Banners...Whats the point

Albow · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Location: Tapping, WA

Seriously they dont even burst through them anymore, And the players certainly dont read them generally. Collingwood and Carlton have material banners with a split in the middle. Western Bulldogs banner today was lifted and run under despite being a old style run through banner.

With modern day grounds having color screens, any message could be published on the screen as the team ran out. it also got me thinking how did the run through banner tradition started, so i might do some research there but it seems to me its a bit outdated. Whats the thoughts here?

John Wren · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 6:01 pm

didn't they use to put streamers at the end/entrance of the race? am pretty sure i have seen b&w footage of this.

soon banners will be electronic images projected on the field.

Damien · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 6:41 pm

Some of them in their current form are useless yes. What's the point in having a little flap you just run through without breaking it.

swoop42 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:02 pm

Get rid of them.

1061 · Joined: 06 Sep 2013

This is the thread the Club was hoping for when they took banners away from the cheersquad I believe.

yin-YANG · Joined: 03 Oct 2011

It is a unique part of the game... and even if I don't care these days about banners etc I used to enjoy the when I was kid - and my kids enjoy them now.

So keep em for the kids.

RudeBoy · Joined: 28 Nov 2005

I lost interest when they became marketing tools for corporations.

Sadly, I reckon cheer squads have just about had their day too. Business is slowly killing all the fun.

MattyD · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Location: Kew

The best banners were the ones that said something cheeky or having a good-natured dig at opponents. Remember those? They were fun and worth watching and got us involved.

Then the PC police got involved. No more creative thinking allowed.

They have made the cheer squad members kind of irrelevant in not allowing them input into what goes on the banners.

I think cheer squads and banners are a part of the tradition that should stay. They just need to treated like human beings and able to have a say in the banners.

mattys123 · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Location: Narre Warren, VIC

The one we have now seems to be a bit of cloth that just has a large sticker placed upon it each week.

I wouldn't care if they went the way of the dodo except for milestone games.

Tannin · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:36 pm

They don't have banners at the rugby, but they plan to introduce them in about 2028, or as soon as they find some rugby players who can read.

King Monkey · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:47 pm

cobood · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 7:07 pm

Hate the runthrus used nowdays.... they are worthless.... they used to be used to convey msgs from fans to players ( to spur them up) and to the opposition crowd.... Players used to break the crepe and run through in a show of strength.... Now the clubs are too scared the players will hurt themselves... WTF? ..... Yea get rid of them they are no use anymore!!

AN_Inkling · Joined: 06 Oct 2007

Let's get rid of banners, team songs and bounce downs. None of these are necessary and have all had their day. Who wants to be different? The AFL should try and be as similar to other sports as possible.

I voted to keep banners, by the way.

think positive · Side By Side Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Location: somewhere

Woods Of Ypres · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Yugoslavia

I do miss the old crepe paper banners, especially when they would congratulate players on milestone games - usually they would have some kind characture of the player - some of those were brilliant.