AFL tries to swing the pendulum away from TV and back to the fans

Fairfax media reports that the AFL is trying all thing to get fans back to matches ahead of the tv rights negotiations due to begin at the end of this year.

• Adelaide: Members will get colour-coded hats depending on where they sit, to stripe the stadium blue, red and yellow. There’ll also be live music inside the ground at half time.
• Carlton: Members can gather between gates 3 and 4 and march into the ground together. The Carlton Hovercraft will return to the pre-match entertainment schedule, as will Carlton legend Brendan Fevola.
• Collingwood: The Pies will have pre-game fireworks for Friday night matches, while Sundays will be targetted at families with face-painting and on-ground kick to kick. There’ll also be a free pre-match BBQ at Olympic Park for all Collingwood members.
• Essendon: fans will be urged to wave their jackets above the heads in a symbol made famous by legendary coach Kevin Sheedy.
• Fremantle: teams on hand during home games to spray-paint fans’ hair purple, and a curtain-raiser match featuring two local teamsGeelong: Flag bearers will form a gaurd of honour for the players as they enter the stadium. An old time keeper’s bell, dating from 1933, will be rung at the match
• GWS: Plans afoot to build a stage in their stadium’s seating bowl on which local and international music acts will perform
• Hawthorn: In addition to a flag parade pre-game, each Hawthorn home game will feature a DJ playing tracks specially curated by each member of Hawthorn’s playing list
• North Melbourne: A new theme song is being recorded by Tim Rogers, there’ll be a new match-day mascot, and a mysterious new redesign of the run-through banner
• Melbourne: The club is not giving much away beyond promising an “organic” experience. The members’ wing will be renamed the Robbie Flower.
• Port Adelaide: Port’s fan experience set the bar last season, and this year the Power plan to keep doing what they were doing – which includes a march from the Adelaide CBD to the stadium, and a rendition of INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart before the first bounce.
• Richmond: The Richmond faithful are being encouraged to gather at Federation Square before marching down to the ‘G for home matches
• St Kilda: Another club with a new mascot. St Kilda bands will each play their own cover of the club’s theme song at the ground each home game, and fans will be handed inflatable drumsticks to beat during the match.