Is Melboune City/Victory already greater than any AFL Rivarly?

[Kwality]

Not normally a soccer fan but watched the soccer tonight and it was one of the most intense games of sport I have seen. High quality game, very well attended crowd, two clubs who hate each other and emotion in the terraces.

A lot of rivalries in the AFL have fallen by the wayside because of the sanitised nature of the sport and lack of geographic rivalries that underpinned the league for over 100 years.

The City/Victory Rivarly is building very nicely and will soon be one of the biggest rivalries in Australian sport.

Compare it with any other 2 team town. Its a good rivalry for sure but how does it stack up with Adelaide or Perth footy rivalry?

 

[Sttew]

Compare it with any other 2 team town. Its a good rivalry for sure but how does it stack up with Adelaide or Perth footy rivalry?

Good question

 

[Hawkers]

 

[TropperFarquhar]

Compare it with any other 2 team town. Its a good rivalry for sure but how does it stack up with Adelaide or Perth footy rivalry?

Fairly well. The population size and growth in Melbourne means the Victory and City Rivarly has the potential to dwarf those two.

To those who say it's only soccer, the Victory will play Juve at the MCG mid year and will sell out the ground. You may be blind now, but don't say you weren't warned.

 

[Ozil]

I hate diving in soccer as much as anyone, but it's no different to ducking for free kicks, pretending to be pushed in the back, or that ****ing ridiculous practice of standing adjacent to a stoppage gesturing at the umpire with both arms in the air (West Coast and Ollie Wines are particularly guilty of this).

The pathetic theatrics are just as entrenched in Australian football as they are in soccer.

Probably because people in this thread are claiming A-League fixtures are bigger than the WA/SA derbies and matches between the traditional Victorian powerhouses. Saying they have more feeling or passion is subjective, but claiming they're bigger is factually wrong. The A-League derby would've barely had 150k watching on SBS + Foxtel to go with the 23k at the ground. Completely pales into insignificance compared to any number of AFL rivalries.

That's all fair, but I disagree with the last sentence. Beyond the Derby and the Showdown, there aren't really any AFL rivalries anymore. They're just matches, and beyond Collingwood, those clubs aren't powerhouses anymore.

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

In terms of atmosphere, intensity and passion ... the Melbourne Derby rates very highly

Some of the comments here about the A League are laughably uninformed

 

[JeffDunne]

AFL crowds have become pretty vanilla.

They've had the fun beaten out of them.

Go to a Carlton/Collingwood game now and you're more likely to see Carlton fans arguing among themselves rather than giving it to the opposition.

 

[Papa G]

Fairly well. The population size and growth in Melbourne means the Victory and City Rivarly has the potential to dwarf those two.

To those who say it's only soccer, the Victory will play Juve at the MCG mid year and will sell out the ground. You may be blind now, but don't say you weren't warned.

Perth is roughly half the size of Melbourne, yet the interest in Perth in the Derby would absolutely dwarf Melbourne's inearest in the A league Derby both in the media and the general populous. It really is miles in front. The 2 team town is definitely the template to develop a long lasting, hardcore and often bitter rivalry though.

 

[The_Reaper]

Fairly well. The population size and growth in Melbourne means the Victory and City Rivarly has the potential to dwarf those two.

To those who say it's only soccer, the Victory will play Juve at the MCG mid year and will sell out the ground. You may be blind now, but don't say you weren't warned.

Perth is roughly half the size of Melbourne, yet the interest in Perth in the Derby would absolutely dwarf Melbourne's inearest in the A league Derby both in the media and the general populous. It really is miles in front. The 2 team town is definitely the template to develop a long lasting, hardcore and often bitter rivalry though.

This. Derby day is almost as big as a neutral grand final day over here. All the media goes all over it, tradies make sure they get their work done as early as possible in the day for it and everyone spends it at the pub/barbeque etc. Police ask that games aren't scheduled at night etc.

Regardless of population, there aren't going to be more people in Melbourne who care about the Melbourne A-League derby than people who care about the Western derby.
West Coast are probably the second biggest sporting club in the country in terms of support (Broncos number 1)

When I was a primary schooler we all got a free dress day to dress up in WC or Freo colours on the Friday.

 

[Struggle]

Stars v Renegades is the only rivalry that matters in this city

 

[Jables]

Rivalries based on "hey our organisations are in the same place" will never reach the fire of a true rivalry. There were plenty of Eagles fans rooting for Fremantle a couple of years ago, there were vice versa this year too (significantly less ha). A Hawks fan cheering for Essendon in a GF, just ... no. I could never get that hyped about that "our city" crap, I'm a Giants fan and I could not care less about the Jets.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I'd say Adelaide vs Port at least is far bigger than any A League rivalry currently

 

[Kram]

Police ask that games aren't scheduled at night etc.

