The Suns’ humiliation is Demetriou’s humiliation

Nigel says:

06:48am | 04/04/11

You’re right TimB.  Anything more complex than throwing the ball backwards in order to go forwards and scrums with one man trying to push the heads of two men up three mens backsides is way to complex for northerners to fathom.

TimB says:

07:50am | 04/04/11

Continously fumbling after a ball wobbling it’s way around a field is hardly something I would consider “complex”.

You might as well put the players in a communal shower and have them fight over a bar of soap.

See in Rugby League, lack of skill is actually punished. You drop the ball? It’s a knock on! Turnover. You miss the goal? No points! None of this “here’s one point for coming close enough” rubbish.

I honestly can’t understand why so many people take AFL so seriously. It’s just terrible to watch.

NS Welshmen says:

07:50am | 04/04/11

Still there was more people at the Swans match on the weekend than many Ruby/NRL matches.

GC Dude says:

08:23am | 04/04/11

Each to his own TimB….that’s why we have a choice. Having grown up in North Sydney in the shadow of the Bears, I long ago converted to AFL for all the reasons you mentioned. It makes for a faster contest. Take some time to learn thte rules and avoid the cliché of thinking it’s a Southtern game. It’s Australian mate through and through and I know plenty of NSWelshmen that secretly follow an AFL team in their man shed.

Adam Diver says:

09:26am | 04/04/11

@ Tim, you are missing the worse part of the sport, the push and shove. Its like 3 year olds fighting over a toy. It is embarrassing for grown men to behave that way.

My first live game of AFL at the MCG involved the two teams warming up at opposite ends of the ground. As the game started the forwards from one team were running into position, with the defenders already there. In my naivety I assumed they were about to shake hands before the match. No they both dropped thier shoulders and began pushing each other, and the match had not even started. Its f**king retarded.

Add to that the fumbles of the game, constant whistle-blowing, and an over-sized playing surface and its an exercise in frustration.

Gregg says:

09:45am | 04/04/11

@TimB,
Always going to be a troll about on a topic like this.

hot tub political machine says:

11:05am | 04/04/11

Adam Diver, got to agree.

Grown men fighting-but not really fighting because it might wreck their hairdo - is the most childish and pathetic part of the AFL

Faz says:

11:09am | 04/04/11

@ Adam

I’ll cop the seagulls metaphor* but criticising AFL compared to Thugby on the basis of ‘push and shove’ is beyond the pale. AFL players don’t get cauliflower ears.

* Brought back pleasant memories of warm summer evenings watching seagulls fighting over food. Very skillful birds, very competitive.

Sad Sad Reality says:

12:13pm | 04/04/11

Couldn’t agree more TimB.

Cross country basketball.

Two and a half hours of knock on.

AFL is the most embarrassing sport played around the world, and that includes curling. It is a pathetic, watered down version of gaelic football misinterpreted by bearded bushrangers. Ah ha ha ha! The only way you can have a game of AFL outside Australia is by fundamentally changing the rules of the sport. Ah ha ha ha! How lame. Every time that Ireland vs Australia game comes on TV my stomach shrinks to the size of an atom as I break into uncontrollable laughter. It’s the equivalent of playing rugby league against England in a swimming pool with soccer goals. 

AFL takes almost zero skill. It punishes big hits. It features ludicrous cooking terminology like crumbing and spoiling. On-field problems are solved with push-fight melees. No one has any grunt. The uniforms are straight out of a John Galliano wet dream, as are the haircuts. And an NRL player who’s never even kicked a ball can grab a $4 million contract just for batting his eyelashes at the delusional Demetriou. But it’s better than rugby league somehow. You need us, we don’t need you.

It has however created an instant cool chick detection system.

Me: “Follow AFL?”
Her: “What’s AFL?”
Me: “Want to get married?”
Her: “What’s married?”
Me: “Perfect.”

Paul says:

12:19pm | 04/04/11

Maybe one of the NRL fans can explain the exact skill set of 26 men standing 10m apart and running into each other for 80 min. Every now and again for excitement they pack a meaningless scrum where 12 grown men rest their heads next to other mens sweaty thighs for no reason as no one dare push because someone may get hurt.

If you blokes like the NRL more power to you but can you leave our national game alone and comment on your Pommie invented yawn fest elsewhere.

Sad Sad Reality says:

12:47pm | 04/04/11

Paul, NRL players are scared of getting hurt? Ah aha hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Only an AFL fan would make such a ludicrous accusation. You guys get pinged by the ref for “heavy touching”. And then spend six weeks on the sideline with the white shoe brigade to teach you a lesson. Kim Clisters has more grunt than you artistic types south of the border.

Absolutely pathetic.

NRL players regularly knock each other out putting on big hits. The only time you see an AFL player get knocked out is when he’s in a club on the drink.

Alex says:

01:10pm | 04/04/11

It is little wonder the Rugby and League people get a touch paranoid about the AFL because the offical figures from 2010 are not pretty from their perspective

AFL Revenue $335.8 million , NRL $170 million,

Money returned to competing clubs AFL $140 million , NRL $55 million.

Attendance AFL 7.4 million , NRL 3.9 million despite having 2 less rounds in the AFL.

