Culina: AFL supporters who dont embrace football are "insecure in their code"

[Rob]

Definitely. It's all subjective. Some would argue punting a ball forward in hope and watching players fumble over a ball is dead boring.

Correct. And does that make you unaustralian or insecure? Of course not.

 

[realfootball]

Only because you knobs were posting it on this forum, which if you had any brains would know, is for talk about "aussie rules", not that snooze fest game.

No it's for talk abt things related to aussie rules, as per this thread. Everyone knows threads change nature as they go on

 

[realfootball]

Suck it up, in australia, OUR game is number one & always will be.

Can you predict the future?
AFL has no1 crowds, but not participants.
AFL is going great at the moment, and we are living in times of AFL prosperity, but to blindly assume it will always be like this in a globalised world, I wouldn't be so certain.

 

[Hawkamania!]

Can you predict the future?
AFL has no1 crowds, but not participants.
AFL is going great at the moment, and we are living in times of AFL prosperity, but to blindly assume it will always be like this in a globalised world, I wouldn't be so certain.

This may be true. IIRC at the moment, the sport with the biggest participation rate is netball. From a commercial sense, the AFL is number one by a long shot over any other sport in Australia.

And globally, who can really tell. The AFL may expand in other countries in the next few decades or face a challenge at home. The way things look at the moment, I would not bet against footy still being the top commercial sport in 50 years time in Australia.

 

[estibador]

Can you predict the future?
AFL has no1 crowds, but not participants.
AFL is going great at the moment, and we are living in times of AFL prosperity, but to blindly assume it will always be like this in a globalised world, I wouldn't be so certain.

Just like in the US, soccer will always have great participation rates here because it's a great game to play. Simple, easy to pick up and safe compared to contact sports. I doubt this will translate into attendances because unfortunately soccer does tend to produce a lot of dull games if you aren't supporting either of the teams. I'd imagine this would be magnified if you were brought up watching contact sports.

And participation rates don't automatically translate into attendances and commercial support. If it did our netball leagues would get huge attendances and swimming would be a massive spectator sport in this country.

 

[Rob]

Can you predict the future?
AFL has no1 crowds, but not participants.

True, but it's not like Australian football has no participants, it's more than rugby league and union combined. The most popular participation sport is aerobics, but I doubt 100,000 people are going to turn up to watch the Australian aerobics championship.

AFL is going great at the moment, and we are living in times of AFL prosperity, but to blindly assume it will always be like this in a globalised world, I wouldn't be so certain.

Well, it's arguably never been more popular in a world thats never been more globalised. So it doesn't look like there's a lot of correlation between globalisation and the popularity of football.

 

[slangman]

Soccer's popularity comes from

- single mothers kids (EVERY single mothers kid that i know play soccer) I wonder why?.
- Most immigrants will play or follow soccer because thats the link to where they came from.
- Kids who just want to have a kick of the ball in a team game for a few years.
- Bandwagoners from the World Cup.

....and I coached junior soccer.

Most of the kids knowledge and passion for the game was poor.

Thats why particiption rates among juniors are high until about U-16 when most drop off.

Now that my son plays footyand being involved, i have noticed a big difference between kids in both sports.
Footy makes kids realize that the world is a tough place and although it might be politically incorrect to say, being soft will not get you anywhere in adult life.

A fact that astounds me is that the more kids play violent games and watch violent movies/tv shows, the more they become soft and don't like violence inflicted on them....hence the increase in soccers popularity.

Question: In juniors, which sport uses the "magic spray" more often?

 

[And_ROOS]

Blah, i call Culina a rubbish manager and a joke to be honest. Once again, can someone remind me WHY we sent a team that wasnt in the top 2 to represent us at the Champions League? Bad Rules indeed.

And for the record, im a VERY passionate Arsenal and Local football, as well as Geelong and local aussie rules fan.

 

[realfootball]

And globally, who can really tell. The AFL may expand in other countries in the next few decades or face a challenge at home. The way things look at the moment, I would not bet against footy still being the top commercial sport in 50 years time in Australia.

It may expand internationally, and hopefully it will, but realistically i think this is very unlikely. I know that there are some people on here that profess that comps in far flung countries are slowly gaining ground, but I think really this is mainly expats and overall generally seen as a novelty.

 

[Grunty]

Soccer's popularity comes from

- single mothers kids (EVERY single mothers kid that i know play soccer) I wonder why?.
- Most immigrants will play or follow soccer because thats the link to where they came from.
- Kids who just want to have a kick of the ball in a team game for a few years.
- Bandwagoners from the World Cup.

I think you've missed out the most important factor:

Lots of kids actually like to play soccer.

 

[Ted Ed Fred]

Soccer's popularity comes from

- single mothers kids (EVERY single mothers kid that i know play soccer) I wonder why?.
- Most immigrants will play or follow soccer because thats the link to where they came from.
- Kids who just want to have a kick of the ball in a team game for a few years.
- Bandwagoners from the World Cup.

