I walked to Eastwood today as is my habit of many years around midday for a coffee and chat to a ageing and somewhat lessoning group. [age]
On my way I walked across Somerville Oval, [its Saturday] and again no games. I honestly can't remember when Epping last played their on a Saturday I think maybe 3 or 4 weeks ago. Last week Sunday afternoon there were a couple of games.
My sons well two of the three played for Epping or Epping / Hillview and I am talking and this scares me maybe 20 years ago Saturday was busy from early morning to late afternoon with the morning have both fields used the kids field and the main field.
Hopefully their may be a game again on Sunday but that was usual last week.
I walked through the tunnel under Eastwood station and walked past a game of soccer and I had a bit of time on my hand and went to the top oval were the Woodies played before TGM. Another game of soccer.
Both fields had teams arriving for future games. The Eastwood soccer team play in the same colours as the Woodies i.e white and blue I saw one of their coaches and we are mates and we had a chat. What amazed me as I was chatting was the number of Asian playing for the Eastwood teams maybe 15 to 20 % of the teams and in my chat I asked whats the biggest problem here.
His answer was space he said we have had to turn away players the fields are over used [you could see that especially the bottom one] he then told me within something like a 3 Kil radius there were another 5 clubs and we all have the same problem. I asked did he know how many players they have and he said no.
I then excused myself and went for coffee and chat and we as usual discussed the pretty girls walking by, business, the election, and sport and the NRL was discussed, a little bit about Football, and then some Rugby [no AFL] the carry on by the Tennis crew.
I asked like this was an AFL issue and posed a question about some local AFL ovals that get little use because of small player numbers. Everyone said the AFL should loose the fields because of the small player numbers.
I actually felt ashamed because latter in the day I went up to the two ovals opposite Epping boys and again saw no play when I was there. There could have been earlier in the day.
Essentially we have control of four fields and unless something happens tomorrow cannot get a single game.
Yet soccer, basketball and baseball all seem to have growing player bases and I can see all these four fields lost to especially baseball who are screaming out for fields.
I understand its only one oval, and every other oval may be over played and barren of grass cover like the soccer field at Eastwood [lower one] . However I think not.
In addition to the already crowded sporting market we have this last week both the NRL and AFL say they will be forming teams in a new 10 Australian team National Domestic Netball competition which according to media reports has a signed FTA broadcast deal with 9. Plus Football is very confident of being free to air with Steven Lowy saying last week the next media deal will be have a FTA match and will use everything we can to provide Football fans with access to the A-League in more and meaningful ways than ever before.
I have no idea how to solve nay sorry compete with this other than to create our own National Domestic Competition eerrr sorry we have the NRC. I should say a meaningful and creditable National Domestic Competition.
Also this week, Fairfax has indicated it will cease printing the SMH Monday to Friday and only have a weekend edition. Fairfax seems to be in very deep poo and have over the years arguably been our best non Fox media outlet.
I put this just to add, not to any present risk, we have our 60 million dollars plus as the dollar keeps falling. My concern as I have been stressing is we need to do something in Australia and extra 2 Japanese sides will not keep the four fields.