Not quite sure why people talk of a war between the codes it would appear the contest has been resolved which is a shame for League because around 20 years ago there was little between the codes now the gulf is enormous.

Ted says:

01:17pm | 04/04/11

The problem with NRL fans is they know in their bones Aussie rules is a better game, hence the persistent anxiety. This is why they constantly talk about it all the time and spend so much time concocting degenerative descriptions. They can’t help themselves. It’s AFL this, AFL that, morning to night. It’s their favorite topic of conversation. The AFL is probably the only thing keeping the NRL afloat.

Phil says:

01:34pm | 04/04/11

Sad Sad Reality - you say that players get knocked out in the NRL is a good thing while not realizing that it is the biggest threat to the code you follow. What do you think future rule changes like the teams only 5m apart instead of 10m or only 2 in the tackle will do for the code.

The thing in the AFL’s favour although I still hate the rule changes to soften the code is that in essence people still watch because of the speed of the contest and the athletic ability of the players. (you only have to look at crowds and rating increases every year despite the changes)

The NRL will be forced into changes to soften the impacts in tackles by the medical fraternity and once this is stripped from the code there will not be a lot left.

Sad Sad Reality says:

01:37pm | 04/04/11

Alex, AFL is played in the areas of Australia where the alternative is Devonshire tea and biscuits. No surprise it brings in big cash. In Sydney the only people who support AFL are grandmothers and barristas. Everyone else follows a real sport.

Ted, my mate summed it up perfectly one day. Someone offered him a ticket to the Swans and he told them he’d rather go to work than watch AFL.

The fact is mate, this article is about AFL, so I thought let’s add a little reality to the relentless circle jerk of AFL admiration.

Rugby league = international sport.
AFL = played only in Australia.
Says it all really.

Sad Sad Reality says:

01:51pm | 04/04/11

Phil, AFL is like political correctness. A lie to make the weak feel better about themselves.

Those ridiculous rule changes will never come into the NRL for one reason - NRL players aren’t soft. They are men.

HappyCynic says:

02:06pm | 04/04/11

@SSR

For someone who doesn’t like AFL, you sure know a lot about the ins and outs of the game and its more complicated rules.

This means you either secretly love the game or you’re the St Kilda schoolgirl.

Sad Sad Reality says:

02:24pm | 04/04/11

HC, intelligent people know a lot about everything. It’s called keeping up. I know that’s hard for you to understand.

Ted says:

02:30pm | 04/04/11

@Sad Sad,

In a practical sense rugby league is about as relevent to international sport as Bocce. Speaking of circle jerks, that’s a good description for the rugby league tri nations.

Jack says:

02:32pm | 04/04/11

Sad Sad reality

League is not international. Australia , England, New Zealand and France are the only ones playing professionally. PNG borderline. 2 continents.  Hardly International.

You could say Union is international - but it is basically the Commonwealth and a couple of others.

AFL’s 4th International cup is on again in August. I think 16 countries competing.  PNG now has 25,000 juniors playing AFL. And is preferred.

Sad Sad Reality says:

02:43pm | 04/04/11

Which makes AFL about as internationally relevant as the Collingwood RSL darts final.

Get this into your head, Ted. AFL has been around for over 150 years and how many other countries have been interested in playing it in that time? That’s right none. Not one. Zero. In over 150 years. No takers. Must be a wonderful sport. A sport for winners.

Sad Sad Reality says:

02:51pm | 04/04/11

That’s funny Jack because I remember going to the rugby league World Sevens and there were teams from Russia, America, Lebanon, Tonga, France, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji and England. Certainly not equivalent to the soccer World Cup, but a lot better than three lame games against Ireland every couple of years. You know those games where you don’t even play the same sport.

PS my comments were about league not union. Just another example of how out of touch you AFL fans are with reality.

Funny, don’t see that much coverage of the International Cup. Must be a real seat filler. England has a rugby league competition that is good enough for the two countries to regularly trade players. Once AFL has the equivalent, you can talk. Until then learn the difference between union and league and enjoy watching a sport grannies can’t get enough of.

Ando says:

02:56pm | 04/04/11

Jack,
“league is not international”
international - between or among nations; involving two or more nations

Gee Jay says:

02:59pm | 04/04/11

To even compare the the game of rugby with the AFL is ,to put it bluntly, just plain daft ! Rugby,to we southeners,is a game without any semblance of skill,played by men without a neck and with pugelistic features..  The AFL must expand,but it will-naturaly- take some time to convince those people who find rugby entertaining. .I agree with you on Tassie; it should have been promoted to AFL long ago..

Seanr says:

03:04pm | 04/04/11

“seagulls fighting over a chip” LOL, I’m going to use that one

Sad Sad Reality says:

03:18pm | 04/04/11

“pugelistic features”

Melbourne = home of the pseudo-intellectual tosser.

Muttley says:

03:49pm | 04/04/11

Oh Ted, brilliant. Thanks for my chuckle of the day. Hate to burst your bubble old bean, but i can assure you that AFL ranks not at all as a threat to our great game and it rarely rates a thought. Lol, i think someone forgot to take their meds today, didnt they pet? But to go on and dribble about lack of international relevance??? WTF? Lets see who comes to the AFL world cup. Well there’s Australia, and then…....oh. Thats it. Lol.

