Got me thinking as to why 2009 seems to be a great year in WAFL footy. I know SF won the some flags that year but I was talking of profile, attendances and standards of footy.
All comes back to the quality of players and names at the clubs. This builds hype, exposure, media jump on and attendances increase. Have a look.
In 2009 . . .
We had these drawcard players either come back and finish their careers with their WAFL or finish in the WAFL.
Peter Bell, Jeff Farmer, Andrew Seigert, Josh Head, Scott Thornton, Jaymie Graham, Daniel Gilmore (SFFC), Kasey Green and Riley Dunn (EFFC), Callum Chambers, Brent Lecras and Troy Longmuir (WPFC), Andrew Merrington, Luke Webster and Jeremy Humm (EPFC), Troy Cook, Matthew Moody and Steven Armstrong (PFC), Heath Black and Simon Rosa (PTFC), Phil Read, Daniel Chick and Chad Fletcher (SFC), Matthew Carr and Adam Hunter (SDFC). (CFC didn't recruit much as we know)
That's a fair bit of talent and some big ex- AFL names playing in the same comp at once.
ADD blokes like Mark Seaby (WP), Brent Staker (EF), Ashley Hansen (SD), Ryan Murphy (SF), Dean Buszan (PT), Brad Smith (SUBI) and Chad Jones (CL) there are a few pretty god forwards who were mostly playing WAFL footy that year but still spread out through the WAFL even though on an AFL list or there abouts.
ADD your club stalwarts like Toby McGrath (SF), Jaxon Crabb (CL), Adam Lange (SD), Ali Pickett (SUBI), Brent Cowell (EP) and there are a few more too.
ADD these really exciting bunch of kids who were all playing league footy during the year. Nicolas Naitanui (SD), Clancee Pearce (SD), Simon White (SUBI), Anthony Morabito (PEEL), Ashton Hams (SF), Michael Walters (SD), Jack Darling (WP), Mitch Duncan (EP), Aaron Black (PEEL), Matthew Debore (CL), Lewis Jetta (SD), Corey Dellolio (SF), Tendai Mzungu (P), Kane Lucas (EF), David Swallow (EF), Kyle Hardingham (EF) and Brad Sheppard (EF)
That's why the attendances below were as good as they were.
I had a look at the top 3 sides of that year (SF, SUBI and SD) and the bottom 3 sides (CL, EF and PEEL).
SF - total 54,120 ave 2,706 per game.
SUBI - total 46,430 ave 2,321 per game
SD - total 52, 056 ave 2,602
All pretty healthy for sure. These top 3 sides also had the most drawcards that year with players in their league side.
EF - total 49,818 ave 2,490
CL - total 36,036 ave 1,801
Peel - total 33,926 ave 1,696
Compare these to current figures after each team has played 8 games and these are the projected crowds for theses clubs. (I know the big derbies haven't been played yet and the fixturing is a shambles with some teams playing 2 or 3 home games etc and the derbies bump up attendances but it gives you a guide regardless)
SF ave in 2014 - 1,884 - estimated total for the year 37,680 (down 16,440 people from 2009)
SUBI ave in 2014 - 1,986 - estimated total for the year 39,720 (down 6,710 people from 2009)
SD ave in 2014 - 2,043 - estimated total for the year 40,860 (down 11,196 people from 2009)
EF ave in 2014 - 2.150 - estimated total for the year 43,000 (down 6,818 people from 2009)
CL ave in 2014 - 1,612 - estimated total for the year 32,240 (down 3,796 people from 2009)
Peel ave in 2014 - 1,610 - estimated total for the year 32,200 (down 1,726 people from 2009)
Just from these 6 clubs that's a difference of 46,686. Cut the number in half so we don't double up on counting SF home numbers with SD away numbers for example and that means that 23,343 people haven't gone to the WAFL like they did 5 years ago when they may have had some promotion or reason to. Add WP, EP and Perth's figures and I reckon we could hit 40,000 people that have been lost to the game.
40,000!!!
The crowds in 2009 were good, ave around 2,700 to a game meaning obviously on half the occasions you were getting 3,000 plus to a WAFL game. More atmosphere, more gate receipts, more bar sales, more merchandise, more sponsors, more promotion, more members = more money = more recruits and quality footballers = more quality football.
Get the players back.
Why can't we???
Alignment has screwed the even spread of AFL players.
Alignment has taken away the home bred player coming back to his WAFL club of origin to find some form where the members can be interested how he goes.
Salary cap reduces the chance of getting players back home - increase it.
Have 3 marque players per club where only 1/3 of the contract goes towards the cap. Who cares. Get players back to the WAFL.
Allow each club to have a access to a VFL / SANFL / NEAFL star and the none of the contract counts towards to club's cap.
Players = spectators = money.
Look at bloody Fevola each fortnight go around? Crowds are huge. People will come to boo a Jeff Farmer or yell abuse at Chad Fletcher or sledge Heath Black or try and stir up Adam Hunter, hell they may even applaud quietly when they show show brilliance . . . but at least they are still coming!!!!!!!!!!!
