Does the AFL have anything to fear from the Matilda's recent success and the NRL's TV ratings?

Which sport will be the biggest in Australia the future?

  • Rugby League

    Votes: 3 4.1%
  • Rugby Union

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Football/Soccer

    Votes: 5 6.8%
  • Cricket

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Athletics

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Netball

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Australian Rules Football

    Votes: 62 83.8%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 1.4%

  • Total voters
    74

Remove this Banner Ad

Interesting and great outcome....


The Aus football usually does really well out properly run grants programs as it (i.e. state AFL bodies and WAFC/SANFL) can support community clubs to put in professional submissions.

It also staves off the absurd howling for special access to tax dollars by soccer.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Nope, I am a big soccer fan and it was the first Matilda's game I have ever watched, and I can say the same for literally everyone else I know. And the brutal reality is, none of us are going to be watching any games going forward. It was a cultural moment and movement, and it was awesome to see, but as long as all our best players are overseas the game will not grow here.
 
Posted this article in another thread but relevant to the question of this thread.

That is what the AFL is, the king of kings and a sport that knows its place is rightfully at the top of the pile.
Agree 100% with the article as the AFL is so far ahead of any other sport in Australia year after year that anyone who disputes this fact is a fool.
 
dont know about the afl, but matildas coach should fear for his life if comments by the sydney sokkah mafia are anything to go by ..... theyve gone feral
 
Just to testify the relative amount of resources put into the AFLW compared to the A League, this is a quote from the Guardian article about Casey Dumont, former Matilda's keeper......

Long-time Matildas squad member Casey Dumont was named Melbourne Victory’s players’ player of the year in May after a career-best season, but is now preparing for the upcoming AFLW season as a rookie for Hawthorn. The 31-year-old says the difference in professionalism between the codes is “huge”.

“One is through the roof because they’ve got the resources, they’ve got the money, they’ve got the backing of the nation, they’ve got the men’s competition which is successful,” she says. “And then you have the other.”
 
lol why is Rugby Union on this poll?

That sport has been dead in the arse for at least 10 years at the grass roots. More people probably play darts.
There are Aussie players earning more overseas than they can earn in Australia & hoping for its demise is Rugby League, with its eye on the talent produced that can more usually adapt to either code (if you didnt already know). No denying the poor administration of the game, seemingly happy with club rugby in Sydney & Brisbane not compete with the NRL or AFL.

See Matt Giteau, aka Buddy Franklins brother in law, & one of the codes recently retired stars.

Did Buddy make more dollars out of AFL footy than Matt Giteau earned in his international career ?
 
Last edited:
The Matilda's performance, with 3 wins, a draw and 3 losses, is likely to propel soccer in this country along the lines of the massive boost the sport received when the socceroos made their first world cup back in 1974.

All Australian eyes were tuned into an enthralling nil-all draw. It may well have been the very best nil-all draw ever witnessed on these shores. Personally, I can't think of any better. We all look forward to the next rivetting nil-all draw.

For 50 years now, the sleeping giant has been awakening....slowly...very slowly....
 
There are Aussie players earning more overseas than they can earn in Australia & hoping for its demise is Rugby League, with its eye on the talent produced that can more usually adapt to either code (if you didnt already know).

So how many in total are we looking at ? How many could play NRL and how many could play AFL ?


No denying the poor administration of the game,

The administration of the game in Australia, yes and how much due to overseas administration ?

seemingly happy with club rugby in Sydney & Brisbane not compete with the NRL or AFL.

seemingly happy with club rugby in Sydney & Brisbane or
seemingly happy with club rugby in Sydney & Brisbane not competing with NRL or AFL ?
Did Buddy make more dollars out of AFL footy than Matt Giteau earned in his international career ?

WTF cares ?
If someone was to look at financial returns wouldn't they look at starting salaries any modest potential returns.
I believe players would be happy if they can play professionally - that is, not to have to worry about money.
Money would be a factor in sports and leagues that are basically semi-pro.
 
All Australian eyes were tuned into an enthralling nil-all draw. It may well have been the very best nil-all draw ever witnessed on these shores. Personally, I can't think of any better. We all look forward to the next rivetting nil-all draw.

You are not allowed to insinuate or be of the opinion that soccer is boring if you are an AFL fan.

To our resident AFL hating trolls it means you are frightened and scared of it.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

There are Aussie players earning more overseas than they can earn in Australia & hoping for its demise is Rugby League, with its eye on the talent produced that can more usually adapt to either code (if you didnt already know). No denying the poor administration of the game, seemingly happy with club rugby in Sydney & Brisbane not compete with the NRL or AFL.

See Matt Giteau, aka Buddy Franklins brother in law, & one of the codes recently retired stars.

Did Buddy make more dollars out of AFL footy than Matt Giteau earned in his international career ?
Did Buddy make more money than X.

What a phony argument.

How many 12 years old have sat down and compared the pay of Buddy and whoever?

How many 12 year olds have no idea if what Buddy and X get paid?