Jack says:

04:10pm | 04/04/11

Sad Sad case

You need ask why League and Rugby have to have 7’s at all.

Me thinks it something to with making it more entertaining.
A bit like 20/20 cricket.  Invented to spark attendances, and so fans wont; fall asleep watching.

Which says a lot about the 13 “man” League game and 15 “man” Union game.  Don’t just change the rules. Change the whole team numbers

But the players mustn’t like 7’s.  Less to sniff.

You can tell League is less skilled - see how excited the commentators get when a player actually catches a bomb.  Wow.  What skill. Wonder if that happens in AFL.  As for kicking field goals - its laughable how poor they are.  Lets make the scoring target 70 metres wide to get a try.

Sad Sad Reality says:

04:30pm | 04/04/11

Pretty big logic fail there, Jack, me old son. If NRL players are so talentless why is the AFL falling all over itself to pick them up? And humiliating die hard slobbering fans like yourself in the process. The truth is AFL scouts watched Israel Folau catch a few high balls and thought “wow, he’s brilliant! Our game needs him.” That’s a fact.

And I wouldn’t be making jokes about the number of players featured in league when you basically have two countries walking out onto the field in AFL. There’s like 72 guys out there. That’s why there’s no individual brilliance. Just a swarm of marathon runners flinging each other about as the ball bobbles around uncontrolled.

And the skill. Please. You get points for missing in AFL. It’s the same rules they use for little kids. You missed by a mile but it’s okay I’ll give you a point. Plus you take a mark and the defender has to walk a mile away so you can take an uncontested kick. It’s like netball for feet. Contact wing defense! Ah ha ha ha ha!

Hamish says:

05:30pm | 04/04/11

SSR, they went after Falou and Hunt because they have provided craploads of free media coverage and were willing to jump ship because NRL players get paid jack compared to AFL players. AFL has much higher TV incomes, higher gate takings and far better managed clubs, so spending a couple of hundred thousand in exchange for millions of dollars worth of free PR is something the AFL is easily in a position to do. It’s not because anyone thinks Falou and Hunt will be anything better than handy players. You’re talking about it which means it has clearly been a good investment. That, and it makes league look pretty bad when they can’t keep some of their biggest stars and AFL people generally like making league look unprofessional and second-rate.

Ted says:

05:52pm | 04/04/11

Sad Sad, why so sad and angry? You and your buddies can try blowing up the NRL image like a frightened frill necked lizard as much as you like, but that doesn’t change the fact it’s a puny irrelevency pretty much everywhere outside parts of NSW, QLD and a sliver of the UK.

Jack says:

06:36am | 05/04/11

Well Sad Sad

I thought I’d go along and attend the Storm game last night. Rang up to find what time it started and the NRL gal asked “what time can you get here”?

Jimbo says:

06:39am | 05/04/11

Worse than all those jokes - I went to an NRL game once and asked how much the game was.

Counter chick said $100.00.  So I put down my hard earned.

The girl came back with bag of keys and box full of papers.

Apparently I had bought the game.

sad sad sad reality says:

08:55am | 05/04/11

@sad sad reality
Rugby League may be an ‘international’ sport, but still has about 200,000 less global participants than AFL who have about 30,000,000 less participants than soccer. I wonder what you and your mate Ted have to say about that?

Sad Sad Reality says:

09:35am | 05/04/11

@Hamish. you think we need them? We grow players like that every year. You know, with the skill and athletic ability to walk straight into the top flight of your sport. You can talk about marketing all you want, but the truth is they wouldn’t have picked those two guys up if they thought they couldn’t handle professional AFL. And I’m hearing a lot about league trying to make itself feel good when you just admitted AFL deliberately went after the guys. Sounds like a pretty desperate attempt to build the AFl brand me.

@Ted, do you always misinterpret comedy as anger? No one plays AFL outside the crappiest parts of Australia. It’s a sport created for and by bushrangers. Wherever you see a wino asleep on a milk crate. Wherever you see a purple haired modern art fiend in a Afghani scarf. Wherever you see a 90-year-old woman mashing a scone into her face. Wherever you see bunyips. AFL will be there.

@Jack. Funny.

@Jimbo. No prizes for second place mate. Especially when the cross the finish line with your pants round your ankles.

Sad Sad Reality says:

10:03am | 05/04/11

Avatar thief, soccer is great. I play it every week. But if I want to see a modern gladiatorial battle, I don’t go and watch Roma rolling around on the floor holding their faces. Know what I’m saying?

Matthew says:

10:18am | 05/04/11

SSR, Rugby in England is like Netball in Australia.  Yes it’s there, yes they’re one of the best in the world.  But no one goes to watch it.  It pulls in decent crowds, enough to get by, but at the end of the day, Soccer (The real Football some might say) still pulls in 100s times more players/fans every weekend.

Rugby League and Rugby Union are doing ok, but the fact is they’re still relatively small sports, no bigger than the AFL.  Also, AFL is international too, there is a japanese league and japanese team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Japan

The fact is, AFL pulls in larger crowds and larger team members than NRL.  Strangely though, the biggest city in Australia (By a few million) and the 3rd biggest are both NRL strongholds but still can’t pull in the numbers that Melbourne has alone.  Everyone in Melbourne has a team, I bet half of sydney doesn’t have an NRL team and some probably don’t even know the teams that are playing.

