TOPIC:

Weather would put of a couple of thousand that's it,,,even 12 or 13 000 would of been crap.

Something I just thought of I wonder where EPFC will have their after season trip this year.. Hey maybe they will go with the Eagles... All paid trip to Bali... Nah maybe not a bit cheap...
Las Vegas would be the go...

Ok ok lets just send the hangers on to Rotto...

Shit food for thought any suggestions... The Coach of 2014 could be the chief mentor.

If it wasnt so funny it would be TRAGIC

Farken losers 2 years in a row... Gee that makes me FEEL GOOD

Shit knowing my luck it will Las Vegas I am heading over their in October... Oh please god dont do that to me...

Senior Seagull wrote:

Cardy wrote: Ben dont know if you have alternative motives for Subiaco oval being used
The Subi Bar must of made a million on the day.. WPFC Reserves had the Presidents bar until we were kicked out.. Your Function room was packed body to body.
You couldnt move in the place... $10 for a pint and a few thousand ltrs of beer would of been drunk amongst other things. How much did The Subiaco club make on the day in a Bar they shouldnt even have...
They lost the lease payments on the oval a couple of years ago so the WAFL/WAFC as comphensation for losing that when the Bar should of been given to all the WAFL clubs as and it should of been a WAFL bar with takings being split amongst the clubs.
The Subiaco Football club got a bonus they shouldnt of got only because they have members in the WAFC who wanted to look after them
Subiaco must be the richest club in the WAFL with the income they made from the Leasing of the oval and now the Bar.

They earn money far in excess of what any other club can make on bar and food sales because of this "ARRANGEMENT"

Sorry if your offended by this statement but I have posted on it before.
I would like just one reason why the SFC was given this bar when the WAFC had no obligation to make this sweetheart deal.
The bar and facilities are used by the AFL clubs as well for pre match functions etc where the money goes to the SFC..

As I have said the facilities should of been given to the WAFL Clubs as a revenue income not just Subi.

Great to see you raising this old chestnut Cardy.
Just a bit of background and history for those who may not be aware. For all the time that Subi have existed at Subi oval up until around '71 the club was never permitted to have a license due to the WAFL having a license based in the old WAFL members stand, Subi had no facilities for members apart from a space under the old wooden public stand where tressles would be set up and a keg snuck in for a few ales. No kitchens no members hall right up until the current building that sits behind the 3 tier stand, hence very few people bothered to become a SFC member, they like my parents and many Subi supporters of the day became WAFL members. With the new building came the license, so finally like all other clubs had had for decades, we had a members hall and a bar to attract members and supporters, but still couldn't stand in the bar and watch the game like at most other clubs, that didn't happen till 2004 with the move to Leedo. Subi built paid for and own that building but the land it stands on is leased from the Subi Council, so nothing was given to us. The clubs members seating which used to be infront of the "salubrious" red brick change rooms was moved into the NW forward pocket when the stands were built. The game changed when the AFL teams came along and through good fortune and the fact that Subi held the lease the club was able to benefit from the fact that AFL games were played at our ground each week and we had established facilities to cater for the punters that attended. Remember the seats were offered to all clubs back then but no other clubs took the offer up. When the final 11 year lease was negotiated in the 90's Subi were smart enough and negotiated strongly enough to get an exit clause added which was either a one of payout to hand over the seats or the option to carry on with the seats for a further 5 years. This was a gamble as we had no actual idea back then when a new stadium would be built. All the procrastinating by various governments meant we get the full 5 years before the joint is trashed. So Subi have not been given anything but have been a fortunate beneficiary of the circumstances of their historic location, maybe a bit of karma for what the club had to put up with for it first 70+ years of existence, no wonder we have such a small support base why would you bother following a club with nothing to offer in the way of facilities. Subi is wealthy club probably the wealthiest club outside the AFL along with Centrals in SA. But few realize that we were already pretty much debt free by the time the Eagles came along in '87. The great man Kevin Merrifield saved the club (along with some help from other supporters) with his business acumen and connections and set up succession plan where smart well connected business men controlled and ran the club.

Would a West Perth, Claremont, Swans or any other club have played the same hand differently? I think not. Hopefully that helps put some perspective into this subject and the view that Subi have been gifted everything they have.

Just wondering what we all think of the investment that's going into Joondalup for new facilities, primarily for the WPFC which I personally believe are long overdue, is that being fully funded by the WPFC? Are the new Claremont oval facilities fully funded by the CFC, What are the arrangements for the massive new development at Lathlain, is the PFC clubs part of the facilities fully funded by the club? If not then following Cardy's thinking any income generated by those new facilities should be shared amongst all the 7 WAFL clubs.

SS, yes I remember the old wooden subi members stand.

You stated that SFC got their licenced premises decades after other clubs.

Actually you were not that far behind, SFFC didnt get their fuly licened clubhouse until 1969.

I think the reasons for Subis low supporter base have more to it than building a club house a bit later than other clubs.

The wafl is on its last legs. We've said that before and it has still stumbled along and I suppose it will continue to do so but perception is everything to the casual fan and the perception is that it is all but dead. Even at Bassendean on the few times I made it down this year it just seemed to me like it is all really struggling. I never thought it would happen to me but I have lost alot of interest.

