Don't know if they are losing much sleep but definitely losing a lot of money over it.

As long as the cheque arrives, it's really not an issue for the AFL (if the broadcasters are paying overs).  As for Seven, they were part of the billion dollar deal five years ago and everyone said that was too much back then, and now it's reached two billion in value.  It's their business I guess.  It's only an issue for the AFL if Seven goes completely broke (although they've won the ratings every year for the past decade).

The point is, whether Seven and Fox are losing money, or whether the ratings are a complete disaster, or whatever, for the next six years at least, as long as the cheque doesn't bounce, the AFL doesn't really have all that much to worry about.

Yeah so almost double our average ratings for a game shows how many people are like you that dont care about finals and would rather only watch in season matches..

And if ur trying to say that a number og finals games isnt going to make a huge difference to the overall ratings figure for the season well.of.course not, its 5 games out of 140. But that doesnt mean there isnt individual merit in having it especially when they are some of the highest rating matches of the year, so clearly more people are interested.in the format. You are very clearly in the minority. 

Because in bluebirds eyes its contrived and not pure. But then again he would prefer to watch paint dry than watch an entertsining spectacle. 

If we had it his way this season, by round 20 onwards no one would have bothered to.watch the rest of the season as sydney fc had basically won it 2 months in advance. Getting rid of finals means even less to.play for. Not that someone like bluebird cares tho because he could the  still try and convince all.of.us how much better it is.. Only problem is that no one would be listening to him because they would have already switched off.

If the ratings average was 60k, the ratings average with that game is 60.38k
If the attendance average was 12.3k, the attendance average with that game is 12.33k

You're splitting hairs

The fact is Sydney have already been given a major trophy and an ACL spot. Melbourne have sewn up the second spot. And Brisbane (barring Perth winning the grand final) have the third. Everything that can be won has been won. The only thing left is some retarded backwards argument about which is the more meaningful trophy

Talk to AFL fans and they'll tell you Bulldogs won last year and Sydney came second
Talk to A League fans and then give up after an hour because you won't get anywhere

The A League doesn't respect its own finals series. Now you might write some pathetic passive aggressive argument on my views to other people like the sad little boy you are, but all I have said is I'll only support the finals series if it is a proper finals series

But it isn't. Its a top 6 in a 10 team league that dishes out a runner up ACL spot assuming 1st and 2nd don't win. If the ACL spots went to GF winner, GF runner up, and Semi losers play off (assuming different to FFA cup winner) then everything would be left to play for

There is a difference between doing something and doing something properly. Sometimes our code tries to be too different

Sun STV #ALeague #FoxSports #ALFinals #MCYvPER 116k

Sun TV #ALeague #SBSViceland (delayed) 64k (Syd 18k Mel 23k Bri 10k Ade 7k Per 5k)

That's a huge ratings win.

So 180,000 watched a 7PM Sunday kick off. I would have though tv execs would be satisfied with that? SBS is maybe a bit low but I would have said Fox will say the time slot was justified.

what was the SBS figure on Friday?

@ feel the brox

Same. 64k with 112k on fox

So just under 360k for the two finals games this weekend

116k on Foxtel is quite good for the A-League, a good 50% above the average rating.

64k on SBS is also above average for the SBS, but it's a pretty woeful rating for FTA, especially for a Sunday night.

The city by city breakdown is quite disappointing.  With a Melbourne and Perth team playing, we have only 5,000 tuning in from Perth, the lowest of all the five metro figures.

Eh it's 2017, who watched delayed sports? 

The second elimination final last season got 70k viewers on Fox. Good uplift last night...

Aleague Week 1 Finals Ratings up 16% on Metro FTA at 128k, Fox up 26% to 356k Overall up 23% for Finals Wk 1.

That's because there are clowns like you that like to instigate how shit the finals system is. Plenty of other people here talking about how finals matches rate well and that are an integral part of our sporting history.

Finals should also be viewed as a way of testing how a club can handle pressure. The league rewards consistency. No reason why they both shouldn't be rewarded. And to say that there is no interest in the finals and then revert to using the full season and how it affects the average is the type of typical response ive come to expect from you because you are an absolute clown. 

Like i said prior to the weekend and stick by my words, people in this country like the finals format even the way it is right now. How do I know? Because those individual games rate a LOT higher than the standard average game. If there were more people with your view then the ratings for these finals games would be below or at best at the average rate. But they are not. So stop trying to convince people otherwise. 

Finals are good....if done properly. But you don't seem to understand that

You said it yourself that both should be rewarded. Why? If there is any part of you that feels Sydney have won something by now then you cant be a believer in the finals system. Talk to any AFL fan and they'll tell you the finishing order is little more than seeding for the next phase

Yes finals are part of our history. Equally, not rewarding first past the post is part of our history. Why respect one part of the history but not the other?

