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Chapter 1: What cultural differences exist between AFL and NRL?
Look, the AFL have always looked down their nose at rugby league. They treat us as second class citizens. It's obvious we've got them rattled. And the figures and the facts speak for themselves.
We measure ourselves on traditional metrics like people turning up to games, people watching, how long they watch for. They can huff, they can puff, but they won't blow our house down. It's solid brick. We're going to get stronger and we're going to take some of their fans. Hello to you, Vossie.
Yeah, hello, Gerard. We only cover the big issues on this segment. Can I make the pace this morning? Sure. Because we got onto talking takeaway food and it's been brought to our attention. I've gone on record as saying the potato scallop is the most underrated food in the world.
Right.
And then people from Melbourne are telling me... what's a potato scallop? Yes, that's right. Potato cake. Is that driven by you just wanting to be different, that you don't call it a potato scallop? Do you know anything about the background to that?
I imagine it's Palmy and Palmer and why our racetracks go different ways in Melbourne and Sydney. We just do it to be different.
Yeah, and what do you call Devon? What's Devon where you are? Just a slice of Devon? Is it Devon there? It's different in South Australia.
Whatever do you speak of, Bossy?
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Chapter 2: How has ticket pricing affected AFL attendance?
Oh, you don't even know what Devon? Oh, there you go. Right. Okay, so there's the ground rules set. We are different. Are we united behind the Socceroos, Jeremy?
Very much so. And it's interesting because the vast majority of us tap in now at the announcement in the squad. So I felt like there were three things yesterday. The first was it's thrilling when a young Australian team gets named. So this is the starting off point of a journey that we can all go on. And we've referenced before the lack of identifiable names. This is the next generation.
The second was the ā well, it depends where you sit on the sheer opportunism of Christian Valpato, who chose Italy. Italy missed the World Cup. Australia makes World Cups. Come on back. Makes a great choice. I have no misgivings around this whatsoever, but I'm super curious of those who have followed the journey for a number of years as to whether this is acceptable or not.
And then the last phase is, is this team actually, what's this team actually going to be capable of? And I like the coach who said yesterday, we should be ambitious. We should set high standards and away we go.
We follow sports that are, by and large, domestic sports, AFL for you, rugby league dear to my heart, with a small footprint internationally. But it's incredible the potential of what the Socceroos can do, what the Matildas have done previously. We will be a united nation. And it's so good that SEN will have coverage, but... Get around this. The Volpato story, Gerard, will be news to you.
Actually, family acquaintance. Really?
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of dynamic pricing in sports tickets?
Christian, since he was a little boy, lived in the same area. His mum run the cafe near me. And they chased a dream. And they had been rejected, knocked back. We heard the story earlier from a talkback caller, Tony, today. Knocked back by a couple of big academies in Sydney, told by one of the leading coaches, you will never make it. As a 14-year-old, you will never make it.
And then mum packed everything up. They went over to Italy. They make Serie A. They're playing at Roma. They're scoring there. And now Sassuolo, so still playing in the Serie A, has played. I know it doesn't suit everyone. So late the declaration of I'm an Aussie. I want to play for Australia. But the rest of the story is as inspirational as it could get. for a kid to follow.
It really is a hell of a story.
And I'm arms wide open on that front. And especially, so I know that there have been issues along the way. So Australia's played its part in this and the way that you've just described it there. I'm arms wide open. And possession's nine-tenths of law. And when it comes to World Cup football, possession is 100% of the law. He's chosen here. He plays in Australian shirt. He's ours forevermore.
Back to Devon on a text like live feedback to this interview. We're not connecting with all the sensible points we're making. South Australian Queensland called Devon Fritz.
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Chapter 4: Why is the Socceroos' squad announcement significant?
Do you know what Fritz is?
I presume this is Stras.
It's our Strasburg. Okay. No, I don't think it is. We'll get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. So, we're thinking, you obviously don't have a Devon and sauce sandwich, Gerard, anywhere in your past. Can I ask you about ticket prices? Is ticket prices to AFL an issue? You've got big stadia policy, quite obviously. So... Do the clubs not control?
So a team playing at Marvel, it's the same price at Marvel no matter who's playing or at the G? No.
So we went through this in the first portion of the season with all ticketed games, Vossi. So the high demand, the dynamic pricing, clubs could declare all ticketed matches where up they went. And your membership only got you the rights to be able to pay more to buy your seat to the game. And there was huge resentment right at the start of the season.
And to everybody's credit, from the AFL to the clubs, there was a recognition in this economic environment that that had to stop. So they paired them right back. And I know that ā so we had a feature game on Friday night, Carlton and Geelong at the MCG, and GA was $20. To get in. And we've had all sorts of discounting that's gone on and a recognition. So there are still some high priced games.
Anzac Day, I imagine the King's birthday falls into that. But there was the concession made that there's a bit of price gouging going on here and opportunism, which in this economic environment needed to be wound back. And to some degree, it has been wound back.
Yeah, and I think it is to do it from a position of strength, is it not? It sounds great that you had the AFL as a regulator. As far as I'm aware, the NRL let the clubs run their own course.
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Chapter 5: How does Christian Volpato's choice affect Australian football?
So we have a situation where Penrith play a home game at Combank Stadium at Parramatta. They charge X amount of dollars for a seat. This week, Penrith are the away team at the same stadium. The Tigers run the ticketing and the tickets are $10 and $15 cheaper. That seems a bit strange, I think, from the outside, I believe. I don't think that's right.
And we heard from the Warriors, the Wars, who are a phenomenon. They're a juggernaut. They went without football during COVID. They had it taken away from them. Nothing. No matches. They got together after COVID and they isolated families and in particular 15 and 16 year olds. How do we get them in? They're going to be our fans for 10, 20, you know what I mean? They made that their strategy.
