World Footy News

 

With the 2014/15 NTFL season done and dusted there is some evidence coming through that the game in the Northern Territory, most particularly the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL)  is enjoying a strong and rapid growth. It is a long bow to draw to claim that the game is capturing a wider national audience, though there is evidence coming through which may support the idea.

 

A recent press release from the AFLNT noted that:

 

TIO NTFL Drawing Unprecedented Crowds in 2014-15 Season

The TIO NTFL attendance figures for the 2014/15 season are on record pace with more than 70,000 patrons through the gates since Round One in October 2014.

Analysis of the past five years reflects an increase of close to 12 per cent on the 2013/14 season attendance figures.

 

(Picture: Jubilant Wanderers players during NTFL Grand Final - source NT News)

 With two weeks of Territory football remaining, attendance figures are looking to eclipse the TIO NTFL’s previous record numbers for a home and away season set in 2012/13.

Community Football Manager Anthony Venes believes the growth in attendance is indicative of the continued growth and popularity.

“Current figures show a cumulative increase in attendance of 31 per cent over the past five seasons,” Venes said today.

“This is consistent with the growth that has occurred in the NTFL competition during the same period of 33 percent”.

                                                     

Recent evidence of larger crowd numbers, seemingly more corporate advertising and memberships at some clubs indicated small rises, but interestingly it is the massive jump in those watching games through the online AFLNTv which indicates a massive jump.

 

The jump is so great that it would appear that viewers from well outside of the Darwin community are tuning in, and that jump has been enormous over the past 12 months.

 

The key indicators are in the total views of games, the time spent watching the games and amount of subscribers to AFLNTv. The figures below are for the total 2013/14 season including finals and the 2014/15 season NOT including the recent grand final.

 

Total Views: 2013/14 = 20,710  compared to 2014/15 = 39,552 (almost doubled)

Time Spent: 2013/14 = 138,216 hrs compared to 2014/15 = 344,601hrs (more than doubled)

Subscribers: 2013/14 = 94 compared to 2014/15 = 180 (almost doubled)

 

It would be fair to say that the figures for the 2014/15 grand final would boost that increase significantly.

 

Hannah West, Sponsorship, Media and Events Co-ordinator for AFLNT stated that she agreed wholeheartedly with the idea that more and more southern people (read southern states or simply south of Darwin) are seeing the NTFL competition as a high standard summer competition. With the southern leagues on hiatus for the summer months, the avid footy follower can tune into the NTFL via social media updates and facilities like AFLNTv and follow the season.

 

Where once the “wet season” of the Top End was seen as a less productive time of the year, southern markets are seeing that it is anything but, and a thriving, high standard Australian Football competition thrives and grows.

 

Further evidence of this can be seen in the playing rosters of clubs. Former AFL players litter club lists. Aaron Davey, Alwyn Davey, Michael Pettigrew, Cameron Cloke and Leroy Jetta have played for Palmerston Magpies this year. Des Headland, Richard Tambling and Jared Brennan lined up for Southern District. Damien Cupido, Jason Roe and Derick Wanganeen played for Nightcliff. Brent Guerra and Cory Dell’Olio lined up at Waratah whilst Darryl White and Andrew McLeod had brief stints also at Buffaloes.

 

Then there are the grand finalists. St Marys boasted names like Nathan Lovett-Murray, Stephen Milne and Raphael Clarke for short stints whilst Wanderers team contained names like Eddie Sansbury, Liam Patrick and Marlon Motlop. The Tiwi Bombers listed Austin Wonaeamirri and John Meeson.

 

These are just a sample of the names of ex-AFL talent that donned NTFL club colours this year. There are many others. That kind of talent has an amazing impact on the game, both in terms of improving the overall game and also attracting bigger crowds to see former AFL players at local clubs. Many of these players only donned a jumper once, often for promotional of historical reasons, but their presence certainly helped attract the crowds. How could it not when that list includes number one draft picks and Norm Smith Medallists as well as other past greats.

 

It will be interesting to see how far this growth goes. The huge increases in viewing for the 2014/15 season sets a platform for continued, or at the very least sustained growth for years to come.

 

World Footy news will continue to monitor the growth in the Northern Territory game and continue to investigate other facets of change in a growing Australian Football market.