AFANA Footy BBS

This is probably not news to many of you, but it was to me.

You can listen to footy over the Internet on Melbourne's Triple M radio station

http://www.mmmelb.com.au/

So if you can't afford broadband, here is another option.

Check the website for games and times.

Until a few months ago, I have been chugging along on a Windows/95 computer without sound capabilities, so I had no reason to care about this before.

> You can listen to footy over the Internet on Melbourne's Triple M radio station

> http://www.mmmelb.com.au/
> So if you can't afford broadband, here is another option.

Yes, this is free until the season starts, at which time it will be blocked unless you are a subscriber to the AFL web site. At least this is what has been the case the past few seasons and what I am lead to expect this season.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> Yes, this is free until the season starts, at which time it will be blocked
> unless you are a subscriber to the AFL web site. At least this is what has been the
> case the past few seasons and what I am lead to expect this season.

Bummer. I thought I had found something good. Oh well...

> Yes, this is free until the season starts, at which time it will be blocked
> unless you are a subscriber to the AFL web site. At least this is what has been the
> case the past few seasons and what I am lead to expect this season.

You were able to listen live on the internet last year. I did so several times. As I think about it, I'm thinking that some games were free each weekend while others required subscription.

  -- RW "KC Swan" Lipp 

> You were able to listen live on the internet last year. I did so several times. As
> I think about it, I'm thinking that some games were free each weekend while others
> required subscription.

Actually, I found another station (Edge 102 FM Wangeratta http://www.edgefm.com.au/) whose website claims that they broadcast the Triple M Saturday and Sunday match of the day. They are suppossed to be available on SHOUTCast using Winamp, but so far I have been unable to get it to work. I think their listen.pls is bad. I sent them an Email last night asking about it and am waiting for a reply.

I never could get the EDGE to work. I sent them 2 Emails, but the never replied. Makes me wonder if they are still broadcasting.

On Triple M, Brisbane - St. Kilda was blocked.

But Carlton - Kangaroos is being broadcast live over the Internet on Triple M as I write this. The first quarter just ended with

Carlton 3 5 23
Kangas 3 4 22

It's late Saturday night (my time) and Geelong-Richmond is now being broadcast on Triple M Melbourne over the Internet. It looks like the Swan Man may have been right about weekend Internet broadcasts.

Talk about mixed feelings. Generally I hate it when he's right about anything but I'm glad he's right about this.

I noticed that Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney Triple M also cover footy, but I haven't picked up any footy broadcasts from them over the Internet yet. But who knows???

> ... Geelong-Richmond is now being broadcast on
> Triple M Melbourne over the Internet. It looks like the Swan Man may have been right
> about weekend Internet broadcasts.

> I noticed that Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney Triple M also cover footy, but I
> haven't picked up any footy broadcasts from them over the Internet yet.

I've followed this thread as well as received numerous e-mails about the radio coverage on the Internet. Just so everyone is aware, AFANA has made several inquiries with the AFL regarding just what is subscription or not this season. We want to know if the links are to be found at the AFL site or the radio sites as well.

At this stage, I won't stop you from posting links here but don't expect us to officially acknowledge them or verify them just yet. I have no desire for AFANA to be the target of AFL or Telstra legal beagles.

If the AFL fails to respond to our inquiries I'll then warn them we intend to publish details in our next newsletter. If we get no further clarification then journalistically and legally we're covered.

Enjoy listening wherever you find it.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> At this stage, I won't stop you from posting links here but don't expect us to
> officially acknowledge them or verify them just yet. I have no desire for AFANA to
> be the target of AFL or Telstra legal beagles.

Understood. If I come across any more links I will post them for information (unless you tell me to stop) but will not expect any official endorsement from AFANA.

Also, Rob I noticed you left one part out of my previous message because it did not apply to your point..

> Talk about mixed feelings. Generally I hate it when he's right about anything
> but I'm glad he's right about this.

But it got me to thinking.

In case anyone misunderstands, the comment was intended as good natured ribbing. Mr Lipp gives back as good as he gets, and I usually end up on the short end of our little debates.

Although I have not met him in person, I consider Mr Lipp (Swan Man) a friend... as I do all footy fans.

So if I have offended anyone, I apologize. The comment was meant in jest.

> Understood. If I come across any more links I will post them for information (unless
> you tell me to stop) but will not expect any official endorsement from AFANA.

I figured you did understand and I probably should have made it clear though the comment was intended for everyone not you in particular.

> In case anyone misunderstands, the comment was intended as good natured ribbing. Mr
> Lipp gives back as good as he gets, and I usually end up on the short end of our
> little debates. ...
> So if I have offended anyone, I apologize. The comment was meant in jest.

None taken here, nor I hope anywhere else. Anyone who has read this board much at all would recognize it wasn't intended to offend. I get a laugh out of the banter between yourself and the Swan man.

From my semi-official point of view, as long as everyone here is civil, good natured, and the language isn't offensive, we can have a little fun with each other. Topic wise, as long as it's pertinent to footy in some respect or the coverage of it, it's ok. The flame wars on footy vs soccer of a few years ago are still out (obviously).

-Rob de Santos

AFANA Blog

Monday's Collingwood - Bulldogs match was blocked on Triple M Internet, so I guess its looking like the best we can hope for is the weekend matches.

Hi all,

Here's what the AFL Internet manager told AFANA today about the radio station audio:

"Radio is free to all - no subscription is necessary.

In the main news area on the homepage, each match is highlighted with an image of players from both Clubs and with a tag of "live stats, scores and radio" when the match is live.

Users just have to click on that photo for links to appear next to the large image for the radio, scores or stats of that particular match."

So, I guess we see how that goes next weekend.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> In the main news area on the homepage, each match is highlighted with an image of
> players from both Clubs and with a tag of "live stats, scores and radio"
> when the match is live.

> Users just have to click on that photo for links to appear next to the large image
> for the radio, scores or stats of that particular match."

I couldn’t find a page exactly as described above. Maybe this is how is used to look before they redid the website???

But this is how I found the stations last week.

• In the Fixture section on the home page, click on the Preview button next to any match.
• This will bring up a page with information about that match.
• About half way down the page are a TV Coverage link and a Radio Coverage link. Click on the Radio Coverage link.
• This will bring up a MS Word document listing all the matches for the week and radio coverage for each match.
• You have to find the stations’ web sites on your own to determine whether they broadcast the match over the internet.

The Word list of matches is supposed to be updated Wednesday each week for the next week’s matches, but they are late this week. As of 8:00 AM Thursday my time (11:00 PM Melbourne) week 2 info has not been loaded. Hopefully they will get it there in time.

> I couldn’t find a page exactly as described above. Maybe this is how is used to look
> before they redid the website???

Not to my recollection. The links last year were text links not graphic but perhaps someone else remembers otherwise.

The reason I said 'we'd see how it goes' was because I, too, have my doubts that the description matches reality. If it doesn't this weekend, I'll go back to the source and challenge it. It could be that it's supposed to be that way and isn't or it could be the information is out of date or perhaps reality hasn't caught up with the planning. Or maybe we all just missed it.

> But this is how I found the stations last week.
...
> This will bring up a MS Word document listing all the matches for the week and
> radio coverage for each match.
> You have to find the stations’ web sites on your own to determine whether they
> broadcast the match over the internet.
> The Word list of matches is supposed to be updated Wednesday each week for the next
> week’s matches, but they are late this week.

This document is part of a weekly AFL press release. We get it here at AFANA. Up to now, it's not something we found very useful but we'll have someone post the relevant extract to the BBS for this weekend. The AFL was clear that this is not how they expect it to work. The radio stations are all supposed to be linked from the AFL site so you don't have to check every individual radio station web site.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

Amazing...

I checked the AFL home page at 4:20AM my time (7:40PM Melbourne time) and it had not changed.

But at 4:40AM my time (7:40PM Melbourne time) it changed to exactly what the AFL Internet manager told Rob it would be. I clicked on the LIVE Audio link, and it took me to a page with links to the stations carrying the Carlton - Essendon game. I tried the radio links, and all three of them worked.

It's still in the first quarter at about 5:00AM my time right now. I'm going back to bed for awhile and will get back up in awhile to catch the end of the game.

I'm happy!!!!

Now if we could just get Melbourne to set their clocks back 15 hours.

Game over...

Carlton comes back from 28 down at start of 4th quarter to win...

Carlton 16 14 110
Essendon 17 4 106

> Amazing...
> I checked the AFL home page at 4:20AM my time (7:40PM Melbourne time) and it had not
> changed.
> But at 4:40AM my time (7:40PM Melbourne time) it changed to exactly what the AFL
> Internet manager told Rob it would be. I clicked on the LIVE Audio link, and it took
> me to a page with links to the stations carrying the Carlton - Essendon game. I
> tried the radio links, and all three of them worked.

It's amazing all right. One little complaint from AFANA and things get fixed. My guess is the AFL didn't know that Telstra was dropping the ball and actually paid attention this week. Apparently the links aren't live until about 30 minutes before the game start but from all indications they weren't there last week.

Glad it's working. Next...

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> but from all indications they weren't there last week.

Yes they were. I've been too busy to respond, but I listened to part of the Swans match that way.

  -- RW "KC Swan" Lipp 

> Yes they were. I've been too busy to respond, but I listened to part of the Swans
> match that way.

That's interesting. I don't doubt you but I find it curious that so many people wrote AFANA saying the opposite. Is it possible that the links weren't there for every match of the round? Or maybe people just didn't know what to look for on the redesigned AFL site, so they missed it?

The upside is that the "problem", whatever it was, is fixed.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> Is it possible that the links weren't
> there for every match of the round?

My guess is maybe they remove it after the weekend and then put it back shortly before the next series of matches. If you look at the AFL Home Page right now, the LIVE Audio link is gone. But I'm guessing they will probably put it back sometime before next weekend's matches. Those of us who didn't see it probably just looked at the wrong time.

> My guess is maybe they remove it after the weekend and then put it back shortly
> before the next series of matches. If you look at the AFL Home Page right now, the
> LIVE Audio link is gone. But I'm guessing they will probably put it back sometime
> before next weekend's matches. Those of us who didn't see it probably just looked at
> the wrong time.

They absolutely do remove it between rounds. The AFL even said as much by implication in what they told me what was expected to happen. (If they don't put them up until 30 mins prior to a match it seems logical they won't be there between rounds.)

But that's not what I am suggesting. Some of the fans who e-mailed AFANA did so during matches and couldn't find the links. There are messages on the aussie rules usenet newsgroup saying the same thing. That's why I suspect they were either not always there (i.e. Telstra failed to do for some matches) or some of us just couldn't figure out what to look for.

I'm just not inclined to believe everyone who wrote us was wrong. Though anything is possible.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog