OFFICIAL - North v Sturt Friday Night, Others Saturday After

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

ADELAIDE is to dish up a sporting feast on Friday night with high-class action aplenty.

AFL finals drama, fierce A-League rivalry, SANFL intrigue and the first look at revamped Adelaide national league basketball teams – all on Friday night, all within 12km.

But is it the smorgasbord South Australian sports fans want to satisfy their appetite? Is the only Feast the one wearing a Sturt jumper?

On paper it appears a tremendous night. In reality, it is a disgrace that sporting administrators have allowed this scenario to occur.

Fans have been forced to make a choice.

The AFL rules the roost in this town; it can program its final schedule without consideration for others.

A crowd of 35,000 is expected at AAMI Stadium when Port Adelaide and West Coast go into battle in the qualifying final.

The hierarchy of the other sports – and the SANFL competition – should have then organised themselves around the AFL.

Adelaide United is unlucky. When the A-League draw was being prepared, United requested to have its home matches not clash with AFL games where possible. As a result it played its opening two rounds on the road.

Now its season debut at home – a rematch of last year's grand final – is up against an AFL final. It is unfortunate for United with the match unable to be switched because of telecast commitments with Foxtel. There will be more than 10,000 at Hindmarsh.

The same cannot be said for the basketball and the final SANFL minor round.

The Adelaide 36ers and Adelaide Lightning will unveil their new faces in pre-season games against Cairns and a Japanese side respectively in the refurbished Distinctive Homes Dome. Play the Friday night games on the Saturday.

Yes, we are talking about different sports. But there is a huge cross-over of fans who enjoy a variety of action at the best level available.

The SANFL owns the Power, Adelaide Crows and the state competition.

Why then did it allow the clubs to take control and put the Sturt versus North Adelaide battle – crucial to the make-up of the finals – on Friday night? And just as absurd is having Woodville-West Torrens and Glenelg at Woodville Oval at the same time as the Channel 10 telecast of the Crows and Hawthorn from Melbourne on Saturday.

A sports scribe in this building, a Glenelg man, was planning to take his wife and kids to Woodville Oval on Saturday. Not now, not with the Crows live on TV.

Then there is Ray, a United season ticket holder, passionate Crows man and a Glenelg member, who wanted to watch the Power in finals mode. He had to choose and soccer won. The Crows also got the nod, meaning Woodville Oval will be without him and his two lads.

So who knows how many people they will get at the basketball and SANFL games? Sturt and the Roosters have strong followings but it means the faithful are deprived of watching an Adelaide team in an AFL final.

SA sports fans, your smorgasbord is in fact a la carte – select just one course.

[Aerie]

Well written sam....

[smac]

I think you might mean Warren...

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 28,00.html

Good article, nonetheless.

[therisingblues]

I think you might mean Warren...

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 28,00.html

Good article, nonetheless.

As I was reading Sam's post I had to stop and search for an accreditation somewhere, when I couldn't find one I thought "Strewth, he has written this himself!" and was about to commend him on it!
Thanks for the tip off Smac!

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

my bad, just copied it off another forum and the name wasn't there, sorry guys.

[Rucciangelo]

Doesn't anyone own a VCR or DVD recorder, or hard drive recorder.
I'd much rather tape the games that are on TV and GO to the real game!
I won't be alone!

[Dirko]

Doesn't anyone own a VCR or DVD recorder, or hard drive recorder.
I'd much rather tape the games that are on TV and GO to the real game!
I won't be alone!

Exactly, it is going to be a nice day...take the tranny, record the game and stand in the sun for a couple of hours...

[Wedgie]

An absolute mastersroke by the clubs as Friday and Saturday look great weather wise but Sunday looks like being windy and showers.

[SnappyTom]

For the life of me I can't fathom why Nwd vs Sth is on Sat.
South has gone to great lengths to promote Sunday games to enable it to attract community footballers to the games from the great southern league and has publicly spruiked its successes. Hey, its a great approach. Come the final round though and their last home game is scheduled for the Saturday.... What the? Oh, and let me guess, who do most Nwd and South fans barrack for in the AFL? Yeah, the Crows, who are scheduled to play on Sat afternoon. I just cant work out the reasoning. The only thing I can think of is that given the two clubs are not in the finals, they just want to get the game over with and out of the way so they can start thinking about the 2008 season.

Yes, well you may have to get in touch with the NFC and SAFC to find out the real answer, cause that decision has no reasoning behind it. Except maybe for your last comment, but come on guys...

To answer the question about the last 1000 crowd, it was in Round 21 1999, when 950 was at Noarlunga to see South and Central.

Ahem - I'm afraid they rounded up to the nearest '950'...

