Telling old stories with new media

Nick Armistead – Head of Media

Who doesn’t like new things? Besides the ‘new normal’ we’ve all been thrust into as unceremoniously as a 70kg debutant asked to fill the space in front of Jonathon Brown, the idea of newness brings with it a fresh start. And while it’s been some time between inbox visits, we wanted to ensure the VAFA Newsletter emanated renewed vigour via the collation and production of timely, well-informed and (fingers crossed) interesting content. It’s another way of keeping everyone updated via our digital arm in the face of additional challenges for the print side of the family.

The vulnerabilities of print media are nothing new, but the cascading effects of COVID-19 have certainly shone an MCG-sized light tower on the issues. Last month Australia’s biggest magazine publisher, Bauer Media Australia, announced it will close eight of its brands – including Elle, Men’s Health and Harper’s Bazaar – due to the impact of the pandemic.

Naturally, it got me thinking about the VAFA’s own print publication – The Amateur Footballer (AF) record. Afterall, 2020 is the first time the record hasn’t been produced since the second World War. The VAFA, and more specifically the AF, shares certain similarities with Bauer Media – the largest distributer of print records in senior community football and a history unrivalled among fellow leagues and associations.

The AF was first produced as the Amateur Football Follower by G.R. Nichol for the 1925 finals series and became a weekly fixture by 1927. It was only 24 pages and contained club notes, team lists, cartoons, player profiles, ladders, and goal kickers. Unlike today’s record with advertisements from William Buck, Holmesglen, Epworth, Anytime Fitness and SPT, the 1927 version included Wolfe’s Schnapps, Yeaston Tablets (which ensured that “degree of fitness essential to a perfect natural complexion”), WD and HO cigarettes. It also featured a ‘jokes’ section which was often shared for amusement at half-time:

Eloping bride: Here’s a telegram from Papa.

Eloping bridegroom (eagerly): What does he say?

Bride: Do not come home and all will be forgiven.

Every year thereafter – with the exception of WWII – the AF has provided a weekly dose of news, views, and football-related entertainment for its readership. This ability to provide value for a section of the community, as well as its incredible historical significance, largely explains its ongoing publication in recent years despite rising print costs and diminishing demand.

For the past three years, all clubs have been surveyed in regard to the AF and the financial viability of a print version. Prior to the 2020 season, the most recent survey was completed with two-thirds of respondents wanting the production of a hard copy record to continue, but 43% admitting it presents a financial imposition. And this was before COVID-19!

The current situation has imposed a reliance on digital mediums more than any time in history as most of us connect via technology while working from the confines of our home. It’s taught us how to communicate in alternative ways, to maintain motivation in the face of some rather unmotivating events, and (hopefully) the importance of letting your household know when a skype meeting is taking place….

It’s reinforced our ability to change. Changing how we connect with others, changing priorities, and changing our habits. I was recently, and habitually, reading an email from Mumbrella Content Director, Tim Burrowes, explaining the difficulty of changing habits when it comes to how we consume media. Habits ultimately shape media consumption – they’re slow to form and even slower to break.

The inertia of habit is one of the great assets enjoyed by established brands and media properties. And changing habits is one of the greatest challenges.

In the past, habit dictated Thursday night VAFA media consumption, with most of that week’s printed AF records on tables at team selection dinners across metropolitan Melbourne. The remainder no doubt sat on the steps of Elsternwick Park – providing light entertainment for the Bayside wanderers. Now, we have other avenues to provide that content, but the challenge of changing habits remains – although the conversion is well underway.

Take the VAFA ‘Clubs in Focus’ Podcast for example – the feedback we’ve received from club supporters, in particular their stalwarts and legends, has been nothing short of remarkable. Each week, listeners are tuning in from all parts of Australia and reminiscing on stories and memories created 40, 50, 60+ years ago. One of the most recent episodes focusing on Old Paradians (featured image) brought up stories on 1950-60’s stars Denis Toner, John Booth, Lou Arthur, Jack Ryan and Phil McLaughlin. McLaughin is widely regarded as their greatest ever player, Arthur was a founding member and club Godfather, Booth coached/played in eight senior flags and Toner put his 90 years of longevity down to footy and beer. All four players pictured were the club’s first-ever 100 gamers. The clear irony of indulging in these stories from yesteryear is the fact they can only be accessed via iTunes, Spotify or Whooshka. Either that, or the fact half of the tales discussed come directly from books. The value of these podcasts to both the VAFA and participating clubs cannot be understated as hard copy historical documents become increasingly difficult to access. The overarching idea is to establish a digital library of ‘Clubs in Focus’ podcasts, documenting important events, eras, and contributors, and making it accessible to anyone at any time.

During the 1970’s, did Noel Rundle imagine the original incarnation of his ‘Looking Back’ column in the AF as a five-minute audio segment voiced by Daniel Harford and Adam White on RSN Digital in 2019? Despite his reputation as an influencer and the biblical endorsement it received in the 1992 FTLOTG centenary book, I find it hard to believe even Noel would’ve predicted the fate of his timeless yarns:

The ‘Looking Back’ column is perhaps equivalent to the Old Testament. This very popular segment, contributed for almost 20 years by Noel Rundle, encourages a sense of tribal history and continuity among the current fraternity.

Of course, most know of Geoff Reilley’s longstanding contribution to retaining the heritage of the competition and preserving Noel’s legacy with his weekly ‘Retrospective’ column, first published in the AF and now a popular fixture on VAFA.com.au. It’s the wingman of our Association, with its ability to engage former players, coaches, administrators, and supporters linking the VAFA’s past (defenders) with the present (forwards) unlike any other content.

The next phase of the VAFA’s historical conservation via digital mediums will be underpinned by the efforts of the heritage sub-committee – or the VAFA Dream Team. John Bell, Geoff McCracken, Phil Stevens, Geoff Reilley and Association matriarch, Sue Anderson, have been delving deep into the records housed at HQ and will recommend the next step in their preservation – knowing full well the shelf life for team sheets, photographs and records from the early 1900’s are far from eternal. It’s a herculean task for an Association with 128 years and 100’s of clubs behind it, but there’s no group of people more qualified to carry it out.

For now, we look forward to keeping you informed across our digital channels and hopefully helping to shape your consumption habits with exciting and easily accessible VAFA content. Now I’m off to begin researching the next ‘Clubs in Focus’ Podcast…by reading a few chapters of FTLOTG…the hard copy.