Rev says:

11:46am | 05/04/11

@Sad Sad Reality - mate, I like AFL and NRL, but your comments here today are just hilarious.  Seriously.

Seagulls fighting over a chip, contact wing defense - can’t wait to use these on my AFL tragic mates.

Schooner Pig says:

10:03am | 08/04/11

I have seen the light, rugby leagues five cuddles and a kick is so much more skillful than AFL.  Thank you for opening my eyes…

Carl Palmer says:

01:40pm | 04/04/11

Ditto
Clearly has no idea

Jeremy C says:

09:45am | 04/04/11

This shows the failure of socialism (the creed of the regulation obsessed afl) when confronted with a free market. It will be interesting to see what back room Melbourne deals are done to fix this mess. And the gullible fans just keep lapping it up, if I want sports-entertainment I watch wwf or wow….

Matthew says:

10:22am | 05/04/11

Jeremy C, the world wildlife fund?  Unless you mean the WWE…

Seano says:

07:40am | 04/04/11

“BTW, did you have another article ready to go if they pulled off a win AS? ‘Demetriou’s triumph’ perhaps?”

They got flogged by 119 points, I doubt it.

Faz says:

09:34am | 04/04/11

@ Seano

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Carlton is a team on the rise and is not far off peaking; the Suns are years off that point. I suspect they’ll take less time than Carlton did, but that’s a more plausible theory than ‘humiliation’.

Seano says:

11:18am | 04/04/11

119 points…get a grip.

Chris says:

11:42am | 04/04/11

yes they were flogged just like plenty of other teams from the “heartland” have been over the years Cartlon Included, those teams are still in the competition. The fact is a lot of their players are very young so their performaces will be inconsistant, its only been one game. Melbourne were flogged by Hawthorn on the weekend, with Melbourne picked by good judges to make the 8. A lot of teams that play Collingwood this year will be smashed, do you want them kicked out of the competition? Judge them on their performance over the year. Hunt will get better, Robert Walls said he thought he would play worse, they all said he was no better or worse than anyone else, experianced players included, where was Ablett?

adie says:

03:43pm | 04/04/11

Why cant we judge GC as a failure after only one round?  I mean, all the Colligwood supporters i know have already declared themselves 2011 Premiers….

Bilby says:

07:20pm | 04/04/11

adie - Well… you know what they say about Collingwood fans. I heard they bite the heads of live chickens.

Matthew says:

10:30am | 05/04/11

adie, I’ve declared the suns the premiers after 1 round.  Doesn’t mean I’m right.  Collingwood proved last year that they’ve got a strong team and do in fact have a good chance (I wouldn’t say they’re the winners until at least late August).  Just remember, things can change very quickly (Lions in the 2001 premiership, they lost 5 of the first 8 and ended up winning it).

Matt says:

02:09pm | 05/04/11

I think the AFL draft system is to blame for the weak out of their depth GC squad.  It stops the free movement of players.  Out of the 22 or so players Gold Coast have only 8 that have ever played first grade.  It’s literally a junior or reserves team taking on seasoned first graders.  They are going to get flogged all year - guaranteed.

Another poster compared stats between League & AFL.  I noticed they didn’t include TV ratings.  Because despite league being played mainly in NSW & QLD it’s total viewers nation wide is almost on par with the AFL.  It’s an awesome TV sport something AFL is not.

I went to my first ever AFL game last year and I was bored.  It went on forever & the amount of pushing & niggling that goes on off the ball is annoying to watch.  It’s scrappy aerial ping pong played in tight shorts.

Pork says:

08:59am | 04/04/11

“I know as a Carlton supporter I got a fair amount of enjoyment out of Saturday night!!”
This tells you all you need to know about Carlton and its supporters…

I go for “...the Club who’s name shall not be mentioned…” and I cringed at the Suns debacle and also felt terrible for North Melbourne as we humiliated them.  People who enjoy watching slaughter are of very low calibre indeed.
I guess that is why they wear CFC on their chests.  Complete *expletive* *worse expletive*...

Surely now there must be HUGE pressure put on North Melbourne to merge with the Suns.  They are doomed where they are and The Gold Coast want them, NEED THEM. A deal needs to be struck and quick.

As well, there is still time to stop the whole GWS debacle.  It is the team that no one has asked for and no one wants.  Just because there is a potential market does not mean it will buy your product.  After Saturday nights debut, even massively over inflated salaries are highly unlikely to lure top players to the equivalent of football oblivion. And Israel Folau and Kevin Sheedy are looking more comical by the moment.  Good luck getting Daisy or Pendles if the Suns keep getting shellacked.  Who wants to waste their football talent on a misguided expansion plan?  I guess we’ll find out…

peter warrington says:

12:22pm | 04/04/11

carlton were lucky to beat richmond (who were very unlucky to not beat st kilda). throw a blanket over 10-12 teams. just like the nrl…

go Blues says:

12:39pm | 04/04/11

well done pork.  Send the Roos North so they can live to fight another day.  however, the real elephant in the room here is GWS.  the Suns have had first dibs at all these kids AND out of contract players and still didn’t fire a shot.  there isn’t much left for GWS.  and talking of bums on seats, who wants to go out to the western ‘burbs of Sydney for ANYTHING let alone footy.  Go to the Blacktown RSL for a beer and burger instead.

