Combined Soccer vs AFL threads - please post here

[Peter P]

Who cares if it doesn't get international recoognition? It's Australian Rules.

Australian Rules at all levels and the AFL at the elite level will come under pressure from Soccer and Rugby over the coming years, particularly with the Socceroos playing regularly in World Cups, Asian Cups etc and probably a the finals of both those coming to Oz at some time.

I think Australian Rules and the AFL can meet that challenge because the game is so entertaining. However it is not guaranteed in the long run with the pressures of globalisation.

That's why a modest spread of Aussie Rules through continued growth of these international leagues is important to the health of the game in the long term. More players for the AFL draft, more viewers for what will be global internet-TV superseding local free to air, more merchandise sales, international members and footy tourists for the AFL clubs and the Australian economy.

It's not to be a big world game, but it is to find a minor yet significant niche that boosts player numbers a few-fold, leads to more talent for the AFL draft, a higher level of skill and entertainment in the AFL itself, and long term security for a unique and wonderful code of football.

It makes sense for the AFL clubs to support internationalisation of this sort.

I really can't see how anyone would object to that - unless you are a rugby league or soccer purist who would prefer to see Aussie Rules relegated to parklands stuff.

 

[bucksisbest]

Who cares if it doesn't get international recoognition? It's Australian Rules.

Agree with the point as personal enjoyment of our game is more important and relevant than this silly notion of worrying about being talked about around the world , like it will make your **** size increase.
The funny thing is 2 Essendon supporters forgetting Moorcroft's mark and the overseas recognition.
"That'll be on CNN!"

 

[skilts]

Unlike AFL, Hurling has retained the emphasis on one-on-one clashes, and just about every possession is a contested possession. It's spectacular, it's brutal, it's fast, high-scoring, the fans are as passionate about it as any sportfans in the world, and you blokes would bloody love it.

Give the man a cigar. If hurling were played at a high level of competence in Australia, I'd be seriously torn between it and Aussie Rules. In truth, hurling is the only ball game in the world to hold a candle to Aussie Rules, for speed of play, excitement, physicality, fearlessness and awesome skill. My only exposure to it was two provincial teams in Perth, and I was absolutely transfixed by the spectacle.

 

[sainters]

lol at this thread, comparing AR to soccer in this country is a joke. Sure soccer has more participants in this country, but i know a lot of them who support AR more tha soccer, they play soccer because it's a lot easier, and arn't really into the physical sides of things...

A lot of soccer players and fans like both AR and soccer and vice-versa...my brother plays local footy but enjoys watching the socceroos play too...

Everyone loves supporting there country, so people like watching the socceroos have success, does it mean they have passion for soccer? does the A league get sellout crowds every week?

Lets look at classic example thats similar to the soccer at the moment is Cricket:

-Cricket: i heard it's the highest (or close to) participated sport in Australia.

-The Aussies get Huge crowds turn up, boxing day is a sellout! just like the socceroos at there major events...

-But look at the PURA MILK cup, they are lucky to get 100 people there! look at local cricket they get about 20 people there for a regular match...sure it has high participation levels and is supported at International level, but where is the passion for it domestically? (don't get me wrong i love and play cricket, equal best sport in the world)

-I go down to watch my local football team play and there is usually about 1000 people there sometimes 3000 when playing rivals, you can see all the kids kicking the footy around, don't see that at local soccer matches...

My point is that footy is supported and has passion right from the top (AFL) right down to grassroots football...no other sport here does, soccer is really only supported at international and to a small degree domestically. it's been 150 years of culture and will be hard to wipe out quickly!

thats my 2 cents worth...i think a few people are excited by the WC (they have a right to be) and arn;t looking at the real picture...
-

 

[Ragnarok14]

lol at this thread, comparing AR to soccer in this country is a joke. Sure soccer has more participants in this country, but i know a lot of them who support AR more tha soccer, they play soccer because it's a lot easier, and arn't really into the physical sides of things...

A lot of soccer players and fans like both AR and soccer and vice-versa...my brother plays local footy but enjoys watching the socceroos play too...

Everyone loves supporting there country, so people like watching the socceroos have success, does it mean they have passion for soccer? does the A league get sellout crowds every week?

Lets look at classic example thats similar to the soccer at the moment is Cricket:

-Cricket: i heard it's the highest (or close to) participated sport in Australia.

-The Aussies get Huge crowds turn up, boxing day is a sellout! just like the socceroos at there major events...

-But look at the PURA MILK cup, they are lucky to get 100 people there! look at local cricket they get about 20 people there for a regular match...sure it has high participation levels and is supported at International level, but where is the passion for it domestically? (don't get me wrong i love and play cricket, equal best sport in the world)

-I go down to watch my local football team play and there is usually about 1000 people there sometimes 3000 when playing rivals, you can see all the kids kicking the footy around, don't see that at local soccer matches...

