Opinion Non-Crows AFL 6: This Is Getting Cruel

[AFC979810]

If that is what determines AFL's financial insignificance, how does our elite soccer competition stack up?

Thats irrelevant.

If you are world class at AFL - the ceiling is a million a year.

If you are world class at Soccer your one time transfer fee can be more than the Salary cap for all the teams combined in the AFL.

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

If that is what determines AFL's financial insignificance, how does our elite soccer competition stack up?

Put Cristiano Ronaldo and Christian Petracca on a room with a bunch of Aussie kids. See which one gets asked for more autographs.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Interesting topic FWIW my nine year old lad has zero interest in Aussie rules it's all soccer for him and for a lot of his mates.

 

[Thetrader15]

New innovation:

Football Round

Celebrating the game we love

And will be played using the rules and interpretations from 2000

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Put Cristiano Ronaldo and Christian Petracca on a room with a bunch of Aussie kids. See which one gets asked for more autographs.

Petracca would be lucky to have one

 

[AFC979810]

The AFL rightly see most other sports as genuine competitors for young talent

Its so much more than young talent. Its revenue, sponsorship, participation, government funding, tv rights, media influence.

As the world gets smaller the World Game gets closer.

 

[cleanhands]

Interesting topic FWIW my nine year old lad has zero interest in Aussie rules it's all soccer for him and for a lot of his mates.

Please teach him not to go down like he has broken his leg when he hasn’t been touched

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Please teach him not to go down like he has broken his leg when he hasn’t been touched

He's not like that, when he stays down I know he's hurt, stupid idiot put himself in hospital overnight after one game this year. He scored a hat trick first half, I was coaching that day so put him in goals second half. They were 6-1 up with literally two minutes to go striker gets through takes a heavy touch so he comes flying out just got there first and booted it clear but got cleaned up. Had to take him to the WCH and ended up there overnight they were worried about internal bleeding.

Didn't whether to be proud or mad at him

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

Please teach him not to go down like he has broken his leg when he hasn’t been touched

Please teach him not to cry like a baby if he has to play his career a few suburbs over from mummsy.

 

[cleanhands]

He's not like that, when he stays down I know he's hurt, stupid idiot put himself in hospital overnight after one game this year. He scored a hat trick first half, I was coaching that day so put him in goals second half. They were 6-1 up with literally two minutes to go striker gets through takes a heavy touch so he comes flying out just got there first and booted it clear but got cleaned up. Had to take him to the WCH and ended up there overnight they were worried about internal bleeding.

Didn't whether to be proud or mad at him

Blame the coach

 

[footy4ever]

Please teach him not to cry like a baby if he has to play his career a few suburbs over from mummsy.

I don't reckon any of them would GAF if they were being paid what Soccer players can get paid... I nearly said 'what soccer players earn' but that would be a complete lie.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Blame the coach

Fair call

 

[AFC979810]

We’ve heard this before and soccer hasn’t made any ground since the last time it was said.
It will never take off here just as afl wouldn’t anywhere else.

Just touching on this as well.

I am assuming you mean 2005/2006 as that was the last time it was said.

One of the biggest changes that has allowed soccer to make up a hell of a lot of ground was the Socceroos joining Asian Confederation. It made our path to the World Cup so much easier where have qualified for all 4 possible world cups since joining. We also get a massive competition every 4 years through the Asian Cup.

The growth of the game has been nothing short of amazing over the past 20 years.

 

[AFC979810]

Interesting topic FWIW my nine year old lad has zero interest in Aussie rules it's all soccer for him and for a lot of his mates.

Are him and his mates into the EPL? Or are they more into Ronaldo/Messi? Or is it A-League & the Socceroos?

 

[1970crow]

Thats irrelevant.

If you are world class at AFL - the ceiling is a million a year.

If you are world class at Soccer your one time transfer fee can be more than the Salary cap for all the teams combined in the AFL.

That's been the case for 50 years. Why is it all of a sudden relevant now?

 

[1970crow]

Put Cristiano Ronaldo and Christian Petracca on a room with a bunch of Aussie kids. See which one gets asked for more autographs.

And how is that impacting AFL's continuing dominance in Australia?

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

And how is that impacting AFL's continuing dominance in Australia?

Dominance of what?

 

[Tex Danger]

Put Cristiano Ronaldo and Christian Petracca on a room with a bunch of Aussie kids. See which one gets asked for more autographs.

I couldnt give a stuff about soccer but I know whose autograph I’d be going for- and it’s not petracca

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Are him and his mates into the EPL? Or are they more into Ronaldo/Messi? Or is it A-League & the Socceroos?

Everything, Adelaide United mad, Man United mad, Socceroos mad. Says Ronaldo is garbage now and his favourite is Casemiro, not a Messi fan and he's really wanting us to knock Argentina out tomorrow morning.

Craig Goodwin, Nestor Irrankunda and Awer Mabil are his local favourites.

 

[BRL121]

Interesting topic FWIW my nine year old lad has zero interest in Aussie rules it's all soccer for him and for a lot of his mates.

Well, that's your fault.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Well, that's your fault.

He played Aussie rules once got called for a bullshit free kick ten seconds in his team got smashed and he got soaked. He was done after that.

 

[AFC979810]

That's been the case for 50 years. Why is it all of a sudden relevant now?

World sure is the same as it was in the 1970's.

The world is getting smaller.

Remember how big the SANFL was in the 1970's & 1980's?

Edit - And a less sarcastic answer. 50 years ago there was no way an Australian would hear about a Portuguese soccer player? They were limited to what sport they could attend in person and what they could watch on limited television access. The world continues to evolve and the way we interact with and consume sport is ever changing.

 

[AFC979810]

Everything, Adelaide United mad, Man United mad, Socceroos mad. Says Ronaldo is garbage now and his favourite is Casemiro, not a Messi fan and he's really wanting us to knock Argentina out tomorrow morning.

Craig Goodwin, Nestor Irrankunda and Awer Mabil are his local favourites.

Thanks mate. Always interesting to hear.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Thanks mate. Always interesting to hear.

Another point, the African lads are mad about soccer, there are four in the World Cup squad alone. I wouldn't be surprised in twenty years time the Socceroos squad isn't that dissimilar to the current French squad with a lot of African migrant influence.

 

[Vader]

And look back to 20 years ago. There was no A league.

Now there is a 12 team league. 6 games a week for 26 weeks for 156 games - with an average attendance of 10,000. Thats 1.56 million people attending over the course of a season. Not an insignificant amount.

For reference in 2022 - AFL 18 team league. 22 rounds (considering the bye) at 9 games a week for 198 games with an average attendance of 31,000. Thats 6.13 million people attending over the course of a season. 20 years ago average attendance was 32,000.

That's not 1.56 million people attending... it's 120k, each attending 13x. Call it 150k, given that there's a core of season attendees, supported by a smaller number of irregular attendances.

In contrast, an average attendance of 31k for H&A games equates to 558k attending - call it 700k people once you take season/irregular attendees into account.

The AFL has roughly 5x as many individuals attending games as the A-League.

** While the A-League didn't exist 20 years ago, its predecessor (the National Soccer League) did. Soccer has had a national competition since at least 1977, in one form or another.