I'm not sure what the answer is anymore. It may need a complete overhaul. If the sponsorship could be cobbled together it could be that a second-tier Austraia wide competition would have merit. Maybe 4 teams from WA, 4 from SA, and 6 from Vic/rest of Australia could be a solution of sorts. Mergers between clubs like swans/perth, Claremont/subi, etc. would need to occur but this would be fought to the bitter end by the clubs. The demographic is just so old and entrenched. I would never have supported a merger for my club but I increasingly believe it would be the best option. It is one thing to survive for the sake of it but another thing to actually have a strong future.

I think ultimately the wafl may have change forced upon it. I don't think the average wafl fan/club appreciates just how weak their position is. The clubs are all pretty much broke and when your broke you have no power.

Goodie wrote: The wafl is on its last legs. We've said that before and it has still stumbled along and I suppose it will continue to do so but perception is everything to the casual fan and the perception is that it is all but dead. Even at Bassendean on the few times I made it down this year it just seemed to me like it is all really struggling. I never thought it would happen to me but I have lost alot of interest.

I'm not sure what the answer is anymore. It may need a complete overhaul. If the sponsorship could be cobbled together it could be that a second-tier Austraia wide competition would have merit. Maybe 4 teams from WA, 4 from SA, and 6 from Vic/rest of Australia could be a solution of sorts. Mergers between clubs like swans/perth, Claremont/subi, etc. would need to occur but this would be fought to the bitter end by the clubs. The demographic is just so old and entrenched. I would never have supported a merger for my club but I increasingly believe it would be the best option. It is one thing to survive for the sake of it but another thing to actually have a strong future.

I think ultimately the wafl may have change forced upon it. I don't think the average wafl fan/club appreciates just how weak their position is. The clubs are all pretty much broke and when your broke you have no power.

cant disagree with any of that, that's reality.

but I always say there was no reason it had to be this way. Things are as they are through sheer arrogance. Its almost like the AFL clubs here think the WAFL is a threat to them. It never will be no matter how much of a resurgence it had. But the state of WA could have had the best of both worlds and a healthy strong football structure and culture the envy of the country. If they didn't pillage every fibre from a competition that gave them all initial life.

I look at the Brownlow Medal votes this year. The top 3 players.

1. Matt Priddis - Subiaco Football Club
2. Nat Fyfe - Claremont Football Club
3. Buddy Franklin - Perth Football Club.

G.Ablett tied for 2nd of course, but if this does not say something about the WAFL, I don't know what does.

And given this, all we hear are the crickets.
Not a single mention of this by the WA media.
Its hard to imagine just how much the media over here have dropped off. This is a major thing for WA, what happened on Monday night, yet not a single mention of this. If it was the SANFL, they would be all over it and be flying the flag for what impact their local comp stands for. But not here - pathetic.

Great post Goodie. have not heard much from you lately.

Yes spot on mate, I must admit the same, for the first time this year I went down to SF club and honestly the atmosphere was terrible, actually there was no atmosphere , just a sense of terminal decline. and I like you have lost a lot of interest in the club and comp.

As I been saying for some time, massive change is on the way, those that cannot see it are simply so out of touch with the relality of situation.

Change will be forced upon it, mergers and relocations and restructures will happen and this will be within a decade.

10 yrs ago if you had mention SF merging I would of said never! but now to be honest things like this are the only way forward, and i would go with it.

Your still going to get the old demographic entrenched die hards , all 500 of them , they will certainly die - hard and then there will be none and nobody will care anyway.

i dont think its the actual comp thats struggling as there's plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest the WAFL is right up there with the strongest comps in the country, a fact which can be supported by recent state game results...its support by the footy public which is falling badly and that's something the WAFC needs to address urgently.

BC wrote: i dont think its the actual comp thats struggling as there's plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest the WAFL is right up there with the strongest comps in the country, a fact which can be supported by recent state game results...its support by the footy public which is falling badly and that's something the WAFC needs to address urgently.

Thats what were mainly talking about the financial viability and status of the comp.

The recent state games have been quite good for WA as you say.

You can have a heap of good players running around , but if nobody is there to watch care or get involved is it really the same?

The standard of the league is very good no question. But it is an inferior product to the AFL which is why there is virtually no new interest in it. My best guest is perhaps 10000 avid WAFL die hards diminishing every year. WAFL clubs historically don't compromise so can only imagine what the future has in store. I doubt I will see a strong stand alone EP again, but others will likely follow.

The very poor attendance cannot be blamed on the weather. For example, the 2003 Grand Final between Subiaco & West Perth had an attendance of just over 17½ thousand. The weather on that day was terrible with a maximum of 19° being windy with widespread rain.
The following year attracted 21,500 to the Grand Final where the temperature was 20° and showers.
22,570 attended the 2005 Grand Final between South Fremantle and Claremont. The weather on that day being far from ideal, with the windy/ cloudy conditions.
Subiaco and Swan Districts in the 2008 Grand Final, before 23,200 spectators. The weather on the day saw a maximum temperature of just 16° with rain and cloudy conditions.
Perhaps they bred people a bit hardier in those days?
If the weather was a factor, previous Grand Finals would have suffered poor attendances, like we witnessed on Sunday. Why didn’t they? Football is a winter sport whereby the weather conditions are not as good.
Which brings us to this year, and the very poor attendance figure. I’m sure everyone would not have seen such a low spectator number before.
Couple that with the low attendances during the 2014 qualifying rounds, and the Wafl is all looking very, very sick. It’s not hard to see why it’s all gone pear shaped starting with last season.