The never ending No AFL in the SANFL whinge thread

[dedja]

I blame Tony Abbott

[Jim05]

so i have a question - who is to blame for diminishing crowds? is it the crows fault that a sturt glenelg game doesnt get the crowd it used to?

Not the whole reason but definately a factor.
Work with a Sturt supporter who always used to go with a group of 7 or 8 and had hardly missed a game in 20 odd years, none of his group go anymore since the AFL reserves decision. A lot of of people have stopped going.

[RB]

I don't go anymore, so that accounts for one more off the total.

[matt35]

@Benny; in the example you mentioned, absolutely nothing to do with the no AFL whinge and everything to do with Glenelg's form. As I said, very little Glenelg presence at Unley yesterday. Fact is, Sturt's crowds are up!

For me the only particularly disappointing crowd this weekend was the Eagles Norwood game which I would have thought would have pulled around 3 thousand. Again though, hard to see how that has anything to do with the new set up, after all the Eagles' round 9 game against the Crows pulled a crowd of just over 3 thousand.

I do think that one factor that is probably hurting SANFL crowds at least to some extent, and I believe has been raised on here previously, is the fact that this year more people than ever before are attending AFL games in Adelaide. Unfortunately there's only so much time and money that people can dedicate to Football on any given weekend and more people than ever are going to Adelaide Oval to watch the Crows and Port. Now the question is, once we get over the first year and the novelty factor of Adelaide Oval, will this settle? I believe it will, not back to the levels that AAMI finished at, but I think numbers will drop off a bit. This of course depends also on team performances. This should steady SANFL crowds, although having said that, of course the situation is nowhere near as bleak as some on here would have people think.

With Port, Norwood and Sturt all still likely to feature prominently, I am still expecting very good crowds for the finals.

[Bounce of the ball]

Plus the Eagles are OK and South tease yet no more fans . Both clubs being OK won't drag crowds.Glenelg is Glenelg and Port have no interest .

[CUTTERMAN]

I'd know of 3 mates that aren't going to the footy this year, ceased to be members and feel totally sold out due to having reserves teams in the comp.
I'd also doubt if Sturt's crowds are up this year and if they are it would be minimal.
That Port are pulling pathetic crowds while on top spells trouble.

[Bounce of the ball]

Ports crowds have been average for a while reckon.

[bennymacca]

thats a really good point matt, and one that i dont think has been raised. the increased afl crowds would certainly have an effect on sanfl crowds being down.

how much of an effect i have no idea but it is definitely something worth looking into

[Bounce of the ball]

When they promised the extra 4000 they must have forgotten Adelaide Oval was going ahead. I get that , easily missed.These hiccups happen.

[Scrapboy]

thats a really good point matt, and one that i dont think has been raised. the increased afl crowds would certainly have an effect on sanfl crowds being down.

how much of an effect i have no idea but it is definitely something worth looking into

I don't think it would have much of an effect at all. I know of at least a few who don't go at all anymore and a few more that only go now and then and are generally apathetic when they do. It may be a factor with Port's crowd but as its been said, their crowds have been falling for a while.
I can't see many SANFL die hards suddenly becoming AFL sheep because of a new stadium, those extra 'supporters' are usually the more fickle type that won't bother once the novelty wears off or the team starts losing regularly IMO.

[bennymacca]

it has nothing to do with the diehards, it has to do with the people that might just go to 3-5 games a year, and are casual fans of both the sanfl and the afl

those people are almost certainly going to go to an afl game this year rather than the sanfl, because of aforementioned novelty factor.

[matt35]

On Sturt:

After seven home games, they have had 23327 people through the gates: Average 3332.

After 7 home games in 2013, they had had 19003 people to their games. Average: 2715.

[bennymacca]

On Sturt:

After seven home games, they have had 23327 people through the gates: Average 3332.

After 7 home games in 2013, they had had 19003 people to their games. Average: 2715.

thats what happens when you are up and about

[Scrapboy]

it has nothing to do with the diehards, it has to do with the people that might just go to 3-5 games a year, and are casual fans of both the sanfl and the afl

those people are almost certainly going to go to an afl game this year rather than the sanfl, because of aforementioned novelty factor.

Like I said, they're the more fickle kind of supporter that I would say are going to be much less inclined to come back to a lesser product in a year or two, but we're speculating.
FACTS are there are several people on here that know of others (die hards) who used to go to a lot more than just 3-5 games a year and are now gone - and they're definitely not coming back.

[bennymacca]

just because they dont go to every game that doesnt make them fickle.

i have been to 3/4 adelaide united games before. probably the same amount of adelaide 36ers games. that doesnt make me fickle supporters of those teams, just that i dont follow it closely and enjoy the odd game but arent about to buy a season ticket.

those people are what gives you the swell in crowds when teams are doing well, because as a casual supporter you never go when they are getting pumped.

you can call them bandwagon supporters and to some extent thats true, but its also just a fact.

using this forum as a representative sample is also dangerous.

[Scrapboy]

Fickle compared to most who frequent this forum. I do the same with the 36ers and United and I'm what I'd call fickle compared to their diehards - simply because I don't have memberships and I pick and choose when it's best for me to go, just my opinion and I agree it causes a swell in crowds.

You can speculate about SANFL crowds and whether they're going to AO or wherever, the point is there's definitely people who've left that weren't like that and if this forum isn't going to be one of the ways of informing us of what's going on with those supporters, what is? It's strange that you would support one person's theory on falling numbers (which I actually agree would be a small part of it), but suggest that others who have stated facts regarding people they know is a representation not to be trusted.

[Dogwatcher]

I would think this forum is one of the best ways to gauge feeling in the SANFL.
It's where SANFL fans go to talk about footy. Most of the regular posters here are strong SANFL supporters.
I've noticed a strong drop in the SANFL games threads, as an example.

[whufc]

so i have a question - who is to blame for diminishing crowds? is it the crows fault that a sturt glenelg game doesnt get the crowd it used to?

Yep my attendance and care factor of this league has dropped by heaps since the crows came in

I have misses more games this year alone than games in the last 20 years total

[bennymacca]

Fickle compared to most who frequent this forum. I do the same with the 36ers and United and I'm what I'd call fickle compared to their diehards - simply because I don't have memberships and I pick and choose when it's best for me to go, just my opinion and I agree it causes a swell in crowds.

You can speculate about SANFL crowds and whether they're going to AO or wherever, the point is there's definitely people who've left that weren't like that and if this forum isn't going to be one of the ways of informing us of what's going on with those supporters, what is? It's strange that you would support one person's theory on falling numbers (which I actually agree would be a small part of it), but suggest that others who have stated facts regarding people they know is a representation not to be trusted.

I wasn't suggesting that people on here were lying when they said they and their friends had stopped going, it is clear a lot of the diehards are fed up and don't go anymore, and I'm not even suggesting Matt is 100% right, just that it's a good point that hadn't been brought up before

[Dogwatcher]

so i have a question - who is to blame for diminishing crowds? is it the crows fault that a sturt glenelg game doesnt get the crowd it used to?

Yep my attendance and care factor of this league has dropped by heaps since the crows came in

I have misses more games this year alone than games in the last 20 years total

I'm actually going against the trend - I've been to more Dogs games this year than I would have in the past 20. Living back in Adelaide, kids slightly older and no footy commitments now mean I've been able to get to more games. It's not that my interest has increased, I just don't want to give up something I love so much, my footy club.