This topic has been done to death in the past but I definately agree with you.

I really dont see why games cant be Saturday afternoons? (if social comps are a problem hold all ABL games at the dome).

Local footy does Satruday afternoon well... why cant Basketball?

District used to be played on a week night many moons ago and got good crowds- why can't we have it like that again?
It wasn't a home and away series I know, as it was based at the old Apollo stadium (now there's a memory for you!)but at least you got bums on seats, and you played the same night each week, sharing the different timeslots- sometimes the early ones so the kids could come watch, sometimes the graveyard shift. Weekends could then be for the other good things in life like AFL, or a social life!
Just a thought!

Perhaps the league also takes into consideration that for the women more so, that people still have to work on weekends and still would finish around the 4/5pm time slot. With that being the case, most women's teams would ask their players to get to the game around 530 i'd assume; and this just may difficult for some as it is, and bringing games forward to the afternoon, or even an hour to a 530 start may mean losing players - maybe quality ones too. BUT the same goes for the men if it was brought forward to the arvo that'd be the case, either work or footy could be in the way.

My only other suggestion would be play EVERY Sunday arvo instead of Sat night.


Leave the playing times as they are though!!

Friday Nights have to be tried.
The old grey haired brigade making the decisions at BSA are barley seen at ABL games, choosing to only attend free award dinners and the odd Board meeting. By joining the masses and not attending ABL games on a sat night, these board members then make the uneducated decision to continue as we have been, because it is too hard to make a change - or no one wants to do any work...
give the ABL a chance and change the night.

Sunday arvo would be a top idea

Can't do Friday nights because of juniors, can't bring Saturday games earlier due to players having work committments and Sunday games??? I could guarantee players wouldn't want to just play Sundays...they couldn't hit the gas Saturday night!
I think some Friday night games could work, especially in school holidays as juniors don't play. So there are definite opportunities then. Have a rivalry game on a friday night or grand final rematch and just about every other senior player would come out to the game! You could potentially even have a mid week game on a wednesday??

Whats the difference between having a game Friday and Saturday night?

ELG mate, the difference is one is on a friday night and one is on a saturday...they are completely different days of the week...ask a stupid question ;)

State League netball has changed its scheduling considerably this year to move from predominantly Saturday afternoon games (with some Friday night games) to predominantly Friday night and Tuesday night games. Be interesting to see if this works and the SA Basketball administrators should be taking close notice of how it goes - if they are not they are being very foolhardy.

Also I don't see why Saturday games could not be brought forward. Sure some girls have to work but surely they could arrange to get off work an hour early to play - after all if you play ABL basketball you have to be expected to sacrifice some things and make a big commitment and perhaps an hour less of work on Saturday afternoons could be one of those. State League netballers, as I said, have been playing Saturday afternoons (2.30 games) for years now.

"what is more important?
Junior league revenue or a decent league to play in once players graduate from juniors?"

I'm pretty sure that if you were to ask BSA that they will tell you that junior leagues are their main priority...
I was at the Dome on Sunday and the only reason that I new the game was on is one of the players told me on Saturday. I tried to find out for sure if the game was on and was told that according to sporting pulse there were no games on. Unless you really follow the local league or know some of the players the chances are you would not know what is happening.

A move to Saturday arvo will clash even more with AFL & SANFL. Sat nights seem the best option to me.

Its easy, while there isnt Marque names playing in the league the general public couldnt give a dam about the comp.

Look at North last year with Dusty Rychart and Forestville with Brad Newley a few years back, you have players that people want to see play and the crowds will be there. At this stage crowds are made up of juniors and a couple parents and thats it. Better name players will bring more attention to the person that wants to see quality sport, not just the want to be league ours is

Leave as is i think more promoting like half time shoot outs for the kids, 2 for 1 vouchers etc would help the crowd situation!

Giving ABL players more drinking time isn't the aim of moving the games. Its to get more crowds and lift the profile and standard of the league.
Sure moving games is not going to please everyone... some may have to leave work early etc...

