AFL have been found cooking the books again regarding player numbers in West Sydney.
Well known investigative journalist Roy Masters has siezed upon a report from David Lawson, a Melbourne Uni academic, which was commissioned by the NSW/ACT AFL.
Quoting directly from the report and the Masters article:
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The reality is that junior club maturity and participation numbers appear to have stalled. There are 6 per cent less junior/youth players in 2012 than in 2009. The perception, however, is that the game is growing well. This perception is supported by masking low junior club numbers with Auskick numbers (Club, School and Community Auskick) and school program numbers.
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This optimistic, bullish perception is needed to market the game. However, this perception urgently needs to be underpinned by committed junior club participants.
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In the chase for participant numbers in NSW and ACT, a shortened and often subsidised version of Auskick has been aggressively rolled out in primary schools (In-School Auskick) and after-school centres (Community Auskick) … Junior club feedback has indicated that the In-School and Community versions have, at times, harmed Club Auskick.
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Soccer, rugby league and rugby union introductory programs essentially comprise modified games whereas Auskick centres concentrate on skill acquisition drills. Interviews and surveys have suggested that in Sydney there is a preference for more game-based activities to complement skill-based content."
While AFL NSW's Dean Connors apparently claims that Australian football participation in Western Sydney had risen 27 per cent this year from 28,306 in 2011 to 36,000 to 37,000 participants.
According to the AFL NSW/ACT report, playing numbers in junior Australian football across
all of Sydney last year was only 7694. Participant is defined as "no-less-than-six-weeks paying customer", Both parties used that definition to come up with their numbers.
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/auskick-putting-sydney-kids-off-20121023-283ge.html#ixzz2AGu3k7QE