Match Day Experience - time to lift our game

[13thFlagIsComing 522]

I've always disliked the Demon Shop's location. It's tucked in, out of the way and looks like a storage area. We should, or should've pushed for an area in the redeveloped Northern stand, I believe the great southern stand is going to be redeveloped, at least internally, perhaps we should look at a location in there.

Otherwise I certainly think we should look at a store in the city. Problem is the rent is so high we'd struggle to get a profit from it.

On the match day experience, I know I'll probably get shouted down for this but I reckon we were in the right thinking with the bugler. Just delivery was poor, and even worse the timing was horrible.

On the delivery: It started well because it appeared to be a thing of the people. When it moved on the ground it looked forced and campy. The execution of the song itself was also at times off which just made everyone cringe. Don't get me wrong, bloody good effort doing it in front of at times a huge crowd, but if the song isn't done right it defeats the entire reason for it. Finally on delivery, that velvet jacket just looked wrong on so many levels.

Timing: All that possibly could've been fine if it wasn't for the fact the the team and club was so bad. Instead of it being a symbol to rally behind it became a wimpering attempt at passion but ending up just being plain embarrassing. My point is that if we were even semi successful, it possibly could've taken hold.

Whatever we look at possibly doing we need to learn from these mistakes. I've always thought that as a treat for the kids, for home games at the G they hold the players hands out to the walk way much like what the do in soccer. Now getting a "fan song" like what Port have managed to do is not easy, you can't just stick it on with the words on screen, for it to work it has to happen almost organically. And I will say that last line with an apology to the A-League as I know that's exactly what they do. For me it just doesn't seem to work.

I actually asked Whiteboard Wednesday about 3 years ago after an annual general meeting about the Demon Shop.

I put forward to him that:

- the location is terrible

- never open on weekends or later than 5pm

-parking is non-existent

-frustrating to get to on match days

I suggested:

- A shop at Fed Square or along Swanston Street that whilst may not generate a lot of sales would be crucial to expand the brand of the club to tourists who would go home with a jumper or a footy. much like when most people go to new York and buy a Yankees or mets cap (ahhh I see what GB was talking about there)

- Get our merchandise into the visitors centre @ fed square and at the airport international terminal.

- a renovation of the current MCC store to double the size and have an area for the club that can be accessed via the National Sports Museum entrance.

I was shot down by Whiteboard for these reasons.

-we pay no rent on the current store

-most of our sales are online

-club wasn't in a position to justify increase of store

Always came away from that conversation furious as we have a golden opportunity and we haven't exploited it at all...drives me mad!!!

-

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

I actually asked Whiteboard Wednesday about 3 years ago after an annual general meeting about the Demon Shop.

I put forward to him that:

- the location is terrible

- never open on weekends or later than 5pm

-parking is non-existent

-frustrating to get to on match days

I suggested:

- A shop at Fed Square or along Swanston Street that whilst may not generate a lot of sales would be crucial to expand the brand of the club to tourists who would go home with a jumper or a footy. much like when most people go to new York and buy a Yankees or mets cap (ahhh I see what GB was talking about there)

- Get our merchandise into the visitors centre @ fed square and at the airport international terminal.

- a renovation of the current MCC store to double the size and have an area for the club that can be accessed via the National Sports Museum entrance.

I was shot down by Whiteboard for these reasons.

-we pay no rent on the current store

-most of our sales are online

-club wasn't in a position to justify increase of store

Always came away from that conversation furious as we have a golden opportunity and we haven't exploited it at all...drives me mad!!!

-

When you say Whiteboard Weds, are you talking about Schabby's discussion garbage?

[13thFlagIsComing 522]

No that's just my name for Schwab.

[Sir Why You Little 34,443]

I actually asked Whiteboard Wednesday about 3 years ago after an annual general meeting about the Demon Shop.

