Attitudes of Aussie rules fans to other sports especially the football codes

[Howard Littlejohn]

Can't other sports say that soccer drains talent away from them as well?

Of course. But soccer being "the global game" when most other sports have limited international competition perhaps has more need to get as much of the talent as possible. Most other sports have that, but much more limited and to be competitive. Cricket and Rugby perhaps have a different issue with it, as international game is their selling point and local comps (other perhaps than BBL, but T20 isn't cricket) essentially invisible.

Australian Football and Rugy League inparticular have no, or practically no, international comparison at club level or meaningful international competition. Those interested in the sport will follow the top leagues, even if talent levels drop away.

 

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

Just as an aside on this topic. Was in Chile last year and chatting with some Americans. We were talking a bit about Aussie Rules (yes they’d heard of it like most Americans) and NFL and their respective merits.

I then asked them what the differences were between American football and Canadian football, given that to me they seemed broadly similar, perhaps with some differences akin to those between rugby union and rugby league?

They’d never even heard of Canadian football!

Anyways, go the Winnipeg Blue Bombers!

 

[Rabish Binney]

I don't like Rugby at all (Union or League). Have never watch the NRL SOO and don't intend to.

On the other foot, assume most Rugby fans cant stand Aussie Rules.

Gridiron bores the crap out of me, as does Baseball (although I can watch test cricket without any worries as cricket is my favourite sport.)

I guess its what sport(s) you grew up with really.

I'll watch soccer but only the EPL and the World Cup when the best are on show (the A league is of a terrible standard IMHO)

 

[Fire]

Just as an aside on this topic. Was in Chile last year and chatting with some Americans. We were talking a bit about Aussie Rules (yes they’d heard of it like most Americans) and NFL and their respective merits.

I then asked them what the differences were between American football and Canadian football, given that to me they seemed broadly similar, perhaps with some differences akin to those between rugby union and rugby league?

They’d never even heard of Canadian football!

Anyways, go the Winnipeg Blue Bombers!

I work with a lot of Canadians. I have asked about Canadian football once or twice, but not even they knew much about it.

From what I understand, canadian football is to Canada what the A league is to Australia. If you happen to find someone that cares then you will get an enthusiastic conversation about it, but in the broader culture no one will be able to name any players or more than a couple of teams.


As for the OP; like everything, the internet exaggerates divisions. Yes, they do exist, but it isn't anywhere near as extreme in real life. Except from soccer fans. I have met a few die hards who are a bit weird like that. Presumably because the other two codes are preventing Australia from winning some world cups, which would validate their identity. And they aren't wrong, to be fair.

 

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

I work with a lot of Canadians. I have asked about Canadian football once or twice, but not even they knew much about it.

From what I understand, canadian football is to Canada what the A league is to Australia. If you happen to find someone that cares then you will get an enthusiastic conversation about it, but in the broader culture no one will be able to name any players or more than a couple of teams.


As for the OP; like everything, the internet exaggerates divisions. Yes, they do exist, but it isn't anywhere near as extreme in real life. Except from soccer fans. I have met a few die hards who are a bit weird like that. Presumably because the other two codes are preventing Australia from winning some world cups, which would validate their identity. And they aren't wrong, to be fair.

I’ve never seen a game of Canadian Football but from what I’ve heard it’s 3 downs not 4, played on a wider field than American gridiron, and is meant to be more of a running game than a passing game.

 

[Gough]

I’ve never seen a game of Canadian Football but from what I’ve heard it’s 3 downs not 4, played on a wider field than American gridiron, and is meant to be more of a running game than a passing game.

I had a great uncle in Vancouver try to explain it to me but he had Alzheimer and kind of drifted in and out so I didn't come away much more enlightened.

 

[Franc de Borges]

I follow Association Football just as strongly as Australian Football (parents both from Ireland and grew up steeped in the culture). Gaelic Football is fantastic but pretty hard to follow from here unless you're quite dedicated.

The only other sport I really care about is cricket (little bit of golf).

Don't care about the Rubgy codes, but will tune in when the Wallabies are playing in the World Cup.

 

[Faz 2000]

This is my take, entirely from my perspective, these codess value to me - NOT how I think they should be ranked in the world, or whatever.

AFL is all-consuming and the one I live and breathe. The only one that matters.
Soccer is the undisputed dominant code in the world. I don't follow it closely, but it truly is the World Game and deserves its place. I appreciate it and respect it.
NFL (and College Football) is an outrageous, over-the-top SHOW and a lot of fun. I follow it a bit, but always enjoy watching a game. The extreme athleticism/physicality is exciting and the American-ness of it all is enjoyable.
Rugby Union seems like a really good, interesting sport, but I find it very confusing and it feels like the refs are involved too much. Incredibly brutal sport.
I find Rugby League irredeemably shit. Ideally it would cease to exist. A terrible sport played by terrible people with a generally terrible culture all around it. I don't judge it reasonably or fairly and I don't care.
Gaelic football is for Irish folks what Aussie Rules is to me, I presume. I have watched no minutes and no seconds of Gaelic football. I'm sure it's great.

