TOPIC:

i think attendances have probably reached their ceiling in terms of age demographics, stagnent promotion, general media neglect and going with all of this a perceived inferiority complex created by uneducated football people of today.
this is a real tragedy because we have all seen it unfold ever so slowly over the years when we know the wafl is actually a top notch competition that produces. its record stands up in terms of what it has provided for the elite level of our code. which makes the Afl, media and the publics attitude so incredibly baffling. every chop with the axe will see the tree bare less fruit. ive seen the way top line sports in america treat feeder comps and it puts us to shame.

how many times do you hear of Afl people going to america and watching how the Nfl or Nba clubs operate. Yet they fail to recognise how the americans support and harness feeder competitions. And i do strenuously use the word "competition".

How do you produce a competitor ?

in order to make competitors, they need to be brought up in a genuine competition. The word competition meaning an equal playing field. To earn the ultimate triumph at any level starts with the mental knowledge that you achieved it pure, and you in turn have learnt a valuable trait that carries you well into your next phase as an Afl footballer.

The Wafl "was" a pure competition. And because of that it produced and produced in bucket loads. Call me a negative nelly and yes, tell me we are still producing top level Afl players. Yes we are as we speak - producing.

But when he reality sets in years down the track that we dont actually have a fair, square, pure bled competition for our young fellas to hone a craft on, then please dont be suprised at how the elite end product is inferior to what we once had. We will lose players to this game, when at that age of "competition" they should be hopeful of being given a competitive chance. Take away that younger mans sense of hope and fairness, and you will find that talent having a gutful of it all before they have a career, when that attitude should be when they confirm its time to announce their retirement.

I appologize for the ramblings and i know this is a subject of attendances, but for these reasons we must steel ourselves for the enevital flat spot. I am sure of this. Having said that i may be rejecting my beloved east perth, which goes against my grain of rejecting my beloved Wafl. What did i deserve to be put in this position? It feels like having to choose between your mother who loves you, and a father whom you love. But i hope you fellas stay concrete with you clubs, and i know many will still stay connected with east perth. I dont really blame them as its damn cruel to have to let go. Some just cant completely make that move and i would never blame them. Just dont lable me Cold for being able to let go. I still have my old east perth memories to keep me goin for a while yet. Nobody has the right to tell me to let them go too.

now im going to bed

I don't blame you for not wanting to go to East Perth games anymore.

It's a terrible predicament for all East Perth diehards.

It's of little consolation to you I know, but whenever my team has the bye I go to a neutral game. I sit or stand in amongst the home supporters (In somewhere like the pigpen) and try and get a feel of what that club is about - and get a feel for their history and their supporters.

It's not the same as going to watch your own team of course but I enjoy it nevertheless - and a beer or two makes it all the better.

La Hincha wrote: It's interesting. We keep getting told by some sections of the media that the WAFL hasn't been traveling that well. Yet, all clubs have shown a big increase in attendance numbers since the gloomy days of 2002-2004.

To be fair, I averaged out the clubs numbers from 2002-2006 and then did the same for years 2007-2012.

South Fremantle up 26%
East Fremantle up 25.6%
Perth up 25.4%
Subiaco up 22.4%
Swan Districts up 18%
West Perth up 15.8%
Claremont up 11.9%
East Perth up 9.1%
Peel up 8.1%

The media could have highlighted this and put the WAFL in a positive light but chose not to.

You'd be hard pressed to find other competitions/sports in Australia where attendance numbers are going up like this.

Yet another great post LH
Those attendance % increases are great better than I actually thought & without any promotion from the WAFC whatsoever ...imagine if they actually did some promotion of the comp where kids might get an interest eg on tv, internet, FM/AM radio but its easier for them to do just nothing & allow more football funds to WCE & FR staff to go on overseas junkets!!

I can only imagine that the AFL's idea is to make it so hard for the WAFL to survive it will eventually be in crisis - and they can step in with their "brand" - call it AFLWA like they want to and be the great saviours and have it exactly how they want

Vin wrote: I can only imagine that the AFL's idea is to make it so hard for the WAFL to survive it will eventually be in crisis - and they can step in with their "brand" - call it AFLWA like they want to and be the great saviours and have it exactly how they want

Exactly Vin.