City are the only eligible Asian team to have won the national cup comp that wont be in the ACL next year because muppets like you argue a hard line down one system, but then give out all the prizes for another. As I said, if Perth lose, there is nothing left to be won


Lots of games rate higher than the standard game. Some of those rate higher than finals games. Plenty of games have had higher attendances than the finals games, even for the home team. I don't see finals as make or break. Shock horror, somebody disagrees with you. Better put words in their mouth and come up with clever insults while arguing both points at the same time

You cant even make up your own mind at what point the season is won which is why you are arguing for both. What you don't appreciate is that in your arguing for both sides you have presented a case for those who want first past the post, and those who want finals. Why say Sydney should be rewarded for consistency then slam anybody who believes Sydney should be rewarded for consistency. We can't all be bipolar


This "finals rewards teams that can handle pressure" is just a bullshit cliché. Somebody is always going to win every game. Care to explain why the away team in the last 8 finals fixtures couldn't handle pressure? Wow. What a coincidence. Brisbane were a penalty shoot out away from choking against a team that didn't even win 1/3 of their games and finished 8 points lower. But your morning after results tells you they handled the pressure well and stood up where it counted. What a load of shit. Australian teams have failed time and time again in cut throat games, qualifiers or tournaments. Having a finals system has done nothing to give us an edge against nations that prefer a league system

Bluebird

I hear what you are saying and from a purist stance it makes sense ... but its simply another competition and does it matter which competition people consider the highest ... people from a Football background may choose the FFA Cup, most will choose the 27 round season... others with say with lessor Football knowledge will choose the finals ... but is it actually worth all the anger and rants against at its simplest terms is a short competition that some see as very important I don't but I also don't loose any sleep if those new to Football see the finals as more important... 

Footyindustry‏ @footyindustryAU  5hMoreAleague Week 1 Finals Ratings up 16% on Metro FTA at 128k, Fox up 26% to 356k Overall up 23% for Finals Wk 1. Crowds down 12.59% to 13,717

As I have stated time and time again - I do not have a problem with the finals as long as it is done properly

Why cant they have the ACL spots go to GF winner, GF runner up, and semi final loser play off (if same as FFA cup winner)? Why is this such a hard concept to follow?

Why do we have to give out all the titles after the league has finished, and then have a finals because we absolutely bloody have to. Its tradition and blah blah blah

If the finals are important and necessary then they should be used to determine the winner of the league. Pure and simple - as they have traditionally done
If they are not important or not a true indicator of the winner then we should do away with them

There is no doubt in my mind that a title for first past the post is diluting interest in the finals race. I think you'll find if they had a top 4 or 5 system, and all awards given out during the finals, then people will taker them more seriously

This one system for one made up group of fans, and another system for another made up group of fans is just stupid. Nobody is going to stop following the league because the GF winner is the true winner. Equally nobody is going to stop following the league because the League winner is the true winner. We need to pick a system and stick with it, and give the other spot to the FFA cup winner

^^^^^^^ Bluebird

I am kinda over it now ...  the seemingly endless mirco analysis of every decision and aspect of the A-League ...

At its simplest we have a reasonable league that has issues IMO no where near as bad as many post.

FFA have lost control, of the conversation and we need new leadership especially at board level. Further they have some self inflicted wounds and some poor errors of judgement .... 

We are in a evolution and things will change and IMO we are so so so so so so so so so very close to a significant jump and IMO we will look back in three to four years and wonder what all the fuss was about. 

Wookie

Was overseas when the overlords attacked your chats and spreadsheets... very short sighted IMO on their behalf ... 

As you latter posted everything you gathered was from public information available to the general public at large all you did was take publicly available information and put it in spreadsheet / data base.

Good luck with the fight, 

True but we aren't talking about complicated decisions

The FFA introduced a nation wide FFA cup at the same time they revamped the finals. The logical decision would have been to implement a sensible model but instead they decided to vindicate the model we already had which was given to us by accident instead of design

I have been part of management teams where they blindly work with what the predecessors had given them instead of making decisions. It never works

The FFA recognising the nationwide cup competition that they launched, and recognising the finals competition that they want is a no brainer

I don't see an evolution of things until we have a change of management. Fresh people, fresh ideas, fresh thinking

Bluebird

Maybe I have rose coloured glasses .... but Football has never had it so good as today... and two hugely important aspects to our future growth have gone by largely ignored unreported and seemingly accepted as they happened .... when in fact FFA worked on them endlessly to set up for the next jump... First was getting the media outside Football to accept Football, it is one hell of an achievement ... second has been in the face of all other codes other then Basketball loosing player we have grown our player base hugely especially in the southern states schools.

Like any start up business we have growth and expansion problems effected by a lack of capital investment to fund what is seemingly obvious to many.

