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

[SBD Gonzalez]

Did you actually watch any of the games? Even the highlights? I saw at least four incredible marks, a brilliant finish in the North-Dogs match, a massive upset and a terrifically tough contest between Port and Melbourne. Yep, there was some rubbish but there was some seriously great stuff as well.

Exactly. And we don't even have to be talking about genuine speccies.

Built into the play of Aussie Rules is the principle of marking, which guarantees that in any game played at a competent level (excepting total mudbaths) there will be at least a few amazing marks, and often dozens.

It's the basic currency of the game and I just can't think of any single action in any of the other football codes that compares to the aerial acrobatics of marking.

If you get excited by human beings temporarily defying their earth-bound gravitational state, Aussie Rules automatically offers so much more than the other codes.

 

[NoobPie]

Exactly. And we don't even have to be talking about genuine speccies.

Built into the play of Aussie Rules is the principle of marking, which guarantees that in any game played at a competent level (excepting total mudbaths) there will be at least a few amazing marks, and often dozens.

It's the basic currency of the game and I just can't think of any single action in any of the other football codes that compares to the aerial acrobatics of marking.

If you get excited by human beings temporarily defying their earth-bound gravitational state, Aussie Rules automatically offers so much more than the other codes.

Remarkably, in a bye round, these two marks..

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2018-06-24/hoskinelliott-flies-and-marks

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2018-06-24/carlton-youngster-takes-huge-grab

didn't make the 3-horse run off for mark of the week



I reckon you'd find years in the 80s where the best 5 marks would be of lower quality than we just had in a split round

 

[Sub_Zero]

Remarkably, in a bye round, these two marks..

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2018-06-24/hoskinelliott-flies-and-marks

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2018-06-24/carlton-youngster-takes-huge-grab

didn't make the 3-horse run off for mark of the week



I reckon you'd find years in the 80s where the best 5 marks would be of lower quality than we just had in a split round

 

[Mr--ShinBoner--#11]

Did you actually watch any of the games? Even the highlights? I saw at least four incredible marks, a brilliant finish in the North-Dogs match, a massive upset and a terrifically tough contest between Port and Melbourne. Yep, there was some rubbish but there was some seriously great stuff as well.

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2018-06-24/the-10-round-14s-best-moments

BTW - I'm bemused that "the scoring was terrible" therefore soccer is a better sport. And I haven't seen a single quote from anyone saying "the world game is 10x better" (other than yourself).

I'm not going to rag on soccer (as I noted earlier I do enjoy watching the EPL highlights) but you'd want to have a better argument than that to back up your position.

All subjective of course, but I actually thought North vs Dogs, by and large, was trash.

 

[NoobPie]

Hi Ralphy, tough night

 

[Frank Bunn]

Need to revise my answer to an unequivocal yes. I didn't even realise Geelong were playing last night. A first for me but who dafuq plays on a Thursday night?

Started watching the replay. First quarter was a dog's breakfast. Second quarter not much better. CBF watching the rest of the game even though I know Geelong won.

I'll be watching every minute of the World Cup quarter finals.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Is the world cup over yet? Haven't heard anything about it since Australia were inevitably defeated.

 

[Gavin Excell]

England on the verge of a famous campaign win

 

[Roobs321]

If West Coast had to have a losing patch, I'm glad it coincided with the World Cup. With the days break in between knockouts, starting to remember AFL, but with Wimbledon and the Tour starting AFL is still just a mild distraction for now. Mostly just kept up with the Lions.

 

[YippeeYiYeo]

In answer to the question- definitely my interest has waned. Mostly because the Eagles lost their best 3 forwards and went on a losing streak, but also because the World Cup highlights how skilful the soccer athletes are and how awful the average AFL players are.

From diluting the talent pool with 18 teams in the comp, to promoting long distance runners above natural footballers, the skill levels in the AFL are nowhere near what they could be.

Anyway the Eagles look like finishing 3rd at best now which means 3 out of 4 finals will be played at the MCG and with that our chances of glory appear extremely slim.

 

[BobbyMorri]

I am so tired

 

[La Di Da]

Is the world cup over yet? Haven't heard anything about it since Australia were inevitably defeated.

You must be choosing to be wilfully ignorant instead of just plain ignorant.

 

[Macpotata]

Once again the responses speak for themselves. Hardcore footy fans in here, even like myself, just don't give a **** about footy when the world cup is on. That will change once it finishes, but footy pales in comparison to what the world cup is/has. I watch pretty much every game of footy and only miss out on when games clash with each other due to times. This week was different though. I watched the Thursday/Friday game then after that literally did not give a **** about the rest. Watched Pies-Dons though never really focused on it due to recovering from the gym but it just looked like a shit game. Same thing the day before, but the games just did not interest me. Many games had no real meaning. West Coast vs GWS - Yawn. Watched the replay of the UFC which actually kept me entertained. Even when it was 1 v 2 and the Swans played West Coast the first week of the world cup { 2nd night in fact } I switched it over once Uruguay played Egypt. I will also add what I've said before. I've been watching a lot of footy because of what it USED to be. Not for what it is now. Hanging on to past glories perhaps, but also watching it to chill after work or training. Footy's shit and every year teams compete for a flag where as the world cup is a once every 4 year thing. Footy has not got anything at all on the European championships or the World Cup.