Why not split single ABL rounds over a few nights.. thurs, fri and sat - why do all the games have to be played on one night. This would also give ABL players the oppourtunity to watch other ABL games.

For most players its the highest level of sport they will get to play, for others it is a learning experience to better things.

Difference between Friday night games and Saturday night games? Fitzy hosts one .....

It seems like we are never going to get a consensus, but there is also other facts to consider- people are just so busy these days, or their children are, that we don't have the time/energy/inclination/not to mention money, to go out and watch a basketball game; and no night of the week is going to change that! There are just too many demands on our wallets, and our time.

I think all sports seem to be experiencing a slump in attendance,and addressing that issue is a job I wouldn't want!

Some advertising would help- how many ads on TV and radio has anyone heard? if you didn't follow basketball would you know anything was on?

Just a word on the Friday night issue- you cannot mess with the juniors program, but I agree some school holiday changes would be good- a wider spread of game times would allow the players to get to other games too if they wanted.

Whoever thinks Sunday arvo is a bad idea is a douchebag. SEABL play on SUNDAY!!! IDIOTS!! What's so wrong with it!?
Players can go out on Friday night - if they want, have a few quiet ones on Sat night - if they want. And then play on Sunday.
Guaranteed to get more crowds on Sunday, who does anything on Sunday anyways!? Why not come watch ur son/daughter's senior team play a game of basketball!

It aint just about giving players more drinking time, its about giving them a life!! Work 9-5 all week, get to training on two nights, then take up half ur Saturday and Sat night playing a game! And no-one watches! And your club is in the shit coz they got no money!! So no-one gets paid!! So players cant be assed playing!!

Agree with lone spectator, split it into mid-week even! Saturday nights suck balls! Change it; more crowds, more money, happier players...

Sometimes "Pissed Player" you have to give something up to play sports. That is part of the process. Stop crying like a little baby. If you want more free time, don't play. When is having the chance to play basketball for free in a good league a bad thing? Basketball was at one time an outlet outside of work and now clowns like you see it as work. Something that cuts into your social life. I'm guessing your not a very good player or play for a winning team.

I play ABL at 8 15 and i have a life. i think the times are fine

Hey no idea,
what would you rather? Basketball in South Australia continuing to go down the shitter or a mix-up to see that maybe something DIFFERENT MIGHT HELP THE SITUATION!!!
What do clubs need? MONEY! How do they get it? Registration, attendance and sponsorship!! What are the crowds like at the moment!? SHIIIITTT HOUSE. What is the sponsorship like!? SHIIIITTT HOUSE. And rego depends on the club I guess. How do you get more rego? SPONSORSHIP AND MONEY FUNDING PROMOTION AND MARKETING!!!! Where does sponsorship stem from!? SUCCESS OF SENIOR TEAMS!!! Who would wanna sponsor a no-name club who gets no-one at their games... NO-ONE! That's why no-one has money!!
It aint just about me or any other player having more time to get on the piss... It's about improving the sport in this state...
The 'times may be fine' / bearable at the moment... think about 10 years down the track...

i play abl and would definatley prefer games that wernt on saturday night. whilst i continue to participate anyway, i know several people who do not play because of the time slot.

so aside from it affecting the social lives of the players, it limits the numbers that come out thus weakening the competition.

who does anything sundays anyway?

Has anyone ever surveyed all the players and taken on board their preferences and comments? Would be very easy to do just to get a consensus and find out exactly how many women would be impacted by earlier Saturday games, how many get so obliterated on Saturday nights that they couldn't play on a Sunday afternoon, etc.

