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  1. #16
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
    Fix the stupid rule changes.

    - 3rd man up
    - 6-6-6
    - Stand
    - Protected area
    - Dissent (though I have to say this doesn't bother me too much)
    - BS rule that meant Tom Mitchell somehow gave away a free kick for half-shoving someone in the side on Sunday avo.

    This would seriously take approximately 5.3 seconds.

    As for the crowds, between the COVID experience, COVID related ticketing changes AND the fact that the best side in the league has literally zero supporters whilst some well-supported ones (West Coast, Essendon) are absolutely putrid is contributing...

    Some of the footy has been breathtaking but that Lions/Hawks game Sunday - which *should* have been amazing, was so over-umpired that it sucked all of the enjoyment out of the game.
    Hocking rules all suck.

    Other rules that need to be looked at are:

    1. Chopping the arms. - This was brought in to stop defenders purposely chopping arms in a marking contest. Now what happens, is everytime two players are going for a mark and one accidently touches the others arms it is a free. I can guarantee that every marking contest this happens and often it is free kick after free kick. The players aren't robots.

    2. Kicking out from square - go back to old rule instead of forcing everyone 25m away and letting the player kicking out run 25m without bouncing. Just pushes the congestion further up the ground.

    3. Deliberate out of bounds. The ball is oval, it will bounce all over the place, so frustrating watching these.

    4. taking the feet out. This was brought in to stop players sliding in feet first. It is now paid for a player falling over the back of the player actually on the ground going for the ball.

    The game is not better, it is just different than what footy was for 100 years.

    If you listen to talk back, most calls are about all these rules and the interpretation
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

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  3. #17
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    When I hear the commentary about why crowds are down, it seems a lot go with one definitive answer. For mine, it's fan engagement death by a thousand cuts. Some of them, as I see it:

    - Covid. Two major parts
    1/ getting back into the swing/habit
    2/ way more common surely and probably the biggest reason of all, fans just getting used to watching it home

    - 'Match Day Experience'
    A few have mentioned the noise over the PA, it's just a very artificial experience in general. In Melbourne we have lost the local grounds and all the organic feels that go with that. The pay off was games being at elite stadia. Thing is, compare these to stadiums around the world. The bars, the restaurants, entertainment in general... it is non existent, generic or annoying. My daughter is a coeliac and there was one gluten free option at Marvel.

    Bars have no real vibe or feel other than just trying to sell as much booze as possible. Food options are completely cynical, just there to make as much money as possible. Of course I get this from the venders POV. AFL making as much money as possible but it's really short sighted. Marvel and it's surrounding Docklands precinct could not be more sterile.

    - Ticketing. A few reasons that are at the very least annoying:
    1/ those missing membership cards, but more so, the hassle with different barcodes
    2/ how bad the ticketing agencies are with sites crashing
    3/ cynical distribution of seats, releasing better seats later on and all that (idk if others experience it but I do. Means I try a few times. Many would surely just give up)

    - The rule changes

    - Media negativity. They are often right to be negative. I'm going to tie in the rules into this too. The rule changes are annoying, frustrating but I feel made a bigger part of the narrative by our media. Footy media gets infested by the Triple M demog type, the type that bought us 'worst on ground'. If given an equal opportunity to celebrate or attack something, our media will nearly always go with negativity. The vibe around footy is generally so negative from the media whatever is happening for mine (again, definitely feel there is a fair bit to be negative about but I just feel the AFL media is negative no matter what).

    - all those things (and more) surely just creating a cycle/culture of not going, which will keep growing if changes aren't made.

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  5. #18
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    I am 100% with you DOTW. It has a driven me away from the game. They never stop yelling at you. You can't talk to your friends. There's no natural breathing space after a goal. Everything is drowned out and smothered in unnecessary and intrusive noise. It's killing my joy of going to the footy.
    Quote Originally Posted by Daughter of the West View Post
    The horrendous "game day entertainment/match experience/pulsating light show and deafening bullshit sprouted at every available opportunity/betting ads"

    I hated it when they brought in the stupid LED fence advertising, let alone all the other palava that's followed it since. If I wanted to go to a nightclub and shout to make myself heard to my friends, I would do that rather than going to the football.

    And then the betting ads. F**k off. I now can't even put the highlights on for my pups without a betting ad popping up first.

    Apologies, I digress.

  6. #19
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Quote Originally Posted by Dancin' Douggy View Post
    I am 100% with you DOTW. It has a driven me away from the game. They never stop yelling at you. You can't talk to your friends. There's no natural breathing space after a goal. Everything is drowned out and smothered in unnecessary and intrusive noise. It's killing my joy of going to the footy.
    Marvel sent me a survey about my “match day experience.” Ok, I thought, a chance to have my say. I answered the first few questions making clear my dislike of the noise, the screeching, the incessant gambling ads and the flashing lights. The survey went on. And on. Basically asking the same questions, so I thought I’d scroll past and get to the end, having made my points. With typical officiousness I was told I MUST answer every question or my answers were invalid so five more minutes were added to my time giving the same response.

