Talking point: the unevenness of the competition

[Scoop Junior 3,126]

Neither system is perfect

In AFL if you are in a rebuilding phase and struggling near the bottom of the ladder there really isn't any interest in the season other than seeing improvement from the team and individuals. Results don't matter as much - for supporters in sport it's critical that the result matters. Remember the feeling of walking out of the G after those Round 1 losses to Brisbane and Port in 2012 and 2013 - the season had just started and it felt like it was over already.

EPL doesn't have this - there is always another goal - such as avoiding relegation, moving up towards the European places, establishing yourselves as a top 10 team, etc. The season remains interesting for supporters.

But then the AFL system does give more hope for struggling teams through the salary cap and the draft to work themselves up the ladder. This is harder to do in the EPL system.

We cannot really have an EPL system here - the population isn't big enough, the non-major cities/towns are not big enough and there is not enough money going around. Could you imagine a VFL team being promoted to the AFL - they would get absolutely smashed every week.

What I would have loved is for clubs to retain their home grounds. I think this is one of the biggest issues with 'supporter experience' for AFL matches. The best thing about the EPL is that you can go to away matches and have a different experience every time - different stadium, different city, different routine, different pubs/restaurants, etc. For AFL fans we really only experience going to the MCG or Etihad - is it a different experience playing Collingwood away at the G as opposed to at home?

For me I would rather go to a dilapidated Victoria Park, cop abuse from Collingwood fans and stand in the outer than sit in comfort at the soulless Etihad Stadium with very little atmosphere. I of course will still go there because that's modern footy but I just feel it's a shame that the 'supporter experience' is nowhere near what it could be.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,534]

We do have a de facto relegation and promotion system. It's administered by Channel 7 and relates to how many games are shown on free-to-air TV.

[Macca 16,174]

Neither system is perfect

In AFL if you are in a rebuilding phase and struggling near the bottom of the ladder there really isn't any interest in the season other than seeing improvement from the team and individuals. Results don't matter as much - for supporters in sport it's critical that the result matters. Remember the feeling of walking out of the G after those Round 1 losses to Brisbane and Port in 2012 and 2013 - the season had just started and it felt like it was over already.

EPL doesn't have this - there is always another goal - such as avoiding relegation, moving up towards the European places, establishing yourselves as a top 10 team, etc. The season remains interesting for supporters.

But then the AFL system does give more hope for struggling teams through the salary cap and the draft to work themselves up the ladder. This is harder to do in the EPL system.

We cannot really have an EPL system here - the population isn't big enough, the non-major cities/towns are not big enough and there is not enough money going around. Could you imagine a VFL team being promoted to the AFL - they would get absolutely smashed every week.

What I would have loved is for clubs to retain their home grounds. I think this is one of the biggest issues with 'supporter experience' for AFL matches. The best thing about the EPL is that you can go to away matches and have a different experience every time - different stadium, different city, different routine, different pubs/restaurants, etc. For AFL fans we really only experience going to the MCG or Etihad - is it a different experience playing Collingwood away at the G as opposed to at home?

For me I would rather go to a dilapidated Victoria Park, cop abuse from Collingwood fans and stand in the outer than sit in comfort at the soulless Etihad Stadium with very little atmosphere. I of course will still go there because that's modern footy but I just feel it's a shame that the 'supporter experience' is nowhere near what it could be.

The NRL have taken a lot of their games back to the club's traditional venues (in Sydney, mainly) ... of course, they're not as obsessed with crowd numbers as we are in the AFL so playing in front of 15-20 thousand seems to be quite acceptable.

As a consequence of all the interstate* club's that we now have in the AFL, there is a need for smaller type stadiums in Melbourne. Any game involving any of the interstate teams against many of the Victorian clubs would be an ideal fit for the suburban grounds of old.

We simply don't need the MCG or Docklands when only 15-25 thousand people are going to turn up. However, it's doubtful that we'll ever see any of the suburban grounds re-established so it's a rather pointless discussion. Princes Park might have been a chance but the surface area has been reduced because of building works - not many liked going there anyway.

We're stuck with what we've got unfortunately (which is a shame in many ways)

*'Describing clubs as 'interstate' can work both ways or in a different way ... the clubs outside of Victoria would almost certainly want to have the big drawing teams from elsewhere as their home games (from a financial viewpoint)

Edited January 14, 2015 by Macca

[Bossdog 2,002]

I just don't get this whole "Match day Experience Crap"....I just want to go to the footy and watch my team play.....I don't want Pre match entertainment.....I don't want a game day announcer telling me that I should now yell out for my team,I will do it when I want.....I don't want adds blaring and bursting my ear drums.....All in the name of "entertainment"

What I would like is to have the seconds play before the main game so I can see the young blokes first hand and see the progress they make through the year without having to go all over the state to see this......

Football people go to watch the game but the AFL think we are theatre goers and like the Americans we cannot go for a few hours without some other form of "entertainment".

I think the fixture is the main concern.....Even I won't go when we play Freo at the G at 4.40 on a Sunday evening

I know I am old fashioned......I know that I live in a modern world but sometimes old is better, I don't need instant gratification.

P.S. I hate 20/20 Love test cricket.

[old dee 23,256]

I just don't get this whole "Match day Experience Crap"....I just want to go to the footy and watch my team play.....I don't want Pre match entertainment.....I don't want a game day announcer telling me that I should now yell out for my team,I will do it when I want.....I don't want adds blaring and bursting my ear drums.....All in the name of "entertainment"

What I would like is to have the seconds play before the main game so I can see the young blokes first hand and see the progress they make through the year without having to go all over the state to see this......

Football people go to watch the game but the AFL think we are theatre goers and like the Americans we cannot go for a few hours without some other form of "entertainment".

I think the fixture is the main concern.....Even I won't go when we play Freo at the G at 4.40 on a Sunday evening

I know I am old fashioned......I know that I live in a modern world but sometimes old is better, I don't need instant gratification.

P.S. I hate 20/20 Love test cricket.

My God Bossdog you are channelling me or vis versa.

100% agreement.

[daisycutter 28,726]

My God Bossdog you are channelling me or vis versa.

100% agreement.

agree od, the only match day experiencet that matters to me is winning. everything else is so distant a second as to be neglible

[Scoop Junior 3,126]

I just don't get this whole "Match day Experience Crap"....I just want to go to the footy and watch my team play.....I don't want Pre match entertainment.....I don't want a game day announcer telling me that I should now yell out for my team,I will do it when I want.....I don't want adds blaring and bursting my ear drums.....All in the name of "entertainment"

What I would like is to have the seconds play before the main game so I can see the young blokes first hand and see the progress they make through the year without having to go all over the state to see this......

Football people go to watch the game but the AFL think we are theatre goers and like the Americans we cannot go for a few hours without some other form of "entertainment".

I think the fixture is the main concern.....Even I won't go when we play Freo at the G at 4.40 on a Sunday evening

I know I am old fashioned......I know that I live in a modern world but sometimes old is better, I don't need instant gratification.

P.S. I hate 20/20 Love test cricket.

Agree - artificial / manufactured 'experience' is rubbish. I don't go to the footy for 'entertainment' the way I do a movie or a show, I go to watch the team I support win.

I would prefer the old system with each team having home grounds - I think that would give a naturally better experience at the footy then say a Dees v Lions game at Etihad Stadium.

But that's not going to happen. If they want to improve the supporter experience they need to think of more natural ways to do it, not by implementing silly / juvenile ideas.