Which game is more physical ? AFL VS RL ?

[ChrisFooty]

RL tough that you run fowards and are constantly running into brick walls of people.

AFL you can run with the back into a pack just keeping your eyes on the ball....sure, not everyone does this as lots of AFL players lack courage, but this is very tough stuff.

Overall.....in a two horse race of RL VS AFL of which is tougher, RL would win by five lengths.

Thoughts ?

 

[Dan26]

Rugby League is probably the most physical Football code in the world. Actually Gridiron is, but the protective eqiuipment (which is needed) might give RL the edge in this department.

RL is a brutal contact sport. Aussie Rules isn't on the same planet, which, I might add, is a good thing.

 

[fabulousphil]

Everyone knows how stupid chrisfooty is except chris footy...extremely stupid man ...or woman.

 

[Helix]

Depends on how you define 'physical'. You probably take more hits and harder ones on RL, but AFL needs more fitness and athleticism. AFL still gets quite physical on occasion, but the nature of RL being tackled to the ground almost every play would give it the edge in that area.

 

[BATTERY]

RL tough that you run fowards and are constantly running into brick walls of people.

AFL you can run with the back into a pack just keeping your eyes on the ball....sure, not everyone does this as lots of AFL players lack courage, but this is very tough stuff.

Overall.....in a two horse race of RL VS AFL of which is tougher, RL would win by five lengths.

Thoughts ?

 

[Helix]

Everyone knows how stupid chrisfooty is except chris footy...extremely stupid man ...or woman.

To be fair, this is his/her best post so far!

 

[ChrisFooty]

To be fair, this is his/her best post so far!

It's a him.....

Ok what about AFL in the 1970/80's.....was physical back then and now today it's been downgraded to almost to very soft contact sport.

 

[Kapow!!!]

I've played both within the past 2 years and both have their physicalities.

RL (I was a Prop before you ask) you know the physicality is coming and you will always get hit and hit very hard and it will bruise, sting and ache but your main objective is to get that ball up the field and find a way through but you pretty much always see when you're gonna get hit so you can brace for it in your mind. It doesn't quite take as much out of you fitness wise.

AFL (Ruck, FF and CHF) you've got to find your teammates or the goal and you gotta scrap with a lot of unforeseen hits, bumps and even the odd errant boot in which you have to expect but can't brace for. The hits aren't as hard and unlike RL you can speed away or dish off quickly before point of impact without taking the hit however you cannot brace for anything and the hits keep coming longer and longer and longer. Very straining fitness wise, probably the fittest team sport going around.

Both sports have interchange for sore and knackered bodies but AFL you can be put up forward (or down back depending on the state of the game i.e 100 point thrashing) to rest whereas RL you can't be put somewhere to rest as you have to expect anything and be focused at all times.

Really depends what bias you have that can be a tiebreaker.

 

[Helix]

It's a him.....

Ok what about AFL in the 1970/80's.....was physical back then and now today it's been downgraded to almost to very soft contact sport.

I wouldn't go that far. Players need to be more accountable today, and the rules are more specific against charging, but not very soft. Still plenty of blood, broken jaws and reports.

 

[Pj.Rj.Hj]

Having played both codes at club level, I'd say comfortably that RL was more Physical in my interpretation (hits, tackles) but Football was harder stamina wise and psychologically; the need for a vast awarness and vision on field and cause of no off side, more likely to be hit on any angle, having to back into the contest with little sight.
I found football the hardest code to play out any code.

 

[Ragnarok14]

Way I see it is:

RL - hard hits.

AFL - you need to be extremely fit and still have enough physical pressence to not be muscled around by others.

RU - sort of mix between the 2 of em.

overall I would say getting ready to play AFL would be a lot harder than getting ready to play RL or RU as there is a very fine line between being physically strong and being physically fit.

An example of this, nic davis, was much too big in the 2004 season and didn't play overly well, dropped some muscle mass and had a great 2005.

 

[Kapow!!!]

Having played both codes at club level, I'd say comfortably that RL was more Physical in my interpretation (hits, tackles) but Football was harder stamina wise and psychologically; the need for a vast awarness and vision on field and cause of no off side, more likely to be hit on any angle, having to back into the contest with little sight.
I found football the hardest code to play out any code.