They sold out 33 of their next 34 games. Right. What a success story. And they have the best value tickets in the league and they make up their money elsewhere. Merchandise and the corporates come in because they want to be parked. The sponsors want to be a part of this. That's where they get their return.
So I've seen the dynamic pricing that goes on in the US, and it's a bit frightening what happens. And we need to be careful not to head too far down that path. There's obviously elements that, yes, there's a premium on certain games. No drama with that. But when you are price gouging shamelessly, and particularly double dipping, because as you know, there's
Memberships in AFL, that's the rank and file. They pay their money up front.
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Chapter 6: What challenges do AFL and NRL face in fan engagement?
There are tiers to memberships, and a lot of people pay high end who can't necessarily afford it, but that's their commitment to the way they follow their team. If you then go back to those same people to gouge more money, that's where the resentment happens.
There you go. Warriors have families in their southern stand at the end of the game. The next 24 hours, $5 off that same ticket. You get a little reward for coming to this game. If you buy a ticket to our next game, you get a cheaper ticket next time around. Yeah. And they get 24 hours. Now, will Origin sell out at the MCG? Let's bring ticket pricing into the here and now. Is there a buzz?
I know it's still ā well, it'll be two weeks tomorrow to the game. Yep. buzz at all around Origin?
There was a glow in the aftermath of the finish to the previous game, for sure. I don't think it will sell out, but I would feel confident that you're looking at 80,000. And at the MCG, that's a tremendous crowd. I talked to Robert Craddock yesterday and I didn't realise.
I sort of stumbled into it and asked him about Origin when he said, hey, in Brisbane, it's too raw to be asking that question on a Monday. Is there recognition in Sydney as to just how lucky you were?
Yeah, no, there is. Even from the immortal Andrew Johns, one of the immortals of the game, he said, look, no send-off, no New South Wales win. And a lot of the really good judges have said, don't be blinded by the win, the W. You do need to make changes. The team had to be better than that. They don't win unless they get the one-man advantage for the last 23 minutes.
I think you get an absolute cliffhanger. I really do, Gerard. I can't. I can't possibly see if I'm preaching to someone listening now that's contemplating, do I go out there for the night out?
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Chapter 7: How does the return of Serena Williams impact tennis?
I think you are going to get something special in origin number two. One way or the other, if Queensland level the series nail-biter, if New South Wales wrap up the series nail-biter. So I think it will be a special night made even better by... buy a bigger crowd to get around.
I do think there was a lot of people who, after watching that yet again, and there's no cultural clash here, we recognise as the absolute peak of what sport is in this country is contained within origin, that you do want to be a part of it.
If the series is so evenly matched like that, and that there was a glorious play at the end is when a game is, I know for all that went into it with the send-off, but it had a signature moment. The Tedesco mark lasts.
The mark, exactly. Catch in the forward pocket on the run.
Yeah, it's so good. So, yeah, I do think you'll get a great crowd as a result of all of that. Hey, what do we think about Serena Williams returning to professional tennis?
Well, 44? Yeah. 44? Look, I'm fine with it. People say... Straightaway, people say, oh, ruin your legacy. That doesn't... I've never bought into any of that sort of chat that if I'm a sports person, that's what I do. I don't believe anyone else should ever buy in or you've got to get out on top and all. I don't buy into that at all. No. I think if you...
Win a comp at 34 and you then decide to play for another two years and the team finish last, I don't think you've...
ruined your legacy at all I never get cracking a sporting career let's let's embrace it I never get squeamish about moments like this and it doesn't matter like if she provides us a couple more moments to add to her legacy well how beautiful and if she doesn't it won't be it won't matter a jot when we come to assess her in a decade or two decades time is Tony Lockett had an ill-fated attempt to come back for the Swans I can't recall a single moment of it and it does nothing to
To diminish, other than he needed to get the last competitive juices out of his system.
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Chapter 8: What are the key differences in entertainment at AFL and NRL events?
Why are you doing that? But each to their own. So, no, I'm playing on that one. We've loved having Toby Green on this show this year. Yes, yes. He gives a great insight, Toby, on a whole lot of things, not just AFL but on ā Things that I've thrown at Toby, really happy for the Giants and getting a few wins.
Now, are we entitled to say legitimate finals contender right now when you look at things?
Yep. Two good wins have put them inside the 10. So our catchment has grown, Vossi, as you know, with the introduction of wild cards. Yes. which caused a lot of angst at the introduction. But now the dramatic effects that the AFL was looking for is in full flow. The squeeze for the top six, which is safe harbour. The next four, which condemns you to an extra game.
But ninth and 10th, which is the salvation of a poor season. And yeah, so two good games has put them in 10th. The way they're looking now, they look like a team who will well and truly be in the wildcard mix. And they might even be capable of making a run at sixth and getting themselves up there.
Well, I just think for a minute, it's been commentary, running commentary all along, along their future and all of that. I don't think the Giants can afford to have you when the Swans are going so well and potentially will challenge for the top spot. that the Giants can be in their dust. They have to be finals content.
I'm telling you strategically and what's happening in the southwest of Sydney, and we've had all these debates in western Sydney, the Giants cannot afford a year where they are with the also-rans. So that turnaround is very important.
It might work for them in a particular way in terms of the story arc is the Swans, I suspect, are likely to live in the top two all the way through. So the back part of the season will be about preparing for finals. But August for the Giants might provide those dramatic moments, the key games that they'll have to win to make sure that they qualify. So they might get the spike back.
in August and a game in September, maybe two while the Swans cruise through August and then take control of the narrative in September. So in a perverse way, it might actually work quite well.
Well, is Devon the only thing we're going to argue about naming him Devon? So I'm being told it's absolutely Straz.
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