Crowd Numbers

Crowd numbers at all games have deceased dramatically, ours have collapsed.

930 against Adelaide at home, 1179 against North at home.

Looks like a big worry to me. I don't think Covid is a reason for it now, but I think the habit of going to the footy was broken during the lockdowns and people aren't bothering any more.

Thoughts?

If we were to leave the obvious issue out of this debate, I would argue (without any data to support) that crowd numbers are down across the competition?

I wonder if the scheduling that is only confirmed weeks out, as a result or the AFL floating fixture, is not giving families in particular, the opportunity to commit a few weeks out, thus other options are taken up instead?

1.10 last Saturday wasn’t a great time, with amateur sport commitments and the crows at Adelaide Oval 3 hours later.

Memberships or $15 for a ticket at the gate may now be hitting that price point where people are turning away. I know I am finding it hard to justify some times.

I wonder if the Adelaide Footy League has seen an increase in attendance? Have people moved on to local footy? Cheaper, at times more even comps?

A lot of the time the modern game is just horrible to watch, and when your team couldn't get a kick in a street-fight, well, I dunno!! Then, the AFL and it's constant changing of the rules, etc. is losing numbers at the games and also on T.V. I think the AFL now is over-hyped and under-performing, anyway. Just random thoughts.

......and Lee, I know things are going bad, crowds are well down, but not many have actually passed away at the footy!! *checks own post for typos...*

I admit to an evil sense of humour but this post has my vote for post of the year LOL                  

RODH2 wrote:......and Lee, I know things are going bad, crowds are well down, but not many have actually passed away at the footy!!         *checks own post for typos...*

On game attendances, When ticket prices went up to $15 I predicted this would affect attendances given the SANFL's secondary status to AFL

I was watching a video from a West v Central game from 1984 and the commentators commented how poor the crowd was - 4,000+!!!!!

How times have changed!!!

Personally I dont get to many games now as I am residing in the country, but I would think $10 per adult is enough for a SANFL game

I recently watched some of our 1991 finals games.

Great entertainment and fast, skillful footy.

Wolf Pack wrote:Let’s be honest. Football today as a spectacle is absolute rubbish most of the time.
Total team defence has ruined the game. 36 players in one half of the ground is just crap football.
10 goals can win you a game these days. Remember when teams would kick 20 goals and still lose!!
Players no longer play on instinct and the flair is gone.
Doesn’t help when your team is constantly down the bottom of the ladder as we have been since 2015.
Watch a few  SANFL games from the mid 80s and you will see how bad the game is now.

This post sums up perfectly the putrid state of Aussie Rules footy.
I've been saying for years now that the SANFL should be presenting the sanfl competition as an alternative to the crap that is the AFL "product" but the commission (and the foundation clubs) seem quite happy to copy the AFL.
i went to an ammo C grade game the other week and it was actually more pleasurable to watch then most SANFL games!

Get rid of ROTATIONS!
only 2 on the bench and only 2 interchanges per quarter for injuries.
onballers will have to rest in the forward pocket.

I agree with a lot of the sentiments above. We should try to recapture what made our game great. The number of high marks/contested marks (the signature feature of our code) has dwindled over the last 20 years, and if the SANFL can recapture some of what the game has lost it will look a lot more appealing.

aldo russian wrote:I agree with a lot of the sentiments above. We should try to recapture what made our game great. The number of high marks/contested marks (the signature feature of our code) has dwindled over the last 20 years, and if the SANFL can recapture some of what the game has lost it will look a lot more appealing.

I think we are all saddened by what has happened to our great game. Several posters have raised excellent points. If the SANFL is to regain its appeal of yesteryear it needs to take action rather than be guided by an AFL agenda. Rule changes would be an excellent way to achieve this. Wolf Pack's statement reflects the current situation perfectly.

Players no longer play on instinct and the flair is gone.

The current preferred structure guarantees a low scoring, defensive game. Rule changes which could help to alleviate this (some have already been mentioned above) include:

Require clubs to have 3 forwards in the 50 metre arc at all times. Will help stop congestion as opposition players will have to be accountable for their opponents.

Greatly reduce the number of rotations allowed each quarter This will take some of the heat out of the game and allow the better players greater opportunity to shine. Rotating taggers on a star player would be much more difficult. Fatigue would become a factor late in quarters and possibly increase scoring opportunities.

A mark will only be awarded if it is kicked forward. Would make it more difficult for teams to hold up play making for a more flowing game. Also make it more difficult for teams to run down the clock.

Increase the minimum distance for a mark to 20 metres. Would help to create more space. particularly if umpires are consistent with enforcing the 20 metres.

Last touch out of bounds rule to result in a free kick. Would put more pressure on teams to look for more direct avenues to goal.

These rule changes should make for a more open, higher scoring game.

Some really good suggestions here.

I think the last touch rule has been very good. The AFL have basically agreed, changing their rule from deliberate to 'insufficient intent', which is close to an admission that it's a good change.

I suspect the SANFL can't just change rules to suit its own competition, without major opposition from the AFL. We're aready seeing that with the two AFL clubs in the SANFL arcing up over the different rules, especially to do with emergency subs, etc.

The question is whether the SANFL should be a point of difference to the AFL with its rules, or whether there should be uniform rules across all competitions.

I know who'll win this argument.

The bottom line is both afl clubs in SANFL are white anting our competition. THe east coast TV celebrity doesn’t miss a chance to whine.
As long as they are in our competition it is under threat of being consumed by the suits at afl house. The afl play c....p footy and they have bastardised a great game. We have proved our competition can stand alone and be a great spectacle aka last year. If the boards of the SANFL clubs truly represent the members both the afl team must go.
IMO.

I agree Coolie the AFL need to get a reserves comp going and get the hell out of the SANFL,WAFL etc.
There are those that say that say it would destroy the second tier comps as spectators would instead watch the reserves. I say Bull ***t to that. Tell me one competition in the world where spectators flock to watch a reserves comp? Usually only family members bother to watch how their partner/son/mate etc is going. Most people could not give a toss about what the reserves are doing other that look for talent coming through for the A team.
In the AFL's case most reserves teams these days are kids with the odd has been thrown in for guidance. Not something many would watch. The SANFL has nothing to fear from an AFL reserves comp in my view.
Me personally I don't bother to attend games against Port or Crows on principle. Going on crowd numbers when we play the Crows I am not alone either. The AFL could not lie straight in bed. Remember the 4,000 spectators they claimed would turn up each week? Take two zeros off the number is more accurate. As for Port yes they get a few more from Port fans kidding themselves they are watching the Magpies. There not. It is the Power reserves they are watching.
As the old faithful die off their crowds will go the same way as the Crows. Why? because no one cares about a reserves comp as I said earlier. The SANFL needs to grow some goolies and stand up to the AFL.

Not withstanding the poor crowds attending these games the real problem I see is that having these teams in our competition allows them direct access to the SANFL power brokers. One team in particular, pleads lack of respect, difficulty their players have adjusting to differing rules. Blah blah blah. God forbid if their players kick out of bounds on the full and are penalized.
It perpetuates the myth that they have some “right” to be in our competition. I agree, should they go to an afl res comp, our competition will survive and play better footy in the process. Maybe someone can demonstrate to me that having them enhances our competition in any way or put it another way show me how our competition was poorer for not having them play last year. IMO