    For all that, absolutely no change has been seen and if other poor souls collapsed and died at their computer before finishing the stupid thing, some whizz from the marketing dept could still happily conclude that everyone LOVES the experience.

    It felt like everything wrong with footy, a fake consultation and “engagement” which is then ignored and disregarded. Just stop pretending you care what we think. We know you don’t.
    www.bulldogtragician.com A blog about being a lifelong fan of the Dogs and our quixotic attempt to replicate 1954. AND WE DID
    Author of "The Mighty West: the Bulldogs journey from daydream believers to premiership heroes"
    Twitter @bulldogstragic

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  8. #20
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Quote Originally Posted by Daughter of the West View Post

    And then the betting ads. F**k off. I now can't even put the highlights on for my pups without a betting ad popping up first.

    Apologies, I digress.

    Make sure they gamble responsibly. Sorry, bad joke. It is breeding a generation of gamblers though which is a real worry. I personally don't bet at all, I figured early on I dislike working and I have to go there to earn money, why would I just throw it away like that?

    Anyway, rules changes etc are probably driving attendance down more each week but IMO it was always going to be a slow rise back after COVID.

    How are other sports around Australia fairing? I know the Melbourne teams in the NBL didn't do that great this season in terms of attendance.

  9. #21
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    I'm interstate so my viewing experience is on TV and the flashing lights drives me nuts so pity you poor souls live.
    The problem with Australian in general is we've gone done an Americanised scene with our sports and are trying to follow the glitz and glamour and it sucks I never watch any of the pre game stuff on grand final day.
    I like a lot of others I used to watch a lot of VFL to the AFL over the years and now they have driven me to just the odd game if I'm bored and the Dogs games. If the Dogs go so do I.
    Don't piss off old people
    The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...

  10. #22
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Quote Originally Posted by Daughter of the West View Post
    The horrendous "game day entertainment/match experience/pulsating light show and deafening bullshit sprouted at every available opportunity/betting ads"

    I hated it when they brought in the stupid LED fence advertising, let alone all the other palava that's followed it since. If I wanted to go to a nightclub and shout to make myself heard to my friends, I would do that rather than going to the football.

    And then the betting ads. F**k off. I now can't even put the highlights on for my pups without a betting ad popping up first.

    Apologies, I digress.
    How many times can I like this post?
    The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.

  11. #23
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Quote Originally Posted by jazzadogs View Post
    For the first time I can remember, I chose not to go to a game that I had availability to attend (vs Essendon). I had nothing on, I had tickets organised, but I just chose to stay home instead.

    The sad part is I don't enjoy the tv coverage either, but the match day experience is still much improved when I don't have to leave my couch.
    I haven't gone to a game this year and I'm unlikely to. Daughter of the west summed up my thoughts succinctly. I consider my Gold Membership a donation to the club.

  12. #24
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Quote Originally Posted by Daughter of the West View Post
    The horrendous "game day entertainment/match experience/pulsating light show and deafening bullshit sprouted at every available opportunity/betting ads"

    I hated it when they brought in the stupid LED fence advertising, let alone all the other palava that's followed it since. If I wanted to go to a nightclub and shout to make myself heard to my friends, I would do that rather than going to the football.

    And then the betting ads. F**k off. I now can't even put the highlights on for my pups without a betting ad popping up first.

    Apologies, I digress.
    Perfect summation DoW. American rah rah is just blah blah. I reckon if a petition with this wording was started across all clubs it is likely 50% or more supporters would sign it.

  13. #25
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    All it needs is for someone to have an Epileptic fit and gets injured. Who in their bright minds thinks this is a good thing.
    Don't piss off old people
    The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...

  14. #26
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    Re: AFL crowds slump to lowest levels in 26 years, excluding COVID seasons

    Sport in the US is like a rock concert. The AFL want that experience. Living interstate I’ve only attended one game this year..against Sydney, and experienced the lights which to be honest I didn’t mind, and I liked the atmosphere of it.

    I think another thing that isn’t helping is the amount of one sided games. With north, WC and Essendon getting flogged most weeks, it seems that there aren’t that many exciting games, and I normally watch 5-6 games live a week as I don’t work weekends. Most of those I don’t watch the whole games coz they are over by 3 qtr time.

    But for mine, the biggest issues revolve around the rules. We know what they are so I don’t have to go into them again. At the end of the day, the hocking rules suck, and it’s destroying the game.
    I will never see #16 the same!!

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