Nigel says:

08:49am | 04/04/11

‘minimum success’?  I think that 4 premierships and 3 times runner-up is quite a reasonable return.  Besides the rules are not changed ‘every two-weeks’, they are never changed mid-season. Apart from those ‘errors of judgement’, you are right in suggesting that Tasmania should have been ahead of the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

iansand says:

09:43am | 04/04/11

NRL adjusts the rules by telling the refs which rules to enforce and which rules to ignore.  It is a week by week proposition.

And no one, including referess, players and spectators, understands the scrum rules in Rugby Union.

Tony of Poorakistan says:

09:50am | 04/04/11

I am amused that the most cogent comment on AFL has come from a woman.
 
The game *has* changed for the worse over the years. It is faster, at the expense of what made it great. The high marks, the hard bumps and long accurate kicking.

What’s more, it is now geared almost entirely for television, with games scheduled to suit the networks, not the fans. The umpires can’t even bounce the ball after a goal until the TV stations give them the all-clear. 
 
As for Demetriou and expansion, I wouldn’t mind if it were fair and consistent. Adelaide were shafted when they joined, paying a $2Million license fee to prop up Vic clubs, getting no draft concessions and being denied players under the same father-son rules as the VFL.

simon says:

11:44am | 04/04/11

I agree Retired AFL player’s wife says

The AFL seems to think It has some mandate to change the fabric of the game. No other sport changes it’s rules every year, the AFL and Demetriou in particular have ruined the AFl and made the game so sanitised it is almost unrecognisable to even 10 years ago.

Demetriou must go and they should reverse all the rule changes made over the last 10 years.

I used to love watching AFL, now i could not give a toss.

peter warrington says:

12:20pm | 04/04/11

at least the long kicking and contested marking, and players being stuffed by 3/4 time, is back - at least at the heart and soul of footy, Tigerland!

oh wait says:

12:39pm | 04/04/11

According to the 2009 ERASS survey, Queensland has 40,000 Australian football players, NSW has 58,000 and Tasmania has only 20,000. On that basis why should Tasmania get a team ahead of Queensland or New South Wales?

Dan says:

12:55pm | 04/04/11

Sheedy spent 27 years at Essendon, and he coached them to four premierships. To say that he had ‘minimum success’ is absurd.

Paul says:

01:44pm | 04/04/11

The thing in the AFL’s favour is that they can make the code fun to watch again by fixing the umpiring dept and limiting the free kicks for acts that do not impact the contest.

An example of this is choosing a good game to watch which was the Swans v Eagles Grand Final where there were only 25 free kicks for the entire game while yesterday at the Swans v Essendon game there was 31 before half time about half of which were for acts that had no impact on the contest like an inconsequential hand in your opponents back before a marking contest or a player ducking his head and running straight into an opponent who is standing still to get a free.

The sooner the umpiring dept learn the PLAY ON call the more enjoyable footy will be again.

mikeymike says:

01:49pm | 04/04/11

NFL has rule reviews at the end of every season.  On field challenges and referee reviews were first trialled in American Football. 
International football changed the offside rule in 2003.  Player challenges were first allowed in tennis in 2006.  Cricket invented a new game for itself in 2003.
Admittedly, frequent rule changes seem to be culturally acceptable to the code.  Previously, rule changes were limited in AFL, now they seem to be headed the same ways as the NFL.  And why not?  Never forget that sports is now a business.  Owners want to maximise their profits therefore seasons will be longer, games will be scheduled to suit television and rule changes will be implemented that will either improve the asset base (the players and their health) or the operating profit (TV ratings).

peter warrington says:

03:10pm | 04/04/11

paul, you can trace the return of high markers like Jack Riewoldt and Mitch Morton to the return to no hands in the back when marking. the game is better for it -two guys going up for the ball, not trying to scrag each other a la barry hall wrestling clinics. it cost richmond the dreamtime game 2 years ago but as a tiger fan i thought it (the “harsh” call against Richo) was spot on.

(the high contact rule is berserk. come should be paid the other way for legging/trippinmg/head butting.)

MD says:

09:49am | 04/04/11

He did it with just a paperclip and chewing gum as well.

mikeymike says:

12:01pm | 05/04/11

Don’t thank me, thank the moon’s gravitational pull.

GC Dude says:

08:35am | 04/04/11

I agree Nicko. Anthony is either fishing for some passionate AFL fans to come out swinging after putting pen to paper with such obvious dribble or he’s just plain run out of legit journo ideas for a newsworthy story. Either way, I remember watching the Lions flog Hawthorn and Geelong by over 100 points a few years back, not to mention the record loss the Bears got at Cararra by Geelong…..all of which went on to win Premierships. Win, loose or draw the Suns already have double the membership of the Titans on the GC and I’ve seen more kids wearing Suns gear around town. Bugger the naysayers, they’re just League fans who know the writing is on the wall for their own stagnant code.

Paul says:

01:54pm | 04/04/11

Well said Will, I did not see many other teams on the weekend wheel out 2 18 yo’s over 200cm ( Dixon and Smith) who can both compete already, Can you imagine just those 2 in a few years time not to mention blokes like Swallow and the other 7 or so first round picks they got.

