AFL overtaking NRL in QLD

[Angus Young]

Yet here we are on an AFL forum discussing Rugby League. I've never seen AFL discussed on League Unlimited.

They don't discuss it like adults they just berate it.

You are kidding yourself.

 

[jle101]

From what I've seen there's a whole sub-forum dedicated to AFL. And yes, they all use it to throw stones at Aussie Rules.

 

[Redline]

Everyone in QLD watches State of Origin.

Significantly less watch any Rugby League games over the weekend.

Most people will say they’re into League and support a team but not actually watch any games. Maybe check the score.

I find that a sporting thing for NSW / Qld in general. That includes sumer sports like Cricket and Tennis. Alot less sports talk in the workplace compared to SA, Vic and WA.

 

[NoobPie]

They don't discuss it like adults they just berate it.

You are kidding yourself.

Exactly, it was a laughable claim

 

[megadeth86]

Absolutely. I played a season of it and it was that culture that made me never want to have anything to do with it again

The Pacific Islanders and New Zealanders wouldn't see it that way though and they are an increasing demographic at least on-the-field. I lived in Fiji for a while and over there union and league are just different sports - no class basis to it.

 

[megadeth86]

I find that a sporting thing for NSW / Qld in general. That includes sumer sports like Cricket and Tennis. Alot less sports talk in the workplace compared to SA, Vic and WA.

Yes, pretty boring and pointless talking about sport in SE-QLD when nearly everyone supports the Broncos - no-one to argue with, except at SOO time.

 

[megadeth86]

At its best it’s as good as contact sport gets. Unfortunately over regulation has made that rarer and rarer

Go and watch old YouTube videos of Ellery Hanley and Martin Offiah play. I think League is less exciting but its peak moments rival or exceed AFL.

 

[megadeth86]

I do, born in Queensland and lived here all my life. My adult children are now fans as well, in fact my daughter went to her boyfriends party for SOO and was sending messages asking what the fu** she was watching? She didn’t like it at all.

I remember watching Rocky Brothers FC play away at Yeppoon with a mate - there was a big and healthy crowd there of a few hundred, this would have been 10 years ago. But I got the feeling that only expatriate Victorians would be there in the crowd - it doesn't register with people with no past connection to Victoria.

And Rocky may have more AFL supporters than anywhere further south or north.

 

[NoobPie]

I remember watching Rocky Brothers FC play away at Yeppoon with a mate - there was a big and healthy crowd there of a few hundred, this would have been 10 years ago. But I got the feeling that only expatriate Victorians would be there in the crowd - it doesn't register with people with no past connection to Victoria.

And Rocky may have more AFL supporters than anywhere further south or north.

There are multiple dubious claims there. I've never heard Rocky being the heartland of AFL football in QLD - pretty much the opposite.

 

[megadeth86]

There are multiple dubious claims there. I've never heard Rocky being the heartland of AFL football in QLD - pretty much the opposite.

OK, my mistake in generalizing from my experience watching one match.

 

[BringBackTorps]

Daily Telegraph J. Bednall 23.3.21

NRL CEO A. Abdo states that the creation of Brisbane 2 could be worth c. $50m (probably pa) to the NRL, from various sources.

Former NINE CEO D. Gyngel said, in 2013, that if a second Brisbane NRL was created, NINE would pay (then) an extra $20m pa. for the Rights.

Footy Developments in NSW and Queensland

3 game, free with auskick or pet memberships. If super fans from USA buy block to give away I bet they all count too?! pet memberships havent counted for years. yes, cause it is only non-afl fans who think AFL clubs memberships are a bit blurry. :rolleyes: you must not spend much time on...

www.bigfooty.com

If the NRL were to obtain c. $50m pa extra for Brisbane 2, it would have much greater financial strength.
If significant extra funds were spent on GR male contact RL in SEQ, the NRL would be expected to reverse the current collapse of GR male contact RL nos. in the Gold Coast-Greater Brisbane (excluding Ipswich District RL comp.)- Sunshine Coast corridor.

 

[BringBackTorps]

Daily Telegraph P. Rothfield 21.4.19

Rothfield said

"Are NRL players too big, too strong, too fast, too powerful, for their own welfare. Modern, sophisticated, sports science has turned footballers into muscled-up, powerful battering rams.

Think about it. The greatest lock forward of all time, Johnny Raper, played the game at 86kgs. In every position on the football field, player weights have exploded (Similar in elite RU). Teams are 200 kgs [Wow!] heavier than back in the 1970's (My emphases, & word in brackets)".

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

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(Article is open).

Because RL (& RU) place a greater emphasis on physical strength than skill (cf other sports), & it is a full contact sport, fundamental changes need to be made to RL (& RU) to reduce the increasingly high, serious injury rates.

The physicality of RL & RU is a major attraction for many, or most, of their fans.
If the gladiatorial aspect & physicality of RL & RU are reduced, will both sports still maintain their level of popularity?

It is well known that RL injury rates &/or the perception it is a dangerous game to play, is contributing to the long term decline in male contact RL numbers.
Ditto male contact RU.

 

[Power Raid]

Daily Telegraph P. Rothfield 21.4.19

Rothfield said

"Are NRL players too big, too strong, too fast, too powerful, for their own welfare. Modern, sophisticated, sports science has turned footballers into muscled-up, powerful battering rams.

Think about it. The greatest lock forward of all time, Johnny Raper, played the game at 86kgs. In every position on the football fied, player weights have exploded. Teams are 200kgs than back in the 1970's".

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

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www.dailytelegraph.com.au

Because RL (& RU) place a greater emphasis on physical strength than skill (cf other sports), & it is a full contact sport, fundamental changes need to be made to RL (& RU) to reduce the increasingly high, serious injury rates.

The physicality of RL & RU is a major attraction for many, or most, of their fans.
If the gladiatorial aspect & physicality of RL & RU is reduced, will both sports still maintain their level of popularity?

It is well known that RL injury rates &/or the perception it is a dangerous game to play, is contributing to the long term decline in male contact RL numbers.

The problem in AFL, NRL and US football is exactly this. The game has pursued an endless pathway of extracting an additional 1% out of the players making them faster, stronger and greater endurance. Further natural football is taught out of the game, with structures and percentages taking over.

The question is, is football more enjoyable today than 1990?

I dare say we have seen a rise in salaries, hangers onners (increased coaching panel) and bigger corporate overheads (AFL house)...........and what have we received in return?
- a move to pay per view
- increases at the gate
- a less enjoyable contest
- clubs resorting to drugging kids (this was not limited to Essendon)

It is a real shame as sport will never repeal these trends, as it is now a big business with bigger forces and lobby groups than the players or the fans

 

[megadeth86]

The problem in AFL, NRL and US football is exactly this. The game has pursued an endless pathway of extracting an additional 1% out of the players making them faster, stronger and greater endurance. Further natural football is taught out of the game, with structures and percentages taking over.

The question is, is football more enjoyable today than 1990?

I dare say we have seen a rise in salaries, hangers onners (increased coaching panel) and bigger corporate overheads (AFL house)...........and what have we received in return?
- a move to pay per view
- increases at the gate
- a less enjoyable contest
- clubs resorting to drugging kids (this was not limited to Essendon)

It is a real shame as sport will never repeal these trends, as it is now a big business with bigger forces and lobby groups than the players or the fans

I would say football peaked with the 1977 drawn grand final or around then.

 

[megadeth86]

Daily Telegraph J. Bednall 23.3.21

NRL CEO A. Abdo states that the creation of Brisbane 2 could be worth c. $50m (probably pa) to the NRL, from various sources.

Former NINE CEO D. Gyngel said, in 2013, that if a second Brisbane NRL was created, NINE would pay (then) an extra $20m pa. for the Rights.

Footy Developments in NSW and Queensland

3 game, free with auskick or pet memberships. If super fans from USA buy block to give away I bet they all count too?! pet memberships havent counted for years. yes, cause it is only non-afl fans who think AFL clubs memberships are a bit blurry. :rolleyes: you must not spend much time on...

www.bigfooty.com

If the NRL were to obtain c. $50m pa extra for Brisbane 2, it would have much greater financial strength.
If significant extra funds were spent on GR male contact RL in SEQ, the NRL would be expected to reverse the current collapse of GR male contact RL nos. in the Gold Coast-Greater Brisbane (excluding Ipswich District RL comp.)- Sunshine Coast corridor.

Imagine what the fall-off would have been without Pacific Islander players.

 

[werdna78]

Springwood State High School is setting up an AR excellence program.

There are also 11 other schools with excellence programs

 

[NoobPie]

I would say football peaked with the 1977 drawn grand final or around then.

No way. The peak was undoubtedly the 1935 Grand Final - Jack Reagan on Laurie Nash...*shakes head* what a classic!

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Imagine what the fall-off would have been without Pacific Islander players.

I maintain the fall-off is bigger due to the Islander players, because they're bigger and heavier on average than other kids of the same age. People understandably don't want their kids getting physically crushed every game.

 

[Aussie in exile]

Imagine what the fall-off would have been without Pacific Islander players.

Imagine where our game would be without the players of British and Irish descent

 

[Gigantor]

Imagine where our game would be without the players of British and Irish descent

Our game as in the indigenous game?
At the start of the great immigration boom, circa mid 1950s, Anglo-Celts made up well over 90% of the Australian population.
By 1970, a significant proportion of the Australian population was either born overseas or had a parent born overseas, but this next point might be little understood.
Right through the 1950s and 1960s, yes we had massive immigration from Southern Europe (plus decent numbers from places like Holland, Germany and Poland), but overwhelmingly, the biggest chunk of immigrants were from the UK.
At some point, all European immigration started drying up, and we start getting a mix.
Guess where the next big source of immigrants were from? For a while, it was actually New Zealand.
In other words, throughout the post-war immigration boom, Anglo-celts were a significant element.
Anyway, the percentage of players of Italian descent (the biggest source of immigrants after the UK) is quite significant in the AFL, indeed, some famous surnames pre-date the immigration boom, like Barassi.
Go through any team these days, you'll find at least one player with an Italian grandparent.
The captain of my team has Italian parentage (Coniglio), the captain of the dogs (Bontempelli), enabled in the midfield by another famous Italian surname (Liberatore), over at Carlton you now have a 3rd generation of the name Silvagni. In fact, many notable players with Italian heritage have played for Carlton, including: Fevola, Carrazzo, Cattoggio and Bortolotto. Over at Hawthorn there were at least two famous Italian surnames that I can think of: Dipierdomenico and Martello. Geelong had a Riccardi, and there is now a Riccardi at GWS (not sure if any relation). Essendon's baby bombers of 1993 had Mecurio, Misitri and Alessio.
In fat Libba senior played with a Dimattina, whose dad also played VFL footy. Libba might have been around when Giansiracusa started.
How about the surname Spargo.
I could go on and on, I'm just scratching the surface.
Perhaps you should have changed your statement to: where would the game be without players of British, Irish and Italian descent, perhaps add our indigenous people as well? Maybe even add players of Dutch, German and Croatian descent while we're at it.

 

[Aussie in exile]

Our game as in the indigenous game?
At the start of the great immigration boom, circa mid 1950s, Anglo-Celts made up well over 90% of the Australian population.
By 1970, a significant proportion of the Australian population was either born overseas or had a parent born overseas, but this next point might be little understood.
Right through the 1950s and 1960s, yes we had massive immigration from Southern Europe (plus decent numbers from places like Holland, Germany and Poland), but overwhelmingly, the biggest chunk of immigrants were from the UK.
At some point, all European immigration started drying up, and we start getting a mix.
Guess where the next big source of immigrants were from? For a while, it was actually New Zealand.
In other words, throughout the post-war immigration boom, Anglo-celts were a significant element.
Anyway, the percentage of players of Italian descent (the biggest source of immigrants after the UK) is quite significant in the AFL, indeed, some famous surnames pre-date the immigration boom, like Barassi.
Go through any team these days, you'll find at least one player with an Italian grandparent.
The captain of my team has Italian parentage (Coniglio), the captain of the dogs (Bontempelli), enabled in the midfield by another famous Italian surname (Liberatore), over at Carlton you now have a 3rd generation of the name Silvagni. In fact, many notable players with Italian heritage have played for Carlton, including: Fevola, Carrazzo, Cattoggio and Bortolotto. Over at Hawthorn there were at least two famous Italian surnames that I can think of: Dipierdomenico and Martello. Geelong had a Riccardi, and there is now a Riccardi at GWS (not sure if any relation). Essendon's baby bombers of 1993 had Mecurio, Misitri and Alessio.
In fat Libba senior played with a Dimattina, whose dad also played VFL footy. Libba might have been around when Giansiracusa started.
How about the surname Spargo.
I could go on and on, I'm just scratching the surface.
Perhaps you should have changed your statement to: where would the game be without players of British, Irish and Italian descent, perhaps add our indigenous people as well? Maybe even add players of Dutch, German and Croatian descent while we're at it.

A majority of our players are of British and Irish descent, fact.
A majority of NRL players are not of PI descent

 

[Professor Knowall]

... A majority of our players are of British and Irish descent, fact.

Yes - in line with the fact that the majority of the Australian population are of British and Irish descent.

A majority of NRL players are not of PI descent

But I wonder for how much longer? A few weeks back I posted on my visit to Sydney and going to Waverley Oval to watch the junior footy games before attending the Swans v Pies game. Their were heaps there watching their kids and, as you would expect in that area, they were overwhelmingly Caucasian. Speaking to some of the parents, the one big problem that now have isn't playing numbers but in having insufficient ovals to cope with all the booming numbers, with some even claiming the junior numbers have already overtaken both rugby codes east of the CBD.

What I didn't mention was that I stayed at Bondi and the Sunday morning after the game, I was taken on the spectacular coastal walk from Bondi Bech to Coogee. Along the way, I unexpectedly came across a cluster of Polynesians - very unexpected as I'd not noticed any at all until then, all the suburbs around being mostly Caucasian along with some Asians. So what was going on? - I was passing a junior rugby league game played on a scenic coastal ground (home
of "The Crocodiles"). What struck me was that in this overwhelmingly Caucasian area, nearly all the RL players were Polynesian kids.

 

[NoobPie]

The AFL would easily be the closest approximation of the Australian population in terms of ethnic demographics. Obviously aborigines are over represented proportionately and east and south Asians underrepresented. Northern European would be slightly over represented.

The pi and Maori community make up less than .9% of the Australian population but make up almost half of the Nrl participants. Meanwhile Australians with Balkan ancestry have been massively overrepresented in elite soccer and there's not one aborigine in the a league. Not one

Having the most representative game is a massive asset in and of itself

 

[Gigantor]

A majority of our players are of British and Irish descent, fact.
A majority of NRL players are not of PI descent

Here on Big Footy, we are very supportive of the NRL comprising mainly Pacific Islanders.

 

[werdna78]

The AFL would easily be the closest approximation of the Australian population in terms of ethnic demographics. Obviously aborigines are over represented proportionately and east and south Asians underrepresented. Northern European would be slightly over represented.

The pi and Maori community make up less than .9% of the Australian population but make up almost half of the Nrl participants. Meanwhile Australians with Balkan ancestry have been massively overrepresented in elite soccer and there's not one aborigine in the a league. Not one

Having the most representative game is a massive asset in and of itself

Also a good representation of refugees, people moving to Australia for a better life.