Create Event Games - Your Suggestions

[45HG 1,539]

The breast cancer awareness match is Round 7 this year Billy, before the Dogs game

[The Chazz 4,077]

The breast cancer awareness match is Round 7 this year Billy, before the Dogs game

Cool, cheers for that. Good to see that is still a major part of our fixture. I think it needs to stay against 1 particular team each year, as opposed to a particular date/round. Would also be good if it were against a side that we might actually beat so we can receive some form of trophy!

[The Chazz 4,077]

Do we still have the ladies day for Breast Cancer awareness? I can remember a few years ago a mate of mine went to that match as his wife, a survivor of breast cancer, was part of the onfield festivities for this day. They both loved the day (from memory it was against Adelaide), yet one is a Richmond supporter and the other a Carlton! From memory, any lady that wore pick got in for free or discounted price? I have been in Qld for the last 4 years, so it may not be around.

Probably too late now with the bye coming in next year, but it always puzzled me why Melbourne used to play the following week after the Collingwood/Queens Birthday round, yet this was a split round. Collingwood always played the following week, which meant 2 things...1. We only had a 6 day turn around as we played on the following Sunday, and 2. That Sunday game was one of 5 or 6 games that weeked. With Collingwood playing in the 2nd weekend of the split round, their games was always one of about 2 or 3 for that weekend. While this idea is not the themed idea as this topic suggests, it would creat more exposure for the MFC. I for one hate the split round as it meant there were only 3 games on during the 2nd half of the round. Nb - I haven't checked this years fixture to see if this is the same again in 2010.

One other way of getting crowd numbers up would be to try and include more curtain-raiser games with our Reserves/Casey Scorpions to play before hand - just like the good old days! Even if we could somehow align to an under 18's side (eg Dandenong Stingrays), they too could play a curtain-raiser. I know there is the issue of too much football being played on our MCG, but I know that the Brisbane Lions quite often have a match of some description on before their seniors play. With the price of tickets where they are, it would add great entertainment for the customer and give more value for money. Plus, if the U18 idea happened, it would hopefully generate a bit more interest from the juniors coming through to consider Melbourne as a fantastic club.

Just checked - finally we are playing on the 2nd weekend of the split round...in bloody Adelaide!

[Inner Demon 1]

I don't see the obsession with adding gimmicks and sideshows to games. Does everyone really believe thousands of people who otherwise wouldn't have bothered would come to a game just because there's some kind of contrived pre-game entertainment or 'theme'??

Football fans will go to games to see either high quality football and/or to be part of a big crowd atmosphere.

The successful so-called "Event Games" that work like Ess v Rich & Coll v Ess work well because they are high-drawing clubs with large supporter bases, and on a public holiday for ANZAC Day, not because an extra 10,000 people are so massively excited about 20 minutes of 'indigenous celebrations' or hearing the last post.

To pick on one particular suggestion I saw here, if we labelled one of our games "International Round" the immigrant population of Melbourne doesn't all of a sudden go, "Hey!! That's me, I'm International!!!" and pour into the MCG in their thousands to see a game they don't care about and walk out converted with a newfound passion. As for giving away free tickets, we struggle to turn a profit at our games as it is, now we're going to pay for people to come????

We already try this with the Melbourne Heartland concept which is aimed at community groups/charities/schools etc and we struggle to give away those tickets some weeks.

[Keyser Söze 0]

I don't see the obsession with adding gimmicks and sideshows to games. Does everyone really believe thousands of people who otherwise wouldn't have bothered would come to a game just because there's some kind of contrived pre-game entertainment or 'theme'??

Football fans will go to games to see either high quality football and/or to be part of a big crowd atmosphere.

The successful so-called "Event Games" that work like Ess v Rich & Coll v Ess work well because they are high-drawing clubs with large supporter bases, and on a public holiday for ANZAC Day, not because an extra 10,000 people are so massively excited about 20 minutes of 'indigenous celebrations' or hearing the last post.

To pick on one particular suggestion I saw here, if we labelled one of our games "International Round" the immigrant population of Melbourne doesn't all of a sudden go, "Hey!! That's me, I'm International!!!" and pour into the MCG in their thousands to see a game they don't care about and walk out converted with a newfound passion. As for giving away free tickets, we struggle to turn a profit at our games as it is, now we're going to pay for people to come????

We already try this with the Melbourne Heartland concept which is aimed at community groups/charities/schools etc and we struggle to give away those tickets some weeks.

I think there is still some merit in the idea.

International students and the like would come if they were given cheap tickets and as they would have no prior allegiances could grow to become demon members.

It's a start, but the idea needs a lot more work and in the end probably won't be viable.

(who am I kidding, I'm just scared of E25's reaction to shooting down his idea )

[e25 5]

I think there is still some merit in the idea.

International students and the like would come if they were given cheap tickets and as they would have no prior allegiances could grow to become demon members.

It's a start, but the idea needs a lot more work and in the end probably won't be viable.

(who am I kidding, I'm just scared of E25's reaction to shooting down his idea )

You're a smartarse KS

I don't care if you shoot the idea down, I'm just trying to brainstorm and offer an idea that we can collectively build on.

I still think internationals are an untapped resource (well, not-fully-tapped, at least -- I do remember hearing about clubs in the past handing out packages at naturalization ceremonies)

anyway, it's just somethign to build on.

I think there's a lot of merit in ID's argument that it's not the gimmick that makes the round, but the fact these clubs have a lot of supporters.

But I think the hype built around the gimmick ensures these supporters turn up to the game.

You also don't want to over-estimate a supporter base's intelligence

[Inner Demon 1]

I had this conversation with someone at the Club once before. They already tried the International Students thing. The Club gave them tickets, reserved L2 seats, a private room, a pre-game AFL tutorial. Apparently they seemed to enjoy it well enough the first time but they didn't even show up for the 2nd game.