The same will apply at GWS and in 5 years time people will be sick of these to 2 clubs dominating the league.

A Dose of Reality says:

10:13am | 04/04/11

Absolutely correct. 

The Gold Coast has case for a side (given the number of expats from SA and Vic there) but for Western Sydney there is no case whatsoever, apart from someone getting another bonus.

Even in the GC situation, it should have been a case of the local league taking over North Melbourne (by joining it’s membership and forcing a move through a membership vote).  This would provide a competitive club from the start both on and off the field, reducing rather than adding to the number of dependent clubs.

But even before that - a side should have come from Tasmania.  If that is a re-located Hawthorn, a new side from scratch or whatever - this too will result in a competitive club, both on and off the field.  The local league should encourage it’s members to “join the hawks” so they can force a re-location - they already make up something like 1/4 to 1/3 of that club’s membership! The Tasmanian government should that continued support is dependent on such a relocation.

Less teams in Melbourne, freeing the fixture somewhat and expansion into a new state and consolidation for another traditional football state.

Even then, the logical “next move” is the NT (a combined Darwin and Alice leagues entry).

Western Sydney - a junket for those ruining Aussie Rules.

GB says:

12:02pm | 04/04/11

Agree completely.

Tas is already an existing AFL state and they would love to be able to retain some of their own players in a local side. North moving to Tassie would be a viable option for both North and the AFL, and with Hawthorn’s existing push into Tassie you could already have a bit of a rivalry going on.

For supporters living in Victoria in particular it would be an easy trip down to see your team play in Tassie - a Saturday or Sunday afternoon game could even be a day trip, or you could make a weekend out of it.

The only issue would be with the WA teams and travelling between Tassie and WA as it is a long trip and I believe no direct commercial flights from Perth-Hobart. however the AFL could easily ensure that the Tas team only make one trip to Perth at most.

Alex says:

02:07pm | 04/04/11

I can not believe people are having a crack at Hunt the poor bloke while still learning the code is being asked to mark opponents nearly a foot taller and 10kg heavier which under todays no contact between forwards and backs rules is impossible. Hunt should be marking guys his own size and is paying of the Suns poor recruitment when they took 2 small backs is Brown and Harbrow and only 1 tall defender in Bock.

Karmichael will continue learning and will be a handy player be the time his contract is up then it will be interesting to see if he resigns or goes back to league.

My tip is he will stay in the AFL given the size of the pay packets and in 2 years time he will be still have unfinished business to shut clowns like the author of this article up.

GB says:

11:53am | 04/04/11

GC obviously took that advice to heart, they gave away a lot of silly free kicks on Saturday night with high tackles and late hits.

Dave says:

06:58pm | 08/04/11

LOL, the AFL kicked in $10m to the Gold Coast stadium, as well as paying for it’s upkeep every year. And you’re worried about a few hundred grand paid by some privately owned soccer or rugby clubs? The interest on the AFL’s contribution would exceed that.

Al says:

02:14pm | 04/04/11

They certainly need to do something about the centre bounce work don’t they. Zac Smith will contiinue to improve and as you said Brown may help out until Swallow comes to terms with the speed of the AFL.

Pork says:

10:59am | 04/04/11

Ummmmmm, sorry, I may be a Magpie supporter and therefore still bitter, but the Lions 3 Grand Finals were massively assisted by the AFL creating an unlevel playing field that allowed the 2001 premiers to keep a raft of stars for 2002.  And then for 2003!  AND for 2004!  Essendon HAD to shed stars after their 2000 GF win but the Brions had no such issues.  They had 3 Brownlow medalists in their 2004 side.  All their reign proved was the AFL REEEEAAAAAALLLLLYYYY wanted Brisbane to become entrenched as a AFL area and was prepared to bend the rules to do it.
And the real measure of the Suns future will be the fans that show up to game #2 at home.  The Roos must be made to merge with them if this is to work - at very least in the short term.

Tator says:

11:59am | 04/04/11

Pork,
bit like the Magpies soft travelling schedule gives them a huge advantage over most clubs, only venturing outside of Melbourne four times last year and programmed to travel only 4 times this year too, and only once to Perth and Adelaide, the longer two of the road trips.
Last year Collingwood travelled outside of Melbourne just four times - to Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney. It’s worth noting the Saints travel interstate six times this year, including twice to Perth, and finish the home-and-away season with a game in Adelaide against the Crows, before starting their finals campaign the following weekend.

Also the Pies have a total of six six-day breaks. St Kilda endured nine “short weeks” last season.  Then there was the case where Collingwood had a good run of playing teams who had travelled to Perth the previous week a few seasons ago.

Phil says:

12:30pm | 04/04/11

Not to mention they outdrew the all powerful Bronco’s who played on Friday night. All this from a team that played well away from their base at the Gold Coast.

Does anyone want a side bet they average more for the season to Suns games than Titans games?

peter warrington says:

12:31pm | 04/04/11

Tator, that assumes the saints make the 8. you’d have to give richmond as much chance as trhem based on the last two friday nights.

Tator says:

01:31pm | 04/04/11

Peter,
sorry, but that bit about St Kilda was about last years draw, a bit of missed editing there.