I put forward to him that:

- the location is terrible

- never open on weekends or later than 5pm

-parking is non-existent

-frustrating to get to on match days

I suggested:

- A shop at Fed Square or along Swanston Street that whilst may not generate a lot of sales would be crucial to expand the brand of the club to tourists who would go home with a jumper or a footy. much like when most people go to new York and buy a Yankees or mets cap (ahhh I see what GB was talking about there)

- Get our merchandise into the visitors centre @ fed square and at the airport international terminal.

- a renovation of the current MCC store to double the size and have an area for the club that can be accessed via the National Sports Museum entrance.

I was shot down by Whiteboard for these reasons.

-we pay no rent on the current store

-most of our sales are online

-club wasn't in a position to justify increase of store

Always came away from that conversation furious as we have a golden opportunity and we haven't exploited it at all...drives me mad!!!

-

agree totally 13

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

I actually asked Whiteboard Wednesday about 3 years ago after an annual general meeting about the Demon Shop.

I put forward to him that:

- the location is terrible

- never open on weekends or later than 5pm

-parking is non-existent

-frustrating to get to on match days

I suggested:

- A shop at Fed Square or along Swanston Street that whilst may not generate a lot of sales would be crucial to expand the brand of the club to tourists who would go home with a jumper or a footy. much like when most people go to new York and buy a Yankees or mets cap (ahhh I see what GB was talking about there)

- Get our merchandise into the visitors centre @ fed square and at the airport international terminal.

- a renovation of the current MCC store to double the size and have an area for the club that can be accessed via the National Sports Museum entrance.

I was shot down by Whiteboard for these reasons.

-we pay no rent on the current store

-most of our sales are online

-club wasn't in a position to justify increase of store

Always came away from that conversation furious as we have a golden opportunity and we haven't exploited it at all...drives me mad!!!

-

Is your name Peter Jackson? Ideas are on point.

[Red and Bluebeard 2,031]

For those who want curtain-raiser games, there will be a couple this season ...

[Elusive Tunbridge 795]

http://titusoreily.com/what-the-hell-is-a-match-day-experience/?

[daisycutter 28,508]

one thing i know the mfc are doing is programming the electronic bill board that runs around the boundary for special effects at certain times

e.g. electronic flames etc when the boys enter the ground, score goals etc

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

http://titusoreily.com/what-the-hell-is-a-match-day-experience/?

I just came here to post this article.

If anyone disagrees with it then I think Australian Rules football probably isn't for them.

[biggestred 4,296]

Titus absolutely nails it.

[Scoop Junior 2,963]

Yep excellent article. This sums it up perfectly:

Here’s what’s ruined the ‘match day experience’, last season’s criminally awful fixture, ridiculously high food prices, variable ticketing and a series of substandard games due to expansion.

A game at 2pm on a Saturday arvo would instantly improve the match day experience over a 4:40pm Sunday evening fixture.

The AFL forgot about the fans and made decisions based on what the broadcasters want - last year they realised that fans would not put up with it any more.

If the AFL/clubs think that fans didn't attend games last year because there were no fireworks displays or singers performing pre-game then they are delusional.

Interestingly a similar thing is going on in England with the FA Cup - matches have been scheduled on Monday nights meaning travelling fans can't take the train home and won't get home until the early hours of the morning on a weekday. The fans are not happy and rightly so because the game wouldn't exist without them.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/collingwood-afl-pies-to-revamp-mcg-home-games-to-enhance-experience/story-e6frf3e3-1227224716605

Thoughts?

Edited February 19, 2015 by Leoncelli_36

[Red and Bluebeard 2,031]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/collingwood-afl-pies-to-revamp-mcg-home-games-to-enhance-experience/story-e6frf3e3-1227224716605

Thoughts?

Free beer would provide a much better experience for most of them ...

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/collingwood-afl-pies-to-revamp-mcg-home-games-to-enhance-experience/story-e6frf3e3-1227224716605

Thoughts?

Read the Titus O'Reily article, there's your answer.

