Thought I'd start this thread early so we could participate in the build up to the big game in Shanghai.

Hopefully the Reverend and others can come on and tell us about the build up in China's business capital.

The stadium is known as Adelaide Arena at Jiangwan Stadium.

Read a few weeks ago it was a sell out but then again last year it was a sell out and the TV coverage showed a lot of room around the ground.

As it's AFL money subsidising the event it's worth a chat. (No business case as yet.)

Last year they complained about the big blow out.... may be even worse this year.

Gee... I'd just miss the plane and stay home GC !!

Port best to round up some locals to play against ?

Likely to start ugly....then get worse

 

6 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Last year they complained about the big blow out.... may be even worse this year.

Interesting little discussion between Brown and Lyon On The Couch last night. Small hint about May not being suspended due to the lack of stars for the game in China.

3 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Interesting little discussion between Brown and Lyon On The Couch last night. Small hint about May not being suspended due to the lack of stars for the game in China.

I can envisage many chinese or aussie expats, looking forlornly into the broth noodles wishing that 'star' Steven May would play, just so they could justify skiiving of from their home duties and go to the game. 

They even have a website .. worth a look to understand who in reality they are marketing to (think corporate)

https://shanghai2018.com.au/

Seems that the actual spectators seats are at either end of the ground which explains why the wing located cameras show an almost deserted stadium. (Opening for a virtual crowd projection perhaps?)

My search of the Shanghai Daily did not turn up anything on the big match.

4 minutes ago, Danelska said:

I can envisage many chinese or aussie expats, looking forlornly into the broth noodles wishing that 'star' Steven May would play, just so they could justify skiiving of from their home duties and go to the game. 

BURN! (and right.)

And it is a suns home game. They must be feeling like absolute prostitutes right now. Kinda feel sorry for em.

1 hour ago, dl4e said:

And it is a suns home game. They must be feeling like absolute prostitutes right now. Kinda feel sorry for em.

That is one of the amazing things ... it's a Port money spinner but they wouldn't do it at the expense of one of their own home games.

The AFL scheduling contrivance is mind boggling even if you agree with the revenue maximisation philosophy.

The whole concept is a joke really. You would do more to promote the game, and get a better crowd, by scheduling it in any one of 100 country towns across Australia. 

I am all for the expansion of the game, and am very comfortable with the second Sydney team (less so about the Suns), but China will do nothing other than give the AFL executives another junket to take advantage of.

1 minute ago, poita said:

The whole concept is a joke really. You would do more to promote the game, and get a better crowd, by scheduling it in any one of 100 country towns across Australia. 

I am all for the expansion of the game, and am very comfortable with the second Sydney team (less so about the Suns), but China will do nothing other than give the AFL executives another junket to take advantage of.

But surely it's a key opportunity to talk about the taking of AFLX to Hong Kong

Mind you I have always preferred Cantonese food to Shanghainese !

i'm very curious to see which vic club sells the game next year - the suns won't be back

it better not be us!

i'm presuming saints as footscray have ballarat and north go down to tassie, plus we sell our two home games to the nt

i wonder how much longer that will happen for...

Call the round China round and play it in Melbourne, surely you’d get more Chinese going to it in Melbourne than what you would get in Shanghai.

Edited May 15, 20186 yr by Ethan Tremblay

what if we sold 1 game to china for $1m (if not more) and we played port there, as opposed to two in the nt?

we play port at adelaide oval on a friday night and then the following saturday in china...then have the bye

port make good money on it - there's no reason that melbourne wouldn't be just as strong in terms of tourism $$ etc for china as them

...mostly i just don't want to play two home games in the nt anymore

6 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Call the round China round and play it in Melbourne, surely you’d get more Chinese going to it in Melbourne than what you would get in Shanghai? 

Correct, a bloody waste of time this one. 

37 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Call the round China round and play it in Melbourne, surely you’d get more Chinese going to it in Melbourne than what you would get in Shanghai.

ET .. that's a fantastic idea.....

All it needs is an email from the powers to be to the Chinese students in Melbourne and you will have 20k at the drop of a hat.

Fly in some movers and shakers from the Big C and you will have the local corporates drooling

Run a few lotteries or similar in China on their TV with free trip to Melbourne etc and we could be on a winner.

Finally beam it back to China and have a big prize for picking who kicks the 8th goal.

Can Demonland claim royalties as well for the idea !!

38 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

what if we sold 1 game to china for $1m (if not more) and we played port there, as opposed to two in the nt?

we play port at adelaide oval on a friday night and then the following saturday in china...then have the bye

port make good money on it - there's no reason that melbourne wouldn't be just as strong in terms of tourism $$ etc for china as them

...mostly i just don't want to play two home games in the nt anymore

Bulldogs chairman was asked last year how much he would want to play in China... he said $1M.. (not sure if it was $1M plus expenses or all up.)

Watch it though ... while the weather on Saturday is not too bad at 25... it is 36 tomorrow and the humidity can also be high.

Frankly I'd play it during the split opening round thus getting over the weather issue and giving you a few days extra rest afterwards.

If The AFL had any brains at all they would play about half a dozen AFLW Games there for points. They would just stack into the stadium.