Basically what I was saying is that they balanced each other out in overall physicality. RL hurts a lot more but AFL takes more and more out of you. Takes a personal bias to say which is overall harder, more draining and just plain tougher.

 

[1908]

None of you take into account the defensive side of RL, most forwards would make between 20 and 40 tackles a game. You also fail to take into account getting into the defensive line which is quite exhausting. The workload of league players is way more than an AFL player.

 

[fabulousphil]

None of you take into account the defensive side of RL, most forwards would make between 20 and 40 tackles a game. You also fail to take into account getting into the defensive line which is quite exhausting. The workload of league players is way more than an AFL player.

Yer i guess the two guys who posted that they played both games would have no idea....... but you would having played ?????

 

[couldabeenanything]

Having played aussie rules, rugby league and union, I can best sum it up this way...

I always played league on a sunday. I would often play union on a saturday and be fine to back up for league on a sunday but could never go the other way. The work in league is mainly unseen, coming off the defensive line every tackle, kick chases etc, added onto the tackling and ball running make it aerobically tougher than most would think. Union has so many stoppages that even if you do gas, you recover by the time the scrum gets restarted the 4th time.

Aussie rules requires a good aerobic base and a decent level of strength, but is also deceptive. While a mid fielder will cover a large amount of ground in a game, some players will cover perhaps a third of this and it is mainly in short bursts that this occurs. Same goes, I played a game of league the day after aussie rules, but wouldn't go the other way.

All codes have an element of physicality in it, but from what I experienced, league is probably the most all round physically exhausting.

0.02

 

[ant22]

None of you take into account the defensive side of RL, most forwards would make between 20 and 40 tackles a game. You also fail to take into account getting into the defensive line which is quite exhausting. The workload of league players is way more than an AFL player.

I would definately think that the crash and bash physical side of rugby is much harder but the overall work load is not in the same league as Afl.

The Afl game is much longer the ground is much bigger and the players run much much further than a rugby league players. Afl players need to be alot fitter whereas rugby league players work on building there bodies as big as they can.

I play a very low standard of local footy and over the years we have had a number of ex rugby players join the club. They cannot believe how hard we need to train to be able to play such a low grade of football.

They are such different games its a bit like comparing apples to oranges and both have enormous physical requirements to play the game.

 

[Fire Storm]

They are such different games its a bit like comparing apples to oranges and both have enormous physical requirements to play the game.

THAT is firmly hitting the nail on the head. Well done, Ant22.


I've found both games are equally rewarding to play as well.

 

[jimmy35]

I had a mate who played both codes at a state level and he always said Australian Football was harder because you didn't know where the hits were coming from . In RL you could generally be prepared because you always knew they were in front of you.
He was a tough unit as well.

 

[ALwaysNorth]

Having played aussie rules, rugby league and union, I can best sum it up this way...

I always played league on a sunday. I would often play union on a saturday and be fine to back up for league on a sunday but could never go the other way. The work in league is mainly unseen, coming off the defensive line every tackle, kick chases etc, added onto the tackling and ball running make it aerobically tougher than most would think. Union has so many stoppages that even if you do gas, you recover by the time the scrum gets restarted the 4th time.

Aussie rules requires a good aerobic base and a decent level of strength, but is also deceptive. While a mid fielder will cover a large amount of ground in a game, some players will cover perhaps a third of this and it is mainly in short bursts that this occurs. Same goes, I played a game of league the day after aussie rules, but wouldn't go the other way.

All codes have an element of physicality in it, but from what I experienced, league is probably the most all round physically exhausting.

0.02

It sounds like you were a rugby back , in which case you don't count.

Try packing as a tight five forward in 40 odd rugby scrums every game and then get out of bed let alone play the next day .

I have played all three codes as a forward and from a soreness point of view
the rugby codes are way in front .

 

[Lets Talk AFL]

RL tough that you run fowards and are constantly running into brick walls of people.

AFL you can run with the back into a pack just keeping your eyes on the ball....sure, not everyone does this as lots of AFL players lack courage, but this is very tough stuff.

Overall.....in a two horse race of RL VS AFL of which is tougher, RL would win by five lengths.

Thoughts ?

Depends what you define as tough.

Running into a brickwall - you know where and when the hit is coming.

Running backwards keeping your eye on the ball?? - courage of the highest order

Not sure which is tougher but the injuries in AFL would have to be worse yeah?
Broken legs, Arms, Wrists knocked unconsious head clashes!

I don't know to be honest

If we are talking physical exhaustion I would think RB codes but talking about indivual clashes then AFL

 

[Catnip]

RL is a collision sport. Players who play a 'collision' style of game in Australian Rules Football tend to have their careers shortened. This would led me to believe that League is the more physical code (as would the comments by those who have played both).

Courage is another matter and doesn't really enter into the original question of the thread.

 

[fishmonger]

AFL is not a game it is a league.

ChrisFooty get a life.

Having played Aussie Rules and both versions of rugby they are really too different to compare.

In rugby league (played 2nd row but was never that good because I actually have a neck), you can see the "wall" of opponents in front of you. All you have to do is pass or brace yourself, take the hit and hope you can get back up. It is acceptable to wear padding in league though. But like AFL, the higher the grade of league, the less physical it becomes.

In rugby union (played 2nd row), you don't hit the wall as much, because you can turn and have your teammates as buffers. The main physical bit is when you are on the ground in the rucks and players are rucking you in the back with their boots. You do need more physical strength (in the scrums and line-outs) though.

Aussie Rules (played in the backs) gets tougher the lower the skill level. The higher the skill level (ie. AFL level), the less contested footy. It does take a lot of courage, because the hits can come from any direction at any time - there is little you can do to prepare yourself. Aerial contests can be really tough when you come off second best. It really takes a lot of courage to throw yourself in the air and leave yourself totally vulnerable to full body attacks from all sides. Watch a lot of league players cringe and fumble when they go for the "high ball" and you'll see what I mean. I have had more physical injuries in aerial contests than anything else. Unlike league and union though, all positions have to be equaly physical (probably with the exception of wings and flankers that mostly get tackled from only one side). You need to be alot quicker and smarter to be realy good at footy.

Anyway who really cares, for me footy is as much about the contest as the skill, finesse and sheer spectacle. With these things, the game wins hands down !

 

[couldabeenanything]

It sounds like you were a rugby back , in which case you don't count.

Try packing as a tight five forward in 40 odd rugby scrums every game and then get out of bed let alone play the next day .

I have played all three codes as a forward and from a soreness point of view
the rugby codes are way in front .

Sorry dude, but played in the tight 5 until I was 18 (at a decent level), when I played league I moved between lock and centre and the last couple of years played prop for union. Opinion hasn't changed. I often played a game of league the day after a game of propping and had no issues backing up. Different sort of soreness agreed

 

[littleduck]

I haven't read a single post in this thread but clearly RL is "more physical" than Australian Rules..

RL is arguably the most physical game in the world surpassing Gridiron for that title.

Australian Rules requires supreme fitness, natural skill, courage, etc... while RL requires physical strength, skill, etc.

 

[ant78]

They are different games clearly.

AFL is a game that needs less muscle mass and more fitness, the comment about Nic Davis was a good example.

RL is a massive collison sport as some have already noted. I would agree that it is the physical (in terms of punishing on the body) of all sports that are professional. You do need to be fit as well, but can carry more muscle on average than AFL players.

RU a bit different again.

I have played both (in the forwards) and found the with league you ached all over the next day, where as with union you tended to ache in certain areas depending on your position.

In terms of physically demanding I think league is hardest because you do need a high level of fitness to play the game as well as being incredibly strong.

But like I said each game is different, needs different attributes.

Just on AFL, I think one reason some league fans don't like it is that lack of physicalness. And the fact that players can hit players who aren't looking doesn't win them many favours, the thing many like about league is that a player/team has 13 guys in front of him that he must try and find a way of getting past be it strength, speed, skill or a combo. Hitting from behind isn't tough in league, smashing a guy who knows its coming is much harder.

Actually saw the new gold coast coaching staff at collingwood training talking to them about defence. They were touring the pies training facilities which are meant to be just about the best in the country if not world.