Blast for Channel 10...for those interested

[wallbanger]

I sent off the following e-mail to Channel 10 this morning - thought some might be interested in reading it.




Good morning.

I may be directing this to the wrong people, but I have searched your website and been unable to find any other way to voice my displeasure at the recent lead-up advertising by your network regarding the Preliminary Final last night between St.Kilda and Hawthorn.

I am sure I am not the first person to contact you in relation to your "Buddy Franklin" ad for last night's game, which was played all week in the build up to the match and only featured hype and vision of Buddy Franklin - barely a mention of anything else. The complete disrespect shown to the St.Kilda Football Club by this ad was breath taking - the first time I saw it I couldn't quite believe what I was watching. I only hope the club as an organisation has included an official complaint over the bias of this ad, which was it seems undoubtedly influenced by your main sports reader and avid Hawthorn supporter, Steve Quartermain - there can be little other explanation for the content.

This was the Preliminary Final, the penultimate game to the Grand Final, and all you can focus on is Buddy? What about acknowledging the fact that the two teams had made it to that point - no only did you disregard St.Kilda ENTIRELY in the build-up, but you also ignored the other 21 Hawthorn players, including superstars like Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell, who have played integral parts in Hawthorn's success this year.

In addition, you disregarded what I would consider to be the two most important and 'viewer appealing' aspects of the match.

The first of these was the potential battle between two of the most damaging forwards in the game - Buddy Franklin and...hang on, perhaps you need reminding? There is another forward on the other team by the name of NICK RIEWOLDT, who has undoubtedly been the form forward of the competition in the latter part of the season and was coming off a 5 goal best-on-ground performance against Collingwood last week. This was a juicy match-up that viewers of sport love to see - but your network in it's wisdom, chose to IGNORE RIEWOLDT COMPLETELY. Unbelievable.

Even worse than this was the complete lack of respect shown by you in this advertisement for a legend of the game in Robert Harvey. An icon and ornament to the game, everyone (except your advertising team) seemed to realise that there was a very real chance this was going to be Harv's last game. Any chance of focussing on that a little, enticing viewers with the opportunity of watching a legend of the game for what could be his last match, or alternatively the match the could see his fairytale come true and go out winning a Premiership? Even a feature on Harvey and Hawthorns elder statesman, Shane Crawford? No, not Channel 10. We'll just focus on Buddy.

For your info, the 'superstar' you built your advertising around was Hawthorn's worst perfomed player of the night, completely blanketed by Max Hudgton and having the 'impressive' stats of 8 possessions and 2 marks, for a return of one goal, with 3 critical errors. Just to inform you (as I'm sure your team wouldn't look past the Hawthorn stats) Nick Reiwoldt scored 3 goals and took 9 marks from 12 possessions, whilst Robert Harvey amassed 19 possessions in his final hit-out in an illustrious career.

Yes, I have watched the replay and have seen the minimal focus on Harvey at the start and end of the telecast last night - pedestrian at best, and the horse had already bolted.

I only hope this week, in the interests of fairness, you concentrate on both teams in the build up to what should hopefully be a fantastic Grand Final this Saturday. I'm sure Channel 7 will be espousing the talents of the Geelong Football Club just as much as Hawthorn in their advertising for their telecast of the big day, as an impartial television channel should.

As it turned out, the game last night was not a great contest, Hawthorn simply too good and St.Kilda failing to reach the level of play they had the previous week. Nevertheless, the disrespect shown to them by your network will hopefully be remembered by the Club going forward - I know it will stick long in my mind, and the minds of a significant number of other St.Kilda supporters.

Dave Hicks
St.Kilda Member.

[sensaint]

Very, very, very well said !!!!!!
& at the end of the day it was the BUGGER ALL BUDDY SHOW !!!!
Well done Saints.

[matrix]

Dave Hicks
St.Kilda Member.

THE david hicks???

[SirDog]

Guantanamo Bay (Camp X-ray) permitted televised St.Kilda games. Didn't you read Mamdouh Habib's biography? He is a huge saint fan too.

[KB]

Thanks wb i had exactly the same thoughts during the week, i would hope the club will lodge an official complaint too. It was a discrace.

[Eastern]

It's not just Ch 10, the AFL are just as bad, if not worse. They had 4 flag thingys at Richmond station advertising the finals;

One had Buddys pic on it

One had Gabletts pic on it

One had Brad Johnsons pic on it

One had Dale Thomas' pic on it

Not a saint to be seen. The only saints pics I have seen were the ones with Nick R on them that were sent out by the club. These were in the same style as those described above.

Could this be an indication of what the AFL wanted ? !!

[St Fidelius]

It's not just Ch 10, the AFL are just as bad, if not worse. They had 4 flag thingys at Richmond station advertising the finals;

One had Buddys pic on it

One had Gabletts pic on it

One had Brad Johnsons pic on it

One had Dale Thomas' pic on it

Not a saint to be seen. The only saints pics I have seen were the ones with Nick R on them that were sent out by the club. These were in the same style as those described above.

