Footy Developments in NSW and Queensland

[Frank Gallagher]

AFL will gain a bit with every passing generation, why anyone likes watching Neanderthals tackle each other is beyond me.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Ive lived in Mackay, Gladstone, Noosa and Brisbane in the past.

Anywhere from Capricornia North, with the exception of Cairns, the vast majority of people have a true and utter passionate dislike of Aussie Rules football. I think barring expats from interstate and the Cairns enclave (which is still slightly more Rugby League orientated) North QLD will never be prized away from Rugby League.

The Gold and Sunshine Coasts I would say are the best bet in the state of QLD where Aussie Rules may one day overtake Rugby League, you could even argue footy is pretty much on par with League on the Gold Coast going in terms of the number of fans of the premier league clubs (AFL and NRL, and not strictly the Suns and Titans, but all AFL and NRL clubs).

NSW I have no Idea about though, never lived there or even visited for a long enough time to comment.

They don't hate Aussie Rules, they fear it.

 

[Gigantor]

They don't hate Aussie Rules, they fear it.

The talk back I hear on Northern ABC definitely suggests a fear factor.

 

[kid_a]

They don't hate Aussie Rules, they fear it.

Oh for sure, I think a lot of them do indeed fear the growth of footy in QLD, I mean 40 years ago in NQ you wouldnt have even heard anything about what was happening at Waverley of a Saturday, but now there a AFL games being played in Cairns and Townsville and kids up there actually playing the sport too.
Make no mistake though, plenty of the old (and young) bogans up there truly HATE aussie rules though.

 

[Aussie in exile]

They don't hate Aussie Rules, they fear it.

I do think we fear Soccer to a certain extent as well.
If we ever have the soccer world cup here i think it would impact hugely on junior playing numbers for us and the other 2 football codes.Just saying in my opinion
OK I get my coat and close the door on the way out

 

[Bomberboyokay]

They don't hate Aussie Rules, they fear it.

Oh for sure, I think a lot of them do indeed fear the growth of footy in QLD, I mean 40 years ago in NQ you wouldnt have even heard anything about what was happening at Waverley of a Saturday, but now there a AFL games being played in Cairns and Townsville and kids up there actually playing the sport too.
Make no mistake though, plenty of the old (and young) bogans up there truly HATE aussie rules though.

The haters are right to be afraid. The AFL has been expanding the game for decades. The NRL won't even pay for goalposts on ovals or give schools free equipment in VIC, WA and SA.

 

[NoobPie]

I do think we fear Soccer to a certain extent as well.
If we ever have the soccer world cup here i think it would impact hugely on junior playing numbers for us and the other 2 football codes.Just saying in my opinion
OK I get my coat and close the door on the way out

I think you should hide your post history if you want to get away with calling Australian football "we"!

 

[Aussie in exile]

I think you should hide your post history if you want to get away with calling Australian football "we"!

I like to play the devils advocate.You need to wake up and smell the coffee at times.
Iv'e just through some of your posts and for you not to see some of the game faults i find it amazing or very blinkered.
Perhaps you need to drop one of the o's in you poster name.
Have a nice day

 

[Frank Gallagher]

I do think we fear Soccer to a certain extent as well.
If we ever have the soccer world cup here i think it would impact hugely on junior playing numbers for us and the other 2 football codes.Just saying in my opinion
OK I get my coat and close the door on the way out

It's a fair point, but if that happened i don't think the benifets would linger for long, IMO basketball is the biggest threat to Aussie Rules long term, maybe not in the way of numbers (as most juniors play both anyway) but basketball go hard after the gifted kids, they have much better programs than the AFL.

 

[Gigantor]

It's a fair point, but if that happened i don't think the benifets would linger for long, IMO basketball is the biggest threat to Aussie Rules long term, maybe not in the way of numbers (as most juniors play both anyway) but basketball go hard after the gifted kids, they have much better programs than the AFL.

Basketball is our biggest rival for 6ft 9+ athletes, but beyond that....

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Basketball is our biggest rival for 6ft 9+ athletes, but beyond that....

Nah mate.

 

[Gigantor]

Nah mate.

25 years ago they were saying that basketball was a massive threat to football.

Please don't tell me they're resurrecting that old one?!

 

[quotemokc]

Probably need to get more of the islander type demographics playing AFL instead of League

 

[Frank Gallagher]

25 years ago they were saying that basketball was a massive threat to football.

Please don't tell me they're resurrecting that old one?!

I'm speaking as a parent of a 10 year old, i'm not too sure what happens in the older age groups but for u12s basketball is much more appealing.

They play normal domestic games (most play u14s as well)


Then you have squad or rep basketball, 5 or so tournaments a year, normally 5-6 games over 3 days.

For country players you have the Jamboree, which is an elite training camp for 120 chosen u12 kids, they are then assigned to teams where they play a round robin tournament, metro would have a similar camp.

What does Aussie rules provide for players of that age? Sweet * all is the answer.

