth of footy overseas IS largely due to cable, internet and satellite exposure. Do you think it's easy to establish a club in a far flung city? Initially with no one to play against? It took the Danish Footy league about 10 years to get properly established, and over the last 10 years the Danish League has helped spawn the Swedish league and now footy in Finland (both those teams debuted at the current International Cup), and finally the first team in Norway has been established. No one is pumping money in from outside - - and previously, there were often short lived clubs that popped up - usually associated with large numbers of ex-pats in a given place for a period of time - - when they moved on, then, the club faded away. No though, these clubs are 'sticking'. You may not rate the growth that has occurred in recent years - - but, you seem to forget that there's only so many expat Aussies overseas to start the game up in local regions, You seem to forget that there's not many ovals just right for footy around the world You seem to forget that every 2nd expat Aussie might just be a NSW-QLD buffoon who, rather than saying nothing, or given tacit support - will instead by likely to do their utmost to urge people NOT to because in their mind it's GayFL (believe me, I've seen their input on blogs and comments sections overseas when AFL has 'made the news') What will be super interesting will be the next 20 years - - because, the foundations are there, the network is getting in place and the AFL has got sufficient positive results in South Africa and sufficient supportive signs from the clubs. (btw - via cable, yes, there was some exposure on ESPN when it kicked off, that faded as they accessed the sports they wanted, alas, back then, it sparked some interest, but, the internet is the real tool of establishing new clubs in far flung cities and linking to other clubs - - - and more recently, it's only really via Setanta that footy is available, and, of course, not everyone has that) So - I'm actually surprised that footy HAS caught on so much over the last 20 years - - - with only a handful of people at the grass roots level actually propelling it.......and the key is the increasing success of junior programs, and 'auskick' style launches overseas - - - previously expat dominated clubs were more a social outlet, now, more and more they are taking the baton to 'grow the game'. So, again, wait and see how the next 20 years progress (or not). [btw - I actually watched a bit of the Union test on Saturday night.........never again....every now and then I give it a go........absolute rubbish that sport,.......I'm still wondering if I'll give soccer another go after attending a nil all draw as my only game.............but, then, to balance that, North v Port that I attended on Saturday was absolute crap........especially for a North fan with expectations!!! - - - so, I do reckon the 'eye of the beholder' plays a fair part. ;-)]

Best spectator sport on earth - honestly, I've tried really hard to get into AFL. My in-laws are from the deep south and I go there often to visit or on business, so I've been hand cuffed to the bull bar of the Kluger many times and dragged along to a game, and I've seen plenty of them, I've even played it but . . . anyway you probably say the same things about other sports. Surprised AFL hasn't caught on more internationally. With the growing sports coverage all around the world in the last 20 years - cable, Internet, satellite exposure of the game round the world hasn't caught anyone’s imagination. Seems to be you have to be pissed and at the ground to appreciate it a bit more.

True Tah, It doesn't just engage the fairer sex it engages almost every level of society and every age group. Redb

One thing I think the AFL does a hell of a lot better than the other codes is in engaging the fairer sex. I don't understand it, but a lot of females say it has the hunk factor absent in rugby, futbol and league.

Well done to AFL. I don't really watch it but they really are the role models that others sports admin (not just other football code) should try and emulate. In any case - who says it is one sport vs another. Its great to have many sports in this country a person can choose to watch. "Australian Football is a vastly superior spectacle than the other codes. " yeah I agree watching A-league, olyroos and soccerroos is quite a spectacle

Roddy “Simply put, Football is the best spectator sport on earth” Why doesnt the rest of the world catch on then?? "Just goes to prove 1 thing: Australian Football is a vastly superior spectacle than the other codes. It’s faster, more skillful, more attacking and more free flowing than soccer and both thugby codes put together. And this translates into truly world class attendances that other sports can only dream about in their wildest fantasies. " So how do you explain the domination of football in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Baltic states, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, Africa, most of Asia etc etc. AFL clear leader in 4 states of Oz... Football clear leader in 150 plus countries. Unfortunately your theory doesnt pan out. BTW Well done AFL for excellent attendances again.

