I’m happy to take up the challenge Chris. Let’s forget about SMFC for awhile and focus on what Heart can do to improve its situation.

I firmly believe that they need to focus on one area of Melbourne so they have a firm identity. As an example, they could target the northern suburbs. It kind of makes sense since they have set up camp there to an extent. After a quick Wikipedia search, I found out that there are more or less 1.1M people to build a team around (see image).



Targeting this will allow them to deploy their limited marketing resources to a smaller area, thus having more impact.
-They could target every school and every football club in the area and do clinics. Less schools and clubs hence they can spend more time at each of them; will be far more effective.
-All their e-marketing can be location based.

They can still play out of Swan St in the short term, but should look to redevelop Preston over the next few years (or somewhere else?), perhaps with some help from the council so it can host games with low crowd-pulling power. Over time, they can slowly improve the facility as the club grows, and build a social club so Heart is accessible to the public.

Having a local ground is important for a number of reasons:
-People will feel more connected to the club
-The small games will have a much better atmosphere than being played out at an empty Swan St stadium.
-Imagine a Heskey or a Del Piero playing in the burbs? That will get the whole joint pumping!
-More people are likely to go to the game as it will be cheaper and easier to get to.
-Get local businesses involved to provide good food on match day, rather than the expensive crap that's dished up to a captive market at Swan St.

None of this is radical; it’s pretty much what WSW is doing. And if you can’t get a decent following from 1.1M people then you are getting the fundamentals wrong. Newcastle are averaging 12,000 people this year from a population of 300,000.

Melbourne Heart need to bite the bullet and go north and gain an identity.

There's much more of course, but this is a start. What does everyone else think?

............................................!!!ENOUGH SAID ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) =; =; =; =; =; =; =; =; =; =;

fighting evil by moonlight
Winning love by daylight
Never running from a real fight
She is the one named Sailor Moon
She will...never turn her back on a friend
She is... always there to defend
She is...the one on whom we can depend
She is the one named Sailor.....
.... Sailor Venus
.... Sailor Mercury

.... Sailor Mars
..... Sailor Jupiter
With secret powers
All so new to her
She is the one named Sailor Moon
Fighting evil by moonlight
Winning love by daylight
With her Sailor Scouts to help fight
She is the one named Sailor Moon
She is the one named Sailor Moon
She is the one . . . Sailor Moon

With the "One Melburnian" thing, wins in their last two home games and versing a title contender, Heart should get at least 8k (could even get 9 or 10 if all their members go).

?

LOL

Just like this thread - it seems the only thing MH are good at doing is copying other teams and their ideas - http://au.fourfourtwo.com/forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=79460

LOL at the argument that trends are on the up coming off a base of 4,300

And now you guys are celebrating a crowd of 7181 (let the pigeons loose) of which at least 1,000 were Adelaide fans

sorry guys but 7181 represents approximately 40% of what will be a break even crowd next year and certainly no where near the skewed average of >9000 you claim to be averaging this year - I'll give you guys a trend - you are tracking towards a season average of less than 8K

Expecting more arguments from the usual culprits surrounding south and its non relevant mono ethnic angle - however 7181 from a broad based team in a city of 4.5 million is unacceptable - unacceptable - unacceptable - - - - - accept it

But I guess a below average attendance result by MH is very acceptable to those that started the copy thread and those that commented to it

I should add that an upward trend is a good thing for MH - and may it continue - but to call it acceptable???


Edited by chris: 19/1/2013 01:47:28 AM

If I was sitting at a profitable and ambitious AFL club and watching the growth of the HAL - I'd be thinking that establishing a team for my supporters to follow in the off season is worth considering.
European teams have set up other sporting teams so if you have a strong following eg. Collingwood then a HAL team will work, and would be more successful than Heart.
Collingwood did this previously so with a less risky and financially stable model than the NSL, it would be worth strong consideration.

Bottom line - FFA's next choice maybe between a potential GIANT vs a has been SMFC to replace Heart.
So those SMFC fans who think they are assured of replacing Heart if it came to that, think again.

The chances of SMFC getting back into the big time are dead, with cremation imminent for these aspirations.