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AFLX is coming (the X makes it sound cool)

Ethan Tremblay
Ethan Tremblay
in Melbourne Demons

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7 hours ago, bandicoot said:

If companies don’t continue innovating then they go out of business. The need for afl X is expansion to new markets i.e nsw and qld 

There aren’t enough ovals to play afl in these states. The alternative is a smaller rectangular ground. In addition is comes hand in hand with people shortened attention span. 

Like ‘New Coke’ ‘Vegimite 2.0’ and BBQ shapes ‘new and improved recipe’?  I somewhat agree with your point, but the game is currently growing.  I don’t see the point in a rousing an interest in, what is essentially, a completely different sport to Australian Rules Football.  Every country town in NSW has a cricket oval.

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    41 minutes ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

    Like ‘New Coke’ ‘Vegimite 2.0’ and BBQ shapes ‘new and improved recipe’?  I somewhat agree with your point, but the game is currently growing.  I don’t see the point in a rousing an interest in, what is essentially, a completely different sport to Australian Rules Football.  Every country town in NSW has a cricket oval.

    innovation never comes without risk of failure. For  20 failures there might be only one success.

    As has been noted 20/20 is a really good analogy for . Didn't exist 20 years ago. Late last year the rights for the IPL went for 2 billion dollars and the BBL (which was ahuge risk for CA to take given the costs involved) is booming. Cricket participation rates for juniours are up and 20/20 might well be the saviour of cricket.

    I'm not all suggesting AFLX is likely to have that sort of success but there is no doubt the outcome they are looking for is as Bandicoot has noted is to make further inroads in NSW and QLD (forget overseas, that would be icing on the cake at best).

    AA punt worth taking i reckon. I for one will watch with interest. 

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    11 minutes ago, binman said:

    innovation never comes without risk of failure. For  20 failures there might be only one success.

    As has been noted 20/20 is a really good analogy for . Didn't exist 20 years ago. Late last year the rights for the IPL went for 2 billion dollars and the BBL (which was ahuge risk for CA to take given the costs involved) is booming. Cricket participation rates for juniours are up and 20/20 might well be the saviour of cricket.

    I'm not all suggesting AFLX is likely to have that sort of success but there is no doubt the outcome they are looking for is as Bandicoot has noted is to make further inroads in NSW and QLD (forget overseas, that would be icing on the cake at best).

    AA punt worth taking i reckon. I for one will watch with interest. 

    Yes, but 20/20 came about following a decline in attendances at test and one-day level.  It was fashioned to address this specific need.

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    1 hour ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

    Yes, but 20/20 came about following a decline in attendances at test and one-day level.  It was fashioned to address this specific need.

    No it wasn't, well not primarily. Attendances are largely here nor there, particularity in terms of revenue. Its all about TV rights and participation as it for footy. In cricket participation was falling off a cliff. 20/20 has reversed this trend and by doing so potentially saved test matc cricket given the revenues it has provided to subsidise the losses made in that form of cricket (and Shield and County cricket for that matter).. 

    if AFLX increases participation and the polarity of Australian Rules football as is hoped,  more kids will play (taking talented athletes from soccer and rugby,increasing the talent pool and improving AFL standards), help shore up support for the Giants, Bears and Suns (and protect the AFL's enormous investment in those clubs) and drive up the TV rights, which are already super high. 

    Sydney is the holy grail given it is Australia's most populace city. Increasing 'market share' there for footy is huge and  has been one of the AFLs' key strategic goals for 25 years.  AFLX is part of that strategy and good on them for trying something bold and new. I'll make a (not particularly bold) prediction. I reckon the ratings will be terrific for the AFLX games and better than the other pre season games. 

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    41 minutes ago, binman said:

    No it wasn't, well not primarily. Attendances are largely here nor there, particularity in terms of revenue. Its all about TV rights and participation as it for footy. In cricket participation was falling off a cliff. 20/20 has reversed this trend and by doing so potentially saved test matc cricket given the revenues it has provided to subsidise the losses made in that form of cricket (and Shield and County cricket for that matter).. 

    if AFLX increases participation and the polarity of Australian Rules football as is hoped,  more kids will play (taking talented athletes from soccer and rugby,increasing the talent pool and improving AFL standards), help shore up support for the Giants, Bears and Suns (and protect the AFL's enormous investment in those clubs) and drive up the TV rights, which are already super high. 

