Footy to Return

[caesar]

If the games are allowed to start, where the hell does Eddie Everywhere get off saying that the opening game should be the Pies against the Tigers.

Who the hell does he think he is??

It Eddie that now runs the AFL???

Richmond vs Pies is an obvious 1st up fixture, Eddie was just saying it was what the broadcasters want and fans for that matter.

You and I can dislike Eddie all we like but to give him is due he would have been working extraordinary hours as part of the working committee to save our game.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I've been a big Eddie critic but through this I think it's obvious he's been doing what he needs to for the AFL as a whole, not just the Pies. Calling for a Pies Tigers opener is a good idea if they want to launch the restart with a massive game that will get everyone watching. With no crowd, financially it won't benefit anyone.

I agree. The biggest fear for me is that having no crowds will water down the product.
A bit like a comedian telling jokes to no audience.
The energy of live sport is generated from crowd reaction & interaction to the athletes feats.
Some footy better than none sure but it will be nowhere near the same as a spectacle.

Eddie has to talk it up. Everyone does. & the AFL should be spending big on the best marketers in the country to generate interest.

 

[TV Josh]

I think we are underestimating the competition, by which I mean, what other sports are people going to watch, everything is shut down. What other activities are people going to be doing? Clubs and pubs are closed, dinner parties are limited to 2 visitors. I reckon the ratings will be enormous for this reason. Probably the ad break durations too.

 

[Baloo]

I think we are underestimating the competition, by which I mean, what other sports are people going to watch, everything is shut down. What other activities are people going to be doing? Clubs and pubs are closed, dinner parties are limited to 2 visitors. I reckon the ratings will be enormous for this reason. Probably the ad break durations too.

Sure, the ratings will be high, and the footy shows will finally have something else to talk about. But after seeing Rd 1 with no crowds, it wasn't enjoyable to watch. It was missing that crucial element that is our crowds. Really felt like watching a GCS vs #lolNorf match.

Watch it? yeah. Enjoy it? Dunno. How we view the season this year will come down to who wins it.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I reckon the ratings will be enormous for this reason.

The TV ratings will be high cause people can't attend games..
At least they will be initially. Be interesting to see if that's sustained.

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

Too true, and second waves of pandemics are common, just go back to the Flu outbreak after WWI.

DS

Cedar Meats has really set the state back. There's a real risk the easing of restrictions is now too soon. Much more of a risk than the footy players ITBHO. SA and WA governments are doing the responsible thing for their states.

 

[Baloo]

Cedar Meats has really set the state back. There's a real risk the easing of restrictions is now too soon. Much more of a risk than the footy players ITBHO. SA and WA governments are doing the responsible thing for their states.

What's great is the Crows Barossa training farce is being blamed for the SA government's decision not to allow fly in/out.

 

[Baloo]

Do you think people feel that way because it means they are effectively losing their role in the game? As in it's not the game that changes but rather people's investment in it.

For me at least, the feral crowd is part and parcel of an AFL game. Maybe it's especially true for us because player after player has talked about the Tiger Roar and how it impacts them on the ground.

Personally I found it hard yelling and cheering watching the game because I seemed to be the only one doing it. During a normal game I'd be yelling and cheering along with the crowd noise from the TV.

 

[Ian4]

I've been a big Eddie critic but through this I think it's obvious he's been doing what he needs to for the AFL as a whole, not just the Pies. Calling for a Pies Tigers opener is a good idea if they want to launch the restart with a massive game that will get everyone watching. With no crowd, financially it won't benefit anyone.

I guess I'm referring to his general conduct in recent years as opposed to what he said about Pies/Richmond opener.

But when I think about it, a Pies/Tigers opener isn't a logical idea. people will be salivating at the thought of footy starting, so blockbusters aren't particularly necessary. People will get excited about Gold Coast v Freo right now.

 

[Baloo]

But when I think about it, a Pies/Tigers opener isn't a logical idea. people will be salivating at the thought of footy starting, so blockbusters aren't particularly necessary. People will get excited about Gold Coast v Freo right now.

Same can be said for Round 1 or any season, but the AFL knows opening with a big one, Us vs Blues, is a great way to kick off the season.

 

[BrisTiger24]

I guess I'm referring to his general conduct in recent years as opposed to what he said about Pies/Richmond opener.

But when I think about it, a Pies/Tigers opener isn't a logical idea. people will be salivating at the thought of footy starting, so blockbusters aren't particularly necessary. People will get excited about Gold Coast v Freo right now.

