Jars: Stop the negative footy

[Gozu]

SOUTH Australian football identity Andrew Jarman says the SANFL needs a major overhaul to avoid the risk of becoming irrelevant.

On the back of an 11 per cent drop in regular season crowds and with the SANFL on the verge of selling its two AFL licences and searching for a new football general manager, Jarman said it was time for a wide-ranging review.

His concerns extend on-field, as well. He says a grand final between the defensive-minded Norwood and West Adelaide teams would drive spectators away from the competition.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 6483217522

Not online but in yesterday's paper Jars gives his 10 ideas to help save the SANFL:

Without typing out the whole thing I’ll just a highlight a few of his points for each one.

1. Make the SANFL an eight-team competition

Magpies should stay but make two clubs merge. Reduce the quantity and improve the quality of the lists. With 8 teams and even draw and a top 4 finals system.

2. Abolish the reserves competition

He says Reserves players & teams are raided by country and amateur clubs offering big money. Under his plan SANFL teams would run a maximum of four teams Under 14’s, 16’s, 18’s and League. Each club senior squad of 35 players with those not selected to play for their amateur clubs. Have someone watching them there on part-time basis. He says Reserves players are basically slaves playing for $75 a game despite training just as much as the League players so squad of 35 all contracted.

3. The season is too long

Cut season to 18 home & away games and play the Grand Final on AFL Preliminary Final weekend. He says they all have jobs and/or study, they’re part-time footballers so season is too long and have GF on AFL Prelim Final Sunday so SANFL isn’t competing against AFL, amateur footy & country footy.

4. Stop playing defensive footy

Says the comp is about entertainment and kicking goals so we need to teach out players to attack and take the game on.

5. Drop regular season gate prices

Says it makes no sense charging $14 for a home & away game but $15 to watch two finals on the same day. How can you justify paying $14 to see 8 goals kicked? Surely with government support & AFL support something could be done. New CEO needs to look at more marketing opportunities etc to engage people and bring them through the gates.

6. Remove AFL players from SANFL lists

Let Crows & Power go into their own AFL Reserves comp which has to happen. Too much of a strain on everyone involved the SANFL club, the AFL player and the AFL club. It unbalances the comp and coaches can’t plan ahead.

7. Stop paying for the ABC to televise games

SANFL is a great product and ABC could finish up televising it in 12 months time anyway. Foxtel Cup is a waste of time as best clubs want nothing to do with it so when TV rights are up the league should negotiate with Foxtel to show some games.

8. Provide cash incentives for clubs

If a club finishes in the top 4 give them $10,000. It’s about winning but clubs need help financially.

9. Play finals at suburban ovals, and grand final at AAMI/Adelaide Oval

Last two weeks a combined 18,000 at AAMI Stadium in a ground that holds 40,000. Reward club that finishes higher or play at neutral venue.

10. Help all clubs host Friday night footy

SANFL needs to own Friday night market. All club must get slice of action so encourage clubs to share grounds so those that don’t have the facilities to host can get in on it. Also schedule day games in middle of winter in June & July.

[darley16]

Disagree with 1, 2, 7, and 9. The rest are good valid points, however 1,2,7,9, will go towards weakening the comp. The comp may need some fine tuning but it's not that bad.

[on the rails]

Disagree with 1, 2, 7, and 9. The rest are good valid points, however 1,2,7,9, will go towards weakening the comp. The comp may need some fine tuning but it's not that bad.

I think point 2 will take care of itself re AFL Reserves so that doesn't have to be forced.

[Barto]

Disagree with abolishing ressies. What's the replacement? Do to the ammos what the AFL do to the SANFL with players who arent selected?

[Wedgie]

Disagree with abolishing ressies. What's the replacement? Do to the ammos what the AFL do to the SANFL with players who arent selected?

Jars suggested the Ammos.

[Ronnie]

Would hate to see the Reserves go but i can see it coming under some scrutiny.

Not only is it about development, but i think most of us see our SANFL team as a 'club', not just a league team and the Reserves are an important part of that. Have always enjoyed watching their progress when i can.

[Gozu]

Disagree with abolishing ressies. What's the replacement? Do to the ammos what the AFL do to the SANFL with players who arent selected?

Yeah he said under his plan run a maximum of four teams Under 14's, 16's, 18's and league. Each club to have a senior squad of 35 and those not picked to play for their amateur clubs. He said hire someone part-time to watch them there.

[Strawb]

SOUTH Australian football identity Andrew Jarman says the SANFL needs a major overhaul to avoid the risk of becoming irrelevant.

On the back of an 11 per cent drop in regular season crowds and with the SANFL on the verge of selling its two AFL licences and searching for a new football general manager, Jarman said it was time for a wide-ranging review.

His concerns extend on-field, as well. He says a grand final between the defensive-minded Norwood and West Adelaide teams would drive spectators away from the competition.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 6483217522

Not online but in yesterday's paper Jars gives his 10 ideas to help save the SANFL:

1. Make the SANFL an eight-team competition
Good idea in princepal but who will you make the lamb for this to happen?
2. Abolish the reserves competition
Yes and No It is needed unless you make it an under 21's comp ala NRL.
3. The season is too long
Yes and No play each other twice seems good. But then that is 16 rounds. The league needs a good balance.
4. Stop playing defensive footy
Blame the coaches they put out the game plans and the players play to it.
5. Drop regular season gate prices
Fair and vaild point the prices have gone up and not helping people out. 14 dollars for a game is too much.
6. Remove AFL players from SANFL lists
Good idea for the AFL teams to find a place to play them.
7. Stop paying for the ABC to televise games
The league should be televised for free not having to pay to
8. Provide cash incentives for clubs
If the league did this it would be a good idea.
9. Play finals at suburban ovals, and grand final at AAMI/Adelaide Oval
I agree the NRL rewards their teams with a home final why not do it in the SANFl provide the clubs with cash to upgrade or build new change rooms for visiting teams.
10. Help all clubs host Friday night footy
Again good idea but you want games over the weekend not just Friday night

[Gozu]

Updated original post with a few of Jars thoughts.

