Why has Footy Park fallen out of favour in just 10 years?

[topsywaldron]

If my team was playing finals then I'd go to any ground that I could get to.

Exactly.

[Brucetiki]

Could public transport be a reason why attendances have dropped for the lead-in finals, particularly since lead-in finals returned to AAMI Stadium.

Adelaide Oval clearly is much easier to access public transport for to and from the game no matter where you are in Adelaide. Getting to AAMI on a Sunday via public transport is very difficult, and in most cases require more than one bus. Centrals, to their credit, organised a mini-bus for the game for $12 return. At least they run a limited Footy Express service for the Grand Final.

While getting to AAMI on a Sunday by public transport was just as difficult pre-2005 (when some lead in finals were played at AAMI), with people have the ease of getting to Adelaide Oval for all lead-in finals from 2006-2008, they are simply not bothering now that it's gone back to AAMI the past two seasons.

Having said that, public transport to AAMI is easy compared to getting to Homebush (which relies on matchday specific services similar to Footy Express) - you can choose between the two-hourly train service, or the ferry/bus that don't connect with each other (ah well, I quite enjoyed the 20 minutes sitting by the Parramatta River waiting for the bus).

As for the general reasons why AAMI has fallen so out of favour in the past 10 years - you can largely blame The Advertiser and more people going to AFL matches in Melbourne for that campaign. Many people have gone to Etihad and the MCG and seen the fantastic facilities Etihad and the MCG's northern stands provide and want the same in Adelaide, which is understandable.

[birdmanptr]

Which raises the question - in the last 10 years, Footy Park seems to have fallen out of favour. Consider the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Semi Final attendances (which we were all in a part of):

1999: 20685 - Glenelg vs Norwood; Port vs Eagles
2000: 20321 - Port vs Sturt; Eagles vs Central
2001: 18463 - Port vs Norwood; Central vs Eagles

The 2000 and 2001 days had forecasts for rain of some type - and both had rain in them too. What has happened in the last ten years for the consensus against the venue? It's only ten years, but with everything going for these matches today, it's safe to say there was not more than 15,000 there.

How many will be there GF day ??? First GF i will not be at for years

[Ecky]

A better way to make the comparison would be to do the following:

For each year, add up the home ground average attendances of the 4 clubs involved and compare these to the attendances at the finals involving these 4 teams.

A table like this would be interesting to see

SAMPLE TABLE WITH MADE UP NUMBERS

Year - Final Week - Venue - Home Att - Finals Att - Att Diff - Comment on Weather

2010 - Semi - Footy Park - 15000 - 13000 - 2000 - Fine
2010 - QFEF - Footy Park - 16000 - 11000 - 5000 - Fine

where
Home Att = sum of the average home attendances of the teams involved
Finals Att = the attendance at that final
Att Diff = difference between the two

Then sort the table by "Att Diff" to see if Footy Park games and Adelaide Oval games rank differently.

It would be interesting to see whether Footy Park finals or Adelaide Oval finals tend to draw more spectators in relation to how well the teams involved have gone in attracting crowds in that particular year.
I believe this is basically what everyone is trying to do in this thread, but you all seem to be approaching it in a very roundabout way!

Spelly, do you have time to put this table together please?

[doggies4eva]

I think that you raise agood point Brucetiki about the increasing expectations about spectator comfort - ie Etihad.

maybe its time to put a roof on footy park?

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

Many people have gone to Etihad and the MCG and seen the fantastic facilities Etihad and the MCG's northern stands provide and want the same in Adelaide, which is understandable.

This a huge factor, thing is though its not just those 2 stadiums that are ahead of football park, its seriously just about every other major stadium (30,000+) in this country.

[Brucetiki]

Many people have gone to Etihad and the MCG and seen the fantastic facilities Etihad and the MCG's northern stands provide and want the same in Adelaide, which is understandable.

This a huge factor, thing is though its not just those 2 stadiums that are ahead of football park, its seriously just about every other major stadium (30,000+) in this country.

Having visited the SCG, SFS and ANZ Stadium last month (albeit on guided tours), while ANZ Stadium clearly craps all over AAMI (seriously, you basically walk around that stadium with mouth on ground in awe), I reckon AAMI is on par with the SCG and is actually ahead of the SFS.

Interestingly with the SCG the Trumper stand (which is a similar design to AAMI's northern grandstand), the concessions on the upper tier are still out in the open (whereas they're enclosed at AAMI).

