Interview at half-time

[MrMahatma]

Gia just had a nice little 2 min interview at half-time.

WTF?

Why do we agree to these things? NO WAY should a player be doing that IMO. Focus on the task at hand - not media rubbish.

[AndrewP6]

It's called PR. No problem with it, two minutes is nothing, and helps to connect the public to the club.

[MrMahatma]

The best PR we could have is to go out there and win the footy game.

[AndrewP6]

The best PR we could have is to go out there and win the footy game.

And they're doing that.

[The Coon Dog]

Times have changed, all clubs do it now. It's not going to make a jot of difference to an individual's performance. As AP6 says, it's good PR.

[MrMahatma]

I haven't seen many players do it. Assistant coaches/coaches yes - but not players. Not saying they don't.

Personally - don't like it. PR or not.

[jazzadogs]

They've interviewed benched players during quarters, and regularly interview players at half time now.

I don't see any problem with it. I'm sure the questions were about the game, which is what we want him to think about anyway.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

I like it as it's a point of difference and if it adds to the AFL coffers we stay around a lot longer, I must say I always think the Mick Malthouse should give a lot more back to the game than the rubbish he continually dishes up.

[Remi Moses]

Remember Wallace doing it in 97 during a game(yeah the same bloke who said we'd get hammered today!)Doesn't make a skerrick of difference me thinks

[LostDoggy]

Seems to be a bit of an American thing, NHL, NBA etc... all do this.

[LostDoggy]

Clubs and the AFL continually restrict access to players. Hutchy wrote an article regarding this not long ago now, comparing the media access to players in leagues such as the NFL and NBA and I completely agree with his sentiments. I don't see why it would be a bad thing?

[LostDoggy]

I don't like it. I watch a bit of NBA and really cringe when it happens there. It seems almost 'unprofessional' or something? maybe i'm a little old fashioned believeing a sportsman has a job to do, and should stay in 'game mode', not jibber jabbering to the media with useless stock standard sentences.

[Dancin' Douggy]

I hate it, hate it, hate it. No one ever says anything interesting anyway.
PR is one of the most misused terms.
It's just wall to wall putty, broadcasters filling every gap they can find.
What about breathing space? A bit of reflective time to gather your wits and perhaps even have a conversation with a fellow supporter?

[aker39]

I haven't seen many players do it. Assistant coaches/coaches yes - but not players. Not saying they don't.

Personally - don't like it. PR or not.


You need to wait before you get up and go to the fridge to get a beer at 1/2 time.

It happens all the time. Friday night, channel 7 interviewed Scott Pendlebury.

[MrMahatma]

You need to wait before you get up and go to the fridge to get a beer at 1/2 time.

It happens all the time. Friday night, channel 7 interviewed Scott Pendlebury.

Generally a coffee as games are at 5am here (London) - but true, I do tend to miss the half-time stuff.

[LostDoggy]

Seems to be a bit of an American thing, NHL, NBA etc... all do this.


Clubs and the AFL continually restrict access to players. Hutchy wrote an article regarding this not long ago now, comparing the media access to players in leagues such as the NFL and NBA and I completely agree with his sentiments. I don't see why it would be a bad thing?

Was about to respond to Glove38's post with the exact same thing. You beat me to it.


I don't like it. I watch a bit of NBA and really cringe when it happens there. It seems almost 'unprofessional' or something? maybe i'm a little old fashioned believeing a sportsman has a job to do, and should stay in 'game mode', not jibber jabbering to the media with useless stock standard sentences.

This is their job, that's why they're professional sportsmen. They're at the AFL right now trying to get a slice of the media pie, and if they want that, they've gotta give a bit more back.

As arkie (quoting Hutchy) said, the media, paying a billion dollars, really does deserve better input from the clubs and players than “Yeah, look, we expected them to come hard today and they're a great team, but I'm just happy to play my role for the team and we're happy to get the four points.”…

[LostDoggy]

Was about to respond to Glove38's post with the exact same thing. You beat me to it.



This is their job, that's why they're professional sportsmen. They're at the AFL right now trying to get a slice of the media pie, and if they want that, they've gotta give a bit more back.