Roddy, Hopefully, in 150 years it might be a truly national sport. The AFL is expanding in NSW/QLD to try and improve those ratings, most AFL games don't register a pulse up there? If it doesn't work you can forget about that Billion.

Justin - No, but I see you're very familiar with them! And I love it how thugby fans desperately cling to ratings figures. There's only one TV figure that really matters...AFL: $780, 000, 000. And the next one will top $1billion with the expansion to 18 teams. Yep, AUSTRALIAN Football is no.1 in AUSTRALIA by a long long way. And will continue to be for another 150 years...

No matter what football code you follow you have to concede that the AFL has got it right over the decades in establishing a competition that people want to see live, rather than on television. In Sydney the reliance on poker machine money to subsidise the local rugby league teams gave officials the excuse to treat spectators very badly. I used to take son number 1 to Kogorah Oval in the 1980s and it was never a pleasant viewing experience. The team songs, the traditions of the clubs passed on from one generation to the next, the colours, the whole pageant of an AFL game make it a great viewing experience. The other codes, especially rugby union and rugby league, could learn from the AFL presentation of its games. Having watched the 2007 RWC in the south of France, I'd love it if rugby union officials put on the same sort of presentation, the bands, the trumpets, the drums and the crowd enthusiasm for major matches here.

"Simply put, Football is the best spectator sport on earth" Yet it is "incredibly weak" in 55% of the Australian TV market? Roy Masters isn't just a RL head having a pop at the AFL, he's absolutely right, check the ratings.

Roddy - you ever watched the Muppetts?

Jimbo, Good comments. I for one think the A League needs to consolidate its support with existing teams by building superior playing lists and lifting the salary cap or include two marquee players. Melb Victory will have a good year with attendances building from a sluggish start and probably end up not far away from it's season 2 crowd averages. Redb

Jimbo - I like your optimism.......including the implication that season one set a record attendance figure..........(or, were you meaning by default a record relative to any NSL season?)

Just goes to prove 1 thing: Australian Football is a vastly superior spectacle than the other codes. It's faster, more skillful, more attacking and more free flowing than soccer and both thugby codes put together. And this translates into truly world class attendances that other sports can only dream about in their wildest fantasies. Simply put, Football is the best spectator sport on earth. And it's AUSTRALIAN. Embrace it. Celebrate it.

Congratulations to the AFL. Not my favourite sport and don't quite understand why it is so popular, but it is one of the best run competitions in the world and the FFA could learn from them - especially with Buckley CEO of the FFA. A-League has had a slow start but hopefully can get back into gear as they approch their hay making time and post a fourth straight year of record attendances.

MC, I think we've said a few times this whole win lose scenario between AFL and other codes is just a load of BS. If less people go to an AFL game its not because another code has attracted them away, it has more to do with the appeal of that particular game. Even if Victory and Storm crowds grew it would only be due to fans adding these codes to their AFL sporting diet not substituting and vice versa in the AFL's expansion areas of GC and WS. Many generic fans will still jump aboard the latest bandwagon based on who is winning and this applies to all regions within OZ. Redb

It's interesting, that over the last 4 years, the AFL has been trending above 6 million aggregate for H&A season, and hit records in 3 of those 4 years. All this during the advent of the HAL, Melbourne Storm dominating the NRL, the FIFA WC, Olympics in a friendly timezone, and also absorbing virtual 'exhibition' H&A games in Darwin, Canberra, Gold Coast and Hawthorn playing in Launceston. Not a bad effort at all. Perhaps, Simon Hill needs to make "Smell the fear" style comments a little more often. And, unlike the NRL - who 'busted' thru the 3million barrier last year - - that was on the basis of an extra team and therefore 12 more regular season matches. The AFL has been a constant 176 match season since the inception of Port Power back in the mid '90s. Who knows what the future holds, but for now, it's a pretty good 'engagement' for the AFL with it's fan base, and that's got to be a solid foundation.