Sucks how they aren't played on Saturdays or at night anymore. I blame you guys for when you lot acted up that game throwing bottles and a pie at J.Carr

 

[Footypie32]

Have the two teams had a punch-up at a pub after the game, yet? Then, no.

 

[Kram]

Rivalries based on "hey our organisations are in the same place" will never reach the fire of a true rivalry. There were plenty of Eagles fans rooting for Fremantle a couple of years ago, there were vice versa this year too (significantly less ha). A Hawks fan cheering for Essendon in a GF, just ... no. I could never get that hyped about that "our city" crap, I'm a Giants fan and I could not care less about the Jets.

Surely this is a pisstake? Just lol.

 

[Shaxx Attaxx]

I'd say Adelaide vs Port at least is far bigger than any A League rivalry currently

I don't think a lot of people outside of SA realize how big this rivalry is. The Showdown is alive and well. I'm sure The Derby is the same.

 

[CotchNCo]

So two teams roll around on the ground, like Michael J Fox on fire, in front of each other and we are supposed to think that can ever form some sort of rivalry?

It isn't even a sport. The first thing they have to do in that sport is make the ball relevant, and watch the look of revelation on the fans' faces around the world when rolling around on the ground like you're on fire isn't your primary skill.

Took a while but we finally got there. Well done.

 

[clobba]

Come back to this thread after Hawks v Cats

I wouldn't think any neutral supporters would really be that revved up about the Grand Finalist beating on a team from outside the 8...I'm not

 

[estibador]

Rivalries based on "hey our organisations are in the same place" will never reach the fire of a true rivalry.

Strange comment considering geography is the main basis for nearly all the great sporting rivalries in nearly every sport in the world.

It's no coincidence that the biggest rivals of any team are likely to be the team they share a city with, or one from a city nearby.

 

[le dominateur]

Victory will be the 1st team in Australia to 100,000 members and City will be the second. Can see the A League overtaking the AFL TV deal and crowd averages in the next few years.

 

[TropperFarquhar]

Strange comment considering geography is the main basis for nearly all the great sporting rivalries in nearly every sport in the world.

It's no coincidence that the biggest rivals of any team are likely to be the team they share a city with, or one from a city nearby.

Rivalries are based on 3 factors.

1. Geographic
2. Class, religion, socio economic background.
3. Success.

In an AFL context, Melbourne v Collingwood was massive in the 50's and 60's because it was based on class warfare, the MCC silvertails v the working class and both sides played in numerous Grand Finals and premierships in that period.

A lot of that has been eroded in the AFL now with equalisation as most clubs are nothing more than soulless franchises. They represent marketing objectives rather than geographic regions, just look at the Giants for that.

The only rivarly of note currently is Hawthorn and Geelong and that rival really is tame compared to historical rivals.

 

[bradrowe#32]

Victory will be the 1st team in Australia to 100,000 members and City will be the second. Can see the A League overtaking the AFL TV deal and crowd averages in the next few years.

December 14, 2015

Victory: 26,775 members
City: 8,416 members

 

[hamohawk1]

 

[Marley10]

I don't think a lot of people outside of SA realize how big this rivalry is. The Showdown is alive and well. I'm sure The Derby is the same.

To be honest, I don't get that with the Western Derby. The Showdown is real. The rivalry is huge. It is always good to watch for me regardless of ladder position due to the banter and animosity between the two teams.

The Western Derby doesn't really get the same reaction amongst people outside of Western Australia. To me, Western Australians tend to stick with each other more due to their "WA pride". Plus, it's more like West Coast playing their smaller neighbours.

In SA, you wouldn't realise that Adelaide are the "South Australian" team because Port don't allow that, making it fun to watch. Sort of like Essendon and Carlton's rivalry being largely based on hatred and competing for everything.

Plus, Port's main rival is Adelaide and Adelaide's main rival is Port. West Coast have Sydney, Essendon and somewhat Hawthorn/Geelong along with Fremantle.

 

[The_Reaper]

To be honest, I don't get that with the Western Derby. The Showdown is real. The rivalry is huge. It is always good to watch for me regardless of ladder position due to the banter and animosity between the two teams.

The Western Derby doesn't really get the same reaction amongst people outside of Western Australia. To me, Western Australians tend to stick with each other more due to their "WA pride". Plus, it's more like West Coast playing their smaller neighbours.

In SA, you wouldn't realise that Adelaide are the "South Australian" team because Port don't allow that, making it fun to watch. Sort of like Essendon and Carlton's rivalry being largely based on hatred and competing for everything.

Plus, Port's main rival is Adelaide and Adelaide's main rival is Port. West Coast have Sydney, Essendon and somewhat Hawthorn/Geelong along with Fremantle.

Fremantle are easily our biggest rivals with Essendon a long way behind but still clear second