Channel Ten news, surprisingly, has been pretty good the last couple weeks.

I have had quite a few people that dont follow the NBL who know I am a wildcats member come up and ask about the finals, so people know its on just not many details.

I have had a theory all season that the Wildcats have been saving their advertising budget this season for next season. The games at Challenge always only have standing room only on the night so no point in advertising. I did however see a full size add in the underground train station this Monday with Cameron Tovey, and "Wildcats return to the city this November" or something. I think we will see more advertising like this next season which should get more people talking, which should hopefully get some more media attention.

Wildcats were first on the sports news on or around game 1, ahead of any AFL stories. There was a two page spread on the inside back cover on the West just before game 1, and there has been an article in the paper every day, including today, which was just a small article based on some quotes from Robbins. There was also the great article about the 90-91 seasons to get the fans pumped about Wildcats finals basketball.

While I'd also like to see more coverage, to say websites are our only source is completely wrong.

The West has been pretty good actually, running a story everyday. Guess I'm a bit greedy and want more! It still could be a lot better - especially from channel 7.

The sponsors could still come out and say good luck or congratulations in the media, but I haven't seen that. Western QBE (Glory) and SGIO (eagles) always go above and beyond with messages of support. Just expected similar from Diploma.

Could be a complacency thing considering the Cats are always in the finals ;)

To expect Channel 7 to give many negative reports on AFL is a longshot. C7 are Australian Football through and through. They have invested millions into the TV rights and this means that they need to attract interest in that sport to then create an income stream through on air advertising. The higher the TV audience, the more they can ask for advertising. They don't want you as the armchair couch potato to watch a rival sport.

"Puff pieces" like an AFL player cutting his hair for kid's cancer, or an AFL player retrieving a wallet from the mouth of a crocodile, or proposing to some chick along Cottesloe Beach he met at some nightclub the night before are always going to be received favourable publicity.

The NBL is just one voice shouting in a room. The media is the bouncer on the door of the nightclub letting in who they want.

I don't think it helps that the GF series is played so far apart. Silly move by the NBL to have a game played on Thursday, then again eight days later.

Smart thing would've been Thurs, Sat/Sun, Thurs to help maintain interest. I love the league but couldn't care less at this point.

Hey Mr bEn, don't speak too soon. In this case, makes the series MUCH more interesting, in regards to Abercormbie possibly being back, on top of the "stomach virus'" affecting Wilkinson and Boucher, as well as apparently Redhage, now having "time to heal" :P

Next season, if the NBL can schedule a GF series which has at least an 8 day delay between games, Ten/One will be "obliged" to put it on Live/at a better time*

See the new deal thread if you don't know what I am on about.

But in all seriousness though, I agree.
And imho, 8 days between games 1 and 2 gives the team that finished with a better record a larger advantage than they have already earned.
Hey, could have gone either way - boy would the opinion columns have gone bust on stuff if the Cats pulled out game one at Vector, and won the title at home!

I like your analogies Jack Toft lol.

As for the long break between games, venue availability will always determine when games will be played, and I think the long distance between Auckland and Perth would also have been a factor. I haven't actually minded an 8 day break, if anything it's provided a few more articles in the paper, and being a Wildcats fan, it hasn't lost my interest. Though I can see how neutral fans could lose interest.

The Situation, I agree with what your saying and don't depute that at all. However, having the wildcats 1st on the sports news on game one would not have meant much to fans who would have shut themselves off from the world in order to avoid the score. My complaints are more aimed at Channel 7 for putting puff afl pieces ahead of important wildcats news in the lead up to game 1. Even the lead up to game 2 has been average fro them.

As for the brilliant article on the 90-91 cats team, I enjoyed it like everyone else, however this article was LONG overdue! I can't remember the last time a feature story was written like this, and it's far too rare!

I'm with Mr bEn - it's hard to maintain any interest. It would even be a struggle if the 36ers were involved. I keep forgettign when the next game in teh series is supposed to be on. The argument that venue availability is the problem just says that the NBL is a minor player in the Australian entertainment industry and so has no leverage with its suppliers and little leverage with its fans.

The AFL gets around the problem by settign the date and saying GF will be at MCG and the interstate fans will have to travel. They make the MCG out to be sacred ground and the experience of attending the GF seem like a fan's nirvana. So the fans travel - even the ones whose teams aren't playing! Some of them even did it twice when the draw happened a couple of years ago. It's that sort of fan base that makes suppliers listen when the AFL says - we want to schedule a final at this venue on this date and there will be 70,000 people coming to see it. Do you want a slice of that action?