Attendences were up last yr I would say. With things like the all* game steps to ensure a closer league, better players coming in and the general upsurge of basketball we have happening I think attendences will be great next season.

i disagree if the league goes ahead with 27 games attendances per game will go down. With the reduced salary cap the league will not have the same quality players. I hope i am wrong but I can't see the league making any progress this season coming up

They need to do something about it because at the moment it's pathetic and most games during the main season are just as bad.
They need to promote the sport and league in the local community especially in schools.
Forestville in the past have done a great job promoting their club all off their own backs.
The association is in some dire need for someone to come in and wake everyone up and start proactively doing something! (how's that for controversy, i'll be grilled for this).
Why not give kids at primary schools free tickets to games??? They'll have to bring an adult which is at least one paying customer?? Put some bums in seats and it'll at least look like an event that people want to come to!

I think it is obvious that the awareness is low in general for our league. The advertiser should dedicate a bit more to the cause - some weeks its like playing in an underground league. Why cant a whole page be dedicated to the ABA 2 days a week - say monday and friday - ladders, stats, box scores - anything.

Its going to be 2 home and away games. So 18 game season. Unless Riverland get a team in the league in which case it will be 20 games.

I'm with you DNP CD, maybe not a whole page but there definitely needs to be more coverage from Boti. I remember when there was half a page write up every saturday morning on the weekends games now we're lucky to get a 2 by 3!
Once again he should report on Monday about the results from the weekend. They used to have stats in the digest part as well, plus the ladder each week.
But in some ways to defend Boti he's not going to write something that most people won't read.
If we increase community awareness then we'll force him to write about us!

Boti isn't the problem. Ask the man. He writes plenty, what gets printed is completely up to his editors and they decide that basketball isn't worth the attention, not Boti.

I think that Sturt have free entry for juniors wearing their Sturt uniform which is a good start. There is a lot of potential for budget marketing -- demos, talks at schools, flyers in sports stores, spreading the word on the street.

I put a Catfight promo earlier this year (inspired by a post from a Southern player) for the game between Sturt and Southern, and Southern ran some promos in their stadium I believe, and it brought a decent crowd. If people keep me posted on upcoming games or big contests, we can certainly keep people updated using this site.

Like I said to get something in the paper we need to create demand for the sport, in particular our league.
Hopefully one day it will return to the glory days of the early nineties...

Good work Isaac, that's the kind of stuff we need. Congratulations to Sturt, great idea but again we need to look a little more outside the club itself and try and start creating interest to perhaps kids who aren't playing district. Primary schools is a great place to start. They have a lot of kids who play basketball for the school or on a social level that if given a ticket would go along and bring a mate too.
When the sixers set up the jobs of Junior Development officers a number of years ago (Liam) that was a great idea to get out into schools and promote the sport, but hey were promoting mainly the sixers.
I guess it's up to the clubs individually and their senior players to try and get out and do camps and things within their local community as well. We can't leave it all up to BASA.

Panther, Boti did 2 stories on Scott Whitmore and Jo Hill before the GF and they both got pulled. The facts are that with both Port and Crows playing the same time as ABL it is going to be difficult to get more paper exposure. Maybe if the ACE31 show gets up and going it will help.

But in response to #10034, I agree, we need to create demand, and I hope it grows to what the glory days were.

I also think the fact the NBL interest has diminished since the height of the 90's in a contributor to the exposure.

It's a huge contributor so let's hope that the increasing exposure of the NBL keeps rising.
I remember when fox used to show a Friday and Saturday night game and even sometimes a Sunday afternoon game!

I know at Forestville they admit junior players wearing Club gear in free and give all parents a memebership card that entitles families half price admission as well as a free family pass that gets them into one free game of their choice at Wayville. Also there is always that game stats on their ABA board just in side the stadium. There are always fliers given out to all players advertising the next Forestville home game. I don't if that is entirely the reason but they seemed to get reasonable crowds throughout the season. There are many things that can be done to promote ABL games however finding people with the time and energy is another thing.

The idea of promoting the game to the non-district basketball community would be a good start. Having a double head each night makes it a cheap night for any family to attend. Why not use the ABL as the way to try and introduce people to the sport who are not playing district bball? Just a thought?

Our stadiums are not big but we are not trying to attract thousands of people to the game, just trying to create a bit more hype and atmosphere around the competition. The ABL was introduced to try and develop a second level below NBL/WBNL. So in these terms, ABL = SANFL and the SANFL get good crowds. Look at the promotion they do for the game and the crowds they get?

Yes you need resources but clubs are always looking to get other forms of revenue steams into the club, so why not explore this option to try an promote this level of bball. The paper does needs to promote the games but why not do a wrap up of the weekend games during the week (ie Tuesday/Wednesday) and a preview in the Saturday's paper? If the paper is not promoting it or just simply edit it out, then maybe the clubs should get together for a sponsor(s) to advertise on the same page conditional to an ABL wrap. Money talks!!!

Last idea a great one Rite!
Something that should be brought up at the next AGM by the club president's.

some great ideas there guys but can we please stop praising the idea of juniors getting in for free wearing their club uniform, that idea has been around since 1988. lets get something new. keep the ideas coming though.

how about we get rid of BASA and the clubs form their own league. If BASA was a business in the real world it wouldn't last a day. When you have a market like local basketball and you have very little compeditors you would think they would do a better job.

well, i a few years back when Noarlunga Tigers had a designated junior team to do floorwiping all the kiddies felt heaps important and enthusiastic...bringing out their parents as well. Just a tiny thing that tends to bring out the crowds a bit more. ATM the atmosphere is so dead.

you obviously did not attend a southern tigers home game last year....atmosphere was hardly dead????....bring on 2005 down at the cage!!

GO TIGERS, GO TIGERS,GO TIGERS!!!
UR THE BOMB!

Would have to agree the tigers atmosphere last season was awesome at the games that i attended. Sure its not the best stadium but it definitely has passionate fans who love the game. Bring on next season and let the reign of the Tigers wash over the league.

I have to say that there is a great atmosphere down at the tiger cage when i have been down there and the supporters really get behind the tigers. The dome is dead along with Starplex, wayville and Pt. Adelaide. Hillcrest and marion get a few good crowds but there is no where to sit and it looks like there are heaps of people but there isn't really. so the tiger cage gets my vote!

yeah, the cage is by far the best. i also think norwood get a fairly good crowd out to their games. the cage and mars also give the best post-game feeds. north players wouldn't know about that though.

Mars best food?? You have not eaten the tiger cage?

'the cage and mars also give the best post-game feeds.'
no offence to a fellow tigers fan, but i paid my respect to the cage's food.

The Cage without a doubt has the best post game feed with plenty to choose from and heaps to go round well done to the ladies at the cage!

The Cage without a doubt has the best post game feed with plenty to choose from and heaps to go round well done to the ladies at the cage!