God Bless you Nathan Buckley

There's no need to reminisce about the days when 5,000 people regularly swarmed to local VFA grounds. The profound message of the crowd of 5,000 at Box Hill for Nathan Buckley's return is that the VFA/VFL has a real future. It doesn't matter that the occasional grumpy old man wants to belittle the competition with the tag 'reserves'. The bond between football lovers and players is deep enough to withstand the barbs. Wasn't it inspiring to see Buckley circled by Williamstown team-mates in the rooms after the thrilling victory? And didn't he love it. The match at Box Hill on Sunday confirmed that AFL supporters provide VFA/VFL clubs with a massive potential market. What many people often forget is that it was supporters of League football who swelled VFA crowds in the 70s.

What a crowd

 

And who did they come to see? Ageing players like Nathan Buckley, young stars and colourful football. A Collingwood friend of mine who went to the game said she'll definitely go again. On Sunday she stood between Len Thompson and the Cloke family and enjoyed every moment. 'It's so good for kids. Being able to kick the footy on the ground and listen to the coaches makes VFL footy a goldmine,' she said. Once the VFA/VFL clubs have cemented their identity and the balance of AFL and VFL players is resolved, the VFL could be in for a renaissance. If only that mob in at AFL headquarters would get out of the boardroom and promote the local game.

The massive crowd at Box Hill

 

The ABC coverage

Although the ABC's telecast of VFL matches gets little publicity in the mainstream media, there's a massive groundswell of support. Peter Donegan has called everything from the greyhounds to the Olympics with style and precision and is as prepared as any caller in the land. And Ross Booth's quirky style and dry sense of humour makes him an institution. What's just as important is that anyone who works on the telecast ends up loving it.

Sam Kekovich, Clinton Grybas, Rob Waters and Drew Morphett have all passed through the VFL van and benefited professionally from the experience. Ask Peter Donegan and he'll tell you how much he loves it. And whilst you can't please everyone, the fact that more than 120,000 people regularly turn on the TV at 1 pm every Saturday says something about the broadcast. We mightn't have all the fanfare of Channels Nine and Ten, but the pictures, the call and the ambience are second to none. All we need is crowds of the kind we had at Box Hill.