....and I coached junior soccer.

Most of the kids knowledge and passion for the game was poor.

Thats why particiption rates among juniors are high until about U-16 when most drop off.

Now that my son plays footyand being involved, i have noticed a big difference between kids in both sports.
Footy makes kids realize that the world is a tough place and although it might be politically incorrect to say, being soft will not get you anywhere in adult life.

A fact that astounds me is that the more kids play violent games and watch violent movies/tv shows, the more they become soft and don't like violence inflicted on them....hence the increase in soccers popularity.

Question: In juniors, which sport uses the "magic spray" more often?

Have to agree with that. As a kid I played soccer and was into it big time, but as much as I tried I just could not get into watching it. Tried watching and following Manchester United but was bored sh*tless, even though I loved playing it. The whole time I was still a diehard West Coast supporter and watched footy with a passion. Then I stopped playing soccer and when I was 18 started playing footy again.

Generally I think this scenario is similar to a lot of people, and is why soccer's big participation doesn't mean as much as a lot of soccer people try to claim. It's the most played game in America too.

 

[Guus_Hiddink]

I think you've missed out the most important factor:

Lots of kids actually like to play soccer.

Yeah but according to all the meatheads on here the result of this is because of society in general going soft and mothers forcing their kids to play soccer so they dont get hurt.

 

[vinnie]

There's a lot of AFL threads on the bigfooty website.

But so many self-professed AFL fans would rather spend time on this thread about Soccer's Culina, rather than there own threads talking up their own teams.

And yet they claim they don't care about soccer.

Be very afraid. Soccer will take you over......

PS. does anyone know where I can get a MElbourne Victory top, anywhere in Melbourne??? - they seem to be sold out everywhere I ask. Plenty of AFL tops lying around & available, but me and my mates want 4 tops before the first game on August 2, against Wellington Pneonix, before we get the membership prior to the Asian Champions League next May.

 

[realfootball]

Blah, i call Culina a rubbish manager and a joke to be honest. ..

why do you say this?

By the way, the FFA were not in favour of the rules, it was the Asian confed that made up the rules

 

[realfootball]

True, but it's not like Australian football has no participants, it's more than rugby league and union combined. The most popular participation sport is aerobics, but I doubt 100,000 people are going to turn up to watch the Australian aerobics championship.



Well, it's arguably never been more popular in a world thats never been more globalised. So it doesn't look like there's a lot of correlation between globalisation and the popularity of football.

The original point with all of this was about popularity. Some people on here seem to think that the only criteria for 'popular' is crowd attendances at a first class match. What these people really mean to say is, that AFL is more popular than the A-league. That is entirely different to saying that the game of aussie rules is more popular than soccer/football

 

[realfootball]

Thats why particiption rates among juniors are high until about U-16 when most drop off.?

Where does this come from? The evidence i have is quite the contrary. The over 16 participation rate is massive in soccer, topping all other codes. 2005 data is easily located at the ausport website.

A fact that astounds me is that the more kids play violent games and watch violent movies/tv shows, the more they become soft and don't like violence inflicted on them....hence the increase in soccers popularity.?

Of course! this must be the reason for it's popularity.

 

[plugger47]

God I hate the term "unaustralian''
Its smallminded, or maybe ignorant, perhaps blinkered but thats all. It is not unaustralian.
I like all football codes. If you dont compare them it is easy.
Good on Syd FC. We should all hope they win.
Spent time in England and even the most passionate haters of other clubs all go for the English clubs in Euro comps.

Particularly hypocritcal from a hack who made his career at Sydney Croatia. They flew the Ustachi flag when he played. Soccer is an awful game that often doesn't reward the dominant team. Two mistakes by a (sometimes dodgy) keeper - Kalac, Grobbela etc - can determine a game.

 

[Exeter]

Which is why there is a need as Wayne Carey took the opportunity, to bash it on TV? Right, you're not insecure at all

Can't speak for Carey or anyone else for that matter.

Fact is I don't watch soccer - nor basketball, nor rugby league, nor netball, nor lawn bowls for that matter.

And the reason I don't watch them is that they don't interest me in the slightest.

So tell me again why that makes me insecure?

 

[From The Fence]

PS. does anyone know where I can get a MElbourne Victory top, anywhere in Melbourne??? - they seem to be sold out everywhere I ask. Plenty of AFL tops lying around & available, but me and my mates want 4 tops before the first game on August 2, against Wellington Pneonix, before we get the membership prior to the Asian Champions League next May.

Don't buy one now, you'd be getting the old one.
The new shirt should be out soon, I've seen a pic
The Big V is back!

(i miss state of origin )

 

[TheSaviour]

He has a point.

All these anti Sokka articles you see (mostley from Perth) are proving how scared the AFL fraternity really is.

Football Federation of Australia already have larger sponsorship deals and when the New TV deal is up in 6 years probably a larger one as well.