Give me a decent world cup qualifier in fact over footy. The stakes even there, are a hell of a lot higher. Nothing brings out as much passion as when players represent their country.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Once again the responses speak for themselves. Hardcore footy fans in here, even like myself, just don't give a **** about footy when the world cup is on. That will change once it finishes, but footy pales in comparison to what the world cup is/has. I watch pretty much every game of footy and only miss out on when games clash with each other due to times. This week was different though. I watched the Thursday/Friday game then after that literally did not give a **** about the rest. Watched Pies-Dons though never really focused on it due to recovering from the gym but it just looked like a shit game. Same thing the day before, but the games just did not interest me. Many games had no real meaning. West Coast vs GWS - Yawn. Watched the replay of the UFC which actually kept me entertained. Even when it was 1 v 2 and the Swans played West Coast the first week of the world cup { 2nd night in fact } I switched it over once Uruguay played Egypt. I will also add what I've said before. I've been watching a lot of footy because of what it USED to be. Not for what it is now. Hanging on to past glories perhaps, but also watching it to chill after work or training. Footy's shit and every year teams compete for a flag where as the world cup is a once every 4 year thing. Footy has not got anything at all on the European championships or the World Cup.

Give me a decent world cup qualifier in fact over footy. The stakes even there, are a hell of a lot higher. Nothing brings out as much passion as when players represent their country.

I don't agree with a lot of your post and that's ok, because opinions.
But I will call you out on the quote about the WC/GWS game. Was a beauty with a lot at stake. GWS lose that top 8 spot and the Eagles found a way to win and snap a losing streak to steady their top 4 aspirations. I don't give a crap about both sides either, but can appreciate when its good footy to watch.

 

[TommyD13]

Mine certainly did this time around, except for when the Bulldogs played I still watched with the same interest. But my general interest in the competition has certainly waned.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[BigVic]

Our 3 game skid was in the middle of the World Cup which waned my interest of footy. Switched off the Essendon game at QT after being blown off the park.

Every four years around June/July interest for me in footy drops off for 4 weeks due to the World Cup taking place.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Would Melbourne winning the flag be the equivalent of "football coming home"?

 

[Firestarter]

Soccer knows what its rules are and the worst it deals with is diving/simulation but at least there's a semblance of contact.

AFL umpires can't even realise when a player is diving when there's no one around him.

 

[NoobPie]

Would Melbourne winning the flag be the equivalent of "football coming home"?

Collingwood. In a spiritual sense

 

[James_]

Soccer knows what its rules are and the worst it deals with is diving/simulation but at least there's a semblance of contact.

AFL umpires can't even realise when a player is diving when there's no one around him.

You’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The rules within soccer have pretty much been the same for a century bar a couple of changes here and there.
AFL has rule changes every week.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

You’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The rules within soccer have pretty much been the same for a century bar a couple of changes here and there.
AFL has rule changes every week.

Well some of us think soccer's rules could do with the odd tweak.

Make the scoring a little easier and watch the diving disappear overnight, for starters.

 

[Sunset]

Well some of us think soccer's rules could do with the odd tweak.

Make the scoring a little easier and watch the diving disappear overnight, for starters.

Why make the scoring easier?

Agree the diving is woeful.

But the best thing about soccer is how hard a goal is and how much it's worth. Quality not quantity. It's not basketball.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Why make the scoring easier?

Agree the diving is woeful.

But the best thing about soccer is how hard a goal is and how much it's worth. Quality not quantity. It's not basketball.

The scoring is so difficult that it drives players to try ANYTHING in order to gain an advantage.

Hence the prevalence of diving in soccer.

It’s not that soccer players are more dishonest than other sportspeople.

Players try to put one over the ref in all sports, but the scoring in most sports is plentiful enough that it factors out cheating as a decisive factor in the final result 99.99% of the time. Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw an Ausssie Rules match decided by a blatant act of cheating.

Only in soccer is the scoring so cussedly difficult that a successful dive might win a match; might even be the ONLY score of a match. It’s a terrible way to determine a winner.

Aussie Rules may have its faults, but it’s streets ahead of soccer in terms of fairness and probity.

 

[Sunset]

The scoring is so difficult that it drives players to try ANYTHING in order to gain an advantage.

Hence the prevalence of diving in soccer.

It’s not that soccer players are more dishonest than other sportspeople.

I agree.

Which means they should put a harsh penalty on diving.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I agree.

Which means they should put a harsh penalty on diving.

But then it comes down to the interpretation of fallible, human refs. With millions watching. And the potential for corruption.

Increase the size of the goal a little so the scoring is a little easier (I dunno, so a typical soccer score was something like 8-5, instead of 1-0) and everyone knows they’ve seen a fair contest.

As it stands there are way too many question marks (and frankly it alarms me that a large percentage of the world’s population aren’t too concerned by soccer’s built-in dodginess.)