[spell_check]

With the amount of people that read the posts, someone's gotta notice.

[Wedgie]

Just on Sam's post or anyone else's in the future for that matter, please don't copy and paste articles form other sources, feel free to provide a link to them, you're breaching copyright procedures.
Cheers.

[NFC]

Doesn't anyone own a VCR or DVD recorder, or hard drive recorder.
I'd much rather tape the games that are on TV and GO to the real game!
I won't be alone!

Exactly, it is going to be a nice day...take the tranny, record the game and stand in the sun for a couple of hours...

Hardly the same though is it?

Anyway I will be in Melbourne for the Crows game. First Legs game I'll miss this year, if it were on Sunday I would've had the perfect 20 but unfortunately it's not to be.

[CUTTERMAN]

The same scheduling descision was allowed for the recent Centrals / Sturt game and if the SANFL didn't know the outcome before that game then they certainly did after, when a crowd of 3950 turned up for a game that deserved 6000. Whatever the reasoning a club has for these descisions, if it's not in the best interest of the comp as a whole then the SANFL should step in. The 5300 at the Bay last Saturday is proof of this, people will attend if you give them a chance but this weekend there isn't much of a chance on offer. I thought the SANFL did a good job when timing games but what's happened recently is confusing along with their reasons for doing so.
The Power will struggle to get 35k - 40k because of the A-League and the SANFL game that night, then the AFL will show "concern" over the figures. There is no reason why soccer and footy shouldn't go head to head but it will affect Port's ability to draw a crowd, surely a concern for the SANFL.
Possible loss of 5000 bums on seats.
Sturt v North will struggle to get 4000 when it should draw 4000 - 6000, it is hard to understand why you put two of your own products against each other.
Possible loss of 2000
Eagles v Glenelg on a Saturday is deserving of 5000 but will probably get 3000 up against Adelaide live on TV.
Possible loss of 2000.
So the SANFL are probably losing up to 10,000 spectators this weekend with a clash of their own products. It's not like it is hard to overcome, all SANFL games on Sunday. We can decide where we go, we can decide who our hearts are with and we can tape the missed games on TV, but it's not going to help maximize $$$$ and interest for the SANFL.
Eagles and Glenelg fans should be really pissed off.
Maybe I'm missing something here?

[smac]

Maybe I'm missing something here?

The only aspect you didn't cover was the integrity of our competition - giving clubs what they feel is best for their players/team.

The situation is not ideal, but crowd numbers are not the only consideration.

[Aerie]

Eagles and Glenelg fans should be really pissed off.
Maybe I'm missing something here?

Given Sturt and North have chosen to play Friday night, all Eagles and Glenelg fans would understand it is in the clubs interest to play Saturday. The problem lay in the SANFL accepting the Friday night fixture. Both these games should have been played on Sunday or at least Saturday night/Sunday.

[CUTTERMAN]

I agree SMAC, but we're talking about playing Friday night/Saturday instead of Sunday arvo. Playing Sunday arvo gives every team the same break from last week and going into next week. If the issue by a club is whether they get a 6 day break as compared to a 7 day or even 8 day break to prepare for finals then I think they're splitting hairs. Next weeks AFL finals will probably be held on Friday night and Saturday arvo/night, hense Sunday is free for the SANFL for finals = 7 day break if they play all games this Sunday!
I think it's great that the SANFL encorperate the wishes of our SANFL teams, but this weekend's timing seems out of kilter.

[Aerie]

I agree SMAC, but we're talking about playing Friday night/Saturday instead of Sunday arvo. Playing Sunday arvo gives every team the same break from last week and going into next week. If the issue by a club is whether they get a 6 day break as compared to a 7 day or even 8 day break to prepare for finals then I think they're splitting hairs. Next weeks AFL finals will probably be held on Friday night and Saturday arvo/night, hense Sunday is free for the SANFL for finals = 7 day break if they play all games this Sunday!
I think it's great that the SANFL encorperate the wishes of our SANFL teams, but this weekend's timing seems out of kilter.

Agree 100%. A 7 day break would have been fine. It was more that the breaks were even for Glenelg/North/Sturt/Eagles which I think smac was alluding to and also what you have mentioned.

[smac]

I have heard that Centrals are having the bye tonight, to avoid any clashes with anything. That leaves them 2 and a half weeks to prepare for their next game.

[Aerie]

I have heard that Centrals are having the bye tonight, to avoid any clashes with anything. That leaves them 2 and a half weeks to prepare for their next game.

Good idea. Should maximise attendances. Although it is rather short notice.

[smac]

Apparently all supporters of the bye are unemployed too, so none of us were doing anything tonight.