55 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

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.

Not only would an average Chinese person know where Australia is, I guarantee you they will be able to tell you the exact number of square kilometers it occupies as well! 

1 hour ago, wonnabeeri said:

Not only would an average Chinese person know where Australia is, I guarantee you they will be able to tell you the exact number of square kilometers it occupies as well! 

And the best suburbs to buy a house in in Melbourne. 

Edited May 17, 20187 yr by Ethan Tremblay

All I hope this weekend is the cats smash the bummers and make there week even more miserable. 

Dont get it.

Does the Afl really believe its a market they can crack?

Why not Japan....Thailand....Vietnam?

Just because Chinas the largest country population wise and a huge economy why do the Afl believe our game is going to make money over there.

It wont take off and will grow about as much as Gws experiment will do.

Just said Tex Walker will be out for 3 games, adelaide have been smashed with soft tissue injuries, bodes well for us next week 

Just watching Dermott on 360...he's doing his best work.

Looked worse for wear than Robbo...it was his Mike Willesee moment

Just now, leave it to deever said:

Dont get it.

Does the Afl really believe its a market they can crack?

Why not Japan....Thailand....Vietnam?

Just because Chinas the largest country population wise and a huge economy why do the Afl believe our game is going to make money over there.

It wont take off and will grow about as much as Gws experiment will do.

You are right in the sense of crowds but over the last 40 years there have been two things that have driven the revenue growth of the AFL comp. One is corporate money... started with Dick Pratt at Carlton in the '80's. (Boy is that a story but the corporate world and sport came together as if they were both on steroids.)

Then we had pay Tv and the explosion on the cost of the rights that the AFL had to sell.

Fast forward to now and the two still hold true (in their infancy) for China.

Initially it's a corporate play. Big business in Australia entertain one of the biggest growing markets in the world.

The TV play is much harder but not impossible. EPL works well because their early game fits the Chinese time zone. Similarly a 7pm kick off in Perth works well.

Strangest thing is that crowds are the least of the equation... (unfortunately).

Of course many businesses around the world have pumped really big money into cracking the China market and have failed. The most recent example is Uber and there are a lot of skeletons. (In the banking world most if not all of the banks have had a go in Asia and failed.)

 

As little as I care about Port or Gold Coast, I hope the playing of a strenuous game in a  place where you could cut the air with a knife won't compromise the health of the players as has been the case in recent years. You'd think the AFLPA would be concerned about the shortage of breathable air in Shanghai and the risk to the players wellbeing. 

44 minutes ago, pineapple dee said:

As little as I care about Port or Gold Coast, I hope the playing of a strenuous game in a  place where you could cut the air with a knife won't compromise the health of the players as has been the case in recent years. You'd think the AFLPA would be concerned about the shortage of breathable air in Shanghai and the risk to the players wellbeing. 

good point PD.

Today's reading in Shanghai is 112.

Over 100 WHO says it is considered unhealthy and strenuous exertion is advised against.

In my experience at 100 one can see about 400 metres at best. ( Did 250 in Delhi earlier this year where they have 500 on occasions and that was not great but okay for walking around.)

http://aqicn.org/city/shanghai/

By comparison the readings in say Melbourne and New York for today are 25 and 19 respectively

Edited May 17, 20187 yr by Diamond_Jim

12 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Dont get it.

Does the Afl really believe its a market they can crack?

Why not Japan....Thailand....Vietnam?

Just because Chinas the largest country population wise and a huge economy why do the Afl believe our game is going to make money over there.

It wont take off and will grow about as much as Gws experiment will do.

Sponsors.

theyll pay the afl big money to get their name into China, clubs won’t make a cracker, afl walks away with a fistful of cash and sponsors generate business.

 

12 hours ago, rjay said:

Just watching Dermott on 360...he's doing his best work.

Looked worse for wear than Robbo...it was his Mike Willesee moment

Yeah I reckon Dermie had had a few morning/arvo frothies before coming on AFL 360 last night. Slobbo's a genius in this are and he picked up on it.

I don't see the point in these games except for Port making a nice quid out of it.

99.99% of the crowd will either be Aussie ex pats of Aussies travelling over for the game.