I can only speak for myself as a spectator and why I haven't been to a game recently. Main reason is that my brother no longer plays in the league. I still follow (via the Central ABL site stats) all the teams and the progress of a few players at least from each team, but other reasons I don't go to games: anything beyond Pasadena or Wayville is a bit of a trek, often have other things on Saturday nights, and no longer have friends/family also going to games (e.g., parents, my partner and a couple of basketball-fan friends have stopped going since Oscar went to NZ). Those things aside, I still firmly believe that ABL is excellent value for money - good talent on show, cheap tickets, and you get the front row seats you probably can't afford at NBL games.

had to laugh at "pissed players" last post. maybe ABL players should cover their costs, instead of having a free ride and expecting to get paid... Where dose the money come from for their existance... Juniors, lower grades and club sponsors.
I feel that the game times could/should be tweaked a little it cant hurt... I think there needs to be more promotion, newspaper and radio. I feel that the league needs name players, Used to head to hillcrest back in the day and watch NBL and Olympians line up for their local club. No offence to the current crop of players but they hardly stir the emotion of the old days.

Again- why does it all have to be on the same night? Why couldn't we spread the games out over the weekend like the AFL does- not such a drain on the stadiums, players get to watch other games and not everyone misses our on social functions (which are normally Saturday nights, with or without drinking)every week like they do at the moment.
I am not talking just about the players on this- the die-hard spectators, including devoted parents juggle their social lives around to accommodate their following of basketball. Not that we begrudge this, far from it, but it would be good to be free some Saturday nights, and to be able to go watch another game if so desired.

I couldn't really care less if I got paid or not, I've played the sport since I was 5 and never got a cent. As I said before it aint about getting paid, yes I did mention it - referring to off-the-cuff comments made by fellow Basketballers. And yes, I would love it if I got paid, BUT i'm gonna continue to play even if I didnt... ANYWAYS!!...
I agree with you sharpshooter, the money comes from Juniors and sponsorship etc. as i said previously. Definitely needs to be some 'tweaking' to time slots, whether it be multiple nights or sundays or whatever, 'just a thoughts' good point.
I just get pissed off at idiots who just sit there and say blah di blah di blah "It definitely cant be played on Sundays coz of juniors, where are they all gonna go!?!" and "ABL players should just put up with not going out on Saturday" and bullshit like that... changes can be made to accommodate juniors and it isnt all about going out!! Yes i did mention not having a life - but its the same with spectators - most feel the same way. Even Isaac doesn't come watch now coz he's got better things to do with his Saturday nights...
Do juniors even train at 3pm on a Sunday!? Maybe 1pm (over girls time slot)? I dont think I ever trained at 3pm on a Sunday.
I'll say it again... its about improving the sport in general...
According to a close relation, they used to all play at Apollo stadium (think it was already mentioned) and they played mid-week. They got tonnes of people watching, and everyone got to watch everyone else play. I'd love to watch other games!!! But cant. Yes, probably not a stadium at the moment that could accommodate that... money again.
ps. Pissed (aggravated) not Pissed (drunk) as some of you might think! I'll have to wait til 11:30pm on Saturday for that... oh wait... we got a double header... Sunday arvo then.

I dont know if someone mentioned it earlier BUT you cant do Saturday afternoons at many of the bigger stadiums eg Pasadena and Wayville due Church Ball - kick them out (couldnt they afford to build their own stadiums?) and they should be able to move the ABA games to an earlier time slot......problem solvered.

Simple and from an old schooler -

All games played at the Dome on a Wednesday night. Like in the day at Apollo, and then the dome before it went to Saturdays. Spectators used to sit and watch 2 games, and likewise, most players would watch half of the game before, and sometimes the one after. All in a one stop shop!!!!

Yes sometimes you were buggered from work, but once you rocked up and were warming up, it was long forgotten. Then Saturdays can be used however you like. We used to have senior training on a Saturday afternoon, and then the weekend was yours.

I reckon once, or if it was trialled, there would be no looking back. I know it may upset some clubs on not having games at their stadium, but using the dome is the best option - u could still have one round where you go back to each stadium or something similar??

BSA should look at it, as it doesn't affect social and their revenue making, and doesn't mess with junior time-tables.

Give it a go!!! Sometimes looking back is not a bad thing!!!!!