Everyone knows that to get more attention, you need to be seen more and seen more often. Particularly if you can make an appearance on a ratings winner, some flavour-of-the-month TV show.
If you live in Sydney, you would be getting pretty used to the increasing volume of AFL promotion. There seems to be no sports section or program lately that fails to mention how the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL team are getting bigger, better, fitter and faster, and isn’t that great news for Sydney?
But, have you ever wondered what it takes to keep a big, beefy AFL footballer at peak performance?
Just ask the contestants of the Junior Master Chef Top 8 and they’ll be able to tell you, thanks to their Sydney Swans Challenge, where the keen young gastronomes had to cook up a storm to feed the ravenous Sydney Swans AFL team “hungry for success.”
A whole episode of the high rating Master Chef spin-off, dedicated to the Sydney Swans, now that would be worth something to help promote AFL in Sydney, wouldn’t it?
We’ve even had Ryan O’Keefe on Celebrity Master Chef telling us that he is a professional AFL footballer for the Sydney Swans. His signature dish is spaghetti bolognese, because AFL players need lots of fresh, healthy food and carbohydrates for energy.
Thanks for the advice Ryan, as the AFL clocks up more reality TV show mileage.
And speaking of AFL promotion on Master Chef, who could have forgotten the opening night of the blockbuster Master Chef Series 3 this year, that also featured an AFL player. Not any old AFL player either mind you, this was a female AFL player who plays for the Australian women’s’ AFL side, who also happen to be the female world champions of AFL, and what an achievement that is too.
The wizard of Australian home loans, Mark Bouris, could not contain his unbridled joy as he recently announced to his television audience that he has not one but two former AFL legends on his Celebrity Apprentice Australia reality TV show.
The show features former Sydney Swan Warwick Capper, and he is joined by former Hawthorn player Shane Crawford. They not only give themselves a shot at fame and glory by becoming the next Celebrity Apprentice Australia champion, but also do their humble bit to help promote the great old game of AFL.
The AFL even tried to launch its own reality TV show. AFL Game Development manager Dave Matthews outlined an ambitious plan to run draft testing try-outs in several US cities as part of a reality TV project dubbed ‘American Footy Star.’ Matthews is hopeful many clubs will send recruiters to the American draft camps, and the league’s newest club, Greater Western Sydney, said it would most likely attend.
The reality TV program is the brainchild of Los Angeles-based former football agent Miro Gladovic, but has been enthusiastically backed by the AFL. A pilot episode has been filmed with appearances from Geelong’s Jimmy Bartel, Australian Institute of Sport coach Jason McCartney, and Hawthorn legend Robert Dipierdomenico.
McCartney and Dipierdomenico will help run the testing days, which are slated for Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami, with plans to add another in New York or Boston.
Dipierdomenico is also taking part in yet another reality TV show featuring an AFL player. It’s a Biggest Loser style program hosted by Kate Ceberano called ‘Excess Baggage’, which is set to run later in 2012.
Dipper is introduced as the former Hawthorn AFL legend whose physical and emotional baggage is holding him back, and he’s ready to reclaim his life. Travelling far across this country, and deep within himself, he will discover the secrets to shedding life’s excess baggage. Or so we’re told.
Maybe he’ll even get fit enough to resurrect his AFL career and try out for the GWS Giants.
It’s no coincidence that so many reality TV shows lately are featuring “AFL legends” as their “celebrities”. Get used to it, because there’s going to be more of it.
It’s all part of the AFL’s grand marketing plan to assimilate AFL into the daily lives of people outside of Victoria, where AFL is still not that popular.
It’s not just about introducing another couple of new AFL teams north of the Murray, it’s all about trying to make AFL a part of New South Wales and Queensland way of life, so that one day AFL will totally dominate the Australian sporting landscape.
That’s Demetriou’s grand plan, and his marketing department have got plenty more tricks up their sleeves, and hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on it.
Boomshanka
Guest
Channel Nine have included an AFL set in its latest reality show check out; Kevin Federline, dancer and former husband to pop princess Britney Spears, was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack after collapsing on the set of the Nine Network's weight-loss reality program Excess Baggage. The 33-year-old was attending a training session with the Greater Western Giants AFL team at Doonside, in Sydney's west, when he complained of chest pains about 2pm today. "Kevin was at Doonside with the [Giants], completing an AFL-related challenge," a Nine spokesman said. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/kfed-collapses-in-excess-baggage-challenge-20120123-1qdkk.html#ixzz1kGCgiPyZ Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/kfed-collapses-in-excess-baggage-challenge-20120123-1qdkk.html#ixzz1kGCBhNIP
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
Jason Akermanis has nothing to do with AFL? Any other sports represented on the show?
