The resounding success of The Last Dance, an American sports documentary miniseries focusing on the Chicago Bulls from 1997 to 1997 has sparked interest on this side of the pond. Could greater access to the behind-the-scenes aspect of our sports world be a good thing? Warren Tredea, former Australian Rules footballer, thinks so, saying that it would allow for exponential growth. But cultural issues remain a concern.
The Last Dance featured 10 000 hours of never-before-seen footage of Michael Jordan and his team and Tredea feels that something similar for our sportsmen will only increase AFL’s popularity across the board. He stated that, especially in light of the horrorshow 2020 has been so far, this would give the League the chance to throw open the doors separating players and fans and showing how inclusive it can be.
But Sam McClure, the Aussie sports journalist who works for 3AW, The Age, Crocmedia, and The Nine Network, disagrees. He thinks that cultural issues are discouraging players from opening up to the media, calling it The Tall Poppy Syndrome. He explained that when people start talking more than others feel they should be, they’re immediately cut down, referencing the case of Patrick Dangerfield.
When the Geelong Cats player started interacting more candidly he received incredibly negative attention, something other players will be very hesitant to court themselves.
We must start thinking outside of the box, however, as the sports industry limps along due to the worldwide shutdown of all games. Perhaps, with careful consideration from all concerned, something like The Last Dance could work here too.
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