SA FOOTY PHILosophy 2009 #10 - Rivalry Round: Put the Passion Into Practice
The SAFooty.net masthead says it all, “Home of the most passionate footy fans around.”
Well over the next week, the challenge I am issuing tonight to those that use this site is to put that passion into practice.
In so many ways the SANFL organisation and by affiliation the SANFL clubs and competition have been under siege this year.
Played out fully in the mainstream media, the Powers financial woes and issues with AAMI Stadium threaten the structure that has served South Australian football as a whole so well over the last 19 years. A set up that is the envy of every other state sporting organisation in the country.
Within that coverage many suggestions of change have been mooted, most resulting in the SANFL suffering not because it is better for South Australian football as a whole but because it is better for just one or two South Australian football clubs.
The most recent of these suggestions is that the Port Magpies, a club with the highest membership and attendances in the SANFL each and every year through this decade, should simply fold. Again not because it will make for a better SANFL, losing the bye in no way comes close to compensating for losing the Magpies, but because it enables the Power to have a monopoly over all of the old Ports supporter base. Again because the SANFL should apparently sacrifice the history and integrity of its competition for the sake of one AFL club.
Well with both the Crows and Power having a week off with the mid-season break, this is the time to strike back in some way as the SANFL has its rivalry round.
Some targeted promotion by the SANFL under the Rivalry Round theme have seen impressive crowd numbers for games in June with 18,873 attending the four games last year and 16,842 in 2007.
If nothing else there are two proactively practical things all of us can do this week (or at least all of us based in Adelaide).
Firstly let’s do what we can to set the media agenda as best as possible this week. In the vacuum of no local AFL games to discuss some media outlets will be scratching for something to cover especially on talk back radio. So let’s fill the void, be proactive, get on the air and talk up the weekend and our passion for the SANFL competition.
Secondly if your team is playing this weekend (sorry West fans) don’t just make the effort to get along yourself but go the extra mile and bring along your family or some mates as well. All four match ups promise something exciting and with no local AFL to compete with there are no excuses.
Since 1877 this has been our league and in 2009 this is our week … make it count.
SANFL By The Numbers
- You get the feeling that they are engraving the Ken Farmer Medal already for Brant Chambers who enjoys a 17 goal lead over Ben Warren. However at many clubs, the battle to be the leading scorer is a lot closer. Here are the club by club leaders as at the end of Round 10.
Central (139 goals by 22 goal scorers)
- C O’Sullivan 17-5
- M Westhoff 15-8
- D Havelberg 15-3
- C Gowans 13-6
- E Sansbury 11-7
Eagles (116 goals by 28 goal scorers)
- D Westbrook 13-3
- K McGregor 13-3
- N Salter 12-9
- A Grocke 11-9
Glenelg (117 goals by 23 goal scorers)
- T Grima 15-5
- R Kirkby 12-12
- M Duldig 12-9
North (105 goals by 22 goal scorers)
- B Schwarze 14-10
- D White 14-7
- L Ryswyk 12-6
- C Alleway 11-9
Norwood (116 goals by 20 goal scorers)
- J Vlatko 20-8
- S Rowe 15-8
- L Jericho 15-3
- S Phillips 12-7
Port (108 goals by 22 goal scorers)
- J Perry 15-5
- J Fitzgerald 11-10
- J Clayton 11-7
- J Barham 11-6
South (69 goals by 19 goal scorers)
- B Warren 21-6
- P Rolfe 7-14
- J Veide & N Lyons 5-1
Sturt (134 goals by 23 goal scorers)
- B Chambers 38-19
- R Herring 12-5
- J Sheedy 11-1
- T Gum 10-4
West (90 goals by 22 goal scorers)
- R Willits 14-14
- F Caruso 11-8
- J Davenport 9-9
Crowd Watch
- It’s been a challenging year so far for the SANFL crowd wise. On the back of two seasons of solid growth the league this year lost the free kick the AFL gave with its Hall of Fame Game last year. Wet weather has also played a part in recent weeks, particularly ANZAC Day although that did not stop 11,000 attending 2 games last Monday. Despite an 8% drop compared with a record setting 2008, a wider comparison indicates support of the SANFL is still holding up.
- Here is a recent comparison for total attendances as at the end of Rd 10 over the last 6 seasons.
2009 – 128,322 to 40 games / Avg 3,208 per game
2008 - 139,550 to 40 games / Avg 3,489 per game
2007 – 120,918 to 39 games / Avg 3,100 per game
2006 – 125,909 to 39 games / Avg 3,228 per game
2005 – 122,998 to 39 games / Avg 3,154 per game
2004 – 124,213 to 39 games / Avg 3,185 per game
Club by club average crowds as at end of Rd 10.
- Port
All Games Average 3,939 (#1)
Home Games Avg 3,344 (#5)
- Glenelg
All Games Average 3,896 (#2)
Home Games Avg 4,780 (#2)
- Norwood
All Games Average 3,844 (#3)
Home Games Avg 4,844 (#1)
- Sturt
All Games Average 3,483 (#4)
Home Games Avg 3,115 (#6)
- Central
All Games Average 3,413 (#5)
Home Games Avg 3,372 (#4)
- North
All Games Average 3,193 (#6)
Home Games Avg 3,387 (#3)
- Eagles
All Games Average 2,534 (#7)
Home Games Avg 2,164 (#7)
- West
All Games Average 2,499 (#8)
Home Games Avg 1,869 (#9)
- South
All Games Average 2,080 (#9)
Home Games Avg 2,143 (#8)
One Final Thing
- Queen’s Birthday Football is definitely a winner for SANFL fans particularly at Glenelg. Kudos to the Tigers for targeting it as an annual event. Here are the crowd numbers over recent years.
2009 – 6276 v Port
2008 – 7711 v Port
2007 – 4067 v North
2006 – 4395 v Norwood
2005 – 3381 v West