Sorry Mate, I have been to local junior matches watching my grandsons play and they even get more than most VFL matches do and they have NO marketing budget!
The so called VFL will always be at a huge disadvantage up against the might and appeal of the AFL but the VFA found a way to compete by being innovative bringing in things like no clearence agreement with the VFL, new teams, throwing the ball,16 men a side and Sunday footy etc!
Unfortunately the current VFL is what is it is a reserves comp for the benefit of AFL clubs and the public are not willing to waste thier time and pay for second - raters when they can have to best of Australian Football every week.
Don't be sorry. You don't have to apologise for not recognising that the connection with AFL teams was not broken during COVID because the games remained on TV, and clubs had huge budgets to remain connected with their fans.
In contrast, competitions that played at local venues were stopped, the clubs effectively shut down and now they have to find ways to reconnect with their fans and get them to break newly-formed habits and get back into going to local footy.
That's been made even harder for standalone VFL teams whose football programs were shut down for a large part of two years, and so lost ground on their full-time opposition who were allowed to continue operating.
I stick with my comments no amount of marketing will help the crowds at the VFL now apart from Frankston and maybe Werribee are now abysmal and a joke for a supposed leading State competition.
When Port Melb are drawing two and a dog you know the comp is in trouble!
I can see in the not too distant future the AFL giving up on this distorted unwieldly comp and have their own AFL Reserves only comp and the rest can go jump.
If crowds are a measure the VFL has been in trouble since the late 90s. We all know that.
However, your point suggesting COVID didn't have a big impact on VFL and local footy crowds because AFL crowds are high does not compare apples with oranges, and ignores the factors local football teams had to face that AFL teams didn't.
As for the future of the VFL, it will mostly come down to what the AFL thinks creates the best pathway into the draft. That, along with developing young talent on AFL lists, is the purpose of the competition in their eyes.
The AFL will end up with their own Reserves down the track and the 7 ex VFA clubs ( I don't count Box Hill or Casey) should start planning for that day.
Maybe they could get together as the VFA again and invite three strong suburban clubs and the Admin could be HQed at North Port and finals at North Port also..
I like the idea of strong suburban clubs coming on board, but would they want to take the risk of moving to a new venture.
A lot of clubs also like big in big fish in a little pond.
Eve a promotion/relegation within regions could be considered?
Alternatively, I like the idea of leagues running their own representative team in the VFL. Promoting the best talent as a pathway to being drafted and for bragging rights between regional comps.
Sorry Mate, I have been to local junior matches watching my grandsons play and they even get more than most VFL matches do and they have NO marketing budget!
The so called VFL will always be at a huge disadvantage up against the might and appeal of the AFL but the VFA found a way to compete by being innovative bringing in things like no clearence agreement with the VFL, new teams, throwing the ball,16 men a side and Sunday footy etc!
Unfortunately the current VFL is what is it is a reserves comp for the benefit of AFL clubs and the public are not willing to waste thier time and pay for second - raters when they can have to best of Australian Football every week.
As they say "You cannot put lipstick on a pig"!
Don't be sorry. You don't have to apologise for not recognising that the connection with AFL teams was not broken during COVID because the games remained on TV, and clubs had huge budgets to remain connected with their fans.
In contrast, competitions that played at local venues were stopped, the clubs effectively shut down and now they have to find ways to reconnect with their fans and get them to break newly-formed habits and get back into going to local footy.
That's been made even harder for standalone VFL teams whose football programs were shut down for a large part of two years, and so lost ground on their full-time opposition who were allowed to continue operating.
I stick with my comments no amount of marketing will help the crowds at the VFL now apart from Frankston and maybe Werribee are now abysmal and a joke for a supposed leading State competition.
When Port Melb are drawing two and a dog you know the comp is in trouble!
I can see in the not too distant future the AFL giving up on this distorted unwieldly comp and have their own AFL Reserves only comp and the rest can go jump.
If crowds are a measure the VFL has been in trouble since the late 90s. We all know that.
However, your point suggesting COVID didn't have a big impact on VFL and local footy crowds because AFL crowds are high does not compare apples with oranges, and ignores the factors local football teams had to face that AFL teams didn't.
As for the future of the VFL, it will mostly come down to what the AFL thinks creates the best pathway into the draft. That, along with developing young talent on AFL lists, is the purpose of the competition in their eyes.
The AFL will end up with their own Reserves down the track and the 7 ex VFA clubs ( I don't count Box Hill or Casey) should start planning for that day.
Maybe they could get together as the VFA again and invite three strong suburban clubs and the Admin could be HQed at North Port and finals at North Port also..
I like the idea of strong suburban clubs coming on board, but would they want to take the risk of moving to a new venture.
A lot of clubs also like big in big fish in a little pond.
Eve a promotion/relegation within regions could be considered?
Alternatively, I like the idea of leagues running their own representative team in the VFL. Promoting the best talent as a pathway to being drafted and for bragging rights between regional comps.
* It's time to restore the VFA name.
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