[jabader]

given the new T.V rights deal for the AFL were only 4 games per weekend will be shown on the free to air electronic media here in WA i think this may be a good time to take advantage of those who don't have foxtel and see if we can convert them to the ranks of the WAFL supporters. so here is the challenge fellow bloggers; is to come up with marketing ideas for this demographic group who may be interested and only need a little prodding to attend a WAFL match as there may not be any football on T.V during saturday afternoons unless they have foxtel & maybe able to attend and be given the opportunity to see the quality of football on offer. Despite this I know it is unlikely that those at the WAFC will listen to any new and fresh marketing ideas provided bythose who attend & are members of WAFL clubs so lets give it ago anyway

p.s sorry about the spelling my keyboard seems to be playing up

[insoneeri]

The problem is slab, the WAFC have a conflict of interest. Their main aim is the success and success of the two AFL teams from Perth and a distant second, they want a strong WAFL comp but they don't want it to be too successful in terms of numbers. The other reason more people should attend WAFL matches is we have a small stadium with a capapacity of around 40 000 so AFL games are inaccessable to a lot of people.

[Eltabaco]

This is always a great subject because promotion of the WAFL is almost non-existant.

Simple short sharp adverts on TV is the way to go. Yes it cost money but there is something there for the WAFL to work with. They cant say they have nothing.

Intricut fixturing based around what the AFL dish up (each week) also goes a long way.

Promoting through amature & junior football clubs is vital. Little league days are just not enough and they have limited impact on these kids. Clubs should make it a huge day for them and their parents/coaches and get them involved behind the scenes on game day. They need to be educated on how serious these games are taken. I dont think the public really appreciate that side of the WAFL. They see the AFL as the serious comp. The WAFL is perceived as laconic by most sections which is false.

Club officials & WAFL officials have plenty of chances to promote the competition through talkback radio. Every Saturday morning the main radio stations (720ABC / 6PR) have 2 hour programmes leading into the days games. You never hear any of them call in and talk about their games coming up. Radio talkback is an open forum and there are no limits in that area. Panels will openly start conversation if a caller made the effort. This is an easy way to get the message out there every single week & it should start with people in a position of power. It is a small thing that can go a long way & it takes very little effort.

[Aw1HhC0m]

start the season 3 or 4 weeks later - last week of april and have the finals in october.

[anderriter]

start the season 3 or 4 weeks later - last week of april and have the finals in october.

Funnily enough, a bloke at work here said the same thing today. I have always thought this too. The season starts way too early here in WA. In 1981 (I know thats a loooong time ago) the season started 2nd week of April and ended in October after the VFL Grand Final. No suprise even back then crowds were the highest ever.

But the problem is the AFL will be against it. They rule the roost. Our AFL clubs would bitch & moan about it so it would be a difficult thing to get off the ground.

[drugimpotence]

there is 2 reasons i like this - the weather is still too hot when they start the season. sharks beat perth at laithlan early 2011- it was 36 degrees. second , finals would be unimpeded by the afl finals and hopefully draw bigger crowds and more media attention.

[MariaBeautys]

Sounds like a great idea; pre-season comp would still start at the end of march to fit in with the AFL needs and for those who miss their footy of the long break they could watch WAFL until the end of october when nothing is occuring. Sounds great!

[fount_pirat]

We've got no hope of seeing the WAFC spend a cent on promoting the WAFL apart from the odd quarter page newspaper advert whilst we've got fifth columnists like Frank Cooper and Gary Walton advocating for an AFL reserves comp. Neither would know one end of a football from the other. Cooper's like that Asian bloke in the Wiggles. Endlessly nodding off. WAKE UP FRANK! When asked the most pressing issue facing the WAFL he said "the future financial model". You reckon he might be an accountant by training?

I too like the idea of starting/ending the season later. I also like the idea of TV adverts. But the biggest challenge for the WAFL is the demographics of its supporter base. It's getting older. You need to get to the kids and you need to get to them early. When I was a kid living in Subi's zone we had Subi players coming to school and taking footy training, giving out footballs, free tickets etc. The key to the future of the WAFL is getting the kids interested. And there is no reason why kids can't be AFL and WAFL supporters...sh1t that was the way it was when I was a kid, everyone had a VFL team and a WAFL team. Not enough is being done at the school level in my view. Jeez the bloody Eagles come to my kids school but we very, very rarely see WAFL players and when they do come its bloody reserves players who the kids have no hope of seeing in action if they do venture to a game. Connect with the kids, that's the key and its cheap to do too. WAKE UP FRANK! Or better still get out of the way and let someone who actually cares about the WAFL do the job!

[EarnestKS]

Its only a little thing but i'm always trying to drag old mates along who usually havn't been to a wafl game since the 80s or somethin. And we've all got plenty of those. They're usually surprised at how good a day it is and appreciate how much more, i'm not sure what word to use, but something like how much more raw an experience it is compared to the Dockers games most of them go to. a few of them have become regulars now.

[BloofPailafum]

Cheapest tap beer in Perth. We've got a happy hour at home games this year too.

[trilochana.nejman]

1977 like all your ideas 3500 people is a good target for all clubs to aim at; reasonable prices for entry; food & beer is good idea as alot of families are being priced out of the AFL experience given the costs; one local junior club per game another great idea however when would the amateur league be played remember most clubs now have female teams in WAWFL or whatever playing after the league at times

[AngegepeM]

1977 - some great ideas there, mate. I reckon you should try and meet with the new CEO once they start as they might be keen to hit the ground running with something like that. Did you have any luck chatting to them about the Facebook page?

oldgoldandblue - i know exactly what you mean. The AFL is so over-sanitised and even at the game you can't get anywhere near feeling part of it - it's kinda like being in front of a big screen stuck on one zoomed out camera angle!