I fully acknowledge that Aussie Rules is a weird little niche sport from a weird corner of a weird little country. But given that's also where I'm from, it's #1 all the way for me.

 

[Cam Payne]

There's not enough hours in the day for me to follow anything by footy in winter and cricket in summer.

 

[Pistol Night]

There's not enough hours in the day for me to follow anything by footy in winter and cricket in summer.

Likewise. I will clear up some space when the Olympics are on for the women’s beach volleyball however. I think it’s the connection with the sand that draws me in

 

[The Tilt]

I nothing them. Not interested by any of them so I don't pay attention.

I do find the obsession some association fans have with Aussie rules being bigger than soccer here to be odd. We live in a world where you can watch top flight soccer whenever you want, and even if soccer were bigger in Australia we'd never have the money to make the A-League a better standard, so why does it matter? I have had, on multiple occasions, had soccer fans abruptly interject or change the topic of an AFL discussion to complaining about how Australians should be more interested in soccer and how it's the obviously superior game because the players are so highly paid and it's played around the world and it's not fair, etc. It might be a big game but you're a small-minded fan if the popularity of a local code in its home country bothers you that much.

Yep, this is my experience.
I was previously quite invested in Australian soccer, but progressively lost interest due the deranged attitude many soccer fans here have towards Australian Football. The paranoia and the intense sense of victimhood wore me down after a while.

I remember a while back reading some article where the author was trying to compare the plight of soccer fans in Australia with that of asylum seekers housed in offshore detention camps (they're both so marginalised etc etc.) And he wasn't joking.

 

[norway blue]

AFL no 1 for me although the stand rule and umpires interpretation of rules !! I enjoy RL also and follow St George but the 6 again mystifies me. Don’t follow American sports. Watch the occasional game of soccer. Moto GP WSB
and speedway is a passion. Supercars i
enjoy. Test cricket equal
first with AFL. Love tests.

 

[Teal Leviathan]

I mean, you know, people are entitled to their sporting proclivities. Let there be a thousand blossoms bloom, as far as I am concerned. But I ain't spending any time on it because in the meantime, every three months, a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in north Queensland.

 

[Pistol Night]

I mean, you know, people are entitled to their sporting proclivities. Let there be a thousand blossoms bloom, as far as I am concerned. But I ain't spending any time on it because in the meantime, every three months, a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in north Queensland.

Still the most seamless segue in all of human history

 

[Altum Volantes]

Total apathy towards the other football 'codes'.

Find people who get wound up about which one is bigger/better to be extremely weird.

Why would you even care if you don't follow the other sport?

It couldn't matter less.

 

[Shane Heard]

Rugby league ..a 4 year old can throw a ball and run straight ahead.

Australian rules …years of junior practice to master the skills of handball, kicking, bouncing and marking the ball at high speed.

 

[Lia]

I like football (soccer) but do not go out of my way to watch it but will follow PL news.

Do not care for either of the rugby codes at all, rubbish sports.

 

[two blue tiger]

I like state of origin in rugby league (who doesn't I guess)

Me

 

[Rabman]

Australian Rules and Soccer are the only 2 sports I care for. More specifically Adelaide (North Adelaide SANFL) and Arsenal are the only teams I will watch a full game or content to consume. All other sports I have no interest. Living in Adelaide, both rugby codes are irrelavent and how anyone can watch a full game of Gridiron i'll never know.

 

[Canberra Pear]

There's animosity between AFL and rugby league fans, but I feels it's much more one-sided.

Speaking in generalisations, but AFL fans feel more ambivalence towards rugby league. That's not so the other way.

Rugby league fans tend to have a chip on their shoulder.

Just look at the NRL threads here. They just talk about NRL games and teams. Then check out leagueunlimited. There's hundreds of pages dedicated to punching down on AFL.

I think geography also plays a part. Canberra's pretty much of the Barassi Line. It's common to follow both codes here and I rarely here animosity from league fans.

 

[2 eazy]

Nrl fans have view that afl look down on them as there sport is beneath the afl while nrl fans call it Gayfl or mexican ping pong. Few things I envy about the states but one thing is how they follow all teams from their city in all sports . Funny thing is diehard afl fan will probably be nrl fan if they were born raised in Sydney and vice versa

 

[Jim Prideaux]

I personally don’t mind most of them. Rugby is my main football code, followed by Australian rules. I follow league, but not as much as I once did. Association football I enjoy, America football, having spent a few years there as a teenager has a nostalgic value, but I admit I don’t follow it as closely as I once might have.

Anyone that says they can’t stand one or the other is either just being partisan or has no understanding of sporting concepts - take your pick.

 

[PhatBoy]

I personally don’t mind most of them. Rugby is my main football code, followed by Australian rules. I follow league, but not as much as I once did. Association football I enjoy, America football, having spent a few years there as a teenager has a nostalgic value, but I admit I don’t follow it as closely as I once might have.

Anyone that says they can’t stand one or the other is either just being partisan or has no understanding of sporting concepts - take your pick.

The culture associated to said codes can have a huge impact if you get embedded deeply enough in any of them I think.

When I covered them locally, I actually really enjoyed watching local union. It was an open brand of the game, the two local teams here were very contrasting - the uni team were young and fast and as a consequence played very open footy and tried to eschew ‘position’ footy as much as they could and just attempted to score tries as much as they could. The ‘downtown’ team played more traditional field position set piece rugby and would kick their way to victory. With 3 provincial cities in the comp, you also had the ‘small town’ teams who were forever the underdogs. My home town lost a handful of blokes in Bali and when they came out the next year and beat all the big boys in the first grand final It was a triumph of local farmers just toughing it out against private school boys from one of the 5 ‘big’ clubs. It was genuinely awesome to watch. But having also played, just for one season, and been involved - the ‘old boys’ culture and the preferential treatment given to players who go to the right schools, the expectation that you’ll dress a certain way, that you’ll be subservient to senior players and wait on them hand and foot etc etc sickens me. You get treated like a leper if you don’t fit the mould.

From the outside looking in I can absolutely see why people think league is just rife with f**kwits. And there is no shortage of them. But it is also an extremely accepting sport where really, no one gives two shits who you are, where you are from, what you do for a crust. Everyone gets treated the same.

I played soccer more than I played anything else, purely because my then wife was sick for it and was on the club committee and the men’s side needed players. I hated the game but enjoyed the run around I guess. Hated the loser culture of most of the players who were always willing to take a fall to earn a penalty - it was ingrained in them, teammates and opposition alike. A lot of faux tough guys too who would hit the deck at the merest contact and then blow up like you’d slept with a close female relative and not called them back. And just in general they were a different breed. Seemed more prepared to abuse kids than at any other sport I’d observed or played, etc etc.

So regardless of what happens at a professional level or the merits of the respective games, those experiences have contributed a fair bit to my feelings towards the respective codes.

With AFL having not played it’s a bit harder but I’ve spent a fair bit of time with one of the local clubs and they seem a good group of blokes, they are just different to all the others though and I can see why they’ve gravitated to Rules. Even their banter is different.

 

[010203]

This time 10 years ago, I followed all 4 footy codes as closely as a I could. Now, it's AFL and the 2 rugby codes with the only round ball football I watch being the Premier League and the Champions League. I'll get into the World Cup once the round of 16 starts. I haven't been to an A-League match for nearly 5 years and that's the last A-League match I watched in full too. I'll own up to being a Euro snob.

I enjoy both rugby codes for what I see as their selling points - league for the continuity and union for the greater number of contests for possession. I find league is getting close to resembling a game of touch to the extent where I'd scale the 6 again rule back to what it was originally brought in for - ruck infringements only. Union's greater amount of contests for possession can lead to games being penalty-athons but the good referees like England's Luke Pearce, who refereed Ireland vs Scotland on the weekend, understand that you penalise what has a material impact and not the small stuff.

The issues I see for rugby union in this country are two fold - elitism and perceptions around the spectacle. Rugby Australia and previously the ARU could have done much more than they have done to rid the game of the elitism tag but they've failed. The last 4 or 5 (maybe more) chairman/CEO of the ARU/Rugby Australia have been Shore alumni, including the current CEO Phil Waugh. At the height of his pissing contest with Peter V'landys in 2023, Ex RA chairman Hamish McLennan said the 2 rugby codes should have a battle of strength and if ends in a draw, have a spelling competition. I cringed then and I cringe now at that comment.

As for the spectacle, there's only so much RA can do around the laws, as you can't have Australian players playing to one set of laws domestically and then getting caught out under World Rugby's laws. There are however, very good games of rugby union out there. Not enough of them happen in Australia. The ones that do happen here need to be championed in the way somebody like Andrew Voss champions rugby league. The recently completed 6 Nations tournament had some terrific games but they won't move the needle for union here.

In terms of representative rugby union, the pinnacle is a match between New Zealand and South Africa. A great game between those 2 can be the equal of a great State of Origin, the representative pinnacle in rugby league, although the international game for rugby league is growing. Again though, a great match between the All Blacks and the Springboks won't be championed here because it doesn't involve Australia and doesn't happen in this country bar the 2003 World Cup QF and the two games in 2021.

 

[Angus Young]

AFL no 1 for me although the stand rule and umpires interpretation of rules !! I enjoy RL also and follow St George but the 6 again mystifies me. Don’t follow American sports. Watch the occasional game of soccer. Moto GP WSB
and speedway is a passion. Supercars i
enjoy. Test cricket equal
first with AFL. Love tests.

Six again was brought in to make RL more entertaining. MAae it faster, less stoppages. You would have to say it has worked with RL as tsrong as ever with TV ratings and crowds.

The problem with it it makes it way easier for refs to influence outcomes. Sometimes they love calling them for the smallest of infringements , some u dont even know what for giving the attacking team huge momentum and killing momentum for defense. Just depends on the day and the ref. makes sense for wrestling defence and defence not getting back etc . But sometimes feels like 50m in AFL, way too harsh and frustrating. Very subjective.

But if you go with data probably good rule.