Does your interest in the AFL wane when the WC is on?

[SBD Gonzalez]

This is very true. Its incredibly tense when you are willing your country to win.

Its same reason i find those exhibition games played here during winter when big name teams like Liverpool or AC Milan visit. There's nothing riding on it therefore hard to get enthused

Funny, I’m so fortunate I was born here and grew up here but I genuinely couldn’t give a stuff how we go in international sporting events. Means nothing to me.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I can understand why casual sports fans struggle to get into soccer sometimes. It's a much, much better sport to watch when you're emotionally invested in one of the teams than it is when you're watching as a neutral. That's when you start riding every pass and really get drawn into the tension of the build up play and the defensive aspect.

I watch every game I can of the WC because I love international sport, but I don't often bother watching neutral club games.

But that build-up in Aussie Rules often leads to a beautiful goal.

The same build-up in soccer usually leads to the ball sailing over the bloody crossbar yet again.

Each to their own, but to my taste (and I’m not some overstimulated Red Bull-addicted teenager) a 90 minute sporting encounter needs to offer a lot more something.

 

[mcgarnacle]

This has been my worst season of following AFL. Will watch a Swans game but that's about it.

The World Cup matches have been very good this edition. Many games have been open and there has been a bit of drama, such as the Argies struggling and Die Mannschaft keeping fate in their own hands this morning with a goal at the death. The Koreans and Saudis have only been the really bad teams.

Of course, the expansive football will come to an end once the knockout rounds begin where there trying to avoid losing becomes the objective, and good teams play good teams. still the drama intensifies.

Soccer is a different beast to football (AFL). Might not be many 'goals' in comparison, but the tension trying to get one/getting close is doesn't is out of this world.

 

[Macpotata]

With the world cup on I've noticed even more how footy has turned to total shit. It is irrelevant to me at the moment and if Geelong played this weekend and lost, I could care less. When the world cup is on footy is just that. Irrelevant. Every year teams compete to win the flag, a competition based in Australia. The world cup is once every 4 years and every country tries to win sportings greatest prize. People can argue all they want but nothing is bigger than the world cup and pretty much EVERY COUNTRY is in it to win it.


Yeah I think you could say my interest level has slightly waned.

 

[Macpotata]

And if you need any more proof just check out that rubbish game between Collingwood and Carlton. Half time and it's 4 goals to 5. Belgium vs Costa Rica had 7 goals in it last night, a 90 minute match.Most soccer games finish 2-1.


Soccer wins!

 

[Tas]

Not uncommon for strikers in soccer to run 15km+ from memory.

There's some pretty impressive beep test results floating around from soccer players too because they don't carry the same upper body bulk AFL players do.

You can't play soccer unless you are an endurance runner any longer, well, unless you are the goal keeper.

 

[Mc GeeDoe]

You can't play soccer unless you are an endurance runner any longer, well, unless you are the goal keeper.

So are you confirming 15 km's a game average too in soccer? Or is that rare? Seems a lot for a smaller ground and shorter game. What about the pace differential? Im genuinely interested.

 

[Tas]

So are you confirming 15 km's a game average too in soccer? Or is that rare? Seems a lot for a smaller ground and shorter game. What about the pace differential? Im genuinely interested.

Depends on position, outside of goalies, the average distance run by soccer players at a professional level is about 11km a game, the game only goes 90 minutes, so it is about 15km when you pro rata for same amount of game time.

In some positions, players will run about 15km over 90 minutes, which is equivalent to about 20km for an AFL game.

That being said, you would have to allow that most runners in the AFL only play about 85% or so game time and on average, the soccer players that don't get subbed off will play the entire game and are covering a fair bit of distance at a slow pace.

 

[estibador]

So are you confirming 15 km's a game average too in soccer? Or is that rare? Seems a lot for a smaller ground and shorter game. What about the pace differential? Im genuinely interested.

15kms is the upper end of the spectrum. Saw this today for this WC:

 

[Cmarsh]

15kms is the upper end of the spectrum. Saw this today for this WC:

Nowhere near 15kms then.

 

[mick500]

Crows were playing hawks at the same time as game 1.. I recorded the crows and watched us vs France live. Made the right choice. At least Australia showed some heart.

 

[estibador]

Nowhere near 15kms then.

15kms is not uncommon though, as I said. From reddit, complete with links to game data:

I'll start with the 2014 World Cup.

• Here's the tracking stats from the 2014 World Cup final for Germany vs Argentina. The player who covers the most distance is Schweinsteiger with 15.3 km, and Biglia for Argentina with 14.7 km.
  
  
• The Netherlands-Argentina semifinal also went to extra time. Here, Biglia tops the list with 15.1 km. No one else from the two teams comes close.
  
  
• Chile's high energy style is courtesy the tireless running of Aranguiz and Diaz, both of whom breach the 15km mark. Diaz's 15.5km vs Brazil is huge.
  
  
• But the clear winner is Bradley in the Belgium - USA match. He runs 16.9km! No one else even comes close.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

And if you need any more proof just check out that rubbish game between Collingwood and Carlton. Half time and it's 4 goals to 5. Belgium vs Costa Rica had 7 goals in it last night, a 90 minute match.Most soccer games finish 2-1.


Soccer wins!

I hope you were tongue in cheek, because otherwise, possibly the most rubbish post I’ve ever seen on BF.

 

[naturally north]

Yeah it's not just West Coast that make me less interested.

 

[Blues_Man]

Or not?

soccer bores me to tears ..so no

 

[Login]

I couldn't care less about soccer or the WC.
If Australia win or lose I have zero emotional feeling either way, same goes for the Wallabies.

 

[Mr--ShinBoner--#11]

When Belgium vs Tunisia at 10pm on SBS is comfortably outrating Saturday Night Footy on Channel 7, I'd suggest the bigfooty.com "nah sokkah's crap" crowd probably aren't your voice of reason on this topic.

 

[Firestarter]

When Belgium vs Tunisia at 10pm on SBS is comfortably outrating Saturday Night Footy on Channel 7, I'd suggest the bigfooty.com "nah sokkah's crap" crowd probably aren't your voice of reason on this topic.

Honestly after the WC Essendon game people should've stopped while they were behind.

 

[Kingsfoil]

Couldn't care less about soccer, so no.

 

[NoobPie]

With the world cup on I've noticed even more how footy has turned to total shit. It is irrelevant to me at the moment and if Geelong played this weekend and lost, I could care less. When the world cup is on footy is just that. Irrelevant. Every year teams compete to win the flag, a competition based in Australia. The world cup is once every 4 years and every country tries to win sportings greatest prize. People can argue all they want but nothing is bigger than the world cup and pretty much EVERY COUNTRY is in it to win it.


Yeah I think you could say my interest level has slightly waned.

What a shock

The guy who has spent the year dedicated to trashing the “state of the game” on big footy and when on an unhinged rant about soccer being persecuted

Your interest in watching lots of football just to tell us all how crap you think it is has waned perhaps

 

[aCunningPlan]

I was watching about four games of footy a week until the World Cup started. The pure skills and quality that has been in display with this World Cup especially has totally hooked me in. Today's Germany v Sweden match was the ultimate showstopper, top class entertainment. This weekend I caught the third quarter of Carlton and Collingwood and that's it for the AFL, this year it just does not compare.

 

[Bazzar]

When Belgium vs Tunisia at 10pm on SBS is comfortably outrating Saturday Night Footy on Channel 7, I'd suggest the bigfooty.com "nah sokkah's crap" crowd probably aren't your voice of reason on this topic.

Nationally border security and the rugby out rated the North game. Check the Melb v Syd ratings breakdown, Aussie rules 226k Melbourne, 13k Sydney.

 

[Farm Boy]

Or not?

Only when they are playing at home.

 

[Marcus DuQuesne]

In Europe at moment and "football" WC style has completely won me over. Not that interested in Aust. Although they were good against France. The flare agression and will to win and skill has surpassed The 2018 version of Aussie Rules. Sorry as a spectacle the world game is the winner. Now all Australia has to do is get rid of all the eastern european rejects. Get some South Americans in pref Uruguayans and Brazilians and soccer er i mean "football" will really take off in Oz.

 

[threesixpio]

The brilliant entertaining brand of footy from 2007-2015 has gone and so have the fans.

Like Gerard Whateley recently said, the class of Geelong and Hawthorn papered over the huge cracks in the game.

Tiges/Doggies got flags but at what cost to our game?