footycardbaulk

Yesterday, I woke to find the AFL had posted on their web site a good news story for the code, in the form of yet another stadium getting an upgrade so more of our sports loving public can go and watch the greatest game on Earth in comfort.

With the recent completion of the Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, the near completion of the Skoda Stadium in Blacktown, the earlier announcement of the ‘Perth Stadium’ on the Burswood Peninsula due for completion in 2018 and the upgrades for the ‘Adelaide Oval’ with some fantastic looking facilities for the two AFL teams in SA, and on the 3^rd of Jan, Julia Gillard and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell proudly announced the iconic SCG will be in for an upgrade, improving seating capacity, better corporate facilities and better player resources.

Soon, every city in the country, and almost every AFL team by association, will have available to them an A-Grade, first rate stadium with state of the art resources. Great news! Exciting times! Another great win for Football!

But hang on. The team over at the Herald Sun grabbed the story. They looked closer. They read between the lines. They asked the hard questions. In the paper yesterday morning, the awful truth has come out.

Neil Cordy has played the part of town crier come out in the town square and decreed: “Hear ye! Hear ye! There comes a darkness! The storms of unjust tyranny are upon us! Woe betide this new stadium announcement! Hear ye Swans fans! For two turns of the Earth around the sun will you have to do battle with an unseemly construction site! And we have been forced under the spiked heel of the SCG Trust, to have our castles capacity reduced from 45,000 to a measly, paltry 34,000! (Albeit at the height of construction.) Townsfolk of Sydney! Friends of Aussie Rules! We only now see the bright streams of sunlight poke through those dark, dark days of 2007 and 2008, when we were forced through the disastrous construction of the Victor Trumper Stand. Have we not been good?! Have we not been fair?! Why have our AFL Gods of righteousness and truth forsaken us!! A plague AFL! A plague on all your AFL Houses!!”

OK, I’m paraphrasing, but the article went something like that. I’ll put aside the fact the Swans will need this for the betterment of their club for now. They’re not the only show in town anymore, and the fight to attract corporate sponsorship in a Rugby dominated town will only get more difficult. Attractive facilities can only assist. As well as state of the art area for players before and after games. AFL is the most professional team sport in the country, arguably. It deserves the best resources to match, particularly if AFL wants to continue to attract the best athletes in the land.

But I digress. The issue isn’t SHOULD it be done. We all agree it’s a good thing. The issue, it would seem, would be the limited capacity and the favoring of the cricket season over the AFL season.

Well it IS the Sydney CRICKET Ground, so credit where it’s due, we are kicking a footy around their stadium. And there are certain facts surrounding the seat capacity that would support their decision.

I would like to put Neil Cordy’s mind to rest, because it really feels like he’s taking this ‘limited capacity’ thing personally. Neil, I’ve got some good news for ya buddy. Here’s some facts I found after reading your article. I found them by using just my iPhone. While still lying in bed.

OK, the capacity will be limited to 34,000, “at the most disruptive stage of the project”. So it won’t be for 2 whole seasons, one can imagine. I wont speculate at what stage we could expect this. Could be in the off-season? Could be in the guts of the AFL season. Who knows? But we’ll work off the basis that we’ll have 2 seasons with a capacity of 34,000, for the sake of argument.

In Season 2011, the highest crowd at a game at the SCG was 33,136 vs. Hawthorn in Round 9.

In Season 2011, the average crowd numbers at the SCG was 25,200 from 8 games.

The last game to have a higher attendance of 34,000 (for a home & away game) at the SCG was 36,554 in Round 21 in 2010 (Barry Halls return to the SCG game).No other game in 2010 at the SCG managed over 34,000.

The highest crowd prior to this (again, home & away games only) was in 2005 Sydney vs. West Coast with 37,071.

In fact, the one and only season where the SCG has averaged a crowd over 34,000 was in 1997 when the SCG managed 35,818 average punters going through the turnstiles. And that was the year after their surprise Grand Final appearance and the great Tony Lockett was still in full force.