That's just what I was thinking.

Beasley Hutton wrote:

La Hincha wrote: It's interesting. We keep getting told by some sections of the media that the WAFL hasn't been traveling that well. Yet, all clubs have shown a big increase in attendance numbers since the gloomy days of 2002-2004.

To be fair, I averaged out the clubs numbers from 2002-2006 and then did the same for years 2007-2012.

South Fremantle up 26%
East Fremantle up 25.6%
Perth up 25.4%
Subiaco up 22.4%
Swan Districts up 18%
West Perth up 15.8%
Claremont up 11.9%
East Perth up 9.1%
Peel up 8.1%

The media could have highlighted this and put the WAFL in a positive light but chose not to.

You'd be hard pressed to find other competitions/sports in Australia where attendance numbers are going up like this.

Yet another great post LH
Those attendance % increases are great better than I actually thought & without any promotion from the WAFC whatsoever ...imagine if they actually did some promotion of the comp where kids might get an interest eg on tv, internet, FM/AM radio but its easier for them to do just nothing & allow more football funds to WCE & FR staff to go on overseas junkets!!

I reckon it's up to the clubs now mate.

Select five home games each. (Preferably the games that might struggle) And turn those five games into an event such as multi-cultural day at Joondalup last year.

That's one that all clubs should do.

Four more event ideas? Anyone got a few concepts?

Ok BH, I've just had a look at Swan Districts' home games for 2013. Just as an example.

Five Home Games That Should be OK.

Round 3 SD v Cl (No Eagles/Dockers games to compete with)
Round 5 SD v SF (Should be ok I hope even though competing with Eagles or dockers game)
Round 9 SD v EP (The host club hate factor should bring the locals in)
Round 15 SD v WP (No Eagles/Dockers games to compete with)
Round 24 SD v WP (Final game of the year should draw well if Swans are still in the finals race.)

Five Home Games That Need a Promotional Event

Round 4 SD v P (Competing with Eagles or Dockers game)
Round 10 SD v S (These two teams usually draw a reasonable crowd when they play against each other - not sure why - but competing with Eagles or Dockers game this time)
Round 16 SD v P (Competing with Eagles or Dockers game) (Ideal for a multi-cultural day against neighbouring club)
Round 19 SD v PT (Always tough and competing with Eagles or Dockers game)
Round 23 SD v EF (Competing with Eagles or Dockers game)

Year 1995
Rnd 1 Wk 1 8,096
Wk 2 11,965
Wk 3 9,568
Wk 4 8,040
Wk 5 7,141
Wk 6 7,026
Wk 7 9,422
Rnd 2 Wk 8 7,145
Wk 9 13,437
Wk 10 6,015
Wk 11 7,284
Wk 12 6,468
Wk 13 4,608
Wk 14 6,534
Rnd 3 Wk 15 7,526
Wk 16 6,650
Wk 17 7,615
Wk 18 6,002
Wk 19 4,965
Wk 20 7,904
Wk 21 8,056

TOTAL 154,467

westaussieguy wrote: Year 1995
Rnd 1 Wk 1 8,096
Wk 2 11,965
Wk 3 9,568
Wk 4 8,040
Wk 5 7,141
Wk 6 7,026
Wk 7 9,422
Rnd 2 Wk 8 7,145
Wk 9 13,437
Wk 10 6,015
Wk 11 7,284
Wk 12 6,468
Wk 13 4,608
Wk 14 6,534
Rnd 3 Wk 15 7,526
Wk 16 6,650
Wk 17 7,615
Wk 18 6,002
Wk 19 4,965
Wk 20 7,904
Wk 21 8,056

TOTAL 154,467

Excellent work mate.

We are getting more people at WAFL games now than even as far back as 1995 - even taking into account that 84 games were played then as compared to 90 now.

1995 average 1,889
2012 average 2,077

That's what I've been trying to tell people although I didn't know we were beating attendances going back that far.

Everybody should store that info in their memory bank - photocopy it, stick it on their wall, send it to The West Australian or whatever.

Bigger attendances in 2012 than 1995.

Decline? It's actually been clawing it's way back.