[ManDee 7,077]

Pre match entertainment comprising of a

1 VFL match involving our 2nds. Casey.

2 Silence

1/2 time entertainment comprising of

1 Replays of 1st half highlights

2 Silence

Post match

1 Playing its a grand old flag

2 Play it again & again until my voice gives out.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

Read the Titus O'Reily article, there's your answer.

Yeah i read it. I dont like the whole fire works idea but I do think gathering your supporters in the one area and getting a united cheer squad at the 'Barrackers End' as well as draping banners from the stand is pretty cool. I would like us to have some visual presence at our home ground. I know the G isn't like any Premier League ground where we can colour the seats red and blue, so improvising like that isnt a bad idea. I know Stynes and Schwabb got some signs erected on the northern stand that say 'Never Say Die Demons' and some other such stuff. Hardly notice them though as they are on the Northern side and the TV cameras shoot from the same side.

No offence to anyone here that may be a part of the MFC cheer-squad, but i reckon we have one of the worst cheer squads in the AFL. Run by a bunch of nasty older woman who are typical footy nuffies. I had the displeasure of meeting them all two seasons ago when I tried to sit behind the goals, one nasty cow asks "are you a member, I quickly produced my MFC members card to which she replied "that's not a Cheer Squad membership!" ..i realize that it must have been an extreme inconvenience to her to have me occupy 1 of the vacant 40 odd seats in their area and try to give voice to their cause so I quickly left. No wonder we are such a disjointed supporter group. What ever happened to Angelo, the mohawk bloke who ran the 'Red Seat cheer squad' and the bloke who used to wear the Ricky Jackson #45 hoodie? That group seems to have disappeared.

I am not calling for radical change here, I am just looking at improving on what we have at our disposal. Forget fire works, dancers, singers, just look at the basics like getting MFC + MCC mermbers sitting together again, establishing an after match function room at the MCG where fans can gather and players come. That improves my match day experience more than singing and fire works.

[bluey 890]

All the razzamatazz has stuffed the game if you ask me, dislike all the loud crap when you can't hear yourself talk, the smallest phone box space in town would require 60k rent then staffing and overheads would triple that, would need to [censored] a few thousand jumpers to break even, and nobody is going to buy or wear them until we can at least compete.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

All the razzamatazz has stuffed the game if you ask me, dislike all the loud crap when you can't hear yourself talk, the smallest phone box space in town would require 60k rent then staffing and overheads would triple that, would need to [censored] a few thousand jumpers to break even, and nobody is going to buy or wear them until we can at least compete.

there you go http://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-melbourne-501224695 $66,000 prime retail in Collins street, what you dont understand is that its not the actual merchandise sales you pay for, its the advertising. Its being to have a signage etc. To be seen. I can tell you that Rip Curl used to have a shop on Chapel Street that continually made huge losses, but they kept it as it was an advertisement. Thats what some dont understand.

[rpfc 27,451]

there you go http://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-melbourne-501224695 $66,000 prime retail in Collins street, what you dont understand is that its not the actual merchandise sales you pay for, its the advertising. Its being to have a signage etc. To be seen. I can tell you that Rip Curl used to have a shop on Chapel Street that continually made huge losses, but they kept it as it was an advertisement. Thats what some dont understand.

Pretty effing small advertisement...

Why don't you spend that waste of money on actual advertisements then?

A shop in the heart of the city to sit there and literally 'look pretty' and nothing else.

Keep working on the Online Shop - more and more people buy online anyway and have a look into a cost effective way to advertise and get the awareness of the club out there.

But all of that is moot if your team stinks...just stinks...57 losses in three years? Only idiots and diehards follow this club at the moment.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

Pretty effing small advertisement...

Why don't you spend that waste of money on actual advertisements then?

A shop in the heart of the city to sit there and literally 'look pretty' and nothing else.

Keep working on the Online Shop - more and more people buy online anyway and have a look into a cost effective way to advertise and get the awareness of the club out there.

But all of that is moot if your team stinks...just stinks...57 losses in three years? Only idiots and diehards follow this club at the moment.

you realise one of those big advertising billboards in a prime locations is about a million per annum?

