AFL the "national sport" of Australia

[vinnie]

There's a lot of talk about how Perth Glory lost support. But what about AFL's Sydney and Brisbane teams? Who can guaratnee they won't suffer the same fate?

Are they really successful? How many members has Brisbane got this year compared to 2 years ago? Why isn't that a bandwagon effect, but Melbourne Victory's growth in memberships is?

And with Sydney's membership, is that at a number that would indicate it is a successful club after many years? Shouldn't it be higher?

Are these teams dominated by local players? If not, are they really successful.

I think the AFL is propping the national competition by funding interstate clubs.

If you've got the money, you can make any sport national.

 

[mattwinter]

NO , you're right . I guess that's why cricket never took off .

.

Cricket is played on rectangular/square grounds in the UK - the vast majority aren't big enough for AFL.

And by the way, the offside rule is the only complex rule in the world game - aside from that it's all very simple. It's not like it's even that difficult to understand. Without it top-level football would really suffer (defence would not be able to get involved in the play because they'd be forced to stay in their defensive third), but for kids growing up and the like you don't need to understand it.

 

[fishmonger]

There's a lot of talk about how Perth Glory lost support. But what about AFL's Sydney and Brisbane teams? Who can guaratnee they won't suffer the same fate?

Yes.

Are they really successful? How many members has Brisbane got this year compared to 2 years ago? Why isn't that a bandwagon effect, but Melbourne Victory's growth in memberships is?

Fair comparison

And with Sydney's membership, is that at a number that would indicate it is a successful club after many years? Shouldn't it be higher?
.

Possibly, given the massive population of the place.

Are these teams dominated by local players? If not, are they really successful.

No team will ever be dominated by local players due to the AFL National Draft. Most Melbourne clubs are comprised of interstate players and vice versa. This is the only point that you pose which is not valid. The Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans could easily field a full side of Queensland and New South Wales talent these days, but the salary cap very much determines how many talented players that they can have on their list. For example, they simply couldn't to pay two champion CHF's in both Jonathon Brown and Nick Riewoldt.

I think the AFL is propping the national competition by funding interstate clubs.

I'd agree with that, however the funding has shifted from the clubs to the local infrastructure and capitalising on artificially accelerated grassroots growth.

If you've got the money, you can make any sport national.

Not necessarily. FIFA has billions, but soccer is still very much a minority sport in this country.

 

[cos789]

You can have a successfully run club, and existing decent crowds ,and on field success -as you point out, yet if the game is poorly managed, as it was, then any success you may have had is very difficult to build upon.

How was it poorly managed then ?

 

[cos789]

And by the way, the offside rule is the only complex rule in the world game - aside from that it's all very simple.

Maybe you could explain a tackle and a dive ?

 

[mattwinter]

Maybe you could explain a tackle and a dive ?

Tackle - if you slide tackle from behind and get the player then it's a foul, if you slide tackle and get the player but not the ball (from any direction) it's a foul.

Dive - when Italian's with poor sportsmanship go down very easily to try and con the ref into giving them a free kick - often thought to be more common than it acctually is because those that play would know that it doesn't take much contact to your lower leg to force you down - and possibly hurt you (why do you think they tell people if they meet a criminal to kick them in the shins?)

All perfectly simple...

 

[cos789]

All perfectly simple...

Then why don't they get it right ?

 

[realfootball]

How was it poorly managed then ?

How was the NSL poorly managed? Where to start!!!

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

FOOTBALL has the most potential to be the national sport of Australia with the A-league.

AFL is big only in VIC, TAS, SA, WA in all other states in lags behind as third or fourth main sport.

AFL is not an indeginous game it was brought over from England where the rules were translated in Australia as a mix of Rugby and Association Football. The rule makers in Australia used the English versions of the game to create the VFL which in turn has become the AFL. Association Football is clearly the game that every one decided to play in the UK and the world once the rules were formalised, it is unfortunate that these new formalised rules never made it to Australia early enough between trips from mother England as we would be the FIFA World Champions of World already.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marn_Grook

 

[cos789]

How was the NSL poorly managed? Where to start!!!

How about by taking you hand off .

 

[LeagueRhino]

rugby league is more national than AFL because it penetrates the more importaint markets. (newcastle, ACT, GC, Central Coast, Woolongong)

 

[estibador]

rugby league is more national than AFL because it penetrates the more importaint markets. (newcastle, ACT, GC, Central Coast, Woolongong)

Yep those places are far more important for a national comp than the entire country west of Melbourne.

 

[finders]

rugby league is more national than AFL because it penetrates the more importaint markets. (newcastle, ACT, GC, Central Coast, Woolongong)

Get your hand off and go back to the thugby forum idiot!The Storm couldnt even sellout pissy OP last sat night LOL Take the Brisbane crowds out and last weekends thugby crowds were pathetic!

 

[cos789]

Yes , these centres all have their AFLs .

 

[LebaneseForces]

Yes , these centres all have their AFLs .

GO the Newcastle 'Redneck' Kangaroos

Rugby League... The Greatest Game Of All!

 

[Copernicus]

rugby league is more national than AFL because it penetrates the more importaint markets. (newcastle, ACT, GC, Central Coast, Woolongong)

You seem to have forgotten to add Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour in there.

Byron Bay, too. Very important hippie market, square in RL territory.

Fair dinkum.

 

[LightTower4]

You seem to have forgotten to add Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour in there.

Byron Bay, too. Very important hippie market, square in RL territory.

Fair dinkum.

Please. Lets not forget Nimbin!

 

[fishmonger]

rugby league is more national than AFL because it penetrates the more importaint markets. (newcastle, ACT, GC, Central Coast, Woolongong)

Hopoate is also national as he penetrates the more importaint markets with his thumb.

 

[vinnie]

AFL, I'm sick of seeing the same f%&^*('in teams play each other, year in, year old. Same stuff every year - just a few players change stripes and that's the only difference each year - seriously, I don;t know what all the excitement is about - get a life.

My point - in soccer you get to play other teams in other countries, so it should be the national sport in a few short years. Tonight Sydney play Japan's top team Urawa Reds. July 1, QLD roar play Sth Africa's Supersport team.

You can crap on all you like about soccer's shortcomings, but AFL cannot compete with this. Club soccer in Australia will be number 1 in a few years.

 

[LightTower4]

You can crap on all you like about soccer's shortcomings, but AFL cannot compete with this. Club soccer in Australia will be number 1 in a few years.

I've been hearing this line for 30 years.
Do you expect the same thing to happen in the USA with Soccer getting bigger than Gridiron?

 

[juddy_Like]

AFL, I'm sick of seeing the same f%&^*('in teams play each other, year in, year old. Same stuff every year - just a few players change stripes and that's the only difference each year - seriously, I don;t know what all the excitement is about - get a life.

My point - in soccer you get to play other teams in other countries, so it should be the national sport in a few short years. Tonight Sydney play Japan's top team Urawa Reds. July 1, QLD roar play Sth Africa's Supersport team.

You can crap on all you like about soccer's shortcomings, but AFL cannot compete with this. Club soccer in Australia will be number 1 in a few years.

You are really stupid of the highest order. Soccer is the number 1 worldwide sport. Thats undisputable. But correct me if im wrong, but i never knew Australia had a Urawa Reds based team here. We are talking about Australia here champ.

 

[Rus13]

Well yesterday it was announced that Townsville couldn't get enough backing to make a bid for an A-League licence.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21408335-5003412,00.html
So that region won't be playing in the A-League any time soon.

Any A-league on FTA TV yet?

What were the pay TV ratings of the A-league final - 140,000 was it?

The NRL MNF this week game rated 316,000 an Australian Pay TV record.

http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=27603

 

[vinnie]

I've been hearing this line for 30 years.
Do you expect the same thing to happen in the USA with Soccer getting bigger than Gridiron?

I've been watching the same teams for 30 years, some morphed into new locations.

What's gonna change in AFL in our lifetime? Can't even get the Roos to relocate.

At least in soccer there's interesting new teams we've never heard of.

 

[vinnie]

Well yesterday it was announced that Townsville couldn't get enough backing to make a bid for an A-League licence.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21408335-5003412,00.html
So that region won't be playing in the A-League any time soon.

Any A-league on FTA TV yet?

What were the pay TV ratings of the A-league final - 140,000 was it?

The NRL MNF this week game rated 316,000 an Australian Pay TV record.

http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=27603

A-league got 56K without any soft free to air coverage. That's an acheivement. AFL can only get by on free to air. Let's see how it will go if it went fully on pay TV. Don't know much about NRL sorry can't comment.

 

[LightTower4]

At least in soccer there's interesting new teams we've never heard of.

I'd ask you to name one but seeing as we haven't heard of them you probably can't and if you can name one then we have probably heard of it then they can't be interesting.