My reading of the tea leafs and taro cards is a number of things are in play, the media deal, new governance procedures, expansion... none of which FFA has come to grips with at this stage... However the combined effort of the various stakeholders in the clubs, PFA, State Associations and FFA new systems and methods will be developed.

My biggest fear is Stephen Lowy, not that he is a fool, far from it .... but he reminds of a Rugby admin... unlike his father who came through the ranks with mud on his boot with and understanding of ordinary folk... Stephen has had the path cleared for him and IMO is totally out of his depth in being able to set the conversation and lead the Football community ... also as I mention often by letting Gallop constantly take the blame for many matters does not reflect IMO a strong character... Essentially Gallop's job is to implement FFA's board's policy and requirements...  If Stephen Lowy said to Gallop set up P & R IMO Gallop would do a decent job of it... 

Just on the growth in school numbers in the southern states, FFA have done a lot of work ... this is some ... 

This is an example of how FFA have grown the player base especially in the heart of AFL dominated areas.... we never talk about these kinda achievements as I often say its a question of balance ... not don't report the bad ... but why only the bad ...

IMO this is beyond brilliant and having a wife who is a teacher I can assure it must have taken a huge effort.... to the article.. 

Football is set to continue being the number one sport in Australian schools with the introduction of ‘Football Fever: An educational resource for Australian primary schools’

.This FREE resource, a legacy item from the 2015 Asian Cup,  provides teachers and students with an exciting opportunity to uniquely meet curriculum and learning outcomes on the back of the largest participation sport in the country

.Teachers can access the resource in the Hyundai A-League or Westfield W-League team of their choice by clicking here‘Football Fever’ is appropriately mapped to the Australian Curriculum and consists of eight units of work - four units at Years 3 and 4 plus four units at Years 5 and 6.

Each unit is integrated with a specific focus on one domain and is designed to innovatively meet the cross-curricula with Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia. The domains addressed in this resource are English, Mathematics, Art and Health and Physical Education.The core elements of Football Fever include:

• 7 - 13 lessons per unit;
• a focus on character building, respect, teamwork and fair play in the classroom;
• accessibility to students across multiple intelligences;
• an opportunity for students to model their learning to an audience;
• an Asian cultural overlay integrated into teaching and learning in selected units;
• video and images of Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League footballers used as part of the lesson content; and
• advice on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and media technology.

Expanding the football taskforce and empowering teachers with resources such as ‘Football Fever’ is part of the games broader strategy to becoming the largest and most popular sport in Australia.- 

 http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/article/football-fever-hits-primary-schools/ivt37h28ncfa1p9swudksdvmi#8k1ePwhMMWlB4Mti.99

Bluebird I know this is going to seem like I'm against everything you say but seriously mate. Why can't you appreciate other people's perspectives? I like the finals. It adds something else to the season. I also rate finishing top and the achievement is under marketed in my opinion. So I am a fan of both. I see merit in the finals from an interest/market perspective and I also respect league winners as a common element of football. Please also note I have played in several competitions, some had finals (act/nsw) some did not (SA). It's not uncommon and it's not anti football

I have shared this same perspecrive. Only to be basically told my opinion is silly or its stupid to believe what i believe or something.

He will attack the idea by calling it stupid. Even though you are just stating a preference. Not that your trying to win, but the response is usually a way to belittle your idea and sentiments. So i wouldnt bother.

He has his perspective, he wont change it.
He doesn't need to belittle other peoples preferences, but in most cases he will anyway. So dont bother.

On the plus side the finals has been enjoyable and the ratings have been great. Looking forward to the ACL.

shoot me an email address mate and a copy of my spreadsheet with all the data since 2011 will be sent to you at seasons end.

I never said I'm against finals. I said we need a proper finals series

Of these competitions you have played in: How many gave out two trophies for the same competition? How many rewarded first past the post and the finals?

I don't understand how being against the FFA's bipolar model suddenly means I am against finals

I have said two things in this debate:
1/ I wont respect the finals system until it is a proper finals system
2/ There is merit for those who want to argue the league should conclude after the H/A season

Out of interest: If you had to choose one way to decide the A League winner (and subsequent ACL spots) - would you give them to 1st, 2nd and 3rd? Or would you give them to GF winner, runner up and play off?

Thanks and I have one for you as well.

I have looked at Saturday night TV ratings weekly from the start of the A-League season and entered what ratings is required for a top 20, 15, 12, 10 & 5 finish and along side that put the Fox ratings on the Saturday night match.

I have then determined the uplift factor from the Saturday night Fox ratings to make the top 20.

Then I applied a uplift % for being on a commercial TV station. 

It makes good reading.

I will send you my email and thanks for the offer.

All the negative nellies will be out  blaming Gallop and co. for the poor ratings!! :>
Its become a forum for the whinging bitters!