[Sky Pilot]

I'd agree with most of this. Is there any proof Jarman thought this up? One additional point would be that if the league sacked Whicker it could fund all nine clubs well into the next decade

[MightyEagles]

Hey Strawb, if there is 8 clubs and each team plays each other 2x wouldn't that be 14 games plus finals, then that would be to short a season.

[Jimmy]

Some good points there, whichever way you look at it, the comp needs to be dynamic to survive. Be interesting to see it's strategic direction develop over the next few years.

[Strawb]

Hey Strawb, if there is 8 clubs and each team plays each other 2x wouldn't that be 14 games plus finals, then that would be to short a season.

Good point well if it was 8 clubs make it a 21 round season play each other 3 times.

[Magpiespower]

ABC isn't gonna carry the WHOLE financial burden of televising games.

So forget any pie in the sky scenarios.

Nothing in it for Foxtel to cover state leagues either.

That's just a brutal commercial reality.

Basically, no SANFL subsidy to a network means no TV coverage...

[Jimmy_041]

I'll put in my 6 pence but make it known I have an interest in some of this

1. Make the SANFL an eight-team competition
Up to this week, I always said Port Adelaide should only be in one competition and have one side. Now that the AFL will fund Port Power - I dont know.
2. Abolish the reserves competition
The clubs are their own worst enemy with the Reserves players. They treat them like $hit and wonder why they pi$$ off. I could go on but I wont. If the SANFL wanted to abolish the Reserves and do a deal with the SAAFL about being the pseudo Reserves competition, then they would need to come up with a proposition that our SAAFL clubs would have to agree to. Nothing pi$$es our clubs off more than losing players on a Saturday morning after being told they are free to play. It happens too often to be unavoidable
3. The season is too long
I dont agree, but lets get our GF played before the AFL. Playing it the next week is a joke
4. Stop playing defensive footy
Bit hard to criticise SANFL clubs when Port Power's gameplan is the ugliest in history. If you play ugly football, your fans will stay away. I dont go to AFL matches - I watch suburban footy for a reason.
5. Drop regular season gate prices
The source of this magic is leaving and the SMA look like it's in the milking business now - time to review
6. Remove AFL players from SANFL lists
Everything changes once the AFL takes over the licences. It will be interesting what they can negotiate with the SANFL and therefore the clubs
7. Stop paying for the ABC to televise games
So, you dont want them televised or are you rolling the dice to see if the ABC blinks?
8. Provide cash incentives for clubs
The SANFL has no money. It is broke
9. Play finals at suburban ovals, and grand final at AAMI/Adelaide Oval
Good idea. I would go to a finals match at Norwood, Unley, Prospect and even Richmond, but I never go to West Lakes
10. Help all clubs host Friday night footy
I would have thought that's a club issue. Norwood do it really well - I am a regular

Jars has made a good start but there is so much more.
He knows it, but has kept positive - he could have really let loose on what the real problem is.

[nwdfanparade]

Place a salary cap on district, amateur and country football will stop the poaching of League footballers. Ridiculous for footballers in district, amateur or country football teams to get paid more than League footballers. If their worth that much, why aren't they playing League? Granted not all D, A or C footballers get paid more or similar to League players but I'm sure there would be many who do.

ABC televised games must continue. Its not just metro area people who watch the telecasts. People throughout Australia watch the telecasts. Not every body can watch the live steams. Telecasts promote the SANFL competition and people who aren't in a position to be at the games would apreciate the opportunity to watch the telecasts. If you're going to stop the TV broadcasts, why not stop the radio broadcasts as well, same arguement.

[stampy]

i reckon the sanfl as we know it is on its knees, the $14 admission is too much, the salary cap restrictions means we aint gunna attract the alleways allans etc hence the way the competition has gone down hill this year, hope i am wrong but i have this feeling of doom

[garygroundwork]

i reckon the sanfl as we know it is on its knees, the $14 admission is too much, the salary cap restrictions means we aint gunna attract the alleways allans etc hence the way the competition has gone down hill this year, hope i am wrong but i have this feeling of doom

have to agree..the future doesn't look too bright...

[JK]

i reckon the sanfl as we know it is on its knees, the $14 admission is too much, the salary cap restrictions means we aint gunna attract the alleways allans etc hence the way the competition has gone down hill this year, hope i am wrong but i have this feeling of doom

have to agree..the future doesn't look too bright...

Hopefully it's just the ebb and flow of era's .. The SANFL is still sitting on a massively valuable asset, which if managed correctly, should set the competition up with strong financial foundation for a long time to come.

The challenge for them will be to work closely with the clubs to try and assist each of them to develop their own financial indepedence and viability in an ongoing capacity, so no club is in need of hand outs.

North, South and Central appear to already be in that boat, some others are "OK" and a couple are battling - It should be achievable once the SANFL convert their asset into one which generates considerable revenue.

[Magpiespower]

Hopefully it's just the ebb and flow of era's...

Big difference is, future generations won't grow up on the SANFL like we all did.

I look at my my nephews and nieces and my mates' kids and they all love their footy but couldn't give a stuff about the local league.

Even though some of their parents are die-hard SANFL fans and take them to games and what not.

Will be interesting to see where the league stands ten, twenty years from now...