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Absolutely agree that marketing of overseas games has to match their local culture. Japan is an interesting market to break into, I'd have to wonder if there's enough large fields that could service AFL over there. AFL needs to put more effort into the International Cup, for mine.

@@thegaz-man The largest stadium in Japan is Saitama Stadium that is often used for Soccer matches featuring the Blue Samurai. Would love the international cup to be put into more effort to promote that but maybe start off with 6 to counties first before trying to expand it. New Zealand as well as Pacific Islands gave it a good crack from what I remember. Even Naru has a armature Australian Football association.

Gold Coast were also somewhat hard done by with training resources - The Boys Club by Michael Warner tells a really good story as to how development was limited in the early stages bc the whole thing just wasn't set up well. Relying on Ablett definitely didn't help the club or its players develop on their own as well as they could.

A mate of mine tried to get Adelaide Oval tickets last week, and some of the nosebleed seats cost upwards of $100. Way too expensive to attend regularly. Hell, I use the radio myself sometimes, mainly because commentary standards on TV have also fallen off a cliff. Agree that the game feels really sanitised and somewhat soulless right now.

@@thegaz-man Even if the 90s were hectic when it came to the future of each club being a battle of survival in regards to memberships being low for a number of clubs, at least the cost of the games in the 90s were cheep enough for my family to take me to the games. Maybe I was lucky in the 90s to enjoy going to the game at MCG and Kardinia Park back in the day. Even went all the way out to Waverley Park one time with my aunt who had a senior Geelong membership. Sure wasn't cheep but at least you can manage your budget around it. I feel for you in Adelaide, the best part of the 90s you had to go all the way to Football Park, and when you finally got the Adelaide Oval the footy became expensive.

That was originally supposed to be in my piece to camera at Princes Park but completely lost my bottle haha

It's amazing that my Dons prediction probably won't even be the worst one!! Glad to see Freo challenge me, I still cannot pick that side. There's definitely a few sides I didn't see becoming elite, most of this top 4 has surprised me!

It's true that the clubs need to be solvent in their own way, but the Gold Coast and GWS are still yet to achieve this due to low fan interest, relying on the highest assistance packs from the league. My point was that Tasmania not being selected earlier was the prioritisation of money and expansionism trumping traditional fan interests in markets with a proven AFL support. Tasmania would have generated double the gate receipts and membership revenue of GWS based on attendances, which was proven with the popularity of their $10 member pack being popular all over the nation thanks to tremendous goodwill amongst the entire AFL fanbase. Thanks to this, and thanks to York Park and UTAS not needing the upgrades that GIANTS Stadium did, plus the likely recruitment of Jack Riewoldt and Ben Brown as well as the draft concessions the 2012 team got, a Tassie team would likely have generated far more interest, and cost the AFL less money to run. Totally agree about North though. $100m plus a potential partnership with the Southport Sharks, and an already handy list at the time...they would have been fantastic, even without an Ablett.

Hunt ended up being okay, as I said, but Folau was the wrong type of player. They needed a half back or full back (in rugby) to make the transition - in modern terms, I reckon a Dylan Edwards or Jamal Fogerty would excel at AFL level. The problem was that they needed a couple of years at least to adapt. Their high profile status prevented that, and when they failed because of that, it became a PR disaster because it deepened the divide between fans of the two codes. Pike was also a Union player, with a certain identified skillset that was seen to match AFL norms, and was allowed time to develop as he was a lower profile recruit. Also as a ruck, his disposal skill was less critical than Hunt (half back) and Folau (forward). It was also a shame the US pipeline dried up. I liked Brisbane’s Archie Smith, rated him but just didn't get the chances he perhaps needed.

He was hypocritical in that he would preach for inclusiveness, but ran his private offices in the exact opposite way. Definitely can't say I ever warmed to that man.

@@thegaz-man Anyway, inclusiveness isn't always the best thing either. Some people get special privileges and Demetrio appears as Mr Nice Guy. But those given special privileges mean others unfairly miss out. My view is that many people (in particular Executives) that preach inclusiveness are often particulary narcissistic and sociopathic. They are good at talking in slogans to make themselves appear great guys. They just can't naturally act in a decent and empathetic manner. Anyone like Ellen degeneres that talked "be kind" you can be guaranteed have not idea about how to be a decent human being.