Even u10 level basketball have live stats/scores/results, they aren't even allowed to score in Auskick for the same age group.

 

[Turboman1994]

Really depends if soccer got it’s shot together it would easily run over the top but FFA admin is useless. I can’t see league expanding much past what it is now. AFL has potential to grow but I think future growth is more limited than most think. Basketball is the big threat highly participated at jr level and they have a huge weapon in Ben Simmons

 

[Rob]

Even u10 level basketball have live stats/scores/results, they aren't even allowed to score in Auskick for the same age group.

I have to say you've got a point here. The obsession in junior footy with not keeping score is pathetic, as if the kids themselves don't know if they're getting belted. The actual outcome is that kids are actively deterred from celebrating wins. For the kids at the higher end - i.e the competitive ones - they could easily just ditch footy for something more competitive.

TBH i'm not sure who they're trying to protect - the teams that get smashed are going to be just as despondent about it whether they keep score or not.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Really depends if soccer got it’s shot together it would easily run over the top but FFA admin is useless. I can’t see league expanding much past what it is now. AFL has potential to grow but I think future growth is more limited than most think. Basketball is the big threat highly participated at jr level and they have a huge weapon in Ben Simmons

Basketball has the clothing culture as well, back in my day kids wore footy jumpers around the streets, now they ware NBA clobber, or Soccer, computer games like NBA live and the FIFA games are in most kids collections.

But in saying all that, if you're a gifted junior athlete you'd be crazy to turn your back on Aussie rules, the chances of making money at Basketball or Soccer are remote compared to Australian football.

 

[NoobPie]

Really depends if soccer got it’s shot together it would easily run over the top but FFA admin is useless. I can’t see league expanding much past what it is now. AFL has potential to grow but I think future growth is more limited than most think. Basketball is the big threat highly participated at jr level and they have a huge weapon in Ben Simmons

Can you explain what "getting its shot together" entails that would see it "easily run over the top"?

Here's an alternative idea. Australian soccer is impossible to administer because too many of those involved in the local scene have absurd delusions of the games potential here.

Unlike soccer, basketball has had some success at enticing elite talent at the expense of football. Neither are serious threats to footballs dominance here though. History has proved that many times over

 

[jatz14]

I'm speaking as a parent of a 10 year old, i'm not too sure what happens in the older age groups but for u12s basketball is much more appealing.

They play normal domestic games (most play u14s as well)


Then you have squad or rep basketball, 5 or so tournaments a year, normally 5-6 games over 3 days.

For country players you have the Jamboree, which is an elite training camp for 120 chosen u12 kids, they are then assigned to teams where they play a round robin tournament, metro would have a similar camp.

What does Aussie rules provide for players of that age? Sweet **** all is the answer.

Even u10 level basketball have live stats/scores/results, they aren't even allowed to score in Auskick for the same age group.

I can only peak for my kids, who both played basketball as 10 - 15 year olds, and both just drifted out of the sport due to lack of interest. Neither even follows the sport now. Its quite a repetitive sport if I am honest, and it has a lot of trouble holding juniors through the 15 - 18 age range, more so than football or soccer even.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

I can only peak for my kids, who both played basketball as 10 - 15 year olds, and both just drifted out of the sport due to lack of interest. Neither even follows the sport now. Its quite a repetitive sport if I am honest, and it has a lot of trouble holding juniors through the 15 - 18 age range, more so than football or soccer even.

That seems to be the case in my area as well, but it probably happens in most sports, i know a lot of young adults use football and cricket to increase their social network, football especially as most football teams have netball teams as well, like moths to a flame.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

25 years ago they were saying that basketball was a massive threat to football.

Please don't tell me they're resurrecting that old one?!

Ben Simmonds doesn't play Aussie Rules because of basketball, Pendlebury was almost lost to our game as well and i'm sure there are many more, as i said basketball go hard at the elite athletes, basketball is also the preferred sport of the Victorian African community.

 

[NoobPie]

Ben Simmonds doesn't play Aussie Rules because of basketball, Pendlebury was almost lost to our game as well and i'm sure there are many more, as i said basketball go hard at the elite athletes, basketball is also the preferred sport of the Victorian African community.

I'm pretty sure there are a stack of players in the AFL who could have pursued basketball though.

 

[jatz14]

Ben Simmonds doesn't play Aussie Rules because of basketball, Pendlebury was almost lost to our game as well and i'm sure there are many more, as i said basketball go hard at the elite athletes, basketball is also the preferred sport of the Victorian African community.

Footy has lost out to Cricket as well. I am sure there are some golfers that could have been gun footy players. Doesn't make the sports threats to footy though.

 

[Damon_3388]

I feel like this would be more dependent on the financial failing of league, than any great uptick for footy, if that makes sense.

 

[jatz14]

I feel like this would be more dependent on the financial failing of league, than any great uptick for footy, if that makes sense.

I dont think footy could overtake league in any meaningful sense if NRL has its house in order, what can happen is moving into a vacuum if NRL screws up.