In the last few days, Patrick Dangerfield has come out to say that the AFL season is too long. He has thrown his support behind AFLX.
I have a huge issue with him and his statements about a game that seems to be bordering on becoming ‘Americanised’.
The AFL is pushing the AFLX. The release of the ‘comic-like’ guernseys. The announcement of the teams and which stars are in them.
I for one have no interest whatsoever in this stream of footy. It is far too America-centric; far too commercially laden and everything that I detest in sport – a spectacle and not a game.
I won’t be watching – at all. The AFL has brought out ‘dolls’ with only four clubs being rolled out. The AFL seems to be pushing the commercialisation of the game before the actual fan experience of the game.
Adelaide’s Tom Doedee in action. (AAP Image/Sam Wundke)
They seem to be moving towards what rakes in the money the most rather than determining what will ensure the successful longevity of the actual game. In doing so they have pushed aside the strides they made in the AFLW competition.
They are now looking at making some games start with what was happening many years ago – a game opener of either a VFL match. Why this was ever taken away is beyond me. In these matches, you got to see a team’s future stars and got to know them as players.
When they then, if they did, play in the senior team, you as a supporter, knew the player, how they played and what they would bring to a game. It made you want to get to the ground earlier and spend a day watching a game you loved.
Dangerfield has stated that the AFL season is too long. He is so out of touch with what the fans want and is only interested in pushing his agenda.
The season is not too long, it is just right. His push to make the season shorter is coupled with his push to make the AFLX successful.
Why? I believe it is to do with financial gain more than anything. I am pretty sure that those players involved in the AFLX will be paid a substantial amount of money for a game that in reality, not many will go and watch.
Patrick Dangerfield of the Cats handballs. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
It seems that the AFL and Dangerfield are hell-bent on copying the American version of sports and don’t, therefore, understand the Australian sporting community – the fans. We don’t want to be continually copying America for if we do we are going to lose what is so great about footy.
It’s our game, our sport in our environment. To make it anything else means that those in power believe that this is the way to make it better and have more of a fan base. It is not.
Maybe the AFL and Dangerfield are scared that in grass-roots sports, more children are playing soccer than footy. Maybe they feel that by making the game more Americanised it will bring children back to the game.
It won’t. In fact, it will do the opposite – it will turn children away. What will bring back more involvement of children to the game is to support the game itself and not make it something that it is not – an Americanised version of the game.
To ensure that the integrity of the game is not compromised. To ensure that for a family, taking their kids to a game will not put a gigantic hole in their pockets in terms of admission fees and food. To put back into the community game – grassroots – and not into the pushing of the game that for the majority of fans, no-one is interested in.
The AFL and Dangerfield are so out of touch with what fans want if they believe that the AFLX or shortening the length of the season will do anything positive for the actual game itself. Dangerfield needs to understand that without the fans, he does not have a career.
That without the pandering to the commercialisation of the game, he does not have a career. Both the AFL and Dangerfield must start looking at what the fans want and not what they want. They have to start to understand that every time they infuse some commercially-based American-based concept, they will lose fans.
Footy is a community game, forged by a community, instigated by a community and supported by one. The AFL has a great opportunity to encourage more participants in grass-roots footy with the AFLW but pushes more time and investment into the AFLX.
What a waste! The game is not some bastardised American sideshow. I love footy and I cannot wait for season 2019 – both ALF and AFLW – to start, but not the AFLX.
Raj
Guest
Sorry typo with autocorrect *chill people, not Chile people hahaha
Raj
Guest
I like the concept! People generally fear change... it makes a lot of sense to develop a concept new people can connect with. There is a big learning curve to the usual AFL and AFLX is actually more similar to how people have taken up the game overseas Chile people! pity the games aren’t being played at the rectangular AAMI park ! But I guess the AFL save money and can play up the MARVEL angle at their own stadium
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
You negatively use the word 'Americanised' or versions thereof, eight(!) times in your 'article', using unsubstantiated generalities. Pretty clear where your true hatred lies.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Yep, fair enough, its the coaching coming out in me, watching plenty of WAFL colts training ( already doing pre season)ATM and they basically play this style using 8 or 9 players and its very entertaining IMO.