    Sydney is the holy grail given it is Australia's most populace city. Increasing 'market share' there for footy is huge and  has been one of the AFLs' key strategic goals for 25 years.  AFLX is part of that strategy and good on them for trying something bold and new. I'll make a (not particularly bold) prediction. I reckon the ratings will be terrific for the AFLX games and better than the other pre season games. 

    Well, we're all going to find out, one way or another, very soon.  I'm all for expanding the game and making it appealing to a broader audience, I just don't think that AFLX is the way to go about it.  It doesn't sound like an appealing product and I don't agree with the way the AFL is rolling it out.  I don't believe it addresses issues that are prohibiting involvement in Australian Rules Football.

     

    But, it's all hypothetical!  We'll get a look at it in the next few weeks and will know a lot more then.

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    There are 2 issues here. One is whether AFLX an appropriate way to expand Aussie rules (assuming that is a higher priority than other issues related to AFL).  The other is the effect on existing teams on their pre-season preparation.  As I've posted I have strong reservations about the latter.  If there was a way of running something like AFLX without involving AFL listed players I'd be more relaxed.   

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    4 hours ago, binman said:

    there is no doubt the outcome they are looking for is as Bandicoot has noted is to make further inroads in NSW and QLD (forget overseas, that would be icing on the cake at best).

    I wouldn't ignore the international element in this at all. One of the keys to AFLX is that it's basically played on soccer or rugby pitches - which you find all over the world, so this format removes one of the main stumbling blocks to access. There is interest outside Australia: Aussie Rules is building at a fairly rapid clip here in France, and that through local players/interest.

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    I won’t be paying much attention. My interest levels are zero. This is just another attempt to market football as a new global entertainment product. There is far too much saturation these days with so many different sports all competing against each other for attention and $$$. These days there is only limited time for me to watch sport given all my other interests. I now only watch AFL football in season be it live or TV.  I’ve switched off everything else. It is a great game and any variation is like serving pink slime when steak is not available. 

    Couch potato sport addicts might love it. This a product made for them.  A guy who used to work with me lived off sport. Spent all day and night in front of his big TV watching Fox sports and more. Now in his mid 40’s, never had a meaning relationship and living alone in a flat munching take away food. He will watch it no doubt.

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    AFLX is all about creating a format that could break the Asian market. Its all about ground size and what may work with athletes in that market. If it worked well there it would as a flow on likely create interest in the broader form of the sport and also potentially untap international AFLX players that may translate well into AFL.

    Whether its right or wrong its better to innovate and attempt to expand rather than stay stale and die a slow or unforeseen death. I would much prefer they trial this independantly than try and tweak AFL to fit the gap.

     

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    7 hours ago, big_red_fire_engine said:

    AFLX is all about creating a format that could break the Asian market.

    Nails it.

    And the flow on from that would be broader interest in AFL proper, and from that ... media rights, merchandising, licensing etc., perhaps eventually full-blown AFL matches/leagues/teams. i.e., $$$

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    • 3 weeks later...

    If this statement from our Great Helmsman doesn't make you nervous about what AFLX might do to pre-season preparations, nothing will:

    "It means that we could go to Hong Kong in November next year not only with two clubs, but we could take six clubs and play a mini-tournament. 

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    22 minutes ago, sue said:

    If this statement from our Great Helmsman doesn't make you nervous about what AFLX might do to pre-season preparations, nothing will:

    "It means that we could go to Hong Kong in November next year not only with two clubs, but we could take six clubs and play a mini-tournament. 

    I've been in Hong Kong for the last five years.  There aren't enough smaller sports grounds to accommodate the already very popular soccer and rugby.  There is a strong cricket presence, but that is mainly driven by the Indian population here, and basketball is very popular amongst young people.  Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities on the planet,  is a very curious destination for the AFL to try to launch AFLX internationally... if they could get AFLX down to the size of a volleyball court, you could see some success!

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    On 1/19/2018 at 4:55 PM, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

    Well, we're all going to find out, one way or another, very soon.  I'm all for expanding the game and making it appealing to a broader audience, I just don't think that AFLX is the way to go about it.  It doesn't sound like an appealing product and I don't agree with the way the AFL is rolling it out.  I don't believe it addresses issues that are prohibiting involvement in Australian Rules Football.

     

    But, it's all hypothetical!  We'll get a look at it in the next few weeks and will know a lot more then.

    I'm looking forward to the games. Think the biggest benefit for the clubs will be the ability to fast track the development of the younger kids and new recruits on your list. We will really get to see how they handle the pace and pressure under match conditions. Hope a few of the elite players embrace the concept and we can take the opportunity to let the kids match up on these elite players and learn a few tricks. 

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