Football boasts more registered players than any other football type code in Australia, but who are these people and what connection to football do they have?
I have had years playing, watching analysing and have formed the following tags (for want of a better word).
The social player
Not that interested in sport in general, plays because mates are there and it’s healthy.
Too small to play my code
Parents who play and follow league, rugby and AFL who see football as a safer sport in their child’s early years and skills learnt can be taken across when the time comes to move to the preferred full contact sport.
All age and over 35 / 45 players
Play for similar reason to the above – safer, less chance of being hurt and it keeps them fit and with their mates.
At this point I have deliberately not looked at people interested in football, because can the above be marketed to? Or is Football to these folk simply a way to do what they want to do.
People with a genuine interest in football, who follow overseas leagues and think the local variation is not up to standard.
The ‘Eurosnob’ follows Manchester United but not his local A-League team.
But there are people with a genuine interest in football who follow and support the local competition.
These groups can both be marketed to and bring in dollars.
My final grouping is the cross-coder, those who follow a number of sports.
I have no idea the break down between the three core groups, i.e. those with little interest in football but use it for convenience pertaining to healthy lifestyle, injury concerns and socialising with friends.
However, the Eurosnob and cross-coder (and their friends) are the two groups within the player-base who can be marketed to.
My guess in both cases is the quality of the A-League’s matches will be a huge deciding factor.
The question is how to connect to the cross-coder and the Eurosnob? I have no idea.
Manchester City have seen something in the A-League, they said as much and put their money where their mouth is.
How and who within the football family is the growth going to come from and what does the existing football family need to do to help and speed-up the process?
bryan
Guest
Were you & I the only ones a bit concerned at his absence?
Ginger71
Guest
my experience with my friends who are football fans is that they wouldnt be seen dead watching AFL, but love NRL.
langou
Roar Guru
Was that an attempted Haiku?
Bob Anderson
Guest
I can think of a lot greater "human faults" than assuming one's experience is everybody else's (and who assumes its EVERYBODY elses anyway, of course nobody thinks that). The fact is in the absence of actual data or clinical studies, observation can indeed be cited as evidence. Darwin, for example, developed his theories by observation. Its obviously the least accurate method, but is not worthless.
Tom Jones
Guest
Its definitely not about not calling them a eurosnob to avoid them not becoming a HAL fan. The eurosnob is the person who follows one or more of the current top 6 teams in the EPL(in case one loses), who has no family history in the UK, may be between 15 to 25 years of age, and at the same time says the A-League is below par and provides advice on how it can become better and more like the EPL and then they will support it, all while never having seen one live match of the EPL.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Punter, I know the crowds have been dropping but they're still not terrible are they. Wouldn't you argue that ADP got many a "eurosnob" through the door and buying a membership?
ciudadmarron
Guest
It's not like the SBS commentary team is calling them eurosnobs. It's the online community or whatever. Derisory names on the internet didn't stop "new dawners" coming on board after 2005/6 or "bitters" from following the a-league. Other factors did. It's the same with this.
ciudadmarron
Guest
On the eurosnob. Pretty clear we all have different definitions! Which makes it hard to look at ways to encourage them to become fans, if we are talking about slightly different people. The common factor would appear to be someone who follows European football and refuses to watch the A-League. Key point being refuses. I agree quality is a big factor... but we're never going to match the quality on offer. So that can't be a way to win them over. If you're following football to watch the world's best players alone then there's not much you can do. Supporting these big teams for whatever reason has some sort of cultural cachet here. I think that's the thing that needs the change. That's a longterm thing though. That's kids and connections in local communities.
c
Guest
fuss you're alive welcome back
langou
Roar Guru
The soccer team I played for ran an AFL tipping competition every season.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Fadida, don't get me wrong. They've been to AFL matches &, as I said, we usually have an AFL GF BBQ. But, the sporting conversation before we have our social matches will be dominated by HAL, EPL, UCL, Bundesliga, etc. not AFL. Everyone would have an AFL team they'd follow, but a win or loss wouldn't affect them (apart from GF win).
fadida
Guest
Tas and NSW Fuss. The Tassie boys (from many backgrounds) watched a bit of AFL and loved State of Origin. One of the things you do is when you move to a new country is embrace local sports and customs. Disappointing if your boys have never had the experience of AFL. Being new to NSW I certainly plan to go to a RL match (so I can fire a few cheap shots on the RL tab if nothing else :) ) Gets me back to Eurosnobbery. When I lived in the UK I went to lower league matches for the experience. I knew the quality was going to be rubbish but it's what you do. Disappointing that those we term Eursnobs won't do the same. They'll be pleasantly surprised (though I'd have them avoid Jets at home on a Sunday!)
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
I think we all have slightly different definitions then. IMO your English mate may be considered a 'eurosnob' not so much because he doesn't like the A league but because he has never given it a go. I don't have the impression these ppl are the majority of euro football fans living here. Most of us have tried, some have liked, a bit or a lot, so in this respect we aren't eurosnobs as such I think. When it comes to crosscoders (@ you and fuss), my experience is similar to fuss, i.e. I have never met a euro (or Asian) migrant who has moved here as an adult and has become an afl follower. A few of us who were/are also union fans do follow the nrl, but AFL never. Doesn't mean its not a great sport but its just very hard for us to understand or get what happens. 'headless chickens' is often the term we use to describe the players. Personally, the football fans I despise the most here and true 'eurosnobs' imo are the aussies who have never set foot in Europe, have picked a team because they like their colours or sponsors or another childish reason (have met ppl like that) and bag the A league (although in my experience, they don't know anything nor understand football). Unfortunately, I think there are many ppl like this in Oz. And finally, Towser is spot on: for many, "the standard of football is the key".
fadida
Guest
Of course you'd be Jesus Fuss .....
Australian Rules
Guest
It's definitely possible - Christians can often be the least 'Christian' people we know.
Midfielder
Guest
Or maybe the little club who should not ... building from the bottom... has an approach ...
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@fadida If i'm the one you consider "Jesus" in that scenario ... much appreciated - biggest compliment anyone could pay me!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ fadida Where did you play & coach in Victoria? I've lived in Melbourne since the mid-70s & have never heard a single conversation about NRL - even the week or day of the NRL GF or SoO. In relation to AFL, why are you amazed? The lads with whom I play football are mostly adult arrivals to Australia (in the last 15-20 years) - Spanish, Danish, German, Irish, English, Colombian, Mexican, Macedonian, Polish, Indian, Italian, etc... it's a veritable UN of football. Unless new arrivals to AUS are indoctrinated into AFL by peers (at school, work), in my experience they find AFL is just disorganised chaos (compared to football) & cricket ... well, if they don't laugh when they're told a game lasts 5 days .. it's comedy hour then they see the players' costumes!
fadida
Guest
I find that a statistical anomaly Fuss. I have both played and coached recently at what is now NPL level, with players who are generally football fanatics. After a game they would often sit in the club rooms or go home and watch AFL/NRL. I wouldn't, but to each their own. I'm amazed that none of 20 in your group were "cross coders"
fadida
Guest
"Fuss and his mates" - would be like Jesus and the last supper, the "True Believers" :)