Discussion AFL Clubs as NFL Teams

lethalsax

Debutant
May 27, 2021
93
84
Jacksonville, FL USA
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Anyone want to venture a comparison between AFL clubs and American NFL teams from a historical perspective?
Like, is Richmond comparable to the Patriots? Who are the Detroit Lions or Cleveland Browns of the AFL?
I’d like to get a good general feel for each club historically and all I can muster so far is who’ve won Premierships the past 10-20 years.

Are there any rivalries that you could compare to NFL ones as well?
 

jle101

Club Legend
Sep 3, 2015
1,101
878
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Williamstown Seagulls
Anyone want to venture a comparison between AFL clubs and American NFL teams from a historical perspective?
Like, is Richmond comparable to the Patriots? Who are the Detroit Lions or Cleveland Browns of the AFL?
I’d like to get a good general feel for each club historically and all I can muster so far is who’ve won Premierships the past 10-20 years.

Are there any rivalries that you could compare to NFL ones as well?
Hard to make a direct comparison between the two leagues in my opinion. The "AFL" as it's known as today emerged from one league (the Victorian Football League) branching out with expansion teams & basically forming a monopoly over the sport which forced the other football institutions from around the country to conform or fall into irrelevance.

If it helps, here is a super oversimplified look at a few teams & their cultures.

Melbourne Demons - A team with a long history founded by members of the elite-class Melbourne Cricket Club. Traditionally supported by people in the higher socio-economic class.

Collingwood Magpies - Working class club which has morphed into a multi-million dollar empire. Has the highest percentage of supporters out of all Melbourne based clubs.

West Coast Eagles - Franchise club created by the West Australian Football League to compete in the (then) VFL. Not everyone in Perth lent their support to them though, preferring to stick with their traditional team in the WAFL.

Adelaide Crows - Similar story to West Coast, but based in Adelaide, South Australia. For a long time the SANFL was the last remaining entity to resist joining the "AFL", but eventually the hand of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) was forced. Traditionally, the Crows are seen as having a more upper-class supporter base than their cross-town rivals, Port Adelaide.

There are more stories here, someone else might be able to fill you in on the rest of the teams.
 

lethalsax

Debutant
May 27, 2021
93
84
Jacksonville, FL USA
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Hard to make a direct comparison between the two leagues in my opinion. The "AFL" as it's known as today emerged from one league (the Victorian Football League) branching out with expansion teams & basically forming a monopoly over the sport which forced the other football institutions from around the country to conform or fall into irrelevance.

If it helps, here is a super oversimplified look at a few teams & their cultures.

Melbourne Demons - A team with a long history founded by members of the elite-class Melbourne Cricket Club. Traditionally supported by people in the higher socio-economic class.

Collingwood Magpies - Working class club which has morphed into a multi-million dollar empire. Has the highest percentage of supporters out of all Melbourne based clubs.

West Coast Eagles - Franchise club created by the West Australian Football League to compete in the (then) VFL. Not everyone in Perth lent their support to them though, preferring to stick with their traditional team in the WAFL.

Adelaide Crows - Similar story to West Coast, but based in Adelaide, South Australia. For a long time the SANFL was the last remaining entity to resist joining the "AFL", but eventually the hand of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) was forced. Traditionally, the Crows are seen as having a more upper-class supporter base than their cross-town rivals, Port Adelaide.

There are more stories here, someone else might be able to fill you in on the rest of the teams.

I love this, so the more the better! Thanks!!
 

megadeth86

Team Captain
Jul 15, 2020
393
285
AFL Club
Carlton
Hard to make a direct comparison between the two leagues in my opinion. The "AFL" as it's known as today emerged from one league (the Victorian Football League) branching out with expansion teams & basically forming a monopoly over the sport which forced the other football institutions from around the country to conform or fall into irrelevance.

If it helps, here is a super oversimplified look at a few teams & their cultures.

Melbourne Demons - A team with a long history founded by members of the elite-class Melbourne Cricket Club. Traditionally supported by people in the higher socio-economic class.

Collingwood Magpies - Working class club which has morphed into a multi-million dollar empire. Has the highest percentage of supporters out of all Melbourne based clubs.

West Coast Eagles - Franchise club created by the West Australian Football League to compete in the (then) VFL. Not everyone in Perth lent their support to them though, preferring to stick with their traditional team in the WAFL.

Adelaide Crows - Similar story to West Coast, but based in Adelaide, South Australia. For a long time the SANFL was the last remaining entity to resist joining the "AFL", but eventually the hand of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) was forced. Traditionally, the Crows are seen as having a more upper-class supporter base than their cross-town rivals, Port Adelaide.

There are more stories here, someone else might be able to fill you in on the rest of the teams.

I enjoyed that list - would love you or someone else to finish it off.
 

megadeth86

Team Captain
Jul 15, 2020
393
285
AFL Club
Carlton
Here's one for you - can we say Glasgow Rangers is equivalent to Carlton and Glasgow Celtic equivalent to Collingwood? Collingwood did have Irish-Catholic foundations.
 

killer

Club Legend
Feb 23, 2001
2,604
584
a van down by the river
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Celtic = Collingwood??


Dunno if sectarianism ever existed to that extent in Australian football

Collingwood might be more equivalent to Dunfermline (black and white, mediocre results

 

fake tyrone

Team Captain
Jun 15, 2012
381
1,199
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Warrington Wolves, ACF Fiorentina
Celtic = Collingwood??


Dunno if sectarianism ever existed to that extent in Australian football

Collingwood might be more equivalent to Dunfermline (black and white, mediocre results

I agree, although I was fascinated to find out Essendon had Protestant roots going way back when. Certainly nothing like we see over in Scotland, not even close. As far as the NFL-AFL comparison goes OP, if there's a powerful, outspoken, media-loving type of club owner then his reflection in the AFL probably comes in the form of Eddie McGuire, former president of Collingwood. As far as direct club comparisons go, maybe the Gold Coast Suns as a newer team struggling to make an impression on the field (and having never played finals) are perhaps reminiscent of the Jags? The Richmond Tigers of 2002-2012 remind me of the Browns today (making the playoffs last season reminded me of the Tigers making finals in 2013 for the first time since 2002). As a staunch AFL supporter and a very casual NFL fan, that's the best I can do.
 

killer

Club Legend
Feb 23, 2001
2,604
584
a van down by the river
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Is there an Australian football equivalent of the Celtic's (according to this book) Persecution complex?
"The author examines the persistent feeling among Celtic supporters
that the club has been unfairly dealt with by the football authorities"


1623846936145.png
 
Last edited:

megadeth86

Team Captain
Jul 15, 2020
393
285
AFL Club
Carlton
I agree, although I was fascinated to find out Essendon had Protestant roots going way back when. Certainly nothing like we see over in Scotland, not even close. As far as the NFL-AFL comparison goes OP, if there's a powerful, outspoken, media-loving type of club owner then his reflection in the AFL probably comes in the form of Eddie McGuire, former president of Collingwood. As far as direct club comparisons go, maybe the Gold Coast Suns as a newer team struggling to make an impression on the field (and having never played finals) are perhaps reminiscent of the Jags? The Richmond Tigers of 2002-2012 remind me of the Browns today (making the playoffs last season reminded me of the Tigers making finals in 2013 for the first time since 2002). As a staunch AFL supporter and a very casual NFL fan, that's the best I can do.

I read that Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood were Irish-Catholic (back when it used to matter) and Essendon and Carlton were Protestant.

All the Catholic Italian support at Carlton now obviously confuses that picture somewhat.
 
Oct 27, 2016
5,931
10,591
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Packers, Raptors, Renegades
Ah, I love it! Thanks!
In the AFL, are the teams each side plays twice always the same each year, or randomly assigned when the schedule is made?
In a normal year at least the schedule (or fixture as we like to call it) consists of all 18 teams playing at least once throughout the year. The remainder of the games are decided by what's called a 'weighted fixture'. So the ladder from the previous season is split up into 3 groups of 6, the bottom 6, middle 6 and top 6.

This image here will explain it far better than I can.

1623974989692.png


Now how are the actual matchups determined? Well the AFL have attendance and TV viewership at the forefront of their mind at all times which is why you'll see them try the best they can to get these blockbuster games twice a year, like your Collingwood vs Richmond or Port Adelaide vs Adelaide etc. It's not exactly methodical in that regard, the AFL just pick and choose what will make the most sponsorship money I suppose.

This weighted system was adopted fairly recently, back in 2013 I think. Not sure what they did prior to that, I think it literally was just random who you doubled up with.
 

lethalsax

Debutant
May 27, 2021
93
84
Jacksonville, FL USA
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
In a normal year at least the schedule (or fixture as we like to call it) consists of all 18 teams playing at least once throughout the year. The remainder of the games are decided by what's called a 'weighted fixture'. So the ladder from the previous season is split up into 3 groups of 6, the bottom 6, middle 6 and top 6.

This image here will explain it far better than I can.

View attachment 1157686

Now how are the actual matchups determined? Well the AFL have attendance and TV viewership at the forefront of their mind at all times which is why you'll see them try the best they can to get these blockbuster games twice a year, like your Collingwood vs Richmond or Port Adelaide vs Adelaide etc. It's not exactly methodical in that regard, the AFL just pick and choose what will make the most sponsorship money I suppose.

This weighted system was adopted fairly recently, back in 2013 I think. Not sure what they did prior to that, I think it literally was just random who you doubled up with.

That’s great thanks again!
 

Kepler123HD

Draftee
Sep 11, 2021
8
2
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Here is a jersey I made if NFL joined the AFL. I’ve got more if you want me to send some. This ones the Patriot.
70737E32-0941-4787-824C-7F11426736C2.jpeg
 
Back