Paul D
Roar Guru
As someone who has umpired indoor cricket for years and years I wholeheartedly agree with the comments above that it is a dreadful spectator sport if you're not involved in it.
Slane
Guest
If you had said it's an OK game I wouldn't have bothered to comment. Calling it GREAT is a step too far. AFLX is to AFL what indoor Cricket is to Cricket. Limited overs cricket it still played with the same number of people on the same sized field with the same methods of scoring. Indoor cricket is a far better comparison. Less players, less field and rules that fundamentally change the sport. It's also fun to play and terrible to watch. The main thing that people who compare AFLX/Rugby 7's/9's/whatever to T20 don't seem to ever get is the number 1 appeal of T20 is that it goes for the same length of time as a football match. Bastardizing a sport doesn't appeal to young people. A good contest that they can watch in one sitting does. You say AFLX is a skillful game but since it looks largely like a practice drill, shouldn't that be expected? Hitting a target for an uncontested mark only 20 yards away while under no immediate pressure doesn't scream skill to me. You might be onto something about adding another player to make it more accountable.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
That's exactly what the puritans said about 50 over one day cricket and then really chucked a whammy about 20/20. That's all the AFL is trying to do - is appeal to different demos, however i think they have gone about it the wrong way, but as far as the game is concerned perhaps another player would make it much more accountable as a spectacle, but i reckon it is an OK game.
Paul D
Roar Guru
We will know the Americanisation process is complete when someone one day has the guts to take a knee during the miserable dirge that is Advance Australia Fair
Slane
Guest
Nah, I just prefer my sports to be more involved than schoolyard kick-to-kick.
anon
Roar Pro
Americanised? In what way? American sports have clean strips (no sponsors), fields and courts free of sponsors, they go to great lengths to ensure schedules are equitable, they don't create silly situations where half the sides are guaranteed home field advantage for the Super Bowl or World Series every year because they are based in a particular region. No, this is an extension of Australian-ised sports. An extension of the Big Bash League with garish uniforms, mic-ed up players, KFC buckets on peoples heads, screeching music and flames being shot into the air after every 6 no matter the context of the match, commentators who think they are the show rather than the game itself.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
I like it, it promotes skills and open running play against Ross Lyon like defensive roving packs and mauls, but hey that may be your thing.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yes, somehow I don't think Gladys Binchicken is gung-ho for demolishing Allianz stadium just to increase the chances of hosting an AFLX tournament
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Nobody in nsw is bothered that aflx is not coming back
Slane
Guest
"The game itself is great" Comedy gold.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Agree Another lightning rod
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I think it's fair to say that it has become a lightning rod for the majority of footy fans, with which they can beat the AFL over the head as the custodian of the game.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
I can understand the dislike for AFLX, but the dislike IMO stems from the marketing surrounding it rather than the game itself, the zooper duper goals and this years throwback to teams based on Black Sabbath album covers. The game itself is great, although let me add it is most likely stolen from plenty of games and concepts that were around before AFLX, i think there was 9 aside leagues in America 15 years ago due to space issues, there was 12 a side tournaments in the Northern Riverina 10 years ago etc etc, i think from memory a bloke tried to sell something to the AFL a few years ago but was turned down and then low and behold the AFL came up with something remarkably similar!! The AFLX concept is to utilise smaller grounds/ovals in NSW ( Sydney in particular) and from that angle it is to be applauded.
Cat
Roar Guru
Dislike the game all you want – I agree with most of your criticisms but leave the xenophobic crap out.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Agree with you 100% Debby
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
I find it humorous that in a form of the game supposed to expand the horizons of the game, the AFL has removed the Adelaide + Sydney versions of the original format and confined it to Melbourne - the city in which footy certainly doesn't need expanded horizons. Last years's game had a bit of promise, and I recall considering heading down to the Adelaide event to check it out. But this year's is among the most absurd endeavours I've seen in a long while. There's not a lot of substance to it, the overarching format of the superhero themes is desperately uninventive and it just doesn't seem too appealing - unless you want a couple of hours of "footy" in February. And all this marketing from corporate puzzles me, especially considering the JLT Community Series kicks off a week later. That's genuine pre-season footy in actually varied locations, not whatever this lacklustre one-night-only event tries to be in the second-best stadium in footy's home state. I think I'll give AFLX a pass, too.