This is true. I'd even watch VFLW if it was on the TV right now!

 

[BrisTiger24]

The hardest part to justify is green lighting a collison sport whilst telling people to stay 2m apart in every other workplace in the country.

Much as I want to see footy, it really makes no sense.

Golf is one thing. Footy is another altogether.

I guess the difference is the protocols that the AFL will be putting in place. From what we know they are looking at weekly testing, quarantined playing/coaching groups, private air travel etc. Even if we could do weekly testing for the entire country, I'm sure much of the physical distancing requirements could be alleviated.

 

[DavidSSS]

I think that's the thing, it is really just a psychological impact on the fans more than anything.

In time I think that impact will fade and we will notice it less.

Yes, but the impact will especially fade if the fans aren't interested. If we notice it less then it is probably because we are no longer paying attention.

If the fans lose their role in the game, the game dies because it is the fans that fund the game at AFL level (crowds and people watching on TV).

It is a tight rope they have to walk, keep the interest for long enough such that the crowds can return. Playing to empty stadiums has a limited shelf life.

DS

 

[TrialByVideo]

Sure, the ratings will be high, and the footy shows will finally have something else to talk about. But after seeing Rd 1 with no crowds, it wasn't enjoyable to watch. It was missing that crucial element that is our crowds. Really felt like watching a GCS vs #lolNorf match.

Watch it? yeah. Enjoy it? Dunno. How we view the season this year will come down to who wins it.

It'll be interesting to see if they go with some of the suggestions David Barham (longtime TV sports director) made in relation to inserting crowd noise and locking off cameras where they can to minimize vision of the vacant seating.
As for me, I'll be watching with the sound off which I often do, especially whenever Brayshaw or Taylor are screaming the game.
You'd be surprised how quickly you get used to it and tho it's never gonna be as good as the real thing, it'll do me for now.

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

Personally I found it hard yelling and cheering watching the game because I seemed to be the only one doing it. During a normal game I'd be yelling and cheering along with the crowd noise from the TV.

Footy crowds aren't that dissimilar to a Tourette convention. Participants of the game day threads have their own subtype: Tourtext Syndrome.

 

[Tass]

Well, well, well....The WA Premiere has emphatically ‘declared’ his politically driven bias and agenda insisting that VIC clubs be based in hubs in WA. So much for ‘broader community health concerns’ driven decision making

 

[tigertim]

It'll be interesting to see if they go with some of the suggestions David Barham (longtime TV sports director) made in relation to inserting crowd noise and locking off cameras where they can to minimize vision of the vacant seating.

Youd think they’d have had enough time to utilise a “fake crowd” (for eg in rd 2 when Collingwood play Richmond they use crowd and audio footage from a previous R v C game).

After all its only a tv event so what’s it matter to us at home whether there’s a real crowd there or a fake crowd, it makes for a better viewing spectacle than no crowd.

 

[mrposhman]

Well, well, well....The WA Premiere has emphatically ‘declared’ his politically driven bias and agenda insisting that VIC clubs be based in hubs in WA. So much for ‘broader community health concerns’ driven decision making

Exactly what I thought. Says Vic clubs are pampered as they don't want to go over to WA. I suspect its more that the VIC government isn't installing barriers to travel like WA, and the fair belief that they should minimise the impact on players. To move to hubs in WA would mean at least half the clubs would need to move (if there were 2 hubs) then the others would need to swap over afterwards to ensure all teams play each other, so instead of uprooting 10 clubs for the hub approach, they will just up root the 2 from WA. Impact is much less, its not about pampering.

 

[snags]

For me at least, the feral crowd is part and parcel of an AFL game. Maybe it's especially true for us because player after player has talked about the Tiger Roar and how it impacts them on the ground.

Personally I found it hard yelling and cheering watching the game because I seemed to be the only one doing it. During a normal game I'd be yelling and cheering along with the crowd noise from the TV.

Perhaps we can do a gogglebox type setup with zoom running a side channel collecting audio from all participating households. Someone would need to be quick with the expletives muting buzzer if I'm involved.

 

[jokershoppe]

For the first time in 40 years I watched only half a AFL game in round 1,didn't watch any other match, normally I would watch 5-6 matches a week, was surprised even shocked that ,7, foxtel didn't put some false crowd noise in,would be a few steps closer to normal than the eerie no noise,ratings dropped big time as fans turned off the over quite no noise,I would think there is no reason to not put some noise in,would improve the excitement levels.