TOPIC:

jardine wrote: Thinking outside the derby mindset, the Foundation day weekend also usually has Claremont v Subiaco. Two clubs with a low base. Yet generally they more than double their crowd for that day. So a long weekend is actually a positive for those clubs.

On another subject 30plus, Sometimes I think one of the things holding back the WAFL are the supporters themselves, who seem totally opposed to the slightest change or trying something different. Even with general fixturing, nobody wants to budge there when a huge percentage of people work on Saturdays these days, unlike the golden days when working a Saturday was deemed idiotic. Also now the WAFL are likely to introduce a bloody top five, which is stupid in a 9 team comp. If they had any brains, theyd allow WCE a stand alone team, get it to 10 teams and then have a top 5. But as history shows, we do EVERYTHING arse backwards here in dopey WA.

I understand what your saying about last Sunday, but the point there is people are saturated with AFL, especially after the Preliminery Finals. The papers have very little coverage of the upcoming WAFL Grand Final, as shown on the weekend. You talk to the general person on the street, and they are focussed on AFL and the Grand Final. It is almost impossible not to get drawn into the hysteria, and in the meantime the WAFL Grand Final passes without a thought. Ideally it needs to be after the AFL grand final, when finally people can get a clear head. I believe we need to plan everything around the 5% supporter, not the 100% supporter. Those 5% ones need to be encouraged if we are to have a future for the 100% supporters, then we must break the mould. In fact smash the hell out of it.

just my belief, that's all.

The Sunday after AFL GF would be hopeless.

Get rid of the Sunday.

Move it back to the Saturday before the AFL GF - that is the go,

Yes that's a good crowd. Talking recent finals in particular though.

So the footy is all done, dusted and finished for another season. There are serious problems with the comp and lets hope something positive comes from the revue that's supposedly happening sometime.

There are some positives signs down at the port.

Ashley Mcgrath
Clint Jones
Corey Dellio

May all be heading back, I am a firm beleiver that good players draw crowds, and the media, 2009 was great Farmer and Bell got the media and fans interested and the crowds came back.

In this supposedly important year for the Wafl, it's all rather puzzling why the mainstream media has ignored the WA fotty!? Hopefully 990 will be back covering matches next season. Abc radio has been a hit & miss affair and unreliable which has been disappointing. It needs all the media getting behind and reporting Wafl. Not just a couple of FM stations only broadcasting within the metro area. There's more to Western Australia than inside the city limits!
Having strong media support will mean more radio listeners.

BC wrote: 42...three things...hit, nail, head. one of your better posts and couldn't agree more. the WAFC needs to pull its head out of its ar$e and realise it's killing this comp not be declining standards on the field but by pushing away the WAFL's most important asset, the supporters.

BC spot on!!!

The average WAFL supporter is aging and what this comp needs is to keep the younger crowd coming through the gates. Swans had to install a lift at our ground because well our average supporter is too old to walk those stairs anymore. My dad went and got me into it but I cant see that there will be comp when my kids are old enough to enjoy it. I dodnt want to be one of those 50 yr olds who tell their kids "Back in my day I supported Swans but they don't exist anymore"

Bazza wrote: There are some positives signs down at the port.

Ashley Mcgrath
Clint Jones
Corey Dellio

May all be heading back, I am a firm beleiver that good players draw crowds, and the media, 2009 was great Farmer and Bell got the media and fans interested and the crowds came back.

Bazza that would be a massive coup for SF next year. First time Swans played them this year I thought basket case but the next two times we met they played like men possessed so they would make handy inclusions to an already handy side.

Also now the WAFL are likely to introduce a bloody top five, which is stupid in a 9 team comp. If they had any brains, theyd allow WCE a stand alone team, get it to 10 teams and then have a top 5. But as history shows, we do EVERYTHING arse backwards here in dopey WA.

Jardine, how long did the supposedly forward thinking and way ahead of us SANFL competition have a top 5 with 9 teams.
Also I noted that this year they have gone back to the grand final played before the AFL instead of 1 week after it, like they used to.
I find it funny that when it suits our agenda the SANFL are way ahead of us, but we never speak of doing what they do, like Friday/Saturday night games as well as Sunday. I do agree with you there regarding the outcry when there is talk of change.
I'm not necessarily for a top 5, of other time slot games, however I'm open minded to it.

turtle wrote:

Bazza wrote: There are some positives signs down at the port.

Ashley Mcgrath
Clint Jones
Corey Dellio

May all be heading back, I am a firm beleiver that good players draw crowds, and the media, 2009 was great Farmer and Bell got the media and fans interested and the crowds came back.

Bazza that would be a massive coup for SF next year. First time Swans played them this year I thought basket case but the next two times we met they played like men possessed so they would make handy inclusions to an already handy side.

Yep it would be, great for the embattled comp at well.


As to ageing fans, yep your spot on, every year I look around the slowing fading number of members at south. They are all old, there's virtually no one under 40 there, each yeah a few more stalwarts die, there seats and spots at the bar stay empty, it's a sad fact that in 10 years, they will be few and far between,

Yes the oldies like me should be cherished. I know twenty people in my family that haven't been to a game in ten years. They still follow the EP results and take an interest but that's about it. Big names coming back to the WAFL are virtually non existent now days too much negativity against The AFL in my opinion.