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
Can I just point out that the A-League and the EPL are 2 different football competitions so the A-League didn't get that much coverage at all.
me, I like football
Guest
Jason Akermanis will feature on this years Dancing with the stars, obviously another AFL conspiracy when you consider how close Aker is to the AFL.
amazonfan
Guest
ItsCalledFootball- "I bet you shed tears when the NSL folded." I didn't care either way. Why would I? More to the point, why should I? "I bet you were gutted when our country failed to win the rights to host the 2022 FIFA WC" I wasn't happy, but I wasn't gutted. "I bet you were very upset when the NZ Knights and NQ Fury went broke." Why would I care? More to the point, why should I? "I’ve checked your posts – you are one of those AFL people who gloat about falling A-League attendances and predict how it is going to die and one of the first to criticise the FFA and “soccer”" Are you serious? I have never done any of that. You obviously haven't read any of my posts. "Take a good look in the mirror first." I don't need to. I'm not the hypocritical one here.
Jaceman
Guest
Western Sydney - what happened to the Rovers?? The recent buyers of clubs have presumably bought in on the fact the club numbers will stay the same...just because people express an interset doesnt mean they have any moey eg NRL and central Qld, Ipswich, PNG etc
Fitzy
Guest
Didnt HAL have a reality show called Football Superstar.........another example of the pot calling the kettle black!
Australian Rules
Guest
TM Yes, the AFL, like any decent business, will try to maximise commercial opportunities. The irony of ICF's comment is that it implies that the game of Aussie Rules is somehow incidental to the business of the AFL. And it's particularly ironic given he's a soccer fan and argues the case for the NRL...both sports which are blatantly governed by corporate interests.
BigAl
Guest
Nahhhh! - just a 50+ Aussie male.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Sorry, Punter, I think you misinterpreted. I didn't get upset because you called the game ARF. I simply pointed out that the official name is Australian Football. I also didn't call you a troll. I said 'unless' you're a troll... I very much hope you aren't one. You don't seem to be like QSAF who insults Aust Football every chance he gets. I'm also not blaming you for anything; I'm simply having a discussion in which I'm pointing out that marketing doesn't always reflect the truth. Trust Me, are you for real?
Australian Rules
Guest
Please re-read points 1,2, and especially 3 above. You subscribe to the author's conspiracy theory that the AFL somehow determines the program content on Channel 9's reality shows...and that this is just part of their growth/marketing strateg. Hmmmm
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
Actually the A-League and Sydney FC are doing quite well compared to last year. Even if SFC dropped out of the A-League, there's Canberra, Wollongong and Western Sydney waiting to replace them. But like any commercial venture, there is always a chance that they could fold.
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
The game and the competition is called AFL, Aussie Rules is so 20th century like. AFL was actually first played by English sailors at Port Melbourne when they first came to Australia and were too drunk to play rugby or football.
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
What about the number of Chinese Australians living in Nauru who play soccer and watched Dipper on Excess Baggage and now play AFL instead.
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
That's a disgrace.
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
Do you live in an AFL monastery?
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
There's corporate greed in any business and the AFL are no shrinking violet when it comes to trying to get the most they can out of any situation.
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
It all made perfect sense to me - what exactly don't you understand about the article? The AFL are out to grow their business and they will use any means possible, why is that so hard to accept?
Australian Rules
Guest
"Do you AFL people actually have anything to say on the topic or are you going to continue with the code war and the personal attacks on me." My comment (4th from the very top) said everything I wanted to on the topic. As for "continuing the code war", you must admit, this article was dripping with "code war" pretext and was a bit of a stretch for anyone to take completely seriously. From what I can see, no-one attacked you personally, but gave your conspiracy theory the comic thrashing it deserved.
Maximus
Guest
I think Ling and Hodge were Channel Sevens puerile attempt to let Billy Slater shine so the NRL would split up the NRL TV rights so Seven can get SOO. Possibly a contra deal as McLachlan mentioned Slaters ability twice on the Sunday AFL show - there is no other reason I can think of why they chose these "AFL athletes"??? We will see...I was surprised they didnt choose Dipper ..