[rpfc 27,451]

you realise one of those big advertising billboards in a prime locations is about a million per annum?

Yeah, I am not suggesting it is a good idea.

The money would be better spent trying to get people to come and watch us play good footy.

The club rung me up last week and asked me if I wanted to donate my 'Free Young Demon Membership' (or whatever it is) to an underprivileged kid. So he can go to the footy, and so we might cultivate a prospective Demon supporter.

That is effective use of money. Well done to the club for making this simple decision to ask those that haven't given their 'FYDM' out to give them to kids and get some good PR, and try to cultivate a direct relationships with people.

Spend money on initiatives like this. Talk to people. Get them to the footy. Get them watching decent footy.

Higher ROI than a money sinking shop in the city or shallow advertising.

[titan_uranus 22,351]

Yep excellent article. This sums it up perfectly:

Here’s what’s ruined the ‘match day experience’, last season’s criminally awful fixture, ridiculously high food prices, variable ticketing and a series of substandard games due to expansion.

A game at 2pm on a Saturday arvo would instantly improve the match day experience over a 4:40pm Sunday evening fixture.

The AFL forgot about the fans and made decisions based on what the broadcasters want - last year they realised that fans would not put up with it any more.

If the AFL/clubs think that fans didn't attend games last year because there were no fireworks displays or singers performing pre-game then they are delusional.

Interestingly a similar thing is going on in England with the FA Cup - matches have been scheduled on Monday nights meaning travelling fans can't take the train home and won't get home until the early hours of the morning on a weekday. The fans are not happy and rightly so because the game wouldn't exist without them.

Agreed.

What brings people to the footy is the footy.

What brings people to any sport, really, is the sport, and if people are coming to watch the pre-match entertainment then they're not engaging with the sport which defeats the purpose.

[Emerald 1,691]

Get Jacko back to sing and do handstands for the crowd.

[Guest]

The club rung me up last week and asked me if I wanted to donate my 'Free Young Demon Membership' (or whatever it is) to an underprivileged kid. So he can go to the footy, and so we might cultivate a prospective Demon supporter.

If that happened then I think it's a bloody great idea.

Rather than a great load of Americanized cobblers before the game, a billboard at the airport, a shop in Collins Street or something added into the 'things to do' pamphlets found in hotel rooms, we need to focus on three things. Firstly, look at football. I have taken 5 foreign born people to the football in my time and only one ended up leaving with a positive experience of our club. That was when we actually bloody won! Get onfield right. It should be about 60% of what we should be focusing on.

10% should be looking at getting people who have dropped off to get back on board. I largely think however that they can be largely won back by getting football right as they already, at some stage of their life, knew about footy and are waiting for a legit football team to take the field.

To finally address rpfc's post, the other 30% should be focused on reaching out to people and being an inclusive club. There is a whole world out there beyond the caucasian bayside and the leafier eastern suburbs but we never bother to pursue it as apparently 'those people' would never want to barrack for us anyway. We need to look at people who typically wouldn't be associated as traditional Melbourne and get them on board. To do this, we need to treat people as being valuable, not just a commodity for the club to make money from. The example rpfc bought up is a good way to do that.

We tried pre-match entertainment didn't we? Need I go any further as to the absolute fiascos that they turned out to be? I have been to a few Collingwood matches over the journey and I can tell you right now that the 'kiss cams', 'dance cams', 'noise meters' complete with piped in cheering from the PA and the Collingwood dance troupe gave the bugler and his mates in the marching band a run for their money as far as complete BS before a game. The only time I have seen it seem remotely impressive is when Port's fans sing 'Never Tear Us Apart' (which I believe started after John McCarthy passed on therefore giving it some significance).

Edited February 20, 2015 by Colin B. Flaubert

[Clintosaurus 6,432]

As long as we don't do any of this crap I will be happy - http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-encourages-fans-to-wave-jacket-plans-to-black-out-etihad-stadium-in-pre-match-entertainment/story-fndv8gad-1227232623962

What a joke of a club they are.