[iouiyyut]

While its fresh I thought I would get one in and hope for a response.

The crowd at yesterdays Grand Final surely would be considered a fail by the WAFL. To have 28,000 empty seats at the leagues major fixture for the year seems a real waste. We continue to percevere with battling the AFL in the attention stakes during the most challenging month of the year. The general feeling for a football fan after the AFL Grand Final is that instant feeling of flatness. Knowing there is no more footy for 6 months, it almost borders on depression for some. Having the WAFL Grand Final on the week after the AFL season is over at least gives the footy fan something to look forward to again for at least another week.

Not only that but the timing of the WAFL Grand Final each and every year limits thousands of potential footy people even having an option to attend the big game. I had a nephew yesterday attend his clubs wind-up and trophy presentations yesterday and there would have been 500 adults and kids at this thing. I do know of one other mates kid who had the same thing yesterday and there must be countless other junior, amature and country football clubs who do the same thing. None of these kids or young adult footballers or the volenteers attached get the chance to attend the WAFL Grand Final. Is see many of those 28,000 empty seats with their names on them, but unfortunately the timing never allows it.

I think the time has well & truly passed to ignore these potential stumbling blocks and start actively planning something real significant to get the 30,000 we should be getting to the Grand Finals.

The last time we had a Grand Final after the AFL Grand Final was in 2000 when 30,174 attended. This was a forced move due to the Sydney Olympics, but I thought it would be the start of a regular occurance. We need to find ways to enable these young kids to attend this game. That must be the priority and whether that means getting in early next year to the junior football clubs and schools with special Grand Final passes, then we should seriously look into it. The State of Origin football games back in the early 80's I remember as being very focussed on schools. The entire mid-section of the 3 tier stand was allocated to school kids and their teachers. The city end of Subiaco Oval is an area of some 10,000 seats that must be utilised for something similar.

Country football clubs do have connections with the WAFL due to the fact they see the WAFL every week on TV. This connection allows them to watch their own country players plying their trade in the city every week. Having the WAFL Grand Final after their finals have finished gives them the chance to come to Perth and make a weekend of it. Having the game on a a Saturday also allows them to get here and perhaps stay in town the night, having Sunday free to travel home for work on the Monday.

I just see many more things we can do to build up the attendance at the Grand Finals. Promotion is the key, but we also must think through the obstacles. These days are different to the old days. There is too much opposition in all of our everyday lives and that has an adverse effect for sure. Which is why we must try to think outside the standard lines.

I know this is a Q & A section, and this question is a bit long.... But in short form, all I am asking is are the WAFL now considering a change along the lines of what has been working well for the South Australians in terms of when their Grand Final is played ? Thanks and I hope for a response.