Giants in La La Land

[Demonland 74,465]

The Giants want to play a game for premiership points in Los Angeles and they AFL have given them the green light to explore the possibility. 

 

[Demonstone 23,600]

California Dreamin'.

[Mazer Rackham 14,972]

ticket sales are down
and the stands are grey
we're playing for points
on a diamond in LA
i'd be cold and wet
if i was at the G
gosch's paddock dreaming
on such a summer's day

 

[old dee 24,084]

  On 02/02/2020 at 08:44, demonstone said:

California Dreamin'.

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Could not agree more demonstone . A typical afl [censored]. 

How about fixing the problems at home guys like the game dying at grass routes level. 

[Mazer Rackham 14,972]

A superb idea. No one has thought of taking our game to the USA before! It's bound to be an enormous success, the Yanks will love it and demand it be screened live at prime time Pacific and not on "World's Strangest Sports!" at 2AM.

Now all that's needed is a bunny club that can be kicked around, one that doesn't dare complain too much and doesn't have mates in the media who can make trouble ... hmmmmm ... thinks .... which club could that possibly be? Suns? Or ...............

[Willmoy1947 4,261]

"I know nothing" about "bunny clubs" but they did have friends in high places in the media, and i wouldn't dare kick them........

[Bitter but optimistic 22,289]

Footy is a terrific game and we all love watching it and being insanely passionate about it.

Yet  there are continual and ongoing attempts to [censored] with it.

It does my head in.

[daisycutter 30,021]

kevin showing early signs of alzheimer's?

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 11,064]

Good move.  They will probably still get a bigger crowd than at the Sydney Show Grounds.

[hardtack 11,107]

  On 02/02/2020 at 09:11, old dee said:

Could not agree more demonstone . A typical afl [censored]. 

How about fixing the problems at home guys like the game dying at grass routes level. 

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Or, if they really see a need to promote the game in the US, how about sending a couple of teams that will provide a good contest... possibly the match up between the previous season’s grand finalists?

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,561]

The general yank's knowledge of our game is less than nothing.

I recall being in Seattle watching the 2009 grand final in a pub. A few of the locals demanded that the "Rugby be switched off" in favour of a division 8 college football game. They had no idea that A) - the game was AFL football and B) the game was actually our showpiece event.

Really hope we're not involved. Send the Essendon's, Collingwood's or Richmond's of the world to do the dirty work for once.

[Dee Zephyr 19,326]

Good, send Richmond to play them for the opening game of 2021. A bit sick of watching Carl v Rich open the season. 

[old dee 24,084]

  On 02/02/2020 at 23:44, Bring-Back-Powell said:

The general yank's knowledge of our game is less than nothing.

I recall being in Seattle watching the 2009 grand final in a pub. A few of the locals demanded that the "Rugby be switched off" in favour of a division 8 college football game. They had no idea that A) - the game was AFL football and B) the game was actually our showpiece event.

Really hope we're not involved. Send the Essendon's, Collingwood's or Richmond's of the world to do the dirty work for once.

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Will never happen BBP they know the idea is silly and the AFL have no leverage on them.

[Dee Watcher 71]

Sounds like a great AFL junket!!

Like all the overseas games NZ/China/London/Irish Series etc these are an excuse for a junket on members money...AFL house will send a large contingent together with club representatives!  

 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,137]

There are so many logistical issues I can't see it ever happening: 

• where would they play? Is there a ground size big enough? Is there a ground of the right size with natural turf?
• would the game be played two weeks before the opening round to allow teams to recover upon return? If so, how does that affect pre-season training for those involved?
• what time would it be played? More relevantly what time of day would it be in Australia for a live broadcast? 
• would players need visas to get in? If visas are required, would every player and official who needed a visa get one? (especially if the current President keeps extending the list of banned countries)
• cost 

But none of the above is more important than one other question: Why?

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,561]

  On 03/02/2020 at 01:21, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

 

• where would they play? Is there a ground size big enough? Is there a ground of the right size with natural turf?
• would the game be played two weeks before the opening round to allow teams to recover upon return? If so, how does that affect pre-season training for those involved?
• what time would it be played? More relevantly what time of day would it be in Australia for a live broadcast? 
• would players need visas to get in? If visas are required, would every player and official who needed a visa get one? (especially if the current President keeps extending the list of banned countries)
• cost 

But none of the above is more important than one other question: Why?

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I'm no expert on ground dimensions but would the LA Coliseum be an option? The old Olympic stadium.

The stadium (used for NFL and college football) holds 77,000, so perhaps they remove some seats for the event and make the field longer - if possible??

Surely the game would be played during the useless weekend off after the final week of the Marsh Series and before round 1.

As mentioned before, I hope we're not involved. We do enough travelling with our 7 games interstate a year.

[58er 6,872]

  On 03/02/2020 at 01:21, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

There are so many logistical issues I can't see it ever happening: 

• where would they play? Is there a ground size big enough? Is there a ground of the right size with natural turf?
• would the game be played two weeks before the opening round to allow teams to recover upon return? If so, how does that affect pre-season training for those involved?
• what time would it be played? More relevantly what time of day would it be in Australia for a live broadcast? 
• would players need visas to get in? If visas are required, would every player and official who needed a visa get one? (especially if the current President keeps extending the list of banned countries)
• cost 

But none of the above is more important than one other question: Why?

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Let's just ask K.Sheedy he will know all the details!!!!

[DeeSpencer 26,692]

If the Giants want to sell a game for cash and have decent crowd they should just move a regular season game in to Albury or Wagga 

[Youngwilliam 381]

I am for Collingwood going over with the Giants. The Pies have a yank playing for them so the Septics could relate. Except he is from Texas and that in itself might trigger a few in LA.

[daisycutter 30,021]

  On 03/02/2020 at 02:56, Youngwilliam said:

I am for Collingwood going over with the Giants. The Pies have a yank playing for them so the Septics could relate. Except he is from Texas and that in itself might trigger a few in LA.

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as long as both sides don't come back i'll be happy

[Dee Dee 1,145]

I’m not sure there would be a stadium in LA with a playing surface large enough to accommodate a game of Australian Football!                   The MCG playing surface Is about 4.8 acres in size. In comparison,  an American Football pitch covers an area of about 1.3 acres.               There may be parks of suitable size around LA but many years ago when I lived there the only large parks were public ones.

I suppose they could rope off a bit of public park land, play an exhibition match while holding a sausage sizzle and selling fosters or XXXX while extolling the virtues of Australia (Australia? where’s that, I was often asked)

[Rab D Nesbitt 8,983]

Perhaps they could play at Angel Stadium in Anaheim as it has roughly the same pear shaped dimensions at the Gabba did when Hawthorn played Essendon up there in the early nineteen eighties. Gold Coast should be the opposition as it's only fitting that the two Mickey Mouse outfits of the competition fight it out for the four points in the shadow of Disneyland. The AFL could pump it up as the battle of two heavyweights as they yanks will be none the wiser. Any crowd bigger than a Chargers home game would be considered a success. 

[TRIGON 4,821]

  On 03/02/2020 at 02:56, Youngwilliam said:

I am for Collingwood going over with the Giants. The Pies have a yank playing for them so the Septics could relate. Except he is from Texas and that in itself might trigger a few in LA.

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Deliberate or subconscious choice of words? 

[Diamond_Jim 12,778]

  On 03/02/2020 at 00:43, Dee Watcher said:

Sounds like a great AFL junket!!

Like all the overseas games NZ/China/London/Irish Series etc these are an excuse for a junket on members money...AFL house will send a large contingent together with club representatives!  

 

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Merit in what you say but in reality these events are largely glorified trade missions and are heavily subsidized by DFAT. and equivalent State Government bodies... The real sunk cost in China has come from the ground renovations which cost several million.

Not sure that the USA is a natural market but I am sure someone has done the sums on several possibilities. As to growing the game itself as distinct from the more esoteric idea of growing the TV audience this is just dreaming. Even the growth of the TV audience is a long shot. Would not surprise me if the AFL is given away for free to most of the foreign pay TV services.

[Biffen 12,949]

LA won't work 

I reckon they would be better suited to China.More specifically Wuhan Province .

There would be a market for them there.

I think they could go viral.

People will go bat.... crazy for them.

Could be contagious.