My point is that footy is supported and has passion right from the top (AFL) right down to grassroots football...no other sport here does, soccer is really only supported at international and to a small degree domestically. it's been 150 years of culture and will be hard to wipe out quickly!

thats my 2 cents worth...i think a few people are excited by the WC (they have a right to be) and arn;t looking at the real picture...
-

Good example comparing the current situation with soccer to cricket, much more similar than soccer and AFL. Cricket is probably the only sport that has anything to worry about soccer taking off in this country seeing as its pretty much the only major sport played at the same time (top level here) as it.

Swimming has the most participants (mainly due to the fact a ton of girls do it) but if you look at just the pure male count (which we all know is the main one) soccer is waaay ahead, at least at youth level (5 - 14) then it starts to level out between it and the other footy codes, cricket does ok because its the main alternate sport to whichever footy code people play.

As for crowds at base level, I think it really depends on where you are, in sydney i've been to local union games with 1000+ watching, and i've been to local soccer games with 1000+ watching. Melbourne/victory though is always going to be heavily in favour of AFL due to the sheer dominance the sport has there, but at least in QLD NSW is much more diverse. But every where cricket gets next to no one.

And the crowds aren't to shabby for soccer here considering, take out NZ who won all of about 1 match last season (still managed to get 6000 to games though) the average for just the normal home and away matches was around 12,000. Then the finals performed quite well too. Be interesting to see what the crowds are going to be like for the Asian champions league.

Really AFL and the other rugby codes have nothing to worry about from soccer, except at youth level now that the national team is getting some good exposure. Australians will always support the national team in the major sports so rugby will be fine, the FFA is never going to be stupid enough to try running the a-league up against rugby league or AFL as it would almost definitely lose out to both and badly. The only thing thats going to change is that there will be something other than cricket on during the footy off season.

 

[fishmonger]

is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Is the World Cup tarnishing our footy culture ?

This is not a footy vs soccer thread, just a recent observation about AFL crowd behaviour.

At recent Aussie Rules matches, I've noticed heaps of soccer type songs starting in the crowds, with an increase in drunken soccer type hooliganism amongst large groups of young people who seem to have nothing better to do than harass other members of the crowd and try to start fights ....

I've seen many wear soccer tops and wear socceroos scarves and sometimes carry flags of other countries. This is not something I want to see at footy games ...

Is this a trend ? Are they leaving sanitised soccer stadiums and trying to push their culture on the rest of us ?

If this continues or spreads, I feel the people's game may suffer a further blow.

 

[fishmonger]

For any of you guys bemoaning the loss of the traditional game of Australian Football as we knew it growing up, you could do a lot worse than getting hold of a tape of, or even better get to see a game of the Irish game of Hurling. Unlike AFL, Hurling has retained the emphasis on one-on-one clashes, and just about every possession is a contested possession. It's spectacular, it's brutal, it's fast, high-scoring, the fans are as passionate about it as any sportfans in the world, and you blokes would bloody love it.

yea, i don't mind hurling
I first saw it years ago on tele and loved it. great courageous, fast and skillful game !
when i first saw it my impression was "it is like Aussie Rules with a bat and ball".

now if only they kicked a football it would be perfect ....

 

[Arcadion]

Re: is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Is this a trend ? Are they leaving sanitised soccer stadiums and trying to push their culture on the rest of us ?

Somehow I doubt the majority have ever been to a soccer match
It's called bandwagonning. Once our world cup campaign is over the AFL crowds will return to normal.

 

[Lonie_from_50]

Re: is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Was inevitable in my opinion, considering how Australian sport is at the moment. We are following the mighty Socceroos, and people attending AFL games are probably more than welcome to wear some supportive gear, whether AFL or International Soccer. It probably seems inappropriate however, atleast they are showing some support for sport. If your willing to be in a crowd, you may aswell dress to the occassion.

I can assure you, it will be over in a months time though.

 

[Andrew Mc]

Re: is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Gee, I'll be in trouble then. The last game I went to (not involving the Swans), I wore a Scottish Rugby top. Ended up ok as I blended in with the Melbourne supporters around me .

 

[TuskenRaider]

Re: is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Players now have shots on goal....

 

[*Crash*]

Re: is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Matty Lloyd's diving is about all the soccer influence I have seen.

 

[garethb83]

Re: is soccer culture infiltrating Aussie Rules matches

Is the World Cup tarnishing our footy culture ?

This is not a footy vs soccer thread, just a recent observation about AFL crowd behaviour.

At recent Aussie Rules matches, I've noticed heaps of soccer type songs starting in the crowds, with an increase in drunken soccer type hooliganism amongst large groups of young people who seem to have nothing better to do than harass other members of the crowd and try to start fights ....

I've seen many wear soccer tops and wear socceroos scarves and sometimes carry flags of other countries. This is not something I want to see at footy games ...

