Will soccer ever be a serious threat to footy, long-term?

[WagonBang]

Its the A-League which is 3rd rate. It will struggle because it will ALWAYS lose its best players to European & Asian clubs.

For casual observer that's all they see. To an extent it's true because it's a capped league. You look beyond that. For A-League fans it's a joy to see the younger players develop and move on. I follow most of the ex Victory players and see where they are now. It's great to see someone playing great football at a big club overseas knowing they were a product of the Victory. Like Langarak and Kruse playing Champions League football in Europe.

Plus I get 30 weeks plus a year of live Football in two modern stadiums in summer with beer. Can't say you get that around the world. Maybe at MLS.

Like I get 23 weeks of AFL a year. Can't say I see the best product there either.

 

[madmug]

I think you would be in a minority. Tasmanian football have lost players to the VFL & AFL for decades. It may be good for the individual play ers, but It has done nothing but damage to the local league here.
Watching locals play in the AFL, or soccer overseas in Belgium or China is of interest, a minor interest at best.

 

[MightyHawks]

We are 3rd in the pecking order. Don't think anyone here disputes that.

If Soccer is so far off in Victoria why in 2015 did it hold the highest Atendance at the three major Melbourne Football Stadiums?

MCG - Man City v Real Madrid: 99,382

Was a huge game - 2 big European clubs at full strength with a genuine star player
If we have Barcelona v Man United in 2017 it'll repeat

Etihad Stadium - Victory v City: 50,873

The Local Derby in the A League should fill Etihad every time. Plenty of AFL matches that would have topped that crowd but were scheduled at the G

AAMI Park - Victory v Sydney FC: 29,843

Not bad for a sport that apparently is failing and 3rd rate.

Actually noticeable that this match took a while to sell out - Grand Final at a small venue
Considering how cheap the tickets were too

 

[Kangapirate]

Is that a Melbourne centric view? Marconi, Sydney United?

Your eurosnob comment sums up most soccer afficionardos I meet.

This view is widely held country wide.

Marconi and Sydney United have small fan bases now, averaging usually 200-300. South Melbourne will often play in front of crowds anywhere between 2,000-4,000, in local terms that's a huge difference.

Mind you euro snobs aren't the only snobs, you get the A league snobs who dismiss the local state league competitions as well, soccer has that pecking order when it comes to support which ultimately does it more harm then good.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Just watched some of the ICC or whatever they are calling it, what an embarrassment to the MCG, what a load of s**t

 

[Garlic muncher]

Looking at these stats you would have to surmise for many reasons that soccer is a great threat to junior RL in Sydney.

LEAGUE officials have launched an investigation into an alarming slump in junior player registrations this season.

Every area of Sydney except Penrith and North Sydney has recorded dramatic falls in junior numbers compared to the previous season.

Despite celebrating a premiership, South Sydney’s registrations fell by 10 per cent and Canberra Raiders’ by 15 per cent.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/c73350f8d13cee7a871a669e5c56397c

 

[aCunningPlan]

Looking at these stats you would have to surmise for many reasons that soccer is a great threat to junior RL in Sydney.

LEAGUE officials have launched an investigation into an alarming slump in junior player registrations this season.

Every area of Sydney except Penrith and North Sydney has recorded dramatic falls in junior numbers compared to the previous season.

Despite celebrating a premiership, South Sydney’s registrations fell by 10 per cent and Canberra Raiders’ by 15 per cent.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/c73350f8d13cee7a871a669e5c56397c

Really hoping the FFA announce a third Sydney side to come in for the 2018-19 season now. Would really put the wind up the NRL.

 

[ziad]

The OS televised product will be a threat but I suspect people will be happy to take in more than one code.

Rugby Union is the big slide. It will be overtaken by the A League I suggest

 

[Garlic muncher]

The OS televised product will be a threat but I suspect people will be happy to take in more than one code.

Rugby Union is the big slide. It will be overtaken by the A League I suggest

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...e-sport-is-too-dangerous-20160610-gpgoxi.html

Well they certainly have to fix this up.

Brad Harrison is a proud former NSW Waratah and president of one the largest junior rugby districts in Australia. But he won't be cheering on his 14-year-old son Luke in the Sydney Junior Rugby Union competition any longer – because he feels the sport has become "too dangerous".