[lapyignipinge]

Well crowds have doubled in the last decade without the WAFC doing much about it. As the population of Perth increases, so will the crowds around the WAFL venues. Eagles memberships are sold out, Dockers are 37,000 and the new stadium won't
be built to 2018. For people wanting a regular fix of football, the WAFL will increasingly become the only alternative.

[Nopayof]

1977 - some great ideas there, mate. I reckon you should try and meet with the new CEO once they start as they might be keen to hit the ground running with something like that. Did you have any luck chatting to them about the Facebook page?

problem there for a starter ..... the new CEO is ex-Freo AFL and his big ticket item is VAFL reserves so this fella isn't my steak & chips fellas - this comp has to be separated from the VAFL (yes intended!!!) .... sick to death of the rape of this state's league .... understand young blokes wanting their slice but geez we gotta market our WAFL as the next best thing .... maybe playing predominantly night games would help attract more bums to seats , most sides have the lights now.

[alias]

Please come down it will be a great night flyer.jpg

[jadabaad]

problem there for a starter ..... the new CEO is ex-Freo AFL and his big ticket item is VAFL reserves so this fella isn't my steak & chips fellas - this comp has to be separated from the VAFL (yes intended!!!) .... sick to death of the rape of this state's league .... understand young blokes wanting their slice but geez we gotta market our WAFL as the next best thing .... maybe playing predominantly night games would help attract more bums to seats , most sides have the lights now.

It is very costly to flood light a ground these days. I questioned my club's profit a couple of years ago and one of the reasons given was lights had been installed and that increased the clubs running costs.

[PypeMaypetasy]

problem there for a starter ..... the new CEO is ex-Freo AFL and his big ticket item is VAFL reserves so this fella isn't my steak & chips fellas

Who is he? I haven't heard of any contenders yet.

[socialkiiii]

I am of the firm belief that ground sharing is the way to go. You may ask what that has to do with promoting the WAFL. Firstly it divides the running costs for each club & provides the avenue for clubs to spend more on improving facilities. And Im talking basic facilities like food/drink outlets and toilets. Most WAFL grounds have grassed banks which is exactly what is required for families and the younger demographic. Before you promote your product you must make the product of a certain standard. You may get new comers in but if the experience is a negative one, it is hard to get them back. Years ago I took my young child to Fremantle Oval and walking into the toilets (yes, they actually had some on the outer) we were a foot deep in man piss. I kid you not it was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Freo Oval is not exactly family freindly given its surrounded by concrete, but that was just unacceptable. And its not the first time I have heard that about Freo Oval. I have never taken my child back there since and never will. That is just an example.

The WAFL have a great product to work with, there is no doubt about that. But grounds like Claremont and East Fremantle are deplorable in terms of basic facilities and it is no suprise people dont flock there. Claremont is getting a revamp which is long overdue, and I dont know about the long term viability of the Sharks staying at Moss Street. Richmond Raceway got the bulldoze some time back for housing. Whether they go down the same path there is debatable but perhaps the Shire will utilise the vast outer banks at East Fremantle Oval for highrise units along the lines of what is happening at Claremont Oval. And the result of this is a better facility and a place you want to go to. Most other WAFL grounds (Leederville, Lathlain and Bassendean Oval) are great for WAFL supporters. Cant speak for Rushton Park but reports are its OK for the locals down there.

One simple way to promote the WAFL is on the big screens at Subiaco Oval during the breaks at AFL games. Given the WAFC have some partial control there, it should be utilised. Half time generally has Slim Jim or Langdon screaming down at fans about some crap, or a big feathered eagle breakdancing in the crowd. The WAFL needs this space even if only for 30 seconds to promote themselves to the hords. Tapping into the history of the WAFL and marketing the comp around that is a way to at least tug at the heartstrings of football fan. At least the ones who have been lost to the AFL Tsunami. There are ways to do it, we just need people in charge who genuinely want to do it. If the want is not there (along the lines of most of us) then it will just tonk along as is & in 10 years from now maybe another generation could be lost. Ten years ago was the time to do this, and we are still pleading for any kind of promotion to not only stimulate the fire a bit, but now just stabalise the WAFL's credibility. The comp is in decent shape in a general sense, as those in authority keep telling us. But accepting that theory is scary. It lacks reality.

[SallyIsNice5]

Coincidence today reading in the West about the Claremont Oval redevelopment. If we are talking about marketing the WAFL then having top class facilities is the number one foundation.

Site works will start next month & the ground itself will be closed down completely for the entire 2013 season and the first couple of months in 2014.

The Tigers in the mean time look like alternating their home games between East Fremantle Oval, Fremantle Oval & the Claremont Showgrounds.

The project will see up to 100 new units built around the ground. In turn the Government will give the Claremont Football Club $16.5 million dollars to develop brand new facilities. Current existing building (i.e stands, commmentary boxes etc) will all be demolished.

When completed the ground will become public open space. In other words the Oval will be open to the public at all times, except on match days when it will be closed and the only way of entry is through the turnstiles.

They say the ground will mirror the new facilities at Rushton Park with the main building being a grandstand, change rooms, office and catering spaces. It all sounds A grade and maybe the Sharks might then look at relocating and perhaps a ground sharing option with the tigers. Its not like the grounds (EF & CL) are that far apart anyway, so the transition might work as smooth as the East Perth/Subiaco arrangement. Its the way to go for long term viability & will help maintain the venue at the highest possible standard. If its as good as they say its going to be, people will come with their mates and families.

[BeksTeene]

I would doubt very much that East Freo would do that and I don't think we would want it either. It would be more likely that Easts would do a similar re development and i think the Demons may eventually look at doing the same at Lathlain.