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It’s a well known fact that the Australian media hasn’t fully embraced football. There are still plenty of columnists and pundits who only have something to say about “soccer” when an incident occurs that can be seen in a negative light.
Therefore, it’s even more disappointing that the quality of the “positive” coverage that football is currently receiving is so low. However, football isn’t alone.
I awoke at 5:30am on Saturday to go to a mates place to watch the AFL grand final.
That was pretty tough after a big Friday night but having to sit through the mindless, pointless drivel or what Channel 10 calls “commentary”, well that bordered on impossible for a sane person.
Having read through various articles from “experts” in the lead up to the grand final, I was already disappointed in the one-dimensional views they expressed.
AFL is an extremely complex, tactical and highly skilled sport.
The smallest things can have the biggest influence, and there is an endless amount that experts could talk or write about. Yet all the coverage was on WAG’s at the Brownlow, Fevola’s drinking habits, Geelong seeking redemption and St. Kilda trying to break a drought.
I noticed the same narrow-minded coverage during Australia’s recent friendly against Ireland. I watched the Fox broadcast and at times I struggled to pay attention.
Slater in particular is genuinely boring, has an annoying voice and rarely has anything intelligent to say.
At least some of the printed media in Australia on the issue of football is of a high standard, it’s just a pity there isn’t more.
However, the articles found here on The Roar are often very intelligent and insightful (if sometimes a little insular for my taste) and probably make up the best collection of football journalism found in Australia’s media.
What many don’t realise though, is how the current TV and print media is holding back the development of the game in Australia.
It’s easy to see how coverage of incidents such as the “riots” at the Adelaide vs. Melbourne game have a negative impact on the sport, but what of the commentary, the expert opinions, the column space and news coverage?
This is hugely important for the growth of the game, and we’re neglecting it.
One could look at Europe as an example of how it can be done right, but Europe is a different kettle of fish. Football is the dominant sport there, so let’s use cricket as our role-model.
For decades, Australia’s cricket coverage has been top notch. Richie Benaud is the undisputed king of Australian commentary but he’s only part of a team of international commentators.
Every summer Channel 9 gives us West Indians, South Africans, Englishmen, Kiwis and Indians who provide insight and encapsulate the mood of the game, making it absorbing and interesting for both the uninformed and the life-long fan.
AFL certainly has a disadvantage here, in that they can’t bring in that international mix, but why can’t we with football? What stops us tapping the European market and getting some genuine experts?
Indeed who even said we need “experts”? I’d prefer elevator music over Slater’s comments. And if we do need experts, why do they have to be Australian?
We have already come to the belated conclusion that Australian coaches aren’t as good as foreigners.
Two Dutchmen have bought us more success in four years than the rest of our history combined. Why shouldn’t it be the same for those presenting the game to the people?
At the end of the day what matters is how the “product is packaged”, not who does it.
Cricket is genuinely boring. While I’m a fan I can see how people find it a good cure for insomnia and hence the commentators have an even harder job making it interesting.
Whereas football is action packed; a sport that ebbs and flows, where momentum changes within seconds and controversial incidents occur regularly, and yet Australian commentators are still failing to package the product properly.
Australians need to be shown that there is more to football than Hooligans and Lucas Neill’s contract sagas.
The A-League will benefit from being presented alongside established leagues in the long term. So now the administrators must take responsibility and come up with a plan how to best place their product and display it to the public.
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