Is this a trend ? Are they leaving sanitised soccer stadiums and trying to push their culture on the rest of us ?

If this continues or spreads, I feel the people's game may suffer a further blow.

I'm sure for one month every 4 years you can get over it. You have to be kidding yourself. Australian Rules Football is easily the most popular crowd supported sport in the country. Just because people dare to get a bit patriotic about our country in a particular sport doesn't mean that the walls are caving in around you, it happens.

The media have drummed up the support for the Socceroos to fever pitch, and so they should, as i said, once in every four years this happens, and that is only if we actually make it to the finals. We aren't meant to win, its the story of the underdog.

I had my Swans guernsey and hat on for the game last Saturday night, but chose to put my scarf in my bag and instead showed my support for my country, does that make me unfaithful or a bad supporter of our sport?

Come on... you may not like soccer (as i don't really for the other three years, 11 months every 4 years) but follow the lead of the AFL & NRL, and embrace it! Our sport will never be overrun, its far too strong for that.

 

[fishmonger]

I'm not talking about simply wearing a scarf or a guernsey, I am talking about aggressive soccer style chants directed to members of the crowd and fights breaking out at footy games.

This has taken on a whole new level of frequency since the World Cup, and I am positive it can be attributed to wannabee soccer types.

 

[Diego]

oh god why are Victorians so paranoid? Why do they think the whole world has to revolve around their state , city and code?

Why are they so insular? The comments about soccer style chants infiltrating the afl is a joke of a reply. So what? I rather hear witty chants and songs than the useless and boring culture of clapping hands - team name - clap your hands. I mean for **** sake i am not at some primary school swimming carnival. Why are the majority of “anglos Australians” so simple in all aspects of life?

Plus I have heard soccer style chants at footy matches for a few years now, especially when the swans play in Melbourne.

Get over and be a bit more accommodating FFS!

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

.I really can't see how anyone would object to that - unless you are a rugby league or soccer purist who would prefer to see Aussie Rules relegated to parklands stuff.

The only people fighting in this thread are insecure AFL and Soccer fans, leave RL out of it, Rugby League actually gets along with Soccer in the countries they both play in.

I like most Rugby League fans want to see the Socceroo's win, we couldn't give a stuff if the AFL is feeling threatened by Soccer, Rugby League will just get on with it and play the game.

Kids who want a physical game will come to Rugby League and kids who don't like physical games can play Soccer in the summer.

We'll leave all the bitching and fighting to the AFL.

Go the Socceroo's.

And NSW in SOO #3 in Melbourne.

 

[BigUnitforAA]

as much as i HATE to admit it, AFL is dying. Part of the reason soccer is popular is its simplicity. They don't have a thousand rules, they don't change them every year and they dont have as many grey areas. The umpires don't act like tossers and are more consistent.

Ever tried to take a foreigner to an AFL game? You spend the entire game tryign to explain the rules to them. Rules even half the crowd can't work out! And even when we do think we've worked them out, the umpires aernt consistent and confuse the hell out of everyone.

Hell, if i hadnt of grown up with it, id give up after one game too.

And to make things worse, the one reason that people from other countries know about afl, and talk about it, is its physicality. It's rough, its tough, the players are courageous. With those clowns dimetriou and anderson in charge, this is all going out of the game. It's becoming more and more like soccer every year.

I love my AFL passionately but our sport is in big trouble at the moment

 

[Beckers]

The only people fighting in this thread are insecure AFL and Soccer fans, leave RL out of it...
.

ROFL....i haven't had a laugh like this for a few days!!! RL is amateur compared with AFL and Union. Soon Soccer will overtake it.
I love watching the news when they have the AFL highlights with huge statums and crowds. Then it is time for the NRL updates in grounds with park benches, or like the Rabbitohs V Broncos, a huge stadium that has no one in it.
Don't get me wrong, i love to watch RL, but it will soon be the #4 sport in Australia! Bookmark this post if you want but the day will come!

 

[Diego]

ROFL....i haven't had a laugh like this for a few days!!! RL is amateur compared with AFL and Union. Soon Soccer will overtake it.
I love watching the news when they have the AFL highlights with huge statums and crowds. Then it is time for the NRL updates in grounds with park benches, or like the Rabbitohs V Broncos, a huge stadium that has no one in it.
Don't get me wrong, i love to watch RL, but it will soon be the #4 sport in Australia! Bookmark this post if you want but the day will come!

Mate i would rather a sububian ground than some stale concrete souless dump which is the TD. Yeah sure people don't go to League games but it still huge on TV in NSW. Its still a NRL mad city.

And I doubt we will see AFL over take NRL in NSW as the number one or even two sport. I really really really doubt it. NSW and QLD will always be NRL heartlands as much as victorians don't like it and to be honest Sydneysiders wouldnt give a hoot what insular victorians think.

That irks a lot of Melbourne people off.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

ROFL....i haven't had a laugh like this for a few days!!! RL is amateur compared with AFL and Union. Soon Soccer will overtake it.
I love watching the news when they have the AFL highlights with huge statums and crowds. Then it is time for the NRL updates in grounds with park benches, or like the Rabbitohs V Broncos, a huge stadium that has no one in it.
Don't get me wrong, i love to watch RL, but it will soon be the #4 sport in Australia! Bookmark this post if you want but the day will come!

Feeling threatened are we?

Oh, I love this thread.

So the mighty AFL is starting to feel the pressure huh, damn, imagine what it's going to be like over the next 7 years with Rugby League, Soccer and even Union over in Perth putting the pressure on like never before.

It's a known fact that the ARL is pumping $23 million into Vic over the next 3 years, the Storm and Victory moving into and brand new purpose built stadium and the Force becoming a Force in the player market, yep, the AFL has pounded at NSW-QLD for years, pumping all that money in, have they saved enough money to fight the fight in Melbourne, you know, the heartland of Aussie Rules?

Don't worry about Rugby League mate, your code needs NSW and QLD to survive, Rugby League's already got it.

Rugby League in Australia has never been a code that gets crowds like AFL, it's perfect for TV.

Hence the good TV ratings it gets.

I don't really care about the crowds, but the NRL is the biggest Rugby comp on the planet, so I don't care.

 

[Magnum]

oh god why are Victorians so paranoid? Why do they think the whole world has to revolve around their state , city and code?

Why are they so insular?

Don't generalise all Victorians by a few minority of 'paranoid' idiots. Generalising every Victorian like you do makes you look like as much of idiot as the people you are opposing.

It would be like if I read your post and then said "why are New south Welshman so generalising, they ALL generalise and HATE victorians!"

To say that I'd be an idiot.

ParraEelsNRL - the average AFL fan is not theatened by Soccer, League or whatever, just as the average League fan is not threatened by AFL or soccer.
Its the morons (from both sides) that ruin it by spouting rubbish bring it down for the rest of us.

 

[Diego]

Don't generalise all Victorians by a few minority of 'paranoid' idiots. Generalising every Victorian like you do makes you look like as much of idiot as the people you are opposing.

It would be like if I read your post and then said "why are New south Welshman so generalising, they ALL generalise and HATE victorians!"

To say that I'd be an idiot.

ParraEelsNRL - the average AFL fan is not theatened by Soccer, League or whatever, just as the average League fan is not threatened by AFL or soccer.
Its the morons (from both sides) that ruin it by spouting rubbish bring it down for the rest of us.

Yeah you're right but there is a big element down here of people who think that way. Must be the cold weather.

 

[Beckers]

Feeling threatened are we?

Oh, I love this thread.

So the mighty AFL is starting to feel the pressure huh, damn, imagine what it's going to be like over the next 7 years with Rugby League, Soccer and even Union over in Perth putting the pressure on like never before.

It's a known fact that the ARL is pumping $23 million into Vic over the next 3 years, the Storm and Victory moving into and brand new purpose built stadium and the Force becoming a Force in the player market, yep, the AFL has pounded at NSW-QLD for years, pumping all that money in, have they saved enough money to fight the fight in Melbourne, you know, the heartland of Aussie Rules?

I love this debate too! You know, how all the small sports start targetting the big ones to test the water!
Remember when Basketball was going to take over and completely kill off Aussie Rules and Cricket? Whatever happended there you think?
The only sports at this point that need to watch their back are RL and RU. When Soccer is bigger than those 2, no doubt the AFL will start shaking in their boots

 

[Beckers]

ParraEelsNRL - the average AFL fan is not theatened by Soccer, League or whatever, just as the average League fan is not threatened by AFL or soccer.
Its the morons (from both sides) that ruin it by spouting rubbish bring it down for the rest of us.

I think that the administrators of every sport continually monitor the progress of other sports. That is their job and they need to keep corporate sponsorship and gain market share!
I don't buy the fact that Soccer is a threat for either AFL, RL or RU as it is played in Summer down here.
As fans of the codes, it is a good debate though

 

[demonsboy888]

Re: Soccer Vrs AFL - Will we go global???

Nice map, what have they rubbed out underneath the title, something along the lines of "Named locations are places where AFL doesn't rate a mention" perhaps?

Ha ha. No actually. I don't know where you got it but I found it here http://www.worldfootynews.com/atlas/world.html and the missing bit is a copyright. Good to see you doing lots of research into football though.

I'd like aussie rules to keep getting bigger overseas but I dont reckon it would ever be a threat to the AFL because pro leagues overseas wouldnt happen for like a 100 years if ever. And thats a long time into the future to worry about. More like there might be some small amateur leagues and maybe one in each country.