The swans have had a total of 7 (home and away) games in the 21^st Century with a crowd of over 34,000 (8 if you include the 2000 season) from a possible 97 games (110 if you include the 2000 season) come through the gates of the SCG.

So Neil, I want you to rest easy mate. Be safe and comforted by the fact that y’know? I think the Swannies will be alright for the next few years.

(facts via the AFL Tables stats website: stats.rleague.com/afl/afl_index.html)

Side note: At 4:35Pm on 03/01/2012 the AFL posted their positive, upbeat “Swans, AFL hail upgrade” story on their website and replaced it at 10:35am on 04/01/2012 with the more negative, reactionary “Swans ruffled but happy” story in response to the Herald-Sun’s fear-mongering.

Evin Bryant

In 1996, when Wayne Jackson took over the role of AFL CEO from Ross Oakley, the AFL ‘Brand’ had taken something of a beating. One of the things Oakley will be remembered for will be that he broadened the game out to a national audience. Evolving the game from a restricted VFL to Australia’s premier sport, AFL, will always be part of Oakley’s legacy. In doing this though Oakley was a big believer that going forward, Melbourne couldn’t sustain 11 teams and therefore some would have to go.

Thus he pushed for the Bulldogs / Fitzroy merger. Thus he pushed for a Demons / Hawks merger. Thus he pushed for a Fitzroy / North Melbourne merger. And thus he succeeded in a Fitzroy / Brisbane merger. In fact, throughout the majority of the early ‘90’s the word ‘merger’ was bandied about quite a lot. Supporters were scared to lose their team. Supporters were angry that they were being forced out of the game they loved. Supporters’ cried ‘fowl’ that their team struggled while others fed off bigger gate receipts, had greater exposure and more opportunities to push their teams fortunes while others struggled to survive. All this was, it seemed, encouraged by the AFL. They had become the ‘evil empire’. In a new world of corporate dollars no business could possibly be seen as sustainable with such negative recognition. This dark perspective had to change, but make no mistake, they’re agenda has not.

So with Wayne Jackson taking the reigns, he immediately spelled out the AFL’s new outlook. ‘We have heard the words of the supporters and we are here to help’. No more was the idea of merging, relocating or folding on the cards. AFL was now a Television sport and there were some serious big bucks to be considered. Who cares if there happened to be 10 teams in Melbourne? Everyone is watching on TV anyway. The competition was healthy, Premierships had been won interstate, brownlows had been awarded to interstate players, and it was truly a thriving, national competition.

16 teams worked out brilliantly. 8 games per round, 22 rounds and competing channels wanting exclusive rights to it all. Attendances were up, exposure through media was up, and the sport was clearly the most dominant in the nation.

But still the league had challenges. Brisbane and Sydney markets were still strong NRL supporters, even with Sydney making the Grand Final in ‘96, Brisbane had just merged with Fitzroy and there was still much work to be done. Also there was the challenge of some of those pesky Melbourne teams not quite living up to their potential and having enough supporters attending games, buying memberships.

Step 1 of reclaim the AFL Image: throw a bone to the teams who need it.

Because of the success of the League, the cost of running a football team had increased. The demand of becoming more a corporate business culture and less of a local footy club was becoming far too apparent. The 'Big Four', Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and Essendon always had the big ‘Blockbuster’ games and were living high off gate receipts. How could the Bulldogs and North Melbourne possibly survive against the sort of dollars the bigger teams were raking in? The AFL heard the pleas and agreed the current situation was not amicable. Support needed to be shared. If a team were to fold, it wouldn’t be because the AFL refused to assist. So the teams began to approach the AFL to apply for the AFL Competitive Balance Fund, which would net them $1 million dollars support. So working with the AFL, if a team had a sustainable financial plan going forward the AFL would financially assist.

The effect of this greatly restored the faith of all supporters with the AFL. No longer were they a corporate monster, but helpful guide assisting clubs transition between a footy club to a corporate entity.

