Time for finals at suburban grounds?

Now that the dust has settled on another great SANFL season, time to throw a point out there for discussion.

Is it time for the minor finals to be played at suburban grounds, leaving only the Grand Final at Adelaide Oval, or should all finals still be played at Adelaide Oval?

Is it preferable to give all clubs a chance to play at Adelaide Oval, or would it be preferable to rotate the finals around the suburban grounds (for example, three of the non finals teams host them) or give home ground advantage to the team finishing higher in the "senior" double header - eg Qualifying Final, Second Semi Final - or should there be standalone finals held on each day of a weekend, giving five finals each year on separate days, giving each non-finals team a chance to host one final - or another method altogether).

Would the atmosphere of 5000+ fans at a suburban ground be preferable to playing at the home of SANFL?

Post away.

I think if the SANFL was to move to the first 3 weeks of finals being played at a suburban ground it would need to be the same ground each week.

It would however be quite a logistical exercise using a suburban ground with only two change rooms for a double header, two weeks in a row.

While I like the idea, I can't see how any local ground can cater for a double header involving 4 clubs in one day.

If they went Suburban grounds, I'd get rid of the Double Headers. Reserves final as the prelude to the league final, should be enough to get min 3k to the game.

Scrunch wrote:If they went Suburban grounds, I'd get rid of the Double Headers. Reserves final as the prelude to the league final, should be enough to get min 3k to the game.

How does that help? You could still have 4 clubs competing on the one day and that simply wouldn't work.

Personally I would stick with the current format of playing the finals at Adelaide Oval.

As for the lower crowds, it is my view that the SANFL need to be doing alot more to grow and promote the SANFL to get more people along to games. The last time they played Australia vs Ireland in the hybrid rules game they sold out Football Park, if we can sell out Football Park for a match like that I do think we can do more to sell and to promote the SANFL finals series to the general public. Considering the quality stadium that we have at Adelaide Oval, we should be able to promote and use it to further the interests of the SANFL.

I tell you one thing, $35 for a Grand Final ticket meant many, many neutrals did not attend.

Here's an idea :

Competing club membership holders - $15
All others $20

You'd get thousands more are $20 instead of $35 when you consider $5 pies, $8 beers etc...

Booney wrote:I tell you one thing, $35 for a Grand Final ticket meant many, many neutrals did not attend.

Here's an idea :

Competing club membership holders - $15
All others $20

You'd get thousands more are $20 instead of $35 when you consider $5 pies, $8 beers etc...

Spot on Booney.

Booney wrote:

Scrunch wrote:If they went Suburban grounds, I'd get rid of the Double Headers. Reserves final as the prelude to the league final, should be enough to get min 3k to the game.

How does that help? You could still have 4 clubs competing on the one day and that simply wouldn't work.

Either a day apart (which it was for a long time), or one day game one night game if the clubs have lighting.

If that doesn't work then keep them at Adelaide. Suburban finals would be good to see in terms of atmosphere, but I don't think its a huge issue.

A problem of sorts
What happens if Adelaide Crows Reserves finish as a higher seeded team ?
What suburban ground is used ?
The opponent that finishes below them get gifted a home final ?

Makes sense to have a suburban final
Gives an advantage of sorts to a team that finishes higher in the Minor Round
But you need Adelaide Oval for creature comfort
Everyone is seated at Adelaide Oval
A final at a suburban ground would mean more people would have to stand up
For old or crippled people like myself Bayman and Lee, it makes it a no no

Suburban grounds...team finishes higher get to play at their ground.
Rewards the club for their ladder position, windfall for catering,beer , functions and membership drive.
Members of those club get a discount into the game or it's included in their package.
God forbid if the game was a sell out, members of the clubs involved first admission rights into grounds.
If one or two games actually sell out  people actually might buy memberships the next year so they don't miss out. Might create an artificial demand. A few complaints about missing out- "Buy a membership!"
We need to get some atmosphere and crowds back into the final series.
Gate sharing arrangement for the two clubs involved.
No double headers, games played separately
Grand final and preliminary finals played at Adelaide Oval.
$20 dollar grand final price!