@BDub2024 true, actions always speak louder than words.

@@thegaz-man I've come across many CEOs that preach inclusive and run all these programs. Yet you find out how they treat directors or managers under them and its totally sociopathic. There seems to be a trend. With the execs not actually wanting or knowing how to be a decent human being, so find it easy to force slogans and policies on everyone. (that will be enough they think and i don't have to change my behaviour either).

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it

@thegaz-man as a retired TH-cam tragic, I couldn't imagine how long these took to make. Will definitely share around as this is a must-see for Crows fans.

@SleepyEdd ahh cheers! Thankfully my workload has got so much more efficient since I did this series!

@thegaz-man a job well done, dude. Keen to see more vids 👏

Agreed, with the caveat that North relocates to the GC. In hindsight I personally think it works out better for both city and club if the Roos moved in 2008.

@@thegaz-man north will be relocated to the NT always then Canberra gets the license then finally all states and territories are represented in footy

Imagine the hype if Australia beats Italy in that game. Would be an unstoppable force, we haven't had a team like that since. And now with the APL slashing funding, that really does them in for the next few years.

Indeed they did. Hard to argue with 16 flags, really impressive considering they weren't considered as good as the 'power clubs' in 1897.

🤣🤣🤣 thanks!!! Would recommend reading The Boys Club by Michael Warner, really good insight into the insular nature of the current AFL structure - especially now that Gil's gone on to shill for a gambling company just like his predecessor.

Awesome thanks so much!!!

It really is critical for participation rates. Luckily for the AFL, the A-League is shooting itself in the foot of late but it'll really matter in the next few years.

I agree that fair fixturing needs each team playing each other only once, rotating home games each year. Also agree that we're probably not ready for a 22 team AFL, unless we can get a team based in say NZ where there's a huge catchment pool.

@@thegaz-man Crows fans think alike.

A lot of credit must go to Kevin Faulkner for his hard work in setting the groundwork up for this code. Awesome to see the AFL and state leagues actively funding these programs too, feel like even 15 years ago it wouldn't have been considered.

Thanks, that means a lot!! Was hoping all these different threads and tangents would come together neatly. As I said, I love the game, but it's absolutely being run by corrupt people - as you mentioned, that seems to be a theme across the globe!

Awesome to see fans of the AFL outside Australia! Did you manage to get to the exhibition game the AFL played there? I think it might have been late 80s or early 90s?

@@thegaz-man Hi, absolutely loving your channel, a huge knowledge of the game….I did not realise in the 1900 time the umpires stood on the mark…amazing stuff….yeah I first saw the game on World Trans Sport back in mid 80’s…I saw highlights of some VFL games, then Channel 4 in the UK showed a game a week….and some exhibition games played at the Oval Cricket Ground in London…often a grudge game…I loved watching the game,picked Hawthorn due to the nickname, the Hawks…at the time and now also I love an old British Spacerock band called Hawkwind….look them up…..hehe…so it was obvious my choice, plus I really enjoyed seeing Dermot Brereton playing with his golden locks and attitude, I remember seeing Gary Ablett Senior and of course Collingwood s Brian Taylor….at the time I lived in Scotland, and I was in talks with a fellow guy who loved footy, we were looking at setting up a Scottish team…..it never came to anything sadly…..and as such the interest dwindled……roll on 2014…and our UK channel called BT Sports now called TNT Sports, started showing lots of AFL games…..now I get to watch at least six and sometimes 9 games a week…..I just love the game, the passion, the respect, the excellent well behaved crowd, the inclusion and the respect shown to indigenous past present and emerging…..I have to admit, having been to Melbourne and Victoria twice in past 7 years, I love the country and the can do attitude…this December I am off to Tassie for an adventure holiday, and a few days in Melbourne….my plan is to celebrate my 65th birthday in April 2027, watching an Anzac game, to give my respects to those fallen Australians and New Zealanders…..of course at the G……I hope the the game gets bigger around the world, it is played in Britain and in Europe, one day we could even have international games, not a hybrid as with International Rules, though I respect the Gaelic version…..anyway…for now it’s the tv for my interest…..and one day I’ll get to see my Hawks…..or even the new Tassie team…cheers and thanks for such brilliant videos, a lot of work done on them, cheers from a rather cool so called summer day on my island of Jersey..