Could this be an indication of what the AFL wanted ? !!

To me it just shows that the AFL thought that Collingwood would beat us in the Semi..

and their thoughts were the final 4 would be Cats, Hawks, Bulldogs and Pies...

They got Collingwood wrong

Pity they didn't spend the money equally on the sides finishing in the top four and not what they thought should be there

[True Blue Sainter]

Terrific post mate. Was wondering the same thing and alluded to it in a post a few days ago....Hopefully you get a response, and make sure you're kind enough to let us know if they honour your letter with a reply!

[saint24601]

Good post.

I noticed the same thing and was similarly bemused.

In the end though, who expects to get respect from a television broadcaster? They act in their own interests, certainly not the interests of the public or the football clubs.

Not sure Stephen Quarternain had much to do with it, I only hope they don't dismiss your email because of this.

[clarky449]

I sent them an email last night aswell

[ttufc7]

It's not just Ch 10, the AFL are just as bad, if not worse. They had 4 flag thingys at Richmond station advertising the finals;

One had Buddys pic on it

One had Gabletts pic on it

One had Brad Johnsons pic on it

One had Dale Thomas' pic on it

Not a saint to be seen. The only saints pics I have seen were the ones with Nick R on them that were sent out by the club. These were in the same style as those described above.

Could this be an indication of what the AFL wanted ? !!

I also initially thought the same thing when looking at the flags at richmond station but i can assure you there was definately a flag there with Roo on it. Travelling by car towrds the G it was behind one of the other flags so it couldn't be seen from that particulr angle

[bethb7]

Completly agree what the hell was with that ad? I hope channel 10 has learnt their lesson as he only kicked 1.1 everyone is becoming too Buddy concious. Channel 10 have so far been the worst.

[Young Georgie]

Triple M radio at the game BTW was absolute crap and completely biased even b4 the floodgates opened with Spud battling to give the Saints any kind of look in. It was all about the Hawks. Only had FM and turned it off at 1/2 half time. They are a bunch of schoolboy humour buffoons with James Brayshaw a complete showpony constantly looking to big note himself and even writing off Armo's career in the 1st Quarter with a glib one-liner - someone like that in his position as club president is completely out of line with such comments and would not be furious if it went the other way.

Also in ref to SEN, don't ya hate it when Dermie's right!!

[ozrulestrace]

Actually Eastern you had to turn towards the Swan Street side of Richmond station to see Rooey on the banenrs.

As for the email sent to Channel 10. There is one very good reason as to why they is no email on the televison channel's website. They don't want to hear from footy supporters of all clubs as to the slant and bias displayed by the advertising and the commentators.

I rang Channel 7 last year after the Brisbane game to complain about the delayed telecast, shoddy presentation and non-commentary and I got the most robotic response when I explained my displeasure.

Let's remember it's not about us, it's about the advertising.

[sunsaint]

And for the lucky few living on the Sunshine Coast QLD, we got coverage from 6:30pm, pre game discussions, and the tribute to Harve's at the end credits. I am sure a few Hawthorn people were mightily mifffed their post match celebrations were cut short by crossing to the StKilda rooms, and the final credits.
The football world was on the Hawthorn bandwagon, cant really blame Ten for ramping it up...

[golden hawk]

It's not just Ch 10, the AFL are just as bad, if not worse. They had 4 flag thingys at Richmond station advertising the finals;

One had Buddys pic on it

One had Gabletts pic on it

One had Brad Johnsons pic on it

One had Dale Thomas' pic on it

Not a saint to be seen. The only saints pics I have seen were the ones with Nick R on them that were sent out by the club. These were in the same style as those described above.

Could this be an indication of what the AFL wanted ? !!

i reckon the idiots had written you off and thought no way they will beat pies so we will do a pie player and not a saint player which is wrong Harvs i reckon or Roo or even both should ahve been up there too

[perfectionist]

Actually Eastern you had to turn towards the Swan Street side of Richmond station to see Rooey on the banenrs.

Two, in fact, on the Swan Street side but none on the Brunton Ave side. An AFL plot or idiots putting up the flags.

[golden hawk]

It's not just Ch 10, the AFL are just as bad, if not worse. They had 4 flag thingys at Richmond station advertising the finals;

One had Buddys pic on it

One had Gabletts pic on it

One had Brad Johnsons pic on it

One had Dale Thomas' pic on it

Not a saint to be seen. The only saints pics I have seen were the ones with Nick R on them that were sent out by the club. These were in the same style as those described above.

Could this be an indication of what the AFL wanted ? !!

To me it just shows that the AFL thought that Collingwood would beat us in the Semi..

and their thoughts were the final 4 would be Cats, Hawks, Bulldogs and Pies...

They got Collingwood wrong

Pity they didn't spend the money equally on the sides finishing in the top four and not what they thought should be there

everyonethought that idiots they were loved it that you guys beat the pies