On a side note, there's talk that GC are out of China for next year, and a VIC side such as St Kilda or Carlton will get the gig. Hope it's not us!

8 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

On a side note, there's talk that GC are out of China for next year, and a VIC side such as St Kilda or Carlton will get the gig. Hope it's not us!

Yep.. they are looking for a new guinea pig. It requires the nominee to give up a home game so I can't see Carlton agreeing.

Of the Melbourne clubs the Saints are a high possibility and if no one steps up the AFL will pressure GWS into going.

My understanding is that the game loses a few million which is paid by the AFL. There was also a significant investment in the stadium itself to bring the ground and surrounds up to a basic level.

No wonder some of the clubs are screaming for a proper business case.

As we move further into the season and the ladder is taking some shape it's time to look at the games from an MFC positioning viewpoint.

From my perspective I have given up on top 4 which probably means we should barrack for the top 4 to run away from the rest.

Tonight's game in Adelaide is a good example. Adelaide is equal on games won to MFC and Bulldogs are one behind. Would be good to get a little breathing space on the Bulldogs and increase the margin in a couple of weeks.

A Saints win against the Pies would probably be a happy result as well.

Result to benefit Melbourne:

Adelaide V Dogs - Probably Dogs, as we'll go ahead of Adelaide on the ladder if we win. However, the danger of the Dogs winning is that it will establish themselves as another team in the finals race.

North V GWS - Probably GWS as I figure they'll get it right in the end and finish top 6. We need North to start losing a few games as we're now in a direct battle for them for 8th spot and North have an easier fixture than us.

GC V Port - Obviously GC. And obviously Port will win.

Essendon V Geelong - Clearly Essendon as we'd go ahead of Geelong if we win.

St Kilda V Collingwood - Saints for sure. Like North, Pies are in a direct battle with us for 7th-8th.

Sydney V Freo - Similar to the Adelaide game in that for the short term we'd rather Freo win so we'd go a game ahead of Sydney. However this would be a bonus win for Freo and it would strengthen their credentials of a 7th-8th spot finish, and more challenges for us.

Brisbane V Hawthorn - Brisbane in a heart beat, We win we go a win ahead of Hawthorn.

West Coast V Richmond - Richmond. I figure Richmond will finish top so it's better for us if WC lose, and hopefully their second half won't be as good as their first half - hence a drop down the ladder.

 

Heard a little of a Hardwick presser. He wants the umps to offer better protection to Dusty on the back of a quiet 1 free kick for game last weekend. That’s nowhere near enough for a ball player like Dusty. Will they oblige this weekend?

21 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Heard a little of a Hardwick presser. He wants the umps to offer better protection to Dusty on the back of a quiet 1 free kick for game last weekend. That’s nowhere near enough for a ball player like Dusty. Will they oblige this weekend?

in perth? unlikely

I reckon the crowd in Shanghai will be bigger than Trump's inauguration!

it'll be HUUUUUUGGGEEE!

lots of showers on the Adelaide city radar.

Dogs could be in with a chance

absolutely teeming down at adelaide oval

Does it ever not rain on Friday night over there?

5 minutes ago, Deestroy All said:

Does it ever not rain on Friday night over there?

they save it up special 

Perfect for us of it stays wet and low scoring, one team wins by couple of points. 

what a lottery of a game...

AFL doesn't lend itself to be played in the rain and we still have to listen to Bruce. Even worse of course with the press.

May need to watch a movie re run and check in from time to time to see if the rain stops

 

On 5/17/2018 at 6:05 PM, dees189227 said:

All I hope this weekend is the cats smash the bummers and make there week even more miserable. 

Being the Bummers I will do a variance from my general philosophy of barracking for the lower team in all ‘neutral’ contests and agree - go Cats

23 hours ago, brendan said:

Just said Tex Walker will be out for 3 games, adelaide have been smashed with soft tissue injuries, bodes well for us next week 

Do the Crows (like the Bummets) have a pharmacist on their coaching panel?

Did anyone see Talia get pinned for taking the legs of the Bulldogs player, that was a disgraceful call and goes against what the game is about.