This market just plain don't care.

[Keyser Söze 0]

I had this conversation with someone at the Club once before. They already tried the International Students thing. The Club gave them tickets, reserved L2 seats, a private room, a pre-game AFL tutorial. Apparently they seemed to enjoy it well enough the first time but they didn't even show up for the 2nd game.

This market just plain don't care.

Ugh. That's disheartening.

But logically, it shouldn't be surprising, I guess.

Scratch that idea.

[Keyser Söze 0]

You're a smartarse KS

Too true

[Je Roos Salem 661]

No, we do not need any other Event games. Playing "themed" games of footy is absolute BS, Queens birthday is enough since it's the famous day we know when we play Collingwood. Crowd doesn't matter, whatever Melbourne supporter who only turns up for a "themed" game, obviously doesnt love the football club enough. We just need to play our footy in a sportsman like way, we should not have all these little bits and pieces adding to the core of it all, a game of football at the MCG which we all love watching in itself

[Inner Demon 1]

Rather than trying to invent themes and take leaps of faith into "untapped" (disinterested) markets, I really love when the Club organises things like the opportunity for fans to have a kick on The G after games. It's really terrific and it's a great credit to the Club that our relationship with the MCC has regrown to such a point that we've managed to revive this for a couple of games.

Again, I remain unconvinced that things of this nature necessarily draws thousands of extra fans through the gate on its own, but it can certainly enhance the experience of those who do come. I'm a firm believer that value adding to existing customers should take precedence over reaching for new markets.

[Keyser Söze 0]

Rather than trying to invent themes and take leaps of faith into "untapped" (disinterested) markets, I really love when the Club organises things like the opportunity for fans to have a kick on The G after games. It's really terrific and it's a great credit to the Club that our relationship with the MCC has regrown to such a point that we've managed to revive this for a couple of games.

Again, I remain unconvinced that things of this nature necessarily draws thousands of extra fans through the gate on its own, but it can certainly enhance the experience of those who do come. I'm a firm believer that value adding to existing customers should take precedence over reaching for new markets.

Good call.

[H_T 3,049]

I think the Melbourne V Geelong game can offer something, being the two oldest AFL clubs and all. It shouldn't be that difficult to market, and both clubs could embrace the heritage and each club's history and build on it year after year. The sides have played in old strips before a number of times they have clashed in the past both at the G and at Skilled.

I believe rather than trying to create something new, this is what Melb & Geel have in common and are traditional AFL sides and something can be done to build on it. Especially our home games.

* Parading past players pre-match; Pre match address

* Those attending encouraged to dress to occassion - old heritage jumpers of the past; even old dress code

* Something to play for that acknowledges both sides rich history; ie. The Pioneer Cup ? (just an idea - don't shoot me down, I'm brainstorming !)e.g. Melbourne and Geelong being the pioneers for our great game that marked the beginning - two oldest clubs formed.

Note: Recognising our heritage also falls under Cam Schwabs introduced Red & Blue print.

[Inner Demon 1]

Melb has played Geel every year for over 150 years. Every single time it's been the original clubs facing off. We've played in Heritage Rounds and even with an MGS v Scotch curtain raiser to hammer home the original clubs point. But why should anyone care??? It's totally irrelevant. People don't get excited by the idea that people who died a century ago once played for these two clubs. Put yourself in the mind of an Essendon supporter for a moment. Why would you care in the slighest??

[Chook 15,013]

Melb has played Geel every year for over 150 years. Every single time it's been the original clubs facing off. We've played in Heritage Rounds and even with an MGS v Scotch curtain raiser to hammer home the original clubs point. But why should anyone care??? It's totally irrelevant. People don't get excited by the idea that people who died a century ago once played for these two clubs. Put yourself in the mind of an Essendon supporter for a moment. Why would you care in the slighest??

I don't care in the slightest about any of the Essendon or Collingwood players that have won the Anzac Day medal. But enough Essendon and Collingwood players go to that game for the tradition to continue. Event Games usually don't mean diddly for any supporters except the ones whose teams are playing. And when it comes down to it, as long as my team plays every week, that's the only thing that matters to me. Why strain your brains trying to come up with ridiculous 'themes' for each round of footy? All it does is make the ones that already exist - the only ones that really matter, less relevent. The Heaven vs. Hell (cue dramatic music) idea is totally contrived and would only serve to lessen the impact of our other big games - whether they be named so or not. Melbourne vs Essendon, Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn are big games, and only one of those has an actual name. So I don't see why thinking one up would somehow make it that much different to what it already was anyway.

[Roost It 1,434]

Why not just try and keep the Hawks as our first round opponent on a Sat at the MCG. That should get over 65,000 once we start rolling. The game I think the club should really push for is a home game against Essendon on a Sat at the MCG, every year. It's been 4 since the last one. (70,000 + when we start rolling) Include Queen's Birthday and these 3 games alone would double our current profit!

Edited March 26, 2010 by Roost It

[Supermercado 2,797]

I had this conversation with someone at the Club once before. They already tried the International Students thing. The Club gave them tickets, reserved L2 seats, a private room, a pre-game AFL tutorial. Apparently they seemed to enjoy it well enough the first time but they didn't even show up for the 2nd game.

This market just plain don't care.

Not to mention the question of how many of them are going to stay here when they've finished studying. We need to build long term fans. As much as I hate that line that people spout about the members West Sydney targeting not being born yet it's got some merit - you've got to put some kind of platform down to get the kids involved and now that we've got a geographical base (of sorts) I'm glad we're working it. Losing for the next ten years and trying to build the experimental all-top ten draft picks supersquad is one thing but I'd love to know how many kids have jumped off in the past couple of years.