What Should The SANFL Do On March 19, 20 & 21 In 2010?
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:32 pmThe last few years have seen the AFL schedule a weekend off for all AFL players to recover from the NAB Cup and get themselves fully prepared for the opening round of the AFL season that commences in the last weekend of March.
To me – that AFL policy is giving the SANFL a free kick to receive all the footy media attention for the week but the SANFL have never capitalised on the situation – they have just quietly allowed that AFL-free weekend to slip by – allowing the SANFL clubs to play a round of meaningless trial matches in front of “Friends & Family” crowds. They then start their season in the last weekend of March and badly lose out in the battle against the AFL Round 1 Publicity Machine.
Next year is the last year the AFL will have the pre-season cup in the current format complete with a mid-March bye. There may never be another March chance again for the SANFL to attract large crowds to their opening games – or at least get some media attention to its traditional competition.
Let’s think outside of the square – what could the SANFL do on the 3rd weekend in March 2010?
Have a SANFL season launch event at AAMI stadium on Sat night March 20 2010? Put on some entertainment (music, games, celebrities etc..) that will bring in a crowd, follow it by presenting all SANFL coaches and captains to the crowd. Then have Central District play either South Fremantle or North Ballarat in a Premiers Challenge match – make the prize money large enough to encourage both sides to play full strength sides (except AFL listed players of course). There’s no footy on TV that weekend – maybe the ABC or Ten HD would show it – people are ready to watch footy on TV by the 3rd weekend of March and it would rate well. Would 15,000 attend the game?
Do we do away with State matches in 2010 and replace it with interstate club games on that weekend? CD plays Nthn Bullants at Elizabeth or AAMI with South Fremantle playing Sturt in Perth and North Ballarat hosting Subiaco in Victoria. If CD & Sturt both win – then South Australia is the champion state league and then players don’t have to worry about mid season state commitments.
Or do those six teams plus Tasmania and the Northern Territory play an eight team knockout comp that commenced a few weeks earlier (matches played as double headers with AFL matches) with the final then to be played on the 3rd weekend of March.
Or does the SANFL schedule Round 1 for that weekend and either arrange for the season to end prior to the AFL Grand Final or schedule in a few split rounds to stretch it out to the October long weekend as usual?
Lets just throw some ideas around folks – I just want the SANFL to do SOMETHING on the 3rd weekend of March 2010. Once we’ve solved this problem I will then work on improving the Football Budget and the 2010 Magarey medal coverage!
To me – that AFL policy is giving the SANFL a free kick to receive all the footy media attention for the week but the SANFL have never capitalised on the situation – they have just quietly allowed that AFL-free weekend to slip by – allowing the SANFL clubs to play a round of meaningless trial matches in front of “Friends & Family” crowds. They then start their season in the last weekend of March and badly lose out in the battle against the AFL Round 1 Publicity Machine.
Next year is the last year the AFL will have the pre-season cup in the current format complete with a mid-March bye. There may never be another March chance again for the SANFL to attract large crowds to their opening games – or at least get some media attention to its traditional competition.
Let’s think outside of the square – what could the SANFL do on the 3rd weekend in March 2010?
Have a SANFL season launch event at AAMI stadium on Sat night March 20 2010? Put on some entertainment (music, games, celebrities etc..) that will bring in a crowd, follow it by presenting all SANFL coaches and captains to the crowd. Then have Central District play either South Fremantle or North Ballarat in a Premiers Challenge match – make the prize money large enough to encourage both sides to play full strength sides (except AFL listed players of course). There’s no footy on TV that weekend – maybe the ABC or Ten HD would show it – people are ready to watch footy on TV by the 3rd weekend of March and it would rate well. Would 15,000 attend the game?
Do we do away with State matches in 2010 and replace it with interstate club games on that weekend? CD plays Nthn Bullants at Elizabeth or AAMI with South Fremantle playing Sturt in Perth and North Ballarat hosting Subiaco in Victoria. If CD & Sturt both win – then South Australia is the champion state league and then players don’t have to worry about mid season state commitments.
Or do those six teams plus Tasmania and the Northern Territory play an eight team knockout comp that commenced a few weeks earlier (matches played as double headers with AFL matches) with the final then to be played on the 3rd weekend of March.
Or does the SANFL schedule Round 1 for that weekend and either arrange for the season to end prior to the AFL Grand Final or schedule in a few split rounds to stretch it out to the October long weekend as usual?
Lets just throw some ideas around folks – I just want the SANFL to do SOMETHING on the 3rd weekend of March 2010. Once we’ve solved this problem I will then work on improving the Football Budget and the 2010 Magarey medal coverage!