How many 12 year olds already know, that they aren't going to be pro players at whatever sport, and yet they keep playing, knowing their future payrate will be $0.

Kids play the sports they enjoy, the sports their friends play, the sports their families follow, and the sports that are accessible to them.

The pay rate of the elite players in that sport has no bearing, zilch, nada, none.

Not, little bearing, it's not a minor bearing, it's ZERO.

The only people that this has a bearing on is that 1 in a million individual that played 2 sports well enough to go pro in either, and now at 18 or so, has to choose.

Even then, personal preference and likelihood of success are more important than pay rate imop.

If it's a choice between being a front line test fast bowler, and a borderline best 18 AFL player, then that has more bearing than how much Buddy Franklin earns

On moto g(6) plus using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Did Buddy make more money than X.

What a phony argument.

How many 12 years old have sat down and compared the pay of Buddy and whoever?

How many 12 year olds have no idea if what Buddy and X get paid?

How many 12 year olds already know, that they aren't going to be pro players at whatever sport, and yet they keep playing, knowing their future payrate will be $0.

Kids play the sports they enjoy, the sports their friends play, the sports their families follow, and the sports that are accessible to them.

The pay rate of the elite players in that sport has no bearing, zilch, nada, none.

Not, little bearing, it's not a minor bearing, it's ZERO.

The only people that this has a bearing on is that 1 in a million individual that played 2 sports well enough to go pro in either, and now at 18 or so, has to choose.

Even then, personal preference and likelihood of success are more important than pay rate imop.

If it's a choice between being a front line test fast bowler, and a borderline best 18 AFL player, then that has more bearing than how much Buddy Franklin earns

On moto g(6) plus using BigFooty.com mobile app
Yes the Buddy remark was a throwaway line to finish my post.

The gist of my post was to challenge those overcome by the AFL hoopla when addressing sport more widely*, e.g comparing the local competition of international sports with AFL as if it is comparing apples with apples.
 
Last edited:
Yes the Buddy remark was a throwaway line to finish my post.

Like your statements generally.
The gist of my post was to challenge those overcome by the AFL hoopla when addressing sport more widely*, e.g comparing the local competition of international sports with AFL as if it is comparing apples with apples.

It's somewhat legitimate making comparisons within Australia of various sports but making comparisons with overseas competitions like you is irrelevant.
 
No as the best players will move to Europe and earn big money
And the dream to move to Europe and earn more money starts after they realise they are very good, and after they start to think about their long term future.

So, when they are 17+ and most of them, 21+.

They aren't dreaming it when they are 6, 7, 8. The age when most top sports people start their journey to professionalism.

The money draw of Europe pulls the top players from the women's league, but it doesn't pull in more juniors to compensate. It's a net loss imop.

On SM-X200 using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

No, "making comparisons with overseas competitions like you do is irrelevant."

as the best players will move to Europe and earn big money

Which we all agree, is a huge negative for the domestic competitions of "global" sports.
Gaelic Football is not a global professional sport yet that sport is losing many of it's best players to another professional sport with the money.
 
And the dream to move to Europe and earn more money starts after they realise they are very good, and after they start to think about their long term future.

So, when they are 17+ and most of them, 21+.

They aren't dreaming it when they are 6, 7, 8. The age when most top sports people start their journey to professionalism.

The money draw of Europe pulls the top players from the women's league, but it doesn't pull in more juniors to compensate. It's a net loss imop.

On SM-X200 using BigFooty.com mobile app
Most people who consider a career in professional sport aim to be the best they can be.
 
Most people who consider a career in professional sport aim to be the best they can be.
Not sure this obvious point is relevant to the conversation?

My point is, most players who are becoming pro sports players, are committed to that sport long before the maximum pay and highest achievement levels are considered.

So, your continued harping on how fantastic the opportunities are in soccer is irrelevant to AFL.

I mean, if the pay and opportunities are so amazing and such a draw card in soccer, why is anybody playing any other sport?

Why do we have pro hockey players, or netball players, or volleyball players, or water pollo players.

These sports pay less than AFL and AFLW, and are much lower profile in Australia.

Why haven't they left to play soccer, to be all they can be? Or AFL.

I would bet good money the Australian players in the NBA didn't choose basketball because of the pay, or because they were chasing an NBA dream. That came later.


On moto g(6) plus using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Most people who consider a career in professional sport aim to be the best they can be.

Most people who play any sort of sport aim to be the best they can be.
Most people who dream of a career in professional sport continue to dream.
Most people who consider a career in professional sport are mature when they realise they could become professional
or have a family member pushing them.
 
Most people who consider a career in professional sport aim to be the best they can be.
Exactly and the best soccer players in the world are playing in Europe, and off the top of my head i can't think of one Aussie male player who a regular starter in any of the top leagues in Europe
 
As many have said, there could be a positive flow-on effect for Australian Football.

 

Remove this Banner Ad

Does the AFL have anything to fear from the Matilda's recent success and the NRL's TV ratings?

Back
Top