SANFL is great...

[Dogsbody]

... and we bloody well know it is.

From the SANFL website, posted 8/9/08...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SANFL ATTENDANCES HIT A SIX-YEAR HIGH
The SANFL has recorded a strong 6.8 per cent increase in League match attendances this season - the biggest numbers in six years. The League’s minor round attracted 275,842 fans, the most since 2002. The boost comes off the back of two years of successive growth, indicating the SANFL is well and truly undergoing a renaissance in the hearts of footy fans. This year’s Round 23 attendance of 13,659 smashed last year’s 6,831-strong crowd and was the largest since 2000.

The highest attendance for 2008 season was Round 13’s bumper Glenelg v Sturt clash at Challenge Recruitment Oval, which attracted 11,827 fans. The SANFL recorded 17 matches with attendance more than 4000, compared to 12 matches last year. The best-attended round was Rivalry Round in Round 7 which drew 20,258 supporters.

The leading five clubs in terms of 2008 home and away attendances were:

Glenelg – average 4056-strong crowd each game (compared to 2007’s average of 2865)
Sturt – average 3849 (3414)
Port – average 3588 (3410)
Norwood – average 3490 (3043)
Central – average 3172 (3497)

Meanwhile, the home grounds that attracted the most supporters in 2008 were:

Challenge Recruitment Oval (Glenelg) – average 5158 (2007’s average 3091)
Coopers Stadium (Norwood) – average 3871 (3531)
Hamra Homes Oval (Central) – average 3698 (3830)
House Brothers Oval (Sturt) – average 3334 (3263)
Alberton Oval (Port) – average 3423 (3042)

SANFL Executive Commissioner Leigh Whicker said the figures indicated SANFL footy was booming. “Our thanks go to the footy fans who have been going to the SANFL games week in, week out, and also to our new breed of supporters,” Mr Whicker said. “With all the five finals teams recording the highest League home and away attendances, we can expect a cracking Finals series.”

The boost in attendance has reaffirmed the Square Holes research commissioned earlier this year, which indicated the SANFL brand was linked to family-friendliness, affordability, accessibility and a great competition. The Advertiser’s Footy Fans Survey last month, which quizzed more then 3500 readers, showed 90 per cent of respondents had an interest in SANFL footy.

[Barto]

I've done some research and the SANFL... is really.. great!


Now what can the AFL do to sabotage all that.

[am Bays]

Pick the club with teh biggest bandwagon....

NTTAWWT

[kicker]

With small crowds like that it look more like a small country league than a state league

[maxyoz]

I've done some research and the SANFL... is really.. great!


Now what can the AFL do to sabotage all that.

Hooray - I was thinking of how to get the Jebediah Springfield quote in there as well.

BTW - The SANFL truly is of greatness.

[am Bays]

With small crowds like that it look more like a small country league than a state league

If you want small State League Crowds go to a VFL, WAFL or god forbid a westies game....

[Booney]

With small crowds like that it look more like a small country league than a state league

If you want small State League Crowds go to a VFL, WAFL or god forbid a westies game....

People go to Westies games?

[Barto]

I've done some research and the SANFL... is really.. great!


Now what can the AFL do to sabotage all that.

Hooray - I was thinking of how to get the Jebediah Springfield quote in there as well.

BTW - The SANFL truly is of greatness.

It's a perfectly cromulent alternative to the AFL.

[Leaping Lindner]

I've done some research and the SANFL... is really.. great!


Now what can the AFL do to sabotage all that.

Hooray - I was thinking of how to get the Jebediah Springfield quote in there as well.

BTW - The SANFL truly is of greatness.

It's a perfectly cromulent alternative to the AFL.

The SANFL embiggens the smallest man maybe?

[smac]

Al Bundy used to read Bigguns. I'm sure he was embiggened by it.

[maxyoz]

I believe that this man loves Jebediah Springfield, Whacking Day AND the SANFL.

[Mic]

With small crowds like that it look more like a small country league than a state league

If you want small State League Crowds go to a VFL, WAFL or god forbid a westies game....

People go to Westies games?

I'm fairly confident that any team's supporter base would be as small as West's at the moment, if they were playing like West have been this season.

Although I believe in going to the footy no matter how bad my team is going, what I saw from West on Sunday would be very very hard to watch every week.

[Psyber]

... I'm fairly confident that any team's supporter base would be as small as West's at the moment, if they were playing like West have been this season.
Although I believe in going to the footy no matter how bad my team is going, what I saw from West on Sunday would be very very hard to watch every week.

That is realistic, Mic. You support your team, but if you have given them support for a long time but they don't improve, after a while, you begin to suspect they are not really motivated to hold up their end of the bargain, and you have to wonder what you are doing it for...

[Wedgie]

I wonder if Glenelg's fantastic figures in 08 mask the overall figure?
Im not sure what the overall increase is and if you took off the extras that went to Glenelg games if that would be a negative or not.

On a slightly different note Leight Whicker made mention tonight that Glenelg have been doing some great work with their local community and that its not just a matter of more people rocking up because they're winning.
I'd be interested if any Bays fan could expand on that as to what they're doing differently.
Im not sure if my club does a lot in its area as its hard for me to tell as I dont live near there but I do know Souths efforts have been non existent to me since Phil Herden was not renewed as Marketing Manager there, but he did do great work.

[Mr66]

I've done some research and the SANFL... is really.. great!


Now what can the AFL do to sabotage all that.

Hooray - I was thinking of how to get the Jebediah Springfield quote in there as well.