They pushed the brand of AFL into whatever corner they could squeeze into, with community camps, regional challenges, exhibition games and games played for premiership points in markets such as Darwin, Alice Springs, Cairns, Tasmania and Canberra. The country was getting a taste for AFL and the hunger was growing.

But as the competition grows and the reach stretches farther, so does the need for clubs to grow. More equipment, more facilities, players becoming full time professionals, more coaches, more travel arrangements, more staff. The clubs, just as the players, needed to be stronger, better, faster if they were to be able to seriously compete at this level.

And this is where the AFL will cash in on their long term goal. As the game grows and expands, as the trials and demands and pressures are added to clubs, the more difficult it will be for already struggling Melbourne clubs to be able to compete in an already drenched market, even with the financial support of the mighty AFL.

Darwin’s theory of natural evolution will push clubs out of Melbourne, and the AFL will be powerless to do anything. The hatchling that was the newly named AFL has grown into a beast. The genie is out of the bottle now. The demise of clubs based in Melbourne will soon be out of their control. But hey, at least the AFL tried!

The AFL is on the verge of signing a new broadcast agreement. Yes, this will mean more money for each club, but it will also increase the cost of running a club. Player salaries will go up, and with 2 new franchises introduced, their pockets over flowing with cash and higher salary caps other clubs best players are under threat. Ablett has moved on for big bucks and they’re not done yet. And with GWS circling, your teams best players are prime targets.

Back in the ‘90’s, North Melbourne was a juggernaut on the field, a champion team with all-star champion players the likes of Carey and Archer. Throughout their domination, the Roos made it to 3 Grand Finals for 2 Premierships. As unstoppable as they were in the competition, off field they continued to labor. Sure they were viable and strong enough to survive during their successful years, but they have proven to be one of the last teams to embrace the corporate template needed to survive. Their transition from ‘local footy club’ to ‘vibrant business entity’ has moved at a glacier pace, compared to the rest of the competition. During that period in the ‘90’s, there was a real, prime opportunity to run off their success but the window closed. They continued their struggling existence.

In December of 2007, with the club staring down a long hard road back to true independence, the club was once again on the verge of relocation. The AFL announced a new team to be set up on the Gold Coast and offered the Kangaroos a very attractive package to make the move. It was such an attractive offer it would prove to put doubt in even some of North Melbourne’s most fervent supporters. The offer was very open, honest, without pressure, needling or harassment. Simply another option as the club evaluates what to do next. The increase growth and exposure of the game was beginning to do as the AFL foresaw, stretch the smaller clubs way too thin. 3 years later and the club still barely holds on. Members are still too few, corporate sponsorship is difficult to secure and there are in-fighting a board level. The situation continues to grow precarious.

History show the wheel will always turn. North Melbourne was a powerhouse once upon a time. Richmond and Carlton were both regarded as untouchable, both belonging to that exclusive 'Big Four'. It’s amazing what the future can hold. Footy is as game of highs and lows, on and off the field. But the wheel turns a lot more slowly nowadays. One club leaving the crowded Melbourne environment will give the other stragglers some much needed breathing space.

Currently, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Carlton and North Melbourne are fighting off debts and struggling to keep up with demand. In this dangerous game of musical chairs, hopefully it’s not YOUR team that’s left standing when the music stops.

By Evin Bryant

This has been an unusual week in Melbourne. The lead up to a Grand Final is usually full of events that stir the enthusiasm of the whole city, but not this week. This week has been quiet in terms of events, but has still held a sense of anticipation for today's game that has been unavoidable.

In the immediate aftermath of last Saturday's game, there were many people on Twitter (and presumably also in the real world) arguing for or against playing extra time to produce a result. Over the course of the week, I've heard many change their position. I love the fact that we have a Grand Final replay after a draw. It's something unlike other Grand Finals, something that will pass into legend and be remembered above others. The AFL should never change it, and here are a few reasons why:

·         Last Saturday, so many of the people who wanted extra time played gave no other reason beyond a wish to have the result settled on the day. Why? Why should we, after 22 rounds of play followed by four weeks of finals, should we be in such a hurry to decide a winner for the entire season? The inconvenience or perhaps discomfort of waiting another week for a result (not just to one match but to an ENTIRE FOOTBALL SEASON) is not sufficient to change the rules of the game.