 

[madmug]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...e-sport-is-too-dangerous-20160610-gpgoxi.html

Well they certainly have to fix this up.

Brad Harrison is a proud former NSW Waratah and president of one the largest junior rugby districts in Australia. But he won't be cheering on his 14-year-old son Luke in the Sydney Junior Rugby Union competition any longer – because he feels the sport has become "too dangerous".

As tough as Aussie rules can be, RU & RL are far more dangerous. Mothers see that so dont want their kids getting hurt. Soccer too has its problems with heading the ball at an early age.
They'll all be into tennis & swimming again soon!

 

[thegreig]

As tough as Aussie rules can be, RU & RL are far more dangerous. Mothers see that so dont want their kids getting hurt. Soccer too has its problems with heading the ball at an early age.
They'll all be into tennis & swimming again soon!

The kids would all be playing Sarcastaball if the mums had their way

 

[Garlic muncher]

As tough as Aussie rules can be, RU & RL are far more dangerous. Mothers see that so dont want their kids getting hurt. Soccer too has its problems with heading the ball at an early age.
They'll all be into tennis & swimming again soon!

That is exactly why numbers of Aussie rules players have not decreased at club and junior level because although it can be dangerous and of course the older you get the rougher it can get, at junior level it is pretty safe.

About 15 or 16 it starts to get quite physical although a good umpire can sort out testosterone charged boys and get their eye back on the ball rather than the man.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I think you would be in a minority. Tasmanian football have lost players to the VFL & AFL for decades. It may be good for the individual play ers, but It has done nothing but damage to the local league here.
Watching locals play in the AFL, or soccer overseas in Belgium or China is of interest, a minor interest at best.

That is a different thing though. The Tassie (and other state\local league) clubs get bugger all for raising an AFL drafted player.
An A-League player may be sold to a club in a larger league for a considerable sum. If the A-League can be a cradle in that way, it boosts the Socceroos (which Australian Football has no equivalent to) and also could result in the A-League budgets themselves getting bigger and raising the quality. That is not the case when players get drafted into the AFL.

The A-League will never compare with the ELP, Budesliga, Serie A, etc. But for the Association Football to succeed here, it doesn't need to.
Today's kids are more globalised than we ever were, and the next generation will be even moreso. They don't need to be following the A-League to drift away from Australian Football.

Is that a threat to Australian Football? That depends on what you mean by threat.
The global game may become bigger than the local one at some point, and perhaps in just a few decades. Is that a threat? Australian Football would still be played. There would still be a national competition. In many ways the weakness of Australian Football as a sport (virtually no international presence) is also the strength of the AFL as a marketing weapon (it will always be the number one competition of the sport).

What I do think (hope?) we'll see are more people taking an interest in more sports, and less of this trash of *insert sport here* is dull and skill-less.

"Soccer" is probably a greater threat to the ongoing professionalism of Rugby and Cricket in Australia, where international teams are the main game, than Australian Football or Rugby League.

 

[Garlic muncher]

That is a different thing though. The Tassie (and other state\local league) clubs get bugger all for raising an AFL drafted player.
An A-League player may be sold to a club in a larger league for a considerable sum. If the A-League can be a cradle in that way, it boosts the Socceroos (which Australian Football has no equivalent to) and also could result in the A-League budgets themselves getting bigger and raising the quality. That is not the case when players get drafted into the AFL.

The A-League will never compare with the ELP, Budesliga, Serie A, etc. But for the Association Football to succeed here, it doesn't need to.
Today's kids are more globalised than we ever were, and the next generation will be even moreso. They don't need to be following the A-League to drift away from Australian Football.

Is that a threat to Australian Football? That depends on what you mean by threat.
The global game may become bigger than the local one at some point, and perhaps in just a few decades. Is that a threat? Australian Football would still be played. There would still be a national competition. In many ways the weakness of Australian Football as a sport (virtually no international presence) is also the strength of the AFL as a marketing weapon (it will always be the number one competition of the sport).

What I do think (hope?) we'll see are more people taking an interest in more sports, and less of this trash of *insert sport here* is dull and skill-less.

"Soccer" is probably a greater threat to the ongoing professionalism of Rugby and Cricket in Australia, where international teams are the main game, than Australian Football or Rugby League.

