Is Footy Doomed?

[Snag Breac]

In February the Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation Australia report concluded that;

"More than 650,000 people played indoor and outdoor soccer in 2013-14, while Aussie rules lured only 224,000 participants".

For all sorts of reasons families are choosing soccer over our native game. Last night an enticing game of footy attracted just over a 1,000 more people than the soccer, including even Joffa. Then today this appears in The Age:

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/ho...-fans-20150508-ggw7di.html?rand=8940#comments

Comparing game-day experiences past and present, Brendan O'Reilly writes;

"The 'G' on an autumn afternoon or a winter night, with a packed crowd and a close game, was like a cathedral.

Now it's a shopping mall."

If the game is losing its sacred power, can it survive and thrive?

Indigenous Australians and those of us from the old world know what happens to an ancient culture when a superpower moves into your territory. The old ways are routed.

Soccer is coming - actually it's already here. Will it prove the death of footy by swallowing up the interest, time and money of the Australian sporting public? Or can the AFL and the clubs somehow dig in, face the onslaught and emerge intact?

 

[TradeDraft]

Soccer is played during the Summer so they are no Competiton to the AFL.

I agree that the people in Charge of the AFL have to quit Changing the Game with Stupid Rules

 

[jefffff34]

Soccer is played during the Summer so they are no Competiton to the AFL.

What was on last night? Every single other league in Australia, bar the A-League is winter orientated.

 

[spartan-magpie]

As long as the football culture is the way it is, it will be a code that parents will gradually keep their kids away from.


Football is my favourite sport bar none. Is, was and always has been. But do I want my 3 year old boy to play it? Well, I'm not so sure.


Soccer, as a parent, is far more appealing for ones offspring. It's got nothing to with the perception of being a tougher game (plenty of leg breaks in soccer) it's more to do with the fact that soccer requires to be an actual soccer player not an athlete who is 6'10 and can run 100 meters in 11 seconds and has some football ability.


On the physical attributes alone football is limiting itself as parents and kids alike would be thinking unless I'm a boomer Harvey or 6"5 and run like usain the task might seem sisyphusean. Whereas in soccer if you are good enough you'll
Be based on your ability as opposed to you're perceived scope for improvement.

And based on my genetics, I highly doubt my son will get to much over 6 foot let alone into the 190s which is commonplace for starting mids now.

 

[mattys123]

What was on last night? Every single other league in Australia, bar the A-League is winter orientated.

And eventually the A-League will move to winter too, it's a certainty, just a matter of when, not if.

Soccer will always have more participants then Aussie Rules, it's simply an easier game to play at any age, from 5 to 80.

Where the A-League will struggle to over take the AFL (or the NRL) is in quality of players. The NRL and the AFL have the best players of their given sport in the world, while the A-League will never have that.

A 12 year old soccer player dreams of playing for Barcelona or Manchester United, while a 12 year old AFL player dreams of playing for his given side within this country.

There's room for both but what is clear is that this match day experience crap is effecting attendances, I know people who stay home now because the match day sounds are so fake you may as well watch it on TV anyway.

 

[76woodenspooners]

And eventually the A-League will move to winter too, it's a certainty, just a matter of when, not if.

Not so sure about that ...

... There are benefits to being aligned with the European football seasons. Other Southern Hemisphere leagues have done it / are looking into it (Argentina IIRC?)

 

[TradeDraft]

And eventually the A-League will move to winter too, it's a certainty, just a matter of when, not if.

Soccer will always have more participants then Aussie Rules, it's simply an easier game to play at any age, from 5 to 80.

Where the A-League will struggle to over take the AFL (or the NRL) is in quality of players. The NRL and the AFL have the best players of their given sport in the world, while the A-League will never have that.

A 12 year old soccer player dreams of playing for Barcelona or Manchester United, while a 12 year old AFL player dreams of playing for his given side within this country.

There's room for both but what is clear is that this match day experience crap is effecting attendances, I know people who stay home now because the match day sounds are so fake you may as well watch it on TV anyway.

So you do think that AFL will come 2nd Stringed Behind Soccer?

AFL will get bigger Crowds because of we have the Best Talent and Where the A-League is a 3rd String Comp.

So how the AFL is being Run would Drive people to go follow Soccer?

 

[TheFreshBanana]

I like the thread, although the article was pretty terrible.

I think there's a few reasons why soccer has more participants.

