AFL websites built and maintained by Telstra

[Sanctorum]

I have recently written to both the AFL and St Kilda to complain about the state of the AFL and club websites since the end of last year:

"I would like to add my name to the many others that are likely to have contacted you to let you know that the functionality of the new afl.com.au website is really bad, especially compared with what you had prior to the new format. The fact that the layout or format of both the club website and that of the AFL are identical indicates to me that somehow your IT Guru has tried to do things "on the cheap" - a "one size fits all" concept and this really surprises me because I would have thought that the premier sporting code in the nation would have developed something that is state of the art, when in fact it is a bit pedestrian. It's what I would expect from a socialist state like the old Soviet Union......

Not being able to view the stats of the Marsh competition matches is just one of the bugbears. Another is in regard to the St Kilda website in that the 6 players that have transferred to the Saints from other clubs are still portrayed in the guernseys of their previous teams, and it's been like that ever since the trades were completed - we're now just 4 weeks out from the start of the season and the images have yet to be updated. What this indicates is a lack of professionalism, and this from an elite organisation like the AFL!!

Can you please do something, bring back the old if need be because what you have set up now is simply not good enough and not worthy of such an august corporation.."

I have not heard back from the AFL, other than to say that they'll get back to me, but had a more detailed response from St Kida:

"Thanks for your feedback. It’s been passed on to our Communications team.

The club’s website is built by Telstra, as are all 18 club websites including the AFL’s. So this is out of our hands. The features on the site will grow as they are built up over the next year. For now, you can view stats through the AFL app.

For the new player profiles, we’re aware of this. Images will be updated in 2020 kit closer to the start of the season, as soon as we get the player portraits from the team’s photo day.

If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact via return email or give us a call on 1300 467 246.

Kind Regards,

Tessa McDonald
Membership Sales Representative

I find it quite staggering that the AFL is captive to Telstra for their and the clubs' websites, contrast this with the following leading sporting comps around the world:

https://www.premierleague.com/

https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga

https://www.nba.com/?19

https://www.nfl.com/

One of the long standing problems with the AFL website is that they have never shown any interest in any of the subsidiary competitions around the country - there are no links to the websites of either the VFL or any of the state leagues which I would have thought would be really useful to followers of those matches. It shouldn't be too difficult to do this.

Why the hell the AFL has hived this work off to Telstra is a mystery, it is not as though they lack the financial resources to keep this in-house and employ some of the best IT people in the land to create a first-class website!

[SaintPav]

Player photos on website gets updated right before season begins. It's been like that for a while.

Agree though, it's a crap website.

[Saintmatt]

That's what you get when the AFL takes $50M from Telstra for the digital rights and let's them do whatever the fvck they like thereafter with the website and app. It's beyond shite. The AFL doesn't care and Telstra cares even less. All they want is a platform to pump content and ads thru.

[asiu]

back in the early days ... Essendon got on their horse
and created their own ... are they still going it alone ?

i never go there (the afl site)
unless someone links to a vid or story

[Munga]

Gives me the sh!ts. On the Saints players page, where have the career stats gone in an easy to read list view like it's always been done? All I see is half faded player portraits.

[Saintmatt]

back in the early days ... Essendon got on their horse
and created their own ... are they still going it alone ?

i never go there (the afl site)
unless someone links to a vid or story

Nope. The last rights deal lumped everyone in together for digital rights - no carve-outs at all

[desertsaint]

heck after spending a bit of time on this site boggy creek under 14 tiddlywinks site looks good to me.

[on the outer]

If you miss the player update window your stuffed for 12 months we even have a player who has played for the club who doesn’t have a photo (Jonathon Marsh) and Jack Mayo been at the club for more than six months and doesn’t have a photo.

[stevie]

It was a pain to get score updates for the practice games And there were no stats during the game Just s***

[saintspremiers]

The AFL just pimp themselves out to the highest bidder and bend over to whatever they get as a result.

They have zero integrity, that’s their mantra.

As a poor individual club, we are just the imported slave locked up in our little corner with zero voice.

[To the top]

Hands up those who bought Tranch 1 - and at what price

Hands up those who bought Tranch 2 - and at what price

And was there a Tranch 3?

Who sold this dud to the citizens of the Nation?

And who is surprised?

[saintspremiers]

Hands up those who bought Tranch 1 - and at what price

Hands up those who bought Tranch 2 - and at what price

And was there a Tranch 3?

Who sold this dud to the citizens of the Nation?

And who is surprised?

AFL pimp to Telstra and Telstra pimp to the public by paying ludicrous dividends totally out of touch with their business which in turn keeps their share price in the Shyte heap.

Let’s just call the two organisations Dumb and Dumber

[Wayne42]

Good topic, i can't stand the latest AFL and Saints websites, F***ing shite.

Horrible player profiles, game day stats are shite.

The way the latest news stories are presented is dire.

I agree, bring back last season's models, much much better.

If it ain't broke then don't fix it, or in this case, F**k it.

[To the top]

The IPO factored in the dividend payment over the out years

“Do not consider”

But many have been roped in by the dividend - a dividend they funded when the Company listed

[asiu]

But many have been roped in by the dividend - a dividend they funded when the Company listed

as in ... the dividend was funded by the high listing price ?
(this stuff twists my head)

is that what you meant

[asiu]

or the cash reserves
funded by the high listing price
(more accurately expressed)

[To the top]

Yes

The same with QANTAS with their restructure when they sacked as they did - so they funded out year performance by their accounting AND gave themselves years of no tax obligations due to the restructure red ink and other accounting measures

[asiu]

k

it’s an accountants world !!!

beaten by pencil pushers
... who’d have thunk it.