Dojo
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http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...op-the-afl-killing-league-20110806-1igjb.html
More fear from Rugby League....this time from Fairfax.
More fear from Rugby League....this time from Fairfax.
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The AFL is a monster!!!
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ManWithNoName
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Possibly the most sensible article I've read on the whole AFL v NRL thing in years. Well done Phil Gould. Someone finally calling the NRL on the incompetence they've demonstrated.
Well written and very simple message: "The AFL has not taken over anything yet. But they will, because the NRL is too busy pointing fingers and crying about it as opposed to actually doing anything".
Best article I've ever read on the subject from a League point of view.
Best article I've ever read on the subject from a League point of view.
AFL won't destroy rugby league in the GWS area - not next year, not in 20 years, not in our lifetime, not ever. It won't happen. There is not going to be a mass defection of people renouncing their interest in rugby league and converting exclusively to the Giants.
Western Sydney is a big place. Our game can carve out a fruitful existence for itself, and grow our game there. AFL is expanding, albeit off a very low base. But the effect on rugby league will be negligible.
Western Sydney is a big place. Our game can carve out a fruitful existence for itself, and grow our game there. AFL is expanding, albeit off a very low base. But the effect on rugby league will be negligible.
melbournemartin
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Meanwhile League is hardly doing much to make inroads in Melbourne. I went to the Storm game last night and honestly felt sorry for the poor mascot trying to gee up the "massive" 12 thousand crowd by beating a cow bell.
Dojo
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Well, Gould was the main voice crying out that News Ltd's stranglehold over the game was bound for trouble since the Super League / ARL debacle began in the mid 90's.
He was also the guy that threatened to walk off the set of a Rugby League program after footage of Karmichael Hunt's goal was shown.
Ed_Gein
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Business is business. I want to see AFL suceed in western Sydney, but not at the expense of the NRL. There is enough room for people to follow both codes, i just think the major hurdle is the stubborness of people from that area that aren't willing to give AFL a go. Not only that, when you have head NRL types who are treating it like war, it makes the AFL's job a bit harder.
Like i say, business is business and the NRL are only trying to protect their own interests, which is fair enough. I just don't see why people can't follow both codes. Even if the AFL can get the most one-eyed NRL fan to start looking out for results in the AFL and attend a game here and there (which would be a bit hard considering there are a lot that don't even attend NRL matches) then i think the AFL could consider that a win.
Like i say, business is business and the NRL are only trying to protect their own interests, which is fair enough. I just don't see why people can't follow both codes. Even if the AFL can get the most one-eyed NRL fan to start looking out for results in the AFL and attend a game here and there (which would be a bit hard considering there are a lot that don't even attend NRL matches) then i think the AFL could consider that a win.
Dojo
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Even from a television standpoint, I changed the channel from the Essendon v Swans match to the Cronulla v Gold Coast match.
Seeing one played in a large modern stadium with a crowd in the mid 30K range, and the other in a small suburban park with a crowd of about 5,000 - 6,000 people....it looked amateurish in comparison.
I thought the atmosphere was good last night. The crowd may not have been massive by AFL standards, but 12k is still a reasonable amount of people in a pretty small stadium and with 95% supporting the Storm, I thought the fans made a fair bit of noise. Anyway, I guess AFL is the measuring stick for sport in this country so any time a rival code doesn't rub up, we should stick the boot in...
Pea Barrel
All Australian
I don't get why Aussie Rules fans have a fixation with destroying the other codes. There's plenty enough fans for the AFL, the NRL and even the A-League if they ever work out what they want to achieve.
E92_
Premium Platinum
Good article. 
we dont. Why would you say we do? Its NSW media and head in the sand NRL types who keep chanting "its WAR!!".
Storm, Rebels, Heart & Victory all came into AFL heartland without even the slightest murmouring of "invasion" or "take over". The reverse is not true, is it?
Dojo
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I quite like League, Newcastle Knights supporter since I moved up there for two years in 1996.
Had the weekend double in 97 actually, St Kilda v Adelaide GF on Saturday and Newcastle v Manly GF on the Sunday (no, the Newcastle result did nothing to help the pain of losing to Adelaide...great game though).
I just find the hysteria about GWS funny. When the Storm came to town in the late 90's there was nothing like the panic that League folks are showing now.
Good article. Though I don't think the AFL is trying to rip the heart out of the NRL as he claims. I think they're trying to fill a gap in a growing area. Though there will be some stealing of their future fans, I don't think this will be particularly significant.
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It's a long term plan. The AFL isn't setting out to "destroy rugby league" but it is setting out to ultimately get a fair slice of the pie.
They're not expecting anyone to renounce rugby league. But as the years and decades pass GWS is going to be as local and part of the area as the NRL teams. Children born today aren't going to give a shit about 'invasion' spin going on now.
It's hard to see it ultimately not having an affect on rugby league. Eyeballs watching the AFL will lessen the eyeballs watching the NRL.
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but this is what i honestly believe the AFL thinks as well. I dont think they went to Western Sydney with the intent of destroying league. I think they said to themselves, look its a city of 5 million people with 1 AFL teaam, and not everyone follows Sydney or the NRL. Theres heaps of people who dont follow any code, and we can try to reach them. The generational change the AFL are trying for may be aimed at some conversions, but its far from a war. The AFL is trying to reach people - including the ACT and even Cairns now - that may not see a lot of AFL in their time, seem to have learnt some lessons from the Swans and Lions early years.
And this is the key. I dont think the war is against the NRL and FFA. I think the battle is against failure. Sydney and Brisbane both went broke several times, endured private ownership and other costly errors before getting on track. The AFL would be keen for these mistakes not to be repeated.
The AFL dont have to be the number 1 code in Australia. On EVERY benchmark - besdies rural tv viewers and merchandise (which can be explained by how much is simply given away via auskick and promotions) - they already are. Destroying league and soccer wont change that, and both of those codes are years away from being able to pose a credible threat. Soccer may never be able to.
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League Unlimited is a never ending cavalcade of dipshits.
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It's a decent article and hits the nail on the head in some respects. The NRL administration is pretty poor and they don't appear to have any long term plans or programs running. They really do need to lift their game in respects to supporting their code from grassroots level.
That said, I don't think the AFL has gone into Western Sydney with any intention of killing NRL. As mentioned, Sydney is a city of 5+ million people and at the moment has only one AFL side, Melbourne has 8. The AFL would be looking at first establishing the GWS brand in the area and trying hard to get greater involvement from grassroots level. In the long run they would have set goals to have a specific number of juniors playing and hoping that they can find more talent from NSW to enter the AFL. NRL should be afraid, but only of itself for sitting back and watching the AFL move in without doing anything to counter it.
That said, I don't think the AFL has gone into Western Sydney with any intention of killing NRL. As mentioned, Sydney is a city of 5+ million people and at the moment has only one AFL side, Melbourne has 8. The AFL would be looking at first establishing the GWS brand in the area and trying hard to get greater involvement from grassroots level. In the long run they would have set goals to have a specific number of juniors playing and hoping that they can find more talent from NSW to enter the AFL. NRL should be afraid, but only of itself for sitting back and watching the AFL move in without doing anything to counter it.
I disagree with your point of it being a "decent article".
The heading for gawd sake was -Action must be taken to stop the AFL killing league"
That is not the heading one would expect of a decent level-headed article.
In America the NBA season is largely played during the NFL season, yet you don't have NBA authorities saying ...we must kill off the NFL.... a bit of perspective is required here.
You don't get baseball (MLB) people saying we must stop the NBA "killing" the baseball due to their finals being played during "our" season etc...
1) In Australia - footy and rugby league are catering for different markets- the people who like league will continue to like league. GWS is largely catering for a different market.
2) a piece of the pie -(not the whole pie) that is what GWS wants and deserves-after all, it is the indigenous code. (I agree with Admiral afterworlds point above)
They need to make inroads into Sydney first. 6k attended the sharks game last night!
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Newspaper headings are usually written by sub-editors, not those who write the articles. They're designed to provoke, inflame, grab attention and occasionally mislead
GiantForce
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The Giants/AFL are after a piece of the very large pie. They're not out to try and convert die-hard RL supporters. They're targeting the kids/families/people who don't follow a code so in 20 years time, it will have a very noticeable fanbase in Western Sydney.
Pure puff piece, yes the AFL moving in next door and might have a small impact. What this article is about is Penrith getting more of the NRL pie invested into their area.
NRL supporters dont turn up anyway so whats the big deal? People cant watch Master Chef and Better Homes, it has to be one or the other?
NRL supporters dont turn up anyway so whats the big deal? People cant watch Master Chef and Better Homes, it has to be one or the other?
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