1. It's far more feasible to play indoor soccer every week than play aussie rules. Think about it, it's winter, cold as shit, people will prefer to be playing indoor rather than outdoor. An indoor team only needs like 5-6 players, and there's no limit as to how many you can have on the bench, thus it's a far more social event than aussie rules. With aussie rules, hypothetically you create a social team, that's 20 a side at least! Plus, with indoor, you don't need to join a club, you can create a team with friends.
2. Soccer is an appealing sport. It's global. It's universal. Someone that comes to Australia, will most likely gravitate towards playing soccer, a sport they already know, rather than try and understand Aussie Rules.
3. Soccer is more female friendly.

But all in all.... does it matter? I don't think so.

At the end of the day, as long as soccer isn't taking away from the potential talent pool the future of the AFL has, then I can't see it being a problem. I don't think it will be a problem as the A-league is crap, and if one had a choice between playing A-league or AFL, I think the choice is still pretty simple.

As for the match day experience, I'm not sure what people expect. You either have that stuff, or you don't. I may be wrong, as I haven't been to America to check it out, but it just seems like their sporting events are more than just 2 teams playing sport, it's an actual event with bright lights and performances. It does seem like the AFL, or Collingwood at least, are trying to replicate the same atmosphere as you would have over there, but the hesitance comes not from the poor quality (although it may contribute) but rather the inability to adapt or enjoy something different.

 

[Rorzza]

I think that due to IPL and 20/20 we will see more Aussie kids gravitate towards cricket because of the money they can now earn playing the shorter forms of the game. Soccer is boring as sh1t, nothing to worry about. Junior numbers in soccer have always been strong because boys and girls can play together and it is a none contact sport. In later years kids turn to more traditional Aussie sports driven by excellent school and club programs. There will be fluctuations in all codes over the years but soccer will never rival Australian rules in Australia.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Soccer is more female friendly.

To play, you mean?

Years ago the AFL were claiming 44% of match audiences were female - hard to imagine any soccer league on the planet would get anywhere close to that.

 

[TheFreshBanana]

To play, you mean?

Years ago the AFL were claiming 44% of match audiences were female - hard to imagine any soccer league on the planet would get anywhere close to that.

My whole post was in regards to playing apart from the last paragraph.

 

[Prestige Presti]

In February the Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation Australia report concluded that;

"More than 650,000 people played indoor and outdoor soccer in 2013-14, while Aussie rules lured only 224,000 participants".

For all sorts of reasons families are choosing soccer over our native game. Last night an enticing game of footy attracted just over a 1,000 more people than the soccer, including even Joffa. Then today this appears in The Age:

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/ho...-fans-20150508-ggw7di.html?rand=8940#comments

Comparing game-day experiences past and present, Brendan O'Reilly writes;

"The 'G' on an autumn afternoon or a winter night, with a packed crowd and a close game, was like a cathedral.

Now it's a shopping mall."

If the game is losing its sacred power, can it survive and thrive?

Indigenous Australians and those of us from the old world know what happens to an ancient culture when a superpower moves into your territory. The old ways are routed.

Soccer is coming - actually it's already here. Will it prove the death of footy by swallowing up the interest, time and money of the Australian sporting public? Or can the AFL and the clubs somehow dig in, face the onslaught and emerge intact?

I think comparing an average home and away game between two of ten Melbourne based AFL teams, to a Semi Final between the only 2 Melbourne based Soccer/Football teams, and the first derby final in their history is a bit of a stretch.

Soccer is a very simple, leisurely sport to be involved in, and obviously isn't as physically demanding compared to an AFL game, so kids of all builds can get involved, and a lot of those kids will have parents who have come from Soccer dominated countries, as Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world.

Soccer will naturally expand, just as the AFL will, the first year after a World cup will see a spike in interest in the sport before it dies off a little.

However there is a culture problem in the A-League, last night supporters at the game threw rubbish from the upper levels of the stands into the crowds below with some supporters on facebook claiming they'll never attend an A League game again, this on top of events such as stabbing, assaults and reckless behavior at some big A-League games. I don't mind myself some EPL, but due to such behavior i personally wouldn't casually go to watch an A League game, and i think that may be a problem for families wanting to take their kids to a game if these problems persist, despite the massive amounts of security at these games.

 

[Kappa]

Exact same posts were happening 5-10 years ago about how soccer was about to overtake AFL.

Nek minnit, most A league teams get 8k crowds and only 2 teams average more than 13k. 2 A League teams have recently died and many others aren't far away. More kids play soccer because it's simply easier to play and they are scared of being hurt playing AFL.