Leave it as it is. Most grounds/clubs bearely cope with a crowd of 2000. Imagine what it'd be like with an extra 3-4000 people there.

Adelaide Oval is easy to get too and the players love it because they are playing on the best surface.

Ben W wrote:Personally I would stick with the current format of playing the finals at Adelaide Oval.

As for the lower crowds, it is my view that the SANFL need to be doing alot more to grow and promote the SANFL to get more people along to games. The last time they played Australia vs Ireland in the hybrid rules game they sold out Football Park, if we can sell out Football Park for a match like that I do think we can do more to sell and to promote the SANFL finals series to the general public. Considering the quality stadium that we have at Adelaide Oval, we should be able to promote and use it to further the interests of the SANFL.

Last IR match at Football Park in 2001 only got 31,000 (and this was when Croke Park was selling out IR matches, and you were consistently getting 45-50k to the games in Melbourne).

I support keeping them at Adelaide Oval. Rewards the top sides by giving them a chance to play at Adelaide Oval

Like most things there are 2 sides to the argument.

PRO's
Every position in the final five means something
extra bar, catering revenue for hosting clubs
better atmosphere at games (West Perth drew 8K to their prelim)
opportunity to promote big game to local community
opportunity for possible night final (Norwood, West, Glenelg, South)
Magpies & Crows don't get Adelaide Oval home ground advantage given their change rooms and regular trainings plus AFL games are there.

CON's
finals need to seperated over 2 grounds.
having multiple teams using 2 changerooms (if reserves a curtain raiser)
many players loose experience of playing at Adelaide Oval.
stretched club resources often organising biggest home game of the year with a weeks notice.
poorer transport access & facilities at club grounds

Conclusion
- I think suburban finals were a better option than games at AAMI
not so sure about Adelaide Oval as I do think the ground does bring extra people.
- I do not agree with neutral suburban venues, you need to reward the higher finishing club.
- other state leagues only play grand final at a "stadium"
- personally I think if we get down to 6K for a double header, 4K for prelim it is time for a move, give it a try.

i know with AFL footy on it won't happen but back in the day they used to have the finals (final five) over the two days of the weekend,
so you'd have using this years teams this example..............

Sat Elimination Final Norwood v Central (Norwood oval)
Sun Qualifying Final Port v West (Alberton oval)

Sat First Semi Final Port v Central (Alberton oval)
Sun Second Semi Final Eagles v West (Woodville oval)

Sunday Preliminary Final West v Central (Richmond oval)

Sunday Grand Final Eagles v West (Adelaide oval)

note a Friday or Saturday night final could replace the Saturday day time slot

reserves play the curtain raisers but it'd have to be worked out that the lower based team does not get the home ground advantage

You can't play curtain raisers at suburban grounds in finals unless you have the first game finish over an hour before the second game. It simply doesn't work.

What if West v North in the twos and South v Sturt in the ones? Two rooms+four teams = no can do.

Booney wrote:You can't play curtain raisers at suburban grounds in finals unless you have the first game finish over an hour before the second game. It simply doesn't work.

What if West v North in the twos and South v Sturt in the ones? Two rooms+four teams = no can do.

ok, just have one off games & the reserves play elsewhere

Pretty sure that I recall that when South Adelaide played Norwood at Bice Oval in Christies Beach pre the building of Noarlunga oval, that there were temporary change rooms set up. Cant be that hard to do the same again if needed, plenty of companies specialise in hiring bathrooms to residential homes whilst bathrooms are being upgraded and so forth!

State game at Lathlain has some extra changerooms added for the match, often occurs when SANFL plays in the country.

If you saw the cricket changerooms a lot of clubs had to deal with at Adelaide Oval there is little differerence with a suburban ground.