Seano says:

02:16pm | 04/04/11

A lot of money spent on Hunt for one game Davo. Watch the crowds drop through the floor for the Gold Coast after the novelty has worn off. Yesterday was a disaster, couldn’t sell out thier first game and then didn’t just get beat they got embarrassed.

You keep preying for those “young guns” (snigger) meanwhile a large chunk of the RL community didn’t even know your season had started, as evidenced by the AFL getting out rated in Sydney by McGyver re-runs.

Kate says:

07:08pm | 04/04/11

Yep Pork, because the Pies aren’t helped by the AFL at all.

Softest draw in the comp for several years running. Now, there is absolutely no doubt that the Pies deserved the flag last year and are by far the best team in the competition right now, but they aren’t exactly hard done by.

North Melbourne are not merging or relocating. How many times does it have to be said before muppets like you believe it?
I can only conclude that this ridiculous anti-North Melbourne sentiment comes from other teams’ supporters still being mad about North’s dominance in the 90s. You’ll get over it eventually.

Pork says:

08:10am | 05/04/11

Kate, it is not Anti-North sentiment, it is reality.  You don’t have the money, you don’t have the supporters. This has been the stark reality for a decade.  Populate or perish - or relocate.  I know you love your club but blind dogmatic determination will not save you.  To survive in any form the Kangas must relocate and/or merge.  Will it take seeing your club go out backwards before ‘muppets’ like you realise these are facts not anti your team.
Did you enjoy Saturday’s game?  I didn’t at all and my side won. It was horrible. It reminded me pof Fitzroy in the early 90s.

Dave-o says:

12:59pm | 05/04/11

Sharwood, most of the Gold Coasts growth over the last twenty years has been fuelled by interstate migration from primarily Victoria (then Sydney) which meant there was a larger football community to be served. Yes the AFL invested heavily in junior programs and growing the NEAFL, however there was still significant support for away clubs on the coast. GC is no RL town either, otherwise they wouldn’t have had 3 failed franchises there.

@Pork, good to see you suckle at Eddie McGuire’s tit. How quickly do the Black and white army forget your clubs undermining of the draft system. Never mind though, we cant all play for a premiership club.

Pork says:

02:30pm | 05/04/11

Dave-o, WTF?  This is not about Eddie McGuire.  This is not about perceived wrongs in the history of AFL.  It is simple economics.  Supply/Demand.
The North Melbourne Kangaroos are currently supplying something for which there is very little demand.  Their supporter base is tiny.  Their sponsorship, corporate support and cash flow reflect this.  The draft allows them to pick players each year.  However, retaining them is another matter.  Wayne Carey destroyed the success of North Melbourne as surely as he helped build it.  They could not afford that to happen.  The tarnishing of their brand was disasterous.  To survive they must find more corporate dollars and a supporter base.  The Gold Coast wanted them badly.  They turned them down.  I understand why.  Footy is tribal.  We love our tribes and are loyal to them.  We don’t want them to disappear.  But the writing is writ large on the wall.  87 point losses when your opponents took their foot off the gas in the 4th quarter speaks of crisis.  The Suns 119 loss speaks of crisis.  Put them together and the GCNM Kangaroos are a force.  Negotiate a deal to make the best of it - but make the deal!  The Brions were created by the AFL and propped up by the AFL.  They’ll support another merger.
Don’t try to pass this logic off as Collingwood hating North.  We don’t - We hate Carlton (and Brisbane a bit).  The sad truth is we don’t really care one way or another about North and from the game attendences not many do. For North to survive they must merge and/or relocate to find something similar.

Dave-o says:

03:56pm | 05/04/11

@Pork, you missed the point. Eddie McGuire walks around proclaiming he single handily stopped some kind of Brisbane rort. That they were some how stealing talent from Collingwood. Reality was it was just a sourpuss having his own little whine. 

The Gold Coast didn’t want them badly, they wanted to promote Southport first. The AFL saw the huge expense in the franchise and wanted to kill two birds with one stone.

If you truly believed in Supply and demand economics you’d have sent Collingwood to West Sydney. The vacuum in supply of footy in Melbourne would see people sign on to North Melbourne and a proud club like Collingwood would have no problems in relocating. The Vietnamese dentists in the area would also think all their Christmas’ had come at once. So thats a win for Sydney, a win for AFL and a win for Collingwood.

Pork says:

08:15am | 06/04/11

Dave-o, if you are just all about baiting then I’ll leave you to our un-social club to deal with. Have fun.

Kika says:

12:49pm | 04/04/11

GOOD point! The NRL is dying in their own heartland and scoffing at a crowd of 27,000 is ridiculous. The NRL would be lucky to even get half that number in any other place other than Suncorp stadium.

Pork says:

11:40am | 04/04/11

Hmmmm #1?
Lets wait till 10.30pm this Friday, Kika.  The final score will be the real indicator of your claim.

Kika says:

12:41pm | 04/04/11

I don’t care. Carlton will most likely lose. Boring. Old news. Collingwood stinks and always will stink. Carlton is a far superior and always will be.

