What would it take for you to stop watching AFL?

[Football Tragic]

Perhaps moving to a remote country with no internet would do it but I doubt anything at this stage. Hell, if Essendon supporters can still support after the supplement scandle, Fitzroy & South Melbourne supporters can follow their teams even when they are moved interstate and relabeled, Saints & Freo supporters can stay true after one/none flags and West Coast/Adelaide supporters can put up with the Victorian-centric AFL Committe....then they're little that can stop any die hard supporter from watching this great game!

 

[Jim Prideaux]

The answer to this for most of you is being older than 40 and subscribing to a News Ltd publication as the tipping point for being “done with the game”.

 

[Clems Knee]

I will stop watching AFL if there is a better sport to watch. So far, there isn’t.

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

I just came here to say this. I haven't seen a finals win. I've seen nothing but scandal and mediocrity and I keep renewing my membership

Good man.

 

[deanc]

True story. I did not watch a game of AFL from round 4, 2002 until the Preliminary final 2006, due the fact I could no longer tolerate the ugly flooding tactics that had taken hold of the game like cancer....

The hardest part of my sabbatical was the social aspect and convincing those around me that I was simply not interested in watching any footy - although I did maintain my club membership and occasionally looked at some results.
The wife was delighted as I was usually home early on Friday nights and around the house more on weekends plus I also shaved a few strikes off my golf handicap during this period.

Related, I met Leo Barry at a Christmas function in 2005 who asked me if I'd attended the GF, I replied unfortunately I was overseas on business, which I was. I also nodded politely and smiled when others at the function were telling me about his huge pack mark in the dying seconds that sealed the flag for the Swans, of course I'd never seen it...

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

True story. I did not watch a game of AFL from round 4, 2002 until the Preliminary final 2006, due the fact I could no longer tolerate the ugly flooding tactics that had taken hold of the game like cancer....

The hardest part of my sabbatical was the social aspect and convincing those around me that I was simply not interested in watching any footy - although I did maintain my club membership and occasionally looked at some results.
The wife was delighted as I was usually home early on Friday nights and around the house more on weekends plus I also shaved a few strikes off my golf handicap during this period.

Related, I met Leo Barry at a Christmas function in 2005 who asked me if I'd attended the GF, I replied unfortunately I was overseas on business, which I was. I also nodded politely when others at the function were telling me about his huge pack mark in the dying seconds that sealed the flag for the Swans, of course I'd never seen it...

Poor Leo Barry. He just wanted to impress you.

 

[deanc]

Poor Leo Barry. He just wanted to impress you.

Lovely bloke actually, I bumped into him a few years later and told him of my sabbatical, he replied; "oh, but you have seen a replay of my mark!"...

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

Lovely bloke actually, I bumped into him a few years later and told him of my sabbatical, he replied; "oh, but you have seen a replay of my mark!"...

If I were him I'd be buying airtime to show replays of the mark. I'd be telling every bloody footy fan I could come across.

 

[footyfan1978]

If it started resembling soccer, gridiron or either of the rugby codes

It already does in part, not gridiron but soccer, the kick backwards and maintaining possession is from soccer/hockey type sports and the 36 players in one small part of ground resembles rugby when it is a tackle fest and territory battle to lock a team in. It mutates to the games origins when this happens.
Due to the game not being that way all the time, it still is bearable but if it did ever borrow the complete Gridiron benches of extended bench to 10 players or more, I'm out....4 is bad enough as it is which has brought the negatives of rotations in last decade and a half that was not part of game before.

 

[deanc]

It already does in part, not gridiron but soccer, the kick backwards and maintaining possession is from soccer/hockey type sports and the 36 players in one small part of ground resembles rugby when it is a tackle fest and territory battle to lock a team in. It mutates to the games origins when this happens.
Due to the game not being that way all the time, it still is bearable but if it did ever borrow the complete Gridiron benches of extended bench to 10 players or more, I'm out....4 is bad enough as it is which has brought the negatives of rotations in last decade and a half that was not part of game before.

Not that we need more rules, but a few keen observer's have suggested the AFL should enforce that kicking backwards during a game should always be play-on, which I think has merit...

 

[footyfan1978]

Not that we need more rules, but a few keen observer's have suggested the AFL should enforce that kicking backwards during a game should always be play-on, which I think has merit...

Maybe in defensive 50 or back half of ground. You certainly should be able to kick backwards in your forward line and not be play on if someone on your own team marks it on better angle for goals.

 

[deanc]

Maybe in defensive 50 or back half of ground. You certainly should be able to kick backwards in your forward line and not be play on if someone on your own team marks it on better angle for goals.

Fair point, then how about it's always play-on if you kick it backwards when outside your own forward 50....?

 

[Tap Tap Tapperoo]

I can die happy if Melbourne win a flag. So in other words, I’m immortal.

 

[mick06]

Doubt i could ever stop watching Aussie rules footy as its been a lifelong love affair of the game, however the AFL is another story. My interest and commitment diminishes every year due to the administrations sole focus on the $$$$

 

[Big Cox 88]

I didn't watch anywhere near as many games as I used to last season, even with access to all the games with Kayo. Mainly watched Friday night and Eagles games. Some may have been on in the background Sunday afternoon but that's about it.

Fantasy games are the only thing that keep neutral games relevant for me.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

I am getting close now to be honest.

The self-serving criminals at AFL House have systematically killed the game over at least a decade of deliberate mismanagement. This is no longer a sport, it is corporate entertainment and not much more.

It is very nearly time to take myself back to suburban or country football where the game is still somewhat authentic.

 

[queensberryrules]

Cats and Pies stopping choking in big finals would cause me to wonder about the existence of a beneficent God.

On SM-G955F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[basashi]

I have pretty much stopped watching neutral games. To keep me on board over the next 5 years the AFL needs to make progress with probity:
- fairer fixtures
- fewer special deals
- cleaner draft
- harsher punishments for drugs, other cheating
- getting rid of punting sponsorship
- deal with all clubs fairly
- clubs to forfeit all games in which an improperly paid player is fielded
- transparency rather than burying issues

I realise that it is hard for them to get out of the current sewer in the short term. But at some stage someone has to hold their breath, swim to the bottom and pull the plug on this cesspit of corruption and unfairness.

 

[ShadeyP]

If the Saints won a flag I'd probably pack it in.

Or I'll be dead.

Probably the latter.

Not laughing at your possible demise ... just the brutal honesty .

 

[Papa G]

Ken Hinkley

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Move to a country where the games are on when I'm sleeping.

Even during the drug cheating obfuscation years, where my attendance and watching of Essendon games dropped to 0, I never lost interest in watching the finals and the best teams playing each other.

 

[This Is Anfield]

 

[Bonz]

I got close in 2016 after the Grand Final. Intentional or not but the umpiring standards of that match left a very poor taste in my mouth.

Issue is by the time pre-season came round I was hooked again in hope.

The biggest thing to keep me interested moving forward would be full time umpires and a slow down on changing the rules.

 

[biggiemediums]

If Collingwood were to fold - I'd stop watching. I don't really watch many other games. Maybe one non-pies game per week and some highlights.

I really don't think it's a great sport anymore.

#1) I think it's extremely soft and weak. Used to be some pretty great crash and bash.
#2) Far too athletics-based, rather than skill-based these days. Perfect world has a nice mix of both.
#3) It's too officiated and the rule changes every year are just amateur hour.
#4) Each game is just too long for me to dedicate weekend hours to.

 

[dylan93]

If Fuhrer Gill brought in some ridiculous AFLX style rules into the game itself. #GillonOut