BTW - The SANFL truly is of greatness.

It's a perfectly cromulent alternative to the AFL.

I think you'll find that you have quoted Mr Burns.

[southee]

I wonder if Glenelg's fantastic figures in 08 mask the overall figure?
Im not sure what the overall increase is and if you took off the extras that went to Glenelg games if that would be a negative or not.

On a slightly different note Leight Whicker made mention tonight that Glenelg have been doing some great work with their local community and that its not just a matter of more people rocking up because they're winning.
I'd be interested if any Bays fan could expand on that as to what they're doing differently.
Im not sure if my club does a lot in its area as its hard for me to tell as I dont live near there but I do know Souths efforts have been non existent to me since Phil Herden was not renewed as Marketing Manager there, but he did do great work.

Yep, Wedgie....I do sure miss Phil!!!

[am Bays]

I wonder if Glenelg's fantastic figures in 08 mask the overall figure?
Im not sure what the overall increase is and if you took off the extras that went to Glenelg games if that would be a negative or not.

On a slightly different note Leight Whicker made mention tonight that Glenelg have been doing some great work with their local community and that its not just a matter of more people rocking up because they're winning.
I'd be interested if any Bays fan could expand on that as to what they're doing differently.
Im not sure if my club does a lot in its area as its hard for me to tell as I dont live near there but I do know Souths efforts have been non existent to me since Phil Herden was not renewed as Marketing Manager there, but he did do great work.

I think it is multi-factorial

winning
working hard in the zone
attracting the kids

Yes we are doing things in our zone but people like winners at the end of the day the biggest factor is the team doing well is attracting the latent Glenelg supporter group that has been hidden for over 10 years. At teh esplanade on Sunday nigh people were wearing BAys scarves and the cook asked if we had won that day. Tonight at the Mobil on Brighton rd the attendant asked all about the BAys and how we are going. Winning creates an interest.

The Advertiser survey shows that we are the 4-5th biggest supporter group after Port, Sturt, Norwood and Centrals so a lot of people out there follow the Bays - we start winning they'll jump on the bandwagon. Our tricks is to keep them involved.

We have actively promoted ourselves as the community club and with new redeveloped facilities that has helped attract locals into the club rooms. each week in the local messenger there are articles and adverts about the club.

Each Wed and Fri night is kids night on the Oval where we run Auskick clinics for free. The ese nights along with the giveaways to kids make us a popular choice for families - gt the kids hooked and teh parents follow.

To be honest irrespective of how far we go this year the highlight for me will be the amount of kids at our home games and in the rooms after each game. it is fantastic. It helps when you have League footballers who will drop what they are doing and will go umpire a schoolboys footy game in the middle of the day and which promotes not only our game but our club to the kids in our zone.

As someone said on Snouts yesterday as kids we fell in love with the Bays in the 70s & 80s now our kids are starting to follow the bays and they inturn will produce the next generation of Bays supporters.

So in a nutshell winning and working the kids market is what we have done differently this year. The trick now is to keep 'em coming back.

[am Bays]

Oh yeah if you live in the Guardian Messenger zone and don't like Bays I suggest you don't read it. Seven page dedicated to the Bays not including our paid advert for the Bay Bar and Bistro....

crikey everyone is getting on the Bandwagon...

[TigerBoss]

I wonder if Glenelg's fantastic figures in 08 mask the overall figure?
Im not sure what the overall increase is and if you took off the extras that went to Glenelg games if that would be a negative or not.

On a slightly different note Leight Whicker made mention tonight that Glenelg have been doing some great work with their local community and that its not just a matter of more people rocking up because they're winning.
I'd be interested if any Bays fan could expand on that as to what they're doing differently.
Im not sure if my club does a lot in its area as its hard for me to tell as I dont live near there but I do know Souths efforts have been non existent to me since Phil Herden was not renewed as Marketing Manager there, but he did do great work.

I think it is multi-factorial

winning
working hard in the zone
attracting the kids

Yes we are doing things in our zone but people like winners at the end of the day the biggest factor is the team doing well is attracting the latent Glenelg supporter group that has been hidden for over 10 years. At teh esplanade on Sunday nigh people were wearing BAys scarves and the cook asked if we had won that day. Tonight at the Mobil on Brighton rd the attendant asked all about the BAys and how we are going. Winning creates an interest.

The Advertiser survey shows that we are the 4-5th biggest supporter group after Port, Sturt, Norwood and Centrals so a lot of people out there follow the Bays - we start winning they'll jump on the bandwagon. Our tricks is to keep them involved.

We have actively promoted ourselves as the community club and with new redeveloped facilities that has helped attract locals into the club rooms. each week in the local messenger there are articles and adverts about the club.

Each Wed and Fri night is kids night on the Oval where we run Auskick clinics for free. The ese nights along with the giveaways to kids make us a popular choice for families - gt the kids hooked and teh parents follow.

To be honest irrespective of how far we go this year the highlight for me will be the amount of kids at our home games and in the rooms after each game. it is fantastic. It helps when you have League footballers who will drop what they are doing and will go umpire a schoolboys footy game in the middle of the day and which promotes not only our game but our club to the kids in our zone.

As someone said on Snouts yesterday as kids we fell in love with the Bays in the 70s & 80s now our kids are starting to follow the bays and they inturn will produce the next generation of Bays supporters.

So in a nutshell winning and working the kids market is what we have done differently this year. The trick now is to keep 'em coming back.

And that's just PART of it...

[Squawk]

What did Glenelg and Sturt average without the game that brought in 12,000?