Pork says:

12:43pm | 04/04/11

Shane, there is breaching and then there is The Melbourne Storm.  They set the benchmark for rorting. 
Sure other clubs bend the rules.  Melbourne ran them down with a truck, put them in a blender, reconstituted them into toilet paper and then used that paper.
And they are back and threatening again.  I dare you to go tell Craig Bellamy that league is dead in Melbourne.  Go on, you tell him…

Bugsy says:

12:46pm | 04/04/11

Rugby? Or Rugby League? If you’re talking about the Storm i assume you’re talking ‘league’. If you are talking about ‘rugby’ you mean Union and thus the Rebels. you Victorians. Learn the difference between real Rugby and Rugby League!!

Matt says:

01:25pm | 04/04/11

Bugsy, please explain the difference…

Jason Mc says:

02:03pm | 04/04/11

Matt

Rugby is better than League - mainly because its more continuous like AFL.  League has this “set of six” - and it is surprising how many of them can actually count to it.  That combined with the 10 yard rule makes for a very very repetitive game until the magnificent skills of a grubber kick or bomb are employed.  Not many AFL players could , or would want to - execute those NRL kicks. Such is their degree of difficulty.

As for getting a point for missing in AFL, at least in AFL the target is only 6 metres wide and requires accuracy - League have a scoring zone you actually run into that is the entire width of the field - 68 metres.  Hard for even the half dummy to miss that.  Although they say they Try.

Ando says:

03:22pm | 04/04/11

Jason Mc,
“More continuous” . I mostly record rugby and watch it later so I can fast forward through the unbelievable amount of long stopages. Sometimes one scrum can take 5 mins and then a penalty is blown anyway .

Hinkler says:

03:19am | 09/04/11

Shane shane shane, first off its not rugby mate, its rugby league, you see there are two games, one is called Rugby Union and the other is called wait for it.. Rugby League.
Victorians pride themselves on being more intellectual than their barbaric northern neighbors, but after a 100 years they still cant work out the difference yet.
Also on the Storm, yeah it was like 2 million over the salary cap, the biggest rort in Australian sports history, it wasnt like 200,000 as most clubs get busted for, so they deserved what they got.

Phil says:

12:45pm | 04/04/11

George, what you have got to understand in terms of both Karmichael and Israel is that they have already paid for themselves and it was sheer marketing brilliance by the AFL. As both the suns and the giants can not recruit proper AFL players until end of the season before they join the AFL it would be impossible to get media coverage in the first 12 months after they are formed. To fill this 12 month void they headhunted 2 high profile players to keep the 2 teams in the mainstream media.

Look at here in Sydney and the Giants, they are on the nightly news here in Sydney every second night due to Folau just training or playing against some reserve grade team and as such the brand ‘Giants’ will be a household name come their start next season. It will not matter if people support the team or not they will know of the Giants due to Folau so what he does on the field will just be a bonus.

From a marketing point of view how much do you reckon the free advertising on the nightly news or the endless newspaper reports would be worth, I would say $1 million a year would be pretty cheap.

Sad Sad Reality says:

12:59pm | 04/04/11

Phil, “Sheer marketing brilliance.”

Admitting you need rugby league players in your code to make expansion possible is hardly marketing brilliance. It is pathetic, transparent and doomed to fail. Both of the expansion clubs will collapse and life will return to normal, with men actually able to hit one another and showcase their individual athletic brilliance instead of just running a marathon and having uncontested shots at goal every ten seconds.

peter warrington says:

03:14pm | 04/04/11

tell joel selwood and farren ray that…

oh wait says:

12:44pm | 04/04/11

Anyone that thinks there’s an absolute truth against which things are rated by importance is a bigger moron.

oh wait says:

12:29pm | 04/04/11

Yeah, those Victorians are really insecure. Remember the outcry when the Storm started? Melbourne papers were choked with code war stories, aged commentators were bleating about the impending demise of the AFL. And the Rebels, the sigh of relief around the state when they were smashed in their first game, and therefore forever a failure, was palpable. You can’t walk around Melbourne without people constantly abusing you as a nswtard or canadian. Most insecure state in Australia.

oh wait says:

12:46pm | 04/04/11

Obviously not true. Oh I’m sorry, is that abusive?

John says:

02:27pm | 04/04/11

SM - the bulk of the money these 2 are getting is for promotional work what they are getting to play footy is relatively minor .

If you can name another AFL player despite being 5 times as good that would recieve the same media coverage before playing a game as the 2 NRL boys did in QLD and NSW I would be surprised and as such from a promotional point of view they are worth every cent.

Sad Sad Reality says:

01:10pm | 04/04/11

That’s funny Darcy, I thought getting the ref to bounce the ball or throw it backwards over his head were the most pathetic ways to get the ball back into play.

richo says:

01:20pm | 04/04/11

There are plenty of pro-AFL story’s written on the punch. As for your argument against News Limited, that is absurd, News Limited own the Herald Sun, a more biased and pro-AFL newspaper you will not find. this attitude is typical of AFL supporters though, the worlds against us, no the world is not against you.

I don’t find this article at all biased, Ant is simply questioning whether or not the absorbent amount paid to Karmicheal Hunt was sensible, and he also questions whether or not a Tasmanian team would have been a better option. In fact he called for a team to be placed in Tasmania, how is he biased against AFL?

NS Welshmen says:

04:09pm | 04/04/11

Hardly, