Melbourne Media Attitudes
Recently [2004], journalist Martin Flanagan addressed the AFL club presidents and CEOs. An edited version of his speech is here::The meaning of football
In particular, I draw your attention to these paragraphs: "The quandary facing Australian football is that we have a world-class game played, and followed, by only a tiny fraction of the world's population. That can work both for us and against us.
The reason we weren't raided by Rupert Murdoch in the way that rugby league was a couple of years ago was because there wasn't a sufficient global audience for our game. Similarly, I don't believe our code will ever be seriously challenged by the National Soccer League while the likes of Harry Kewell play in Europe; part of the magic of sport is the belief that you're watching the best.
But the world of global entertainment is upon us. Australian football evolved in the same sort of cultural isolation that created West Indian cricket. The present state of West Indian cricket shows what can happen when that isolation is breached."
I don't fully agree with Martin Flanagan here, I think the danger to Aussie rules if it doesn't face the international threat is very real. The sport must seek to develop that global audience to survive. There must be international development or else. It's even more real now that soccer has achieved popular attention in Australia with their performance in the 2006 World Cup. His example on soccer has now been proven wrong.
He's absolutely right though that the lack of a large international audience is working against the sport. If for no other reason than it is one of the great sporting spectacles around and it would be a huge success... if only potential fans were exposed to it. This is exactly the thinking behind what AFANA wants to do in North America.
He's also correct that the world of global entertainment is here and the sooner the AFL comes to terms with that the better off it will be.
-Rob (who is glad someone addressed the AFL on this point!)
Comments
Threat from Soccer
I couldn't agree more about Soccer being a threat to Aussie Rules here, but not for the reasons we all think.
The recent Grand Final for the A-League Soccer drew crowds of close to 55,000 (a record crowd I believe). Melbourne is one of the biggest sporting cities in the world, and while traditionally being an "Aussie Rules" town, most Melbournites will go along to any major sporting event usually in large numbers, I don't think that the numbers at games will dwindle too much in the short term here just because of Soccer popularity, the question I suppose you could ask is do we want it to grow internationally?
What the biggest threat to Aussie Rules here at the moment, is that Australia (especially Victoria & NSW) are in the middle of one of our worst droughts ever. I don't remember ever having lower leagues stating that they will have to delay the season starters due to not being able to water grounds. And worse still, if they don't get a start before May, they could cancel the entire season (remember these guys feed the AFL). The main reason for all of this? Well can you imagine leaping up onto someones back to take a mark, then to come down and land on a dirt patch that more resembles concrete. The injuries would be too much for any club (or parent) to handle.
So what do parents do? Well you don't have to jump much in soccer, so coupled with its recent growth in popularity, they send their kids off to play that code for safety reasons. They get good at it, and don't come back. As a photographer I shoot not only AFL, but junior league Aussie Rules, Soccer, and basketball. Over the past 6 months I have seen a massive increase in numbers in the latter 2.
All I can say is, if anyone knows a good rain dance please get over here and help us out.
Mike Brown
AFANA Photojounalist
Melbourne
The landscape in 2007 has changed
Some of the reasons you cite are real. Like in the US, the "soccer mom" phenomenon is affecting Australia, too. Moms will take the kids to sports they think are "safe".
However, in the context of my original blog posting (from 2004) and the updates from last year, what I am driving at here is not the popularity of the sport in Australia alone, but the broader question of it's survival in a marketplace where they are competing with many more sports than they used to (i.e. rugby). If the AFL does not continue it's push internationally, it will not be able to fight back down the line. There will be erosion of it's market dominance in Australia. I see that as inevitable. But if it can grow in the USA, South Africa, PNG, etc. then they will benefit economically and be able to fight back both within Australia and across the global sports marketplace.
In 1996, on my first trip to the AFL hdqtrs, I told their marketing manager that soccer and other international sports were coming and they had better be ready. Some at the AFL replied that the AFL wouldn't be threatened in Australia in their lifetimes. At least there are signs now that the attitudes are changing.
Agreed
IN the US soccer dies at the 16-18 year level at the latests more so at the 11-12 year old level. The other sports are more mainstream and more exciting for the short attention spans of Americans. At the end of a soccer match it could be 1-0 and a blowout, or 1-0 and a super close game. The fact is that one goal was scored and thats not entertaining, defense does nothing to spike attendance in the US (Some exceptions, but generally the rule)
Football is an exciting sport and according to statistics gathered in the US has a very low injury rate in youth leagues compared to other sports. Parents are reserved about the sport because of perceived violence. As a coach of 5 years of this sport I assure you that football is a grudge sport a full out battle of physical skill. Why is football huge in the US? Simple, big plays on offense and defense, and the ability to score high. Lots of people to cheer for
Basketball, while basketball is an excellent sport it is limited in size and scope. I am not forgetting to go over the mental aspects of these sports just showing why they are popular in the US. For kids to play and practice basketball, you just need one kid a ball and a hoop. Its easy for kids to get involved.
Baseball, this is the only major sport i barely consider a sport. Standing still 80% of the game does not constitute sport it constitutes an activity. Regardless the action is dull by most measures from a spectator side, however playing can bring enjoyment
So why the diatribe on the other sports? Well remember that there are over 200million folks in the US now if we take a guess and say 25% are children (which decide the sports to grow) we are saying 50million kids in the US of those 50 million lets take 20% for kids that play there sport at a high level (10million) of that 10 million less then 1 percent will make it into college sports 100,000. Of the 100k left less then 1% make it to the pros of the respective sport and most have reached the pinnacle of there sport. So now we have 10K people out of an original 50 million that are playing sports competitively.
The problem is to grow sports in the US you have to get it into the schools. The whole concept of clubs is strange to Americans. The idea that when your out of school you are not done with sports (aside from watching on the TV) just is jaw dropping to most folks. Trust me i know I recruit for the local footy team down here.
Soccer moms will indeed bring there kids to sports that they feel are safe. but MORE OFTEN OVERLOOKED is that "Soccer Moms" will bring there kids to sports where they can be involved and be successful. Sports with kids that ride the bench or get stuck in non involved positions tend to have the highest attrition rates. I've spoken to plenty of parents ( see my comment on being a youth coach) the idea that playing footy combines a lot of sports and allows everyone to be the "QB" during the game is very appealing. Most youth footy leagues are not full contact just like youth football in the US (its flag). What we need is funding to develop these leagues. there are plenty of kids to learn and plenty of school boards willing to implement international sports. Its about time, money, and volunteers willing to dedicate their time (I can't coach a whole youth footy league :-) ) By getting the youth involved and creating clubs for adults, you create a atmosphere unique at this level in the US.
Maybe I got off topic, maybe I didn't but i think footy should and can have a great presence in the US and continue to do so if the right amount of leadership and resources are allocated to developing the sport.
