Expansion Lionel Messi the most popular sports star amongst Australian children ages 4-14

[Rob]

What, your sample size is 4 rounds?

In general it's been on a down trend.

Crowds were up last year.

Which were up on the year before.

What's this down trend you talk of? That crowds dropped when GWS and Gold Coast entered?

 

[Dylan8]

This is why the AFL needs to fund a quality AFL video game, rather than charge for its rights.

It's the best way to expose young kids to the game.

My nephew is obsessed with fifa ultimate team but has zero interest in watching an actual game of soccer.

The AFL should go to Electronic Arts and fund the development of an outstanding AFL video game. Would be hard to pull off given the ins and outs of the game but would be huge in creating interest in the kids. The older generation do not understand how massive the gaming industry is. Someone should float some sales figures across Gillian's desk. Gaming has left movies and music for dead in terms of sales.

Such an underrated marketing tool in the modern age. European soccer would be absolutely nowhere in Aus if not for FIFA me thinks, due to the incredibly inaccessible time slots. Can't watch em? Play as them.

 

[Collingwoodity]

Crowds were up last year.

Which were up on the year before.

What's this down trend you talk of? That crowds dropped when GWS and Gold Coast entered?

I'm sure they were down (in general). They might be 'up' with the extra 2 games being played every week.

 

[Rob]

I'm sure they were down (in general). They might be 'up' with the extra 2 games being played every week.

Nope. Average crowds up last year. Helped by the huge increase in Adelaide though.

 

[Yellow Feathers]

Soccer would be absolutely nowhere in Australia without FIFA I reckon'.

 

[WCEbrody]

Would've thought John Terry was the most popular.

Strange.

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

I remember when the most popular sportsman in the country was Michael Jordan and Basketball was going to sweep all before it. How'd that turn out?

 

[Buckleys Jocks]

Soccer would be absolutely nowhere in Australia without FIFA I reckon'.

I doubt it really, I'm a fan of the game whereas most of my friends can't stand it, but they all love their FIFA. I've no doubt the game has converted many but generally it just raises fans of the video game here IMO, FIFA had been around long before soccer exploded in this country.

Australia's involvement in the World Cup and YouTube highlights would be what gets most kids started IMO.

 

[Bosun]

Katy Perry is boys aged 4-14 favourite celebrity, followed by Messi, Clarke, Spiderman and Batman.

Geez Katy is a good singer.

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She is definately my favourite soccer player.

 

[Saint Luke]

LOL. I like footy more than soccer, but soccer is easily the most skillful of the two. Easily.

Easily? I don't understand that. Soccer is incredibly skillful, but they don't have to do anywhere near the range of skills that AFL players do.

 

[feffs93]

Due to me being born in the mid 90s. I don't really know much about the world sporting landscape and such in this time. Has soccer always been as popular as it is today around the world? Or has it only recently expanded from Europe and South America into the rest of the Western world?

All over, Asia and Africa are obsessed with soccer.

 

[Some Idiot]

Who?

 

[Parasite]

Ah crap, I came in here to post "who?" But some idiot already stole thunder.

 

[headache1]

Easily? I don't understand that. Soccer is incredibly skillful, but they don't have to do anywhere near the range of skills that AFL players do.

People always say this, yet how often do we have athletes who have come from other sports with very little experience playing Australian Rules in the AFL? Sure they're not the stars of the game, but they're playing at the elite level. Nobody walks into a Premier League, Serie A, La Liga etc... soccer side after picking up the game a year before hand.

 

[General Soreness]

*YAWN*

http://australianfootball.com/articles/view/Footscray+and+the+Rugby-soccer+threat/556

It should be noted that the Argus took a very special interest in the footy (that's why one version of the finals system was known as the Argus System), from what I read it's almost like AUssie Rules was the Argus's game. The fears of the article might be tempered by seeing the connection between the paper and the game in that light.

 

[HFF]

Can't blame them for idolizing the greatest footballer of all time.

 

[keithrichards]

People always say this, yet how often do we have athletes who have come from other sports with very little experience playing Australian Rules in the AFL? Sure they're not the stars of the game, but they're playing at the elite level. Nobody walks into a Premier League, Serie A, La Liga etc... soccer side after picking up the game a year before hand.

Elite level of AFL = approx 800 people out of 22 million
Elite level of Soccer (lets say EPL) = approx 800(?) out of 7 billion

 

[LeoMessi]

Who?

Ask your son!

 

[inamedthegiants]

Yes. All children aged between 4-14 have bedrooms that are Messi.

Hardly a need for a thread on BigFooty about it.

 

[scalesofjustice]

Would rather watch paint dry than watch soccer.

 

[KGBeast]

Who? I've heard of Pele and Ronaldo but I've never heard of a soccer player with TWO names!

 

[headache1]

Elite level of AFL = approx 800 people out of 22 million
Elite level of Soccer (lets say EPL) = approx 800(?) out of 7 billion

Of course the talent pool that soccer draws from is far larger, but that doesn't disprove that there's a higher level of skill on display in soccer. I doubt anybody who hasn't been playing soccer for the majority of their life would make the next few lower levels of the English, Italian, Spanish (any Euro/South American country) leagues either.

For the record, I don't particularly care, give me the AFL any day.

 

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

Would rather watch paint dry than watch soccer.

so you like sniffing paint?

 

[Damon_3388]

Easily? I don't understand that. Soccer is incredibly skillful, but they don't have to do anywhere near the range of skills that AFL players do.

People always say this, yet how often do we have athletes who have come from other sports with very little experience playing Australian Rules in the AFL? Sure they're not the stars of the game, but they're playing at the elite level. Nobody walks into a Premier League, Serie A, La Liga etc... soccer side after picking up the game a year before hand.

There are exceptions (eg. Israel Folau), but if you've got the requisite size and athleticism, and willingness to "go in hard", you can often at least be a decent Australian footballer. Much harder to get by on physical gifts alone in soccer IMO.

 

[The King!]

I remember when the most popular sportsman in the country was Michael Jordan and Basketball was going to sweep all before it. How'd that turn out?

Yup i remember being in my early teens wearing a bulls singlet and my uncle banging on basketball was going to kill afl off. Still waiting as you say, suspect this is the same