As arkie (quoting Hutchy) said, the media, paying a billion dollars, really does deserve better input from the clubs and players than “Yeah, look, we expected them to come hard today and they're a great team, but I'm just happy to play my role for the team and we're happy to get the four points.”…

Yes I would much prefer, "That King's a wanker and I'm gonna smash him first chance I get next quarter":D

[LostDoggy]

The media own the rights to broadcast the games. They don't own the AFL. They are in charge of what and how much we see. They can't dictate what happens with the players or the games.
Now I know they love to offer a variety throughout their broadcast but what is the point of these interviews? No player or coach are going to say anything interesting, just mundane dribble. What do they expect? Someone to give their whole game plan away at half time?
Also I think the Akermanis issues have put even more of a silence on players in recent times. So all you are ever going to get is the bog stock boring answers.

[Twodogs]

Yes I would much prefer, "That King's a wanker and I'm gonna smash him first chance I get next quarter":D


That's known as the Campbell Brown method. Remember when he called
Matthew Lloyd a sniper after a Hawthorn/Essendon game a few years back?


As for interviewing players during games I have no problem with it but I dont really see the point either. It's the same as when they interview tennis players/runners/swimmers as soon as they have finished a match or a race. All you get is the interviewee gasping foair and mouthing platitudes. "Yeah *Gaaassp* I *Gaaaasp* gave it *gaassp* all I could *gaaaasp*, yadayadayada. It's pretty boring television/radio.

[LostDoggy]

The media own the rights to broadcast the games. They don't own the AFL. They are in charge of what and how much we see. They can't dictate what happens with the players or the games.
Now I know they love to offer a variety throughout their broadcast but what is the point of these interviews? No player or coach are going to say anything interesting, just mundane dribble. What do they expect? Someone to give their whole game plan away at half time?
Also I think the Akermanis issues have put even more of a silence on players in recent times. So all you are ever going to get is the bog stock boring answers.

They don't have to broadcast the game. They could show Better Homes and Gardens instead (oh, wait a minute…)

Clubs treat the media like politicians and celebrities do. They want the coverage and attention when they have something to say/sell, but they want their privacy when they don't, or when something embarrassing happens. This is really a fault in PR thinking, where firms look purely to push the corporate messages and fail to present a personality and some openness.

We, as fans, look to the media to provide us with insights on our team —*!especially when we're losing, or when our players are getting drunk, or screwing schoolgirls. We want to know what's going on at that institution we send hundreds of dollars to each year and spend the weekends supporting. Instead, we're sometimes left disillusioned and ultimately disconnected because we're shut out along with the media. Then, the clubs have the gall to bleat about fans walking out the door and the media packs being interested only in hunting down scandals — you're not giving them anything else to write about guys!. Communication needs to improve. They don't have to give away game plans or other IP, just offer something to the thousands of fans watching. Or give something a kid could use — “I'm trying very hard this quarter to get my opponent under the ball so I can run off him”. That kind of stuff is great for kids, explains and teaches them the game.

I would use Robert Murphy as a fine example. I love his articles, I love hearing him speak at any time, he does add more than the bog-standard “I'm just happy to be here, me so humble” crap. He describes in glorious detail the quirky little behind-the-scenes stuff that ultimately humanises a club. He does it without resorting to being a human headline like somebody else that comes to mind…

If players and clubs adopted the attitude that Bobby has, everyone would benefit.

EDIT: I just want to add — I betcha my left boot other sports, who don't get the coverage the AFL get, would gladly be 1000% more open and honest just to get some media attention and money in for their sports.

[LostDoggy]

They are in "game mode" though at half time. I somewhat agree with you when it comes to the weekly media. But during a game I'm sure they are worried about what the have to do with their opponent and concentrating on what their scouting report has told them, than thinking of some coaching tips for the kiddies in between quarters.
Like I said during the week and even at the end of games players do tend to open up and say were they went wrong, what they were trying to achieve during the game, and why they did or didn't achieve that goal.
Jason Akermanis had a big mouth and that got him kicked out of two teams, so I think the clubs probably have more of a say on what the players talk about than the players do.

[Curly5]

I don't mind looking at Gia every chance I get, to be honest. ;)

[LostDoggy]

I don't mind looking at Gia every chance I get, to be honest. ;)

What about when Cameron Ling has something to say?

[Murphy'sLore]

Listen with eyes closed.