Code war articles are pretty boring, The A league is a mile behind the NRL and AFL and those things don't change quickly, the vast majority of die hard sports fans will never change their preferred code and will instil that into their children.

 

[76woodenspooners]

At the end of the day, as long as soccer isn't taking away from the potential talent pool the future of the AFL has, then I can't see it being a problem. I don't think it will be a problem as the A-league is crap, and if one had a choice between playing A-league or AFL, I think the choice is still pretty simple.

I heard Les Murray speak recently and he said Australian Football (meaning soccer) should have 3 main objectives ...

(1) To host a World Cup
(2) To win a World Cup
(3) For our domestic competition (A league) to be as financially attractive for players as the European leagues

... Now, they might seem like crazy ambitious objectives ...

... But when you look at how soccer has grown in Australia ...

... The only way to follow the 1970 World Cup in this country was on short wave radio

 

[Hardas]

Once the moon's orbit degrades, we're all doomed.

 

[Pera]

A-League will never be bigger than AFL in this country. Im certain of it.

 

[THATSGOLD]

Lots of Afghans and Indians have migrated to our country over the past 5 years. Not many of them are in to the afl.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Exact same posts were happening 5-10 years ago about how soccer was about to overtake AFL.

You can go further back than that!

Collingwood FC had it's own soccer club (along with Carlton) back around 1997 so as to jump on the soccer bandwagon.

Nek minnit, most A league teams get 8k crowds and only 2 teams average more than 13k.

Victory would clearly be one.

Would have thought Sydney FC and WSW would average more than that as well?

NSW government announced in the last week 100's of millions of $$$ upgrades to Sydney FC and WSW's home stadiums.

By contrast, Sydney Swans have announced that they will move all games away from 80,000 seat Homebush because the don't get anywhere near filling it. Perth will get a new stadium in the coming years, but apart from that, hard to image any money spent on AFL infrastructure in the next 10 years.

2 A League teams have recently died ...

The Gold Coast licence was moved to WSW which has been extremely successful.

Melbourne heart became Melbourne City.

Who else?

and many others aren't far away.

The Jets were in trouble but it looks like that has been stabilised. Can't imagine the mariners are too healthy.

More kids play soccer because it's simply easier to play and they are scared of being hurt playing AFL.

"Easier to play" is a fair reason. Strongly doubt "getting hurt" is a reason kids would avoid AFL.

Code war articles are pretty boring, The A league is a mile behind the NRL and AFL and those things don't change quickly, ...

Depends where you are. Victorian situation would be a bit different to the NSW situation. I think the A-League would give the NRL a decent run for its money in NSW. Swans would get as many fans to its games as any NRL games (except origin). Giants are a long long long way back.

... the vast majority of die hard sports fans will never change their preferred code ...

Doesn't have to be an either / or ... Unless both codes are playing on the same night and you need to choose. Seems like many passionate pies fans on this board chose to go to the Soccer game Friday night.

... and will instil that into their children.

There are limits to the influence a parent has over a child ...

... unless they're Damir Dokic types ...

... peer pressure, and wont for their own heroes usually takes over.

 

[Hardas]

Lots of Afghans and Indians have migrated to our country over the past 5 years. Not many of them are in to the afl.

So, a boost for cricket?

 

[ace andy]

basketball is very popular to play but nobody watches it because the standard is too far below the best leagues in the world. While the A league is doing well for a new comp this will always hold it back from achieving dominance.

 

[THATSGOLD]

So, a boost for cricket?

Yes growing sport but not all will be Aussie fans.

 

[Quicky]

It's an interesting topic. I missed last nights game live so I could play indoor soccer and watch the second half of Victory vs. City. But for me it's horses for courses. Last night was an A-League semi so it took precedence and I knew I could catch last nights game today on the web. I have room in my heart for both.

 

[76woodenspooners]

A-League will never be bigger than AFL in this country. Im certain of it.

I don't think it'll happen in the next ten or twenty years, but I reckon it'll happen eventually.

Australia is a society that is naturally aware of the wider world - and soccer is the world game.

 

[Pera]

I don't think it'll happen in the next ten or twenty years, but I reckon it'll happen eventually.

Australia is a society that is naturally aware of the wider world - and soccer is the world game.

Disagree.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Disagree.

Reminds me of a debate I had with an English friend back in the early 2000's.

I claimed the Australian soccer team will beat the English soccer team in my lifetime. Despite my stated intention to live a long and healthy life, he vehemently disagreed. Said it would never happen.

Even I was surprised when we beat them only 18 months later!!!