Girl from North Adelaide FC rang me up today asking why I hadnt renewed my membership for the first time in over 30 years.
I said it was because I've become disenchanted with the competition because of the AFL clubs presence in the comp, she gave me the impression that was the issue with others she was contacting too.
I haven't renewed my Sturt membership this year either, normally a season member, and got a call from the club a few weeks ago. I told them I'm disillusioned with the comp and where it's heading, every year there's something more that undermines its integrity and that every proposed change I've been told about (from people at Sturt), has amounted to nothing and that tells me that the clubs want changes but they're being suppressed or overruled. I also said that if no one in power, in the media or in a position to argue for change and stand up for the integrity of the comp chooses to remain silent then why should I spend my hard earned?
This doesn't sit well with me and it nags at my conscience, I've given the reserves teams a fair go and hate going to those games, I've remained a member through that time all the while hoping for some sort of correction but nothing. Mates have stopped their membership once the reserves teams came in as a protest, now I can't see what else I can do to show my concern and displeasure.
The bloke on the phone expressed similar thoughts and that nothing will change.
Feel the same but bought a 3 game membership out of guilt / loyalty and because the sheer amount of disruptive byes and AFL practice games (byes) makes buying a season membership non-viable. Mates I go with have either done the same or have dropped membership altogether.