·         Others have pointed to the way people have had their lives effected by today's replay as reason to make the change. Personally, I'm not effected by having to watch another game today, but I can't come up with a single scenario where this is a valid argument for extra time either. Let's have some perspective and realise that life goes on whether there's football or not. How serious can the effects of the replay possibly be?

 My first thought was for those getting married today and how they might be put out. Still, not enough reason. If your wedding is going to be ruined by the fact of a Grand Final being played on the day then you perhaps need to re-examine your priorities. This coming from someone who upset his wife and her family  by refusing to get married on a day when the Brisbane Lions were playing in Melbourne. (Solution: have the wedding a week later when they were playing in Brisbane and I could record it and watch when we got back from our honeymoon.)

I once missed a Grand Final because I had to work, as I'm sure many others did last week and will again this week. I certainly didn't expect the AFL to do anything about it.

·         Some might feel upset that they aren't able to attend the replay this week after attending last week. For every one of these people there is at least one more who missed out last week and has a ticket for today's game. Every year, fans miss out on Grand Final tickets, replay or no replay. It comes with the territory of being a footy fan. Being lucky enough to be inside the MCG on Grand Final day is a privilege that most footy fans never get. Saying "but I didn't get a result" is ridiculous.

·         Last, and most significantly, the AFL's number one job is not to appease footy fans but to maintain the integrity of the competition. In the case of a drawn Grand Final, they must come up with a solution that gets the right result, not the least inconvenient.

Obviously, with the entire season to be decided, the answer is to play more footy. So how much more? Five minutes each way is not good enough. As I argued above, being in a hurry is not appropriate. This isn't soccer, where little happens over the course of 90 minutes so another half hour might produce one goal. Too much happens in our game for it to be settled in so short a period of time.

Playing 10, 20 or 30 minutes of extra time to settle the season would magnify the effects of so many little things. Any mistakes in umpiring would have too little time to even out. Any injuries that came during the course of regular time would have too much of an impact on the result. In short, luck would be too much of a factor for the result of extra time to have the integrity that a full replay does.

If the Grand Final is drawn, then the only thing to do is play it all over again. Shouldn't the Premiership be decided by a game of football?

5 Minutes to go in the last quarter. It’s been a tough, dour struggle for the past 100 minutes in a low scoring affair. The Bulldogs have had control of the football and most of the attacking opportunities for most of the game. We have had the lead for the entire game. The Saints have dragged the game down to an old fashioned slug-fest. Tight pressure, hard running, blocking the Bulldogs speed and clogging up the spaces the Doggies so much like to lead in to. A fast break is hard to come by for either side and the Dogs are forced to chip around to find a viable option and apparently a long bomb isn’t a viable option.

St. Kilda gets a rare opportunity to try for a long snap for goal. It finds its way through the goals like a ball is a magnet drawn to a point behind the goal square. It’s the Saints third goal in the last 5 minutes and is enough to put them in the lead. It’s a long scrappy affair of man on man with hard fought possessions and desperate bumps and tackles from tired legs as the Dogs pursue any possible course for a last minute grasp of saving this victory.

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Welcome to our newly relocated blog for FootyCardBaulk!

When we started this last season we had grand ideas of regular blogging with actual readers. It didn’t work out like that when the Twitter account we set up to promote the blog kind of took over instead. Now, with a fresh blog on Posterous, we can work better with Twitter to keep the footy conversation going.

No promises that we’ll post here regularly, but we’ve learnt a bit from the past 12 months and want to try to make this season better.

This feels exciting, like that moment when the national anthem’s not quite finished yet but everyone starts to roar anyway...