Behind The Times
It’s my weekend routine and I love it. Things that need doing get done on a Saturday morning. Then I’m in front of the box for an afternoon of televised AFL from Melbourne or elsewhere.
Repeat on Sunday, but scratch the things that need doing and replace them with replays and footy chat shows.
Generally, I prefer the radio commentary and will turn the television down and tune the transistor in to my local ABC frequency pre-match.
The ABC call is my only real choice on the radio. Sure I could stream one of a number of alternative commentaries online, but due to the tyranny of distance that separates my island state from the mainland Mecca of football, good ol’ Aunty is the only 'real' option.
And that’s fine.
I wouldn’t swap the informed and commercial-free call from the likes of Drew Morphett or Gerard Whateley or Dan Lonergan for toffee. Peter Walsh I could write a whole new column about, but won’t at the current juncture.
I also thoroughly enjoy the considered opinions of Stan Alves and Mark Maclure and, from time-to-time Austin Jones or Matthew Knights, particularly during their post-match talkback segment.
Talk-back can be an unpredictable beast and, if only for the frazzled state of mind of often disgruntled supporters of losing teams, usually gives me a laugh.
Last weekend, however, I wasn’t laughing. Instead I was thrown into a full-blown period of reflection on the state of football in Tasmania.
I was left pondering one question in particular: How far behind is football in Tasmania?
I reached this question having noticed a pattern in the post-match calls after the Anzac Day fixture between Essendon and Collingwood.
The majority of callers were from Tassie and the majority of them were calling to complain about the delayed nature of the ‘live’ telecast. Obviously they’d been trying to tune in using my modus operandi (television on mute and radio dialled in to the ABC).
While the telecast and broadcast are often sufficiently synchronised to make things bearable, at times there can be a 3-5 second delay on the television. And no matter how hard I’ve tried, this makes for unacceptable viewing conditions and the telecast wins out.
(Long story short, I get stuck with Bruce or Quarters and whichever combination of planks they’ve been rostered on with for the weekend – though Bruce and Quarters are invariably the biggest planks).
If you believe Drew Morphett, the time it takes for the radio signal to travel to more remote areas of the country can account for a delay in the broadcast.
Alternatively, you could lay blame at the feet of the television network responsible, ‘cos everyone knows the network will do what it wants to do with regards to timing of televised matches.
If an executive sat on high believes a slight delay in the telecast will force more people to listen to his talking puppets at the microphone, he’ll arrange for it to be made so.
But how does any of this relate to the state of football in Tasmania?
Well, maybe the problem is not with the speed or otherwise of an AM frequency as it makes its way through the ether towards my kitchen radio. Maybe the issue has less to do with evil corporate types than I’d like to imagine.
Maybe the issue is with members of the Tasmanian public and the seemingly 'behind the times' malaise that surrounds our sport at the highest level.
One look at the local rags and you’ll be left in no doubt.
There seems to be as much negativity about the prospect of having more AFL matches played in the state as there is about the state of our government. Or our forestry industry. Or the education system. Or public health.
It's a relatively big political ticket and for the life of me I'm struggling to understand how the concept is being perceived negatively by anyone.
Everyone seems to ‘know’ that James Brayshaw and the powers that be at the Kangaroos missed the boat when they passed up the chance to relocate to Queensland prior to the Suns being granted entry to the league.
Everyone also seems to ‘know’ that the Roos are southward bound and will play at least two fixtures at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval from 2012 on.
At present, debate is raging over how much the state government will splurge per fixture. The Premier, Lara Giddings, or whomever it is acting on her behalf, seems to be doing a good job at screwing the Shinboners down.
Either that or the Roos are failing comprehensively to make a case as compelling as Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett did to secure government money in return for his club playing ‘home’ games in Launceston.
The Hawks, of course, are in a slightly different spot to the Roos in that Tasmania is their current naming rights sponsor. I was quite chuffed to see the ‘Discover Tasmania’ slogan plastered across so many MCG hoardings during Tuesday’s Hawthorn fixture against Geelong.
This alone must make it easier for the bean counters in the State treasury to line the Hawthorn coffers and it’s as plain as the nose on Brady Rawlings’ face the Roos have no such bargaining power.
The way the negotiations are being reported at present, you’d swear blind that Brayshaw has his cap firmly in hand and even the AFL has come to his aid by promising to ‘chip in’ to support the current venture.
Things are so bad for the Roos in Melbourne in terms of ground level support and attendances that taking a few hundred thousand from the Tassie government in lieu of a home gate at Etihad Stadium is an eminently better deal.
For the Tasmanian government, forecasts as to the economic benefit of each match seem to ebb and flow. Just how much they stand to gain, however, is a moot point.
Bringing these matches to Tasmania will surely result in a boon.
Whether Bellerive is packed to the rafters or not, the inclusion of a couple of top level fixtures on the southern football calendar will drag locals along. Visitors will come from interstate and avail themselves of the local hospitality. Exposure is exposure.
Even if every $1m the taxpayer stumps up only results in $1.5m being poured back into the economy, it’s a solid investment.
I’ve seen reports this week that estimate an $8m+ windfall per fixture. If it turns out to be anything like that magnitude then the naysayers out there are stark raving bonkers.
The Roos will invariably work at building their relationship with Tasmania, though they’ll have their work cut out for them to usurp the Hawks in the here and now.
They’ll need to bring an AFL Premiership cup and the likes of Buddy Franklin to town before they can start to compete with Hawthorn for the hearts and minds of Tassie kids.
The Roos are nowhere near producing either of these elements in the foreseeable future, that’s for sure.
Another fact here is that Hawthorn will never make a permanent move to Tasmania. Never ever.
But the Kangas just might.
And that alone should be a point not lost on members of the Tasmanian public who follow football – and want to see the State represented at the highest level.
The AFL has all but ruled out a Tasmanian franchise being born of immaculate conception, a-la Gold Coast or GWS.
It seems we’ve got to wait like a hopeful couple on an adoption list for whichever orphaned child happens to get shoved, kicking and screaming, our way.
That works for me because I bet that if I watch it live with the transistor humming away in my ear, it’ll all be right in sync and my weekend afternoons will be just about perfect.