I think it all goes back to the breakdown in the relationship between the VFL and NSWRL after their merger fell through. They insulated their games within their respective state's culture during the Depression and WW2, and any opposition was seen as a threat, especially with such low population bases to retain compared to the UK. I think a lot of that sentiment carries through to this day unfortunately.

The NRL has done way better in managing itself than the AFL in the last five year imo without question. Will be interesting to see how the new PNG team affects that

Agree. Made them and Canberra jump through hoops by teasing them with a team.

Absolutely - surely UTAS is a good enough stadium to host a side, with occasional games being played in Blundstone to cater for the other half of the island?

@@thegaz-man The AFL will do anything to delay the Tasmanian Team.

This is a problem that are lot of the professional corporate sports bodies just expect taxpayers to pay for their product. The NRL was trying to pressure the NSW government to pay for their stadiums to be upgraded. CA claimed WA missing out on a test in a 4-match test series against India was due to the WACA ground. WA gov built the Perth stadium that the WACA agreed to host all tests in...CA STILL overlooked Perth for a test in a following series!

Yeah that's a real blessing for the AFL. Unbelievable how incompetent the APL are at running the sport. If even a single team folds, soccer may be relegated to a secondary sport for years

Absolutely, I went for it and it was a joke. Had a video scripted for it but had to bump it for tine constraint reasons

The relationship between sports and gambling is a pretty interesting topic I'd be tempted to cover one day!

Thanks, glad you think so!!

Yeah, it was a proper thing that caused a bit of debate! My first memory of it was Port bringing them in around 2010 but I can't find concrete evidence as to who was the first to start them up. Perhaps no one wants to own up to the idea, which would make sense.

Absolutely agree. What do you reckon, new team or relocation, and send the 20th licence to NT or NZ?

⁠​⁠@@thegaz-manNT should get the 20th and last license and either a relocation of a smaller vic club or the giants relocate to Canberra as for the suns well if they don’t succeed in terms of attendance or whatever they should either fold or send them to the cairns where it’s actually passionate about footy then recently asked the hawks to come up there since tassie will obviously take the attention away and the saints abandoned cairns to

Thanks! Hope it's as fun to watch as it is to make!

Would love to do an exploration one day on sports teams in the Hunter! What's your thoughts on the infrastructure/fan support as a local? Also my sympathy is dented a bit after the Knights did my Raiders in golden point last year 😅😅

Thanks!! Ngl the script kinda got out of control and wandered a bit but glad it seemed to hold together

Thanks, that means a lot to get that sort of praise! Would be legit my dream job but I might have burned my bridges there with my Demetriou hate tho 🤣🤣

Cheers!!!

Thanks! The original plan was a 30min or so vid next month, but with my travel I've pushed it back a bit, might make a 2-parter. Really want to get it right, as I genuinely feel it's important to cover.

I almost made it about 10 minutes shorter bc of time restraints but wanted to keep as mich as I could, just finished editing it before catching an international flight 😅😅

Thanks, and you're absolutely right. There's also no guarantee that the Dockers would have picked up Lloyd in his proper draft year, especially as they were targeting Waterhouse and seemed to prioritise WA talent, and they got a handy forward out of it in Ridley. Also while Lloyd got bags against Freo, he never ended any of their finals runs, unlike selections from the McPharlin trade. I'm looking at doing a video detailing just how bad the Dockers were at trading in the 90s some ways down the line.

I'd have liked to cover the rivalries between codes in recent years, just couldn't find the right resources to do something in a manner I felt confident in. The Blues would certainly be an interesting team to give the old history series treatment. The Kangas and Fitzroy are my next projects, Blues would probably be after the Hawks and South tbh, but perhaps the most interesting pre-war team of the VFL.

gws isn't too bad nowadays, was bad 5 years ago tho