Talking Footy

Posted: **Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:02 pm**

On the back of their great crowd last week ( 47,000) I would say yes...

Apparently 30,000 tickets were sold yesterday....

Good to see RL back strongly as the Number 1 code in Brisbane...

Posted: **Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:20 pm**

Well you'd hope so considering the Lions never had any problems with sellouts for their finals in Brisbane and they aren't involved in the AFL finals this season. Probably will still fall short of a sellout though. Rugby league fans prefer to sit on the couch watching the game on tv. Will never understand why that is. They just don't seem that passionate at all.

Posted: **Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:39 pm**

Beaussie - you should attend the Bulldogs v Raiders game in Sydney this week, as the Swans are playing interstate....

Posted: **Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:12 pm**

No interest in either team Willis and I'll be watching the Swans progress to the preliminary finals anyway.

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:03 pm**

Great crowd Broncos... =D>

I thought the Storm's crowd was pretty respectable too under the circumastances....

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:54 am**

I thought the Storm crowd was disappointing. Not even a sellout for the minor premiers. They only needed to sell what, 18,000 odd seats?

Good story last night on the ABC's 7.30 Report about just how difficult it is for the Storm and rugby league to crack the Melbourne market. Anyone else catch it last night?

That aside, a fantastic crowd for the Broncos. Pity the majority of supporters went home with that losing feeling after their local team was thrashed on the field.

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:06 pm**

18,500 actually, but who's counting heh. There are problems with the stadium beyond the control of the Storm, primarily it is a piss poor stadium to attend if you want to get decent parking, there are only 11,000 seats, the rest is standing room and it has the most annoying entry routine I've ever seen (it's like being at a bloody airport and under terrorist suspicion for carrying aftershave in your carryall bag). Their attendance was basically 76% of capacity, a pretty decent return for them I suspect, even for a first final for the minor premiers, no doubt that will improve even further in their next match (if it's played there and not in Sydney of course).

I didn't catch the 7.30 Report, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least to guess exactly what they said as to why it's so difficult for the Storm. Got any transcripts of quotes from it perchance? I myself have some theories on what would help Melbourne gain a bigger slice of the pie, I mentioned some in another post (under code wars forum I think?).

A big factor for the Storm is that they are the lone wolf in town, they have nothing that approaches an arch rivalry and that hurts them a lot. On the upside however, being the lone team in a town where rugby league is not embraced across the sporting spectrum there, does give the players the benefit of less public scrutiny and exposure and thus allows Bellamy and his lads, the freedom to concentrate on what is important. It's shown this year by how utterly dominant they have been on the park with their play style and results. If I were in charge of them, hells, I'd be more keen for wins and premierships than I would be for sellout attendances every time I played at home.

Success comes in many forms, all too often it's about the money moreso than the results. It takes time to make a solid base in a city like Melbourne where rugby league is not a prime sport for the public there...but it will happen, slowly but surely, even after all this time that the Storm has been there, they just have to be patient and understanding, much like the Swans were in Sydney for oh so many years.

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:50 pm**

The Portonian wrote:
I didn't catch the 7.30 Report, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least to guess exactly what they said as to why it's so difficult for the Storm. Got any transcripts of quotes from it perchance?

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1738436.htm
Broadcast: 11/09/2006

Melbourne Storm hoping to win back support
Reporter: Ben Knight

KERRY O'BRIEN: While we're on the subject of powerful storms, eight years ago the Melbourne Storm rugby league team was born. In just its second year in the competition it stunned the rugby league world and its adopted city by winning the premiership. But as that early success faded, so did local interest in a city where Aussie Rules is regarded as religion. Now the Storm are flying again and warm favourites to win their second premiership. The crowds are up again, but is the city where AFL was born any closer to fully embracing the newcomer. Ben Knight reports.

BEN KNIGHT: Another week and another win for the Melbourne Storm.

COMMENTATOR: And Turner scores the first points of the game.

BEN KNIGHT: While yesterday's game wasn't up to their usual standard it's still been an amazing season for this side. Last week it was the Dally M, the week before that, the minor premiership. But while Melbourne people are vaguely aware of that success, most of them still struggle to name a single player. Do you know any of the players?

BOY: Nup.

BOY #2: There's that guy, what's his name, starts with an M.

BOY: I forgot one guy, but he's a fast runner.

BEN KNIGHT: What's the name of the captain of the Melbourne Storm?

MAN: No idea.

BEN KNIGHT: Can you name any players?

WOMAN: No.

WOMAN #2: Peter Stirling.

BEN KNIGHT: But yesterday, nearly 16,000 fans were there. The week before in the last home game against Manly, there were 14,000. For a frontier team in a foreign market that's a very good result. Earlier this season the average crowd was around half that. Since its beginnings eight years ago, this club has put a lot of work into building those crowds. But they're not kidding themselves about why the stands are suddenly full this year.

BRIAN WALDRON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MELBOURNE STORM: You've just got to have a good competitive footy team and we've got that because the heroes are what sells the game.

BEN KNIGHT: And this team is more than competitive.

COMMENTATOR: Turner in open space! Here comes Hicks behind him. Plenty of speed, dummies.

WARREN RYAN, ABC RUGBY LEAGUE COMMENTATOR: They're going to win the comp. I've been saying this since I don't know how many, many months ago. I've been saying Melbourne's going to win the competition. In fact, it'd be a downright shame if they didn't.

BEN KNIGHT: Warren Ryan is a former coach, now an ABC commentator.

WARREN RYAN: They've got to muscle up a bit more than they have in the first half.

BEN KNIGHT: He watched the Storm win their first cup in 1999 in just their second year in the competition.

WARREN RYAN: But this is a better side, they play better football than that side. They have got the most lethal strike power in the game in their attack.

BEN KNIGHT: Pat and Jim French have been following the team since the first game.

JIM FRENCH, STORM FAN: If we lose tonight, we will go home for a week and we'll be kicking doors. I will be. Most people, they won't admit it but for a week, oh.

BEN KNIGHT: Jim used to follow Hawthorn in the AFL, but he doesn't go anymore.

JIM FRENCH: In my opinion, they've sanitised the game to buggery.

BEN KNIGHT: Most Storm fans are expats of some sorts from, the rugby league states or New Zealand or the Pacific islands. But there's a growing number of local fans.

WARREN RYAN: When a crowd is a bit new to a code they don't know the appropriate time to influence the referee, but this Melbourne mob are well versed in exerting the required influence.

BEN KNIGHT: But there's still a tiny minority, because this is Melbourne, where it's AFL first and daylight second. But the players say that's not all bad.

BILLY SLATER, STORM PLAYER: We can get out and have a game of golf and do stuff that everyday people do that sort of don't get recognised in the eastern states. Most of the boys enjoy that sort of part of living in Melbourne.

BEN KNIGHT: And he's definitely enjoying the bigger crowds.

BILLY SLATER: The Melbourne Storm are going so good this year, everyone is starting to take an interest. Hopefully those kids at school might go out and pass the rugby ball instead of handball and an AFL ball. in the next couple of years.

BEN KNIGHT: That's quite possible, already several Victorian schools have rugby league teams. The Storm say they're not trying to knock off AFL, or even get fans to switch codes.

BILLY SLATER: We just want to be another sport in Victoria. There's definitely enough room and enough people to go around.

BEN KNIGHT: But the turnaround in crowds can really be traced to one event - the State of Origin decider in Melbourne.

BRIAN WALDRON: Origin should have showed them we didn't just pull 51,000, we pulled 40,000 Victorians here.

BEN KNIGHT: And Pat and Jim French think it's just a matter of time.

PAT FRENCH, STORM FAN: I think they're just uneducated and as soon as they become educated, they'll join me. At times I worry that perhaps if it's not supported enough, we'll lose it. That frightens me, yeah.

BEN KNIGHT: That's not surprising. After its early success faded, the Storm became the subject of constant rumours it was headed north. The team's owner, News Limited, stuck with them - although News Limited's support isn't always apparent in its local newspaper the Herald Sun where readers have to wade through wages of AFL to find a single article on the Storm.

BRIAN WALDRON: I'd like to think if we win the premiership, we'll be back page. But Collingwood are always going be back page ahead of the Storm, which is understandable.

BEN KNIGHT: Times are changing and Channel Nine having ignored the southern market for years showed yesterday's final live into Melbourne.

BRIAN WALDRON: We are nearly 10 years into our program as a franchise. Compared to the Swans when they were 10 years into Sydney, I think we've done a pretty good job.

BEN KNIGHT: And in 2009, they'll have this.

STRATHI PAXINOS, RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER, 'THE AGE': Brian Waldron has an attitude that the new stadium will be built and the fans will come. Whether that actually eventuates is another matter. Will the fans keep coming if the team are not performing the way they are?

BRIAN WALDRON: You know what? There's going to be these years in sport that happen for whatever reason. Yet people remain committed to us, the mediums remain committed to us, the public remain committed to us and our sponsors remain committed to us and our crowds do.

BEN KNIGHT: With only two Melbourne teams left in the AFL finals and no games in Melbourne for the next two years, the winning Storm hope to win some of the attention of the Aussie Rules crowd. But just getting this town to even think about league is a tough job.

WARREN RYAN: Whether they fear another code, you wouldn't think so, it's so strong here - you'd think.

BRIAN WALDRON: We are nearly 10 years into our program as a franchise. Compared to the Swans when they were 10 years into Sydney, I think we've done a pretty good job.

He fails to mention that when the Swans were somewhat successful in the 80s, huge crowds at the SCG weren't uncommon. Compare that with the Storm who can't even sellout 18,500 seats in Melbourne for a home final after just taking out the minor premiership.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:45 pm**

Thanks for the transcription Beaussie, looks like it was a semi interesting interview albeit spread with some of the usual bread and butter crap...good to see the Storm get some tv exposure from Auntie anyway, good for them.

You make mention of Waldron's quote about the Swans vs Storm ten year mark, I'd like to temper what you say in reply to that by adding this; Eddleston money backed showtime era.

Lets be honest, yes, they had some success, but it was all about the millions that Eddleston through into entertainment and image crafting. The 80's were all about glitz and sickening dazzle, especially up there in Sydney. It didn't really equate to football success and it showed after that rather brief period by a fairly large drop off in crowd attendances once the Eddleston era was over and the Swans weren't flying high. I'm not trying to take away or rag on that time of the Swannies history, just pointing out the measure taken for that "success" to come. The Storm simply, in this day and age we live in, haven't gone that route, nor would they, for fear of ridicule from the whole footballing community. Two different eras, two different football communities, fact is that Melbourne is far harder city to break into, they have a deeper mindset of tribalistic idiocy when it comes to code encroachment.

However, on the up and up, while both teams have had a similar task of migration (the Swans have the South Melbourne history however, so a tad different in terms of supporter base continuation) to foreign territory, they remain apart for comparison. Personally I think the Storm should just concentrate on success and not worry too much about full house crowds, find success and the growth will come and that will allow them to expand further as a club in hostile territory. The Swans, well they have very little to worry about for the next 20 years, smart use of a very flawed charity draft system (shot at the AFL, not the Swans), very good supporter base with a sense of history and pride, a top notch venue which they have made into a graveyard for visiting teams. All this ensures the Swannies will continue to be a strong performer for many years to come...hopefully the Storm will one day reach those ranks. At least this year, they should take home the trophy, can't see anyone getting past them, even after last weekends "close shave".

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:41 pm**

Its easy to take the pis out of the Storm, but its not like the Swans players names are known by the average guy in the streets of Sydney either...

In 1994 the Swans averaged less then 7,000 per game.

Consider this;

Aussie Rules has been played in Sydney for more than 100 years.

The Swans have been in Sydney for 25 years as opposed to the Storm's 9...

The Swans games have been televised into the Sydney market live for many years.

The Swans won the GF last year...

The Swans game was played interstate and televised during prime time, opposed to the Storm playing on a Sunday afternoon...

Given all that only 70,000 ( average) more people in Sydney watched them on TV compared to Mellbournites who watched the Storm....

Talking Footy

Will the Broncos semi final be a sell out??

Will the Broncos semi final be a sell out??