As for the SFS, bar a new video screen at one end, the SFS has hardly been touched since it opened in 1988. Also, it's 'roof' is purely for accoustic purposes with surprisingly little protection from the elements.

[spell_check]

Here it is, Ecky:



Also, a couple of other points need highlighting are the fact that 2002-06 was probably the high point for Crows/Power finals fever. And I think both the 2002 and 2005 Semi Finals were up against the Slowdown. The lowest figure you would have to say had a bit to do with the events that took place the Tuesday evening prior.

If you thought that age group factors will get better in 10-20 years time, really? The AFL have got the money and therefore muscle flex to continue to influence children and families on what they watch and where. Nothing will change.

[Grahaml]

I blame the media entirely. Wasn't a problem until they started talking up a city stadium, then they flogged that horse to the point everyone suddenly decided they didn't like footy park either.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Move the finals away from Sundays and Ill start to go even if it was on the moon.

Agree, 100%. And if they are worried about the Preliminary Final clashing with the AFL Grand Final, play it under lights on a Friday night. The AFL will eventually have all finals at night, so we can have our Saturday afternoon finals back.

[Barto]

Here it is, Ecky:



Also, a couple of other points need highlighting are the fact that 2002-06 was probably the high point for Crows/Power finals fever. And I think both the 2002 and 2005 Semi Finals were up against the Slowdown. The lowest figure you would have to say had a bit to do with the events that took place the Tuesday evening prior.

If you thought that age group factors will get better in 10-20 years time, really? The AFL have got the money and therefore muscle flex to continue to influence children and families on what they watch and where. Nothing will change.

That list quantifies the fact that a roofed stadium in Adelaide cannot be justified expenditure wise. What excuse will they use when the crowds still dont turn up?

I cant see a problem with the location of Footy Park, they should've gone with that upgrade that was planned. Doesn't tear up AO and cheaper too.

[The Apostle]

After attending the match on the weekend...one word...WESLO.

[spell_check]

After attending the match on the weekend...one word...WESLO.

They are at Adelaide Oval too aren't they?

[The Apostle]

After attending the match on the weekend...one word...WESLO.

They are at Adelaide Oval too aren't they?

Yeah, but they seem to go from minor annoyance at Adelaide Oval to outright arseholes at Footy Park...

[spell_check]

After attending the match on the weekend...one word...WESLO.

They are at Adelaide Oval too aren't they?

Yeah, but they seem to go from minor annoyance at Adelaide Oval to outright arseholes at Footy Park...

I reakon they go to water a bit with the Adelaide Oval red coats.

[FlyingHigh]

In 2003 Slowdown was played at Adelaide Oval on the same day as the Centrals/West 2nd semi at Footy Park.
2005 EF/QF was played the day after the night Showdown semi final

[spell_check]

In 2003 Slowdown was played at Adelaide Oval on the same day as the Centrals/West 2nd semi at Footy Park.
2005 EF/QF was played the day after the night Showdown semi final

That's in addition to the other two Slowdowns? What happened to them anyway? Can't it be run as the McDermott McDermott Slowdown?

[Brucetiki]

In 2003 Slowdown was played at Adelaide Oval on the same day as the Centrals/West 2nd semi at Footy Park.
2005 EF/QF was played the day after the night Showdown semi final

That's in addition to the other two Slowdowns? What happened to them anyway? Can't it be run as the McDermott McDermott Slowdown?

This year it's on the night before the SANFL Grand Final at Adelaide Oval, I assume Little Heroes will be running it now. I thought it had the best timeslot last year when they had it the Monday night after the AFL Grand Final.

[spell_check]

In 2003 Slowdown was played at Adelaide Oval on the same day as the Centrals/West 2nd semi at Footy Park.
2005 EF/QF was played the day after the night Showdown semi final

That's in addition to the other two Slowdowns? What happened to them anyway? Can't it be run as the McDermott McDermott Slowdown?

This year it's on the night before the SANFL Grand Final at Adelaide Oval, I assume Little Heroes will be running it now. I thought it had the best timeslot last year when they had it the Monday night after the AFL Grand Final.

So it is still going then. Had not heard of it lately. The night before the Grand Final....how typical.

[FlyingHigh]

Don't know about 2002 Spelly.
Since 2003 they have generally held it on the October public holiday, and can't recall any controversy about 2005 like there was in 2003 on good old footysa.com, but could be wrong.
This year it is on the Saturday night before the SANFL GF.