35 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

ET .. that's a fantastic idea.....

All it needs is an email from the powers to be to the Chinese students in Melbourne and you will have 20k at the drop of a hat.

Fly in some movers and shakers from the Big C and you will have the local corporates drooling

Run a few lotteries or similar in China on their TV with free trip to Melbourne etc and we could be on a winner.

Finally beam it back to China and have a big prize for picking who kicks the 8th goal.

Can Demonland claim royalties as well for the idea !!

Play it in round 8. 

54 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

ET .. that's a fantastic idea.....

All it needs is an email from the powers to be to the Chinese students in Melbourne and you will have 20k at the drop of a hat.

Fly in some movers and shakers from the Big C and you will have the local corporates drooling

Run a few lotteries or similar in China on their TV with free trip to Melbourne etc and we could be on a winner.

Finally beam it back to China and have a big prize for picking who kicks the 8th goal.

Can Demonland claim royalties as well for the idea !!

Get Sam Dastyari on to the job.

No wonder the Age is struggling.

Couldn't really find anything in this article worth quoting but to give you an idea:

 

"Shanghai is the biggest city in China, home to more than 25 million people. China has a population of over 1.3 billion. Shanghai is also home to several big Chinese businesses who just might be interested in introducing themselves to the Australian market by leveraging a sponsorship with a club in Australia's most popular football code.

And if only a quarter of a per cent of all those living in the greater Shanghai area became members, they'd end up with more than 60,000, far from the worst membership tally in the AFL. The team would not need to be the biggest sport in Shanghai, just big enough to establish itself."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-as-a-true-global-sport-don-t-laugh-it-could-happen-20180515-p4zfdx.html

You heard it here guys... the biggest TV audience ever !!!

"The AFL expects that the Gold Coast v Port Adelaide game in Shanghai will be the most-watched game in VFL/AFL history due to the improved broadcasting arrangement in China.

The AFL’s general manager for China and India, David Stevenson, said this weekend’s game ‘‘will be the most-watched game in AFL history’’ because it will be broadcast in three major centres on free to air."

Rather ironic that it's behind the paywall in Oz so few will watch it here.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/china-game-tipped-to-be-most-watched-match-in-afl-history-20180516-p4zfqn.html

 

On a separate note they are looking for a new guinea pig to give up their home game:

"But the future of the China game is unclear, despite Port Adelaide’s commitment to the project, because the Gold Coast might not continue to give up a home game.

The AFL commission has approved of the Shanghai game continuing ‘‘for the forseeable future’’, as Stevenson said, but the AFL and the Power need to find a partner club for it to continue.
Should the Suns quit the game, the AFL preference would be for it to be replaced by a club based in either Melbourne or Sydney, given that more than 70 per cent of Australia’s huge ethnic Chinese population live in the two major cities."

GWS probably

Edited May 16, 20186 yr by Diamond_Jim

On 5/16/2018 at 8:29 AM, Diamond_Jim said:

No wonder the Age is struggling.

Couldn't really find anything in this article worth quoting but to give you an idea:

 

"Shanghai is the biggest city in China, home to more than 25 million people. China has a population of over 1.3 billion. Shanghai is also home to several big Chinese businesses who just might be interested in introducing themselves to the Australian market by leveraging a sponsorship with a club in Australia's most popular football code.

And if only a quarter of a per cent of all those living in the greater Shanghai area became members, they'd end up with more than 60,000, far from the worst membership tally in the AFL. The team would not need to be the biggest sport in Shanghai, just big enough to establish itself."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-as-a-true-global-sport-don-t-laugh-it-could-happen-20180515-p4zfdx.html

to be fair, jim, the reporter must have spent at least 5 minutes on google.   credit where it is due

I fly to Shanghai in a couple of hours. Not going for the game but I will be interested to see the levels of local interest. I am staying not too far from the stadium but have no plans to go to the game. I was in China for last years game and although not in Shanghai, saw nothing on TV or anywhere else advertising the match then. I look forward to checking out the write-ups in the local media both before and after the game. 

Very interested in your feedback Proper Dee together with any colour pieces about Shanghai.

Does the average Chinese even know Australia exists. As many would know most Americans have no idea about us.

I spend a lot of time in Malaysia where Oz is well known mainly due to the number of Malaysian students we have had in the country.

At least in India everyone knows the Australian cricket team. I find it amazing that many know a lot more about our team than I do and I'm a reasonable cricket follower.

3 hours ago, ProperDee said:

I fly to Shanghai in a couple of hours. Not going for the game but I will be interested to see the levels of local interest. I am staying not too far from the stadium but have no plans to go to the game. I was in China for last years game and although not in Shanghai, saw nothing on TV or anywhere else advertising the match then. I look forward to checking out the write-ups in the local media both before and after the game. 

Disclaimer - I'm an ex Shanghai resident still occasionally involved with expat footy in China.

I'm in Shanghai now and also was for last years game. I have had quite the different experience. Locals in my office here have asked me if I knew about it, and the levels of westerners wandering around the french concession is crazy this year. The game is growing (slowly) in China and Port Adelaide have done some pretty good stuff with schools here.