Gaelic football is a classic example of a football code just across the Irish sea from probably the most popular soccer league in the world that continues to thrive as an amatuer sport.

Sometimes in a highly globalised world parochial local sports and pastimes become stronger.

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

No, It won't.

Soccer. by it's own actions is a summer sport. Should therefore be compared with various forms of cricket.

Footy has always been a winter sport. So the two are not clashing due to timing and grounds required.

 

[jatz14]

No, It won't.

Soccer. by it's own actions is a summer sport. Should therefore be compared with various forms of cricket.

Footy has always been a winter sport. So the two are not clashing due to timing and grounds required.

It's only a summer Sport at the top level, lower down its Winter, so junior's are choosing between soccer and footy. Could part of the reason for the problem with depth in the AFL be due to the number of players in the A league who 30 or 40 yesrs ago would have been in footy.

How many junior's can footy lose before it becomes a problem if it isn't already.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[Garlic muncher]

It's only a summer Sport at the top level, lower down its Winter, so junior's are choosing between soccer and footy. Could part of the reason for the problem with depth in the AFL be due to the number of players in the A league who 30 or 40 yesrs ago would have been in footy.

How many junior's can footy lose before it becomes a problem if it isn't already.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

No, my feeling is that the depth has got to do with athleticism, i reckon there is plenty of good footballers, and not as many good athletes.

Plenty of good footballers who wont get a look in because of the perception they are not good enough athletes.

http://www.mix.com.au/sport/afl/news/2015/3/brisbane-lions-dayne-zorko-on-triple-m-footy-pre-season/

 

[JD Tomahawk]

Agree with above, players who would be solid top level players in the hey days are just not cut out for current day footy.

 

[cfc to aufc]

Mick’s five-step plan to fix footy
MICK Malthouse says if something isn’t done to address the current state of football, then a small problem may become a major issue. Here’s Mick’s five-step plan to get footy back on track.

www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/.../mick.../bcf59be6c5c3809c5138313a6282aee0

 

[Damon_3388]

Why can't they co-exist? The sports aren't even played at the same time of the year anymore. Why does it need to be a "one or the other" thing?

 

[cfc to aufc]

Why can't they co-exist? The sports aren't even played at the same time of the year anymore. Why does it need to be a "one or the other" thing?

money

 

[Damon_3388]

money

They'll probably waste more money and energy trying to "defeat" each other than simply just co-existing. Surely regular people don't feel they need to commit to just one and only one sport? People's interests and tastes are more diverse than that, aren't they?

The idea that soccer is a "big threat" to Australian football feels like an example of how small-time and small-minded some Australians are. Soccer is #1 in the US as far as junior participation goes, their women's team has long been the #1 in the world, their men's team has been consistently better than ours, and their national leagues have much bigger stars and wider coverage than ours does, but do you think the NFL (for example) gives even a modicum of a s**t? Not a chance!

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

I'd be interested following more than one sport. I've tried to show interest in Australian basketball, rugby league, rugby union, basketball and soccer.

I just don't find them interesting, I enjoyed Union for a little while I was following the sharks. I lived in Townsville nearly ten years ago and was going to every home game for a season. But I just wasn't interested enough to keep it up.

 

[Damon_3388]

I'd be interested following more than one sport. I've tried to show interest in Australian basketball, rugby league, rugby union, basketball and soccer.

I just don't find them interesting, I enjoyed Union for a little while I was following the sharks. I lived in Townsville nearly ten years ago and was going to every home game for a season. But I just wasn't interested enough to keep it up.

Well, just seeing what's next to your name, you're already interested in American Football and baseball. Your interest doesn't need to be limited to Australia.

I just find it strange that people are expected to "take sides" and only follow one sport.

 

[jatz14]

Well, just seeing what's next to your name, you're already interested in American Football and baseball. Your interest doesn't need to be limited to Australia.

I just find it strange that people are expected to "take sides" and only follow one sport.

People follow more than 1 sport, however most people regularly attend 1, maybe 2, watch regularly maybe 1 more, watch bigger games in another, and iconic events in a few others.

For a significant number to go from having AFL as number 1, to having it as number 2 has huge implications for footy.



Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk