TOPIC:

wrote:

The average crowd for the 2 GF’s at Optus is 22,000.
Thats pretty good.
Who knows when any club is going to make a GF but I tell you one thing I’d rather go to Optus than travel to Mandurah for  a GF because I can tell you now they won’t settle on one suburban ground and they’d be just itching to send it down that way at some stage.

We have a world class stadium with seating comfort and protection mostly from the elements and the WAFL GF is the big thing on the sporting calander  for the year it has to be played at Optus.

Spot on, I was at the Collingwood v Geelong game last year at Optus when we had a bubble over here and the atmosphere was awesome. What was the crowd? 22,000. It’s a great atmosphere when it’s a contest, not a slaughterfest like the 2019 grand final and I guarantee you any similar one sided grand final in a full house at a WAFL ground they won’t be hanging around for long. It will be 50% capacity by the time the final siren goes if you’re lucky.

wrote:

The WAFC has certainly contributed to the degradation of the WAFL with decisions made over the past years, Peel, WP moving to Joondalup when another location was better (opinion), the tragedy that was the alignment and WP bankruptcy (would not have been necessary if funding was better and assured and the level of business management was at a higher level), not allowing zonal movements to equalise clubs or at least a draft arrangement of second tier colts players, and the lit goes on!

BUT and yep it is a big (Kardashian not that I have ever watched the show) but the product is competing with the AFL, Force, and Wildcats who are just on a different level of professionalism (product presentation) and player skills and athleticism. That makes attracting crowds, sponsorship and media interest (which has improved this year) difficult and often impossible given market space.

Having the WAFL GF at a different ground is one way to inject interest into the local community business and otherwise. I think that perhaps it should be like the Super Bowl and UEFA final, decided 2 years out, This year it is at Kingsway and next Basso. Swans then have more than enough time to prepare, attract sponsors for the day etc. 


 

That is absolute nonsense. That would be a fair and reasonable policy for our national AFL competition but not for a state suburban comp. This nonsense of entertaining the idea of playing the Grand Final at anywhere other than Optus has to stop. Just look at how many tens of thousands of dollars extra has to be spent bringing in extra toilets, temporary seating, extra catering faclities etc...

WAFL grounds no longer have adequate turnstiles and I don't want to be crushed up against someone coughing and sneezing their guts up who hasn't had the Covid jab or the flu shot. Optus is purpose built for football, ready made, just open the gates. it is an absolute disgrace and a joke that the WAFC and state government would consider any other venue than Optus for the WAFL GF.

McGowan wouldn't have a clue because he is a NSW country boy so zero interest in it for him. New Sports Minister Tony Buti is a WAFL man but he possibly has a conflict of interest being a SF supporter.

And here is another thing, while those are pointing at crowd numbers like Bazza and Townsend, I know my club is knocking it out of the park when it comes to memberships. We are currently sitting on 1973 memberships in 2021 and the target is 2021.

If we hadn't been so cruelled by injuries I dare say we would have smashed the 2021 target by now. In past years we would have been lucky to crack half that so don't tell me interest is in decline. Just wait until the look of the top of the ladder stars changing.

I think SF have big membership numbers, probably riding the wave on the back of premiership success and a home grand final. Be interested to know membership numbers at other WAFL clubs. Are they up on previous recent years?

Mate...I took out Subi membership about 4 months ago and received #1291 so reckon it would have gone up by now to something approaching 2000. I think we had about 2,500 members last year so a similar number by seasons end wouldn't surprise.

What about those great 70s grandad 80s grand finals at subi. Most people stood on the banks or the terraces. Sometimes in the pouring rain. Basic facilities. As a kid, You had too find a box to stand on.  That was living. 

wrote:

What about those great 70s grandad 80s grand finals at subi. Most people stood on the banks or the terraces. Sometimes in the pouring rain. Basic facilities. As a kid, You had too find a box to stand on.  That was living. 

Well I was lucky enough to watch my side win a flag as a 12 year old standing in the wind and rain at the city end of the Subiaco Oval - but times have changed and it is completely unnecessary now because we have a purpose built stadium to use. For players and supporters the roads of the WAFL season should lead to Optus Stadium.  

wrote:

wrote:

The WAFC has certainly contributed to the degradation of the WAFL with decisions made over the past years, Peel, WP moving to Joondalup when another location was better (opinion), the tragedy that was the alignment and WP bankruptcy (would not have been necessary if funding was better and assured and the level of business management was at a higher level), not allowing zonal movements to equalise clubs or at least a draft arrangement of second tier colts players, and the lit goes on!

BUT and yep it is a big (Kardashian not that I have ever watched the show) but the product is competing with the AFL, Force, and Wildcats who are just on a different level of professionalism (product presentation) and player skills and athleticism. That makes attracting crowds, sponsorship and media interest (which has improved this year) difficult and often impossible given market space.

Having the WAFL GF at a different ground is one way to inject interest into the local community business and otherwise. I think that perhaps it should be like the Super Bowl and UEFA final, decided 2 years out, This year it is at Kingsway and next Basso. Swans then have more than enough time to prepare, attract sponsors for the day etc. 



 

That is absolute nonsense. That would be a fair and reasonable policy for our national AFL competition but not for a state suburban comp. This nonsense of entertaining the idea of playing the Grand Final at anywhere other than Optus has to stop. Just look at how many tens of thousands of dollars extra has to be spent bringing in extra toilets, temporary seating, extra catering faclities etc...

WAFL grounds no longer have adequate turnstiles and I don't want to be crushed up against someone coughing and sneezing their guts up who hasn't had the Covid jab or the flu shot. Optus is purpose built for football, ready made, just open the gates. it is an absolute disgrace and a joke that the WAFC and state government would consider any other venue than Optus for the WAFL GF.

McGowan wouldn't have a clue because he is a NSW country boy so zero interest in it for him. New Sports Minister Tony Buti is a WAFL man but he possibly has a conflict of interest being a SF supporter.

DD have the WAFC approached the state government for a deal that would allow it to be economically viable to hold the WAFL GF at the premier footy stadium in WA?   

Hey Swan your a greet Labor man and they have supreme power at the moment In the state , why don’t you get onto the labor sports minister and see what’s going on , surely them being the party or the people will guarantee a wafl GF at optus and underwrite payments equal to those participating clubs made at Fremantle Oval last year ? Given he has a permanent seat on the waflc board and power of veto:

wrote:

Hey Swan your a greet Labor man and they have supreme power at the moment In the state , why don’t you get onto the labor sports minister and see what’s going on , surely them being the party or the people will guarantee a wafl GF at optus and underwrite payments equal to those participating clubs made at Fremantle Oval last year ? Given he has a permanent seat on the waflc board and power of veto:

What percentage of their salaries should I get for doing the WAFC and CEO jobs for them?  

Well I can tell you right now if the commission don't change their thoughts very quickly they better start praying for another boring old Subiaco v Claremont or SF grand final because if Perth or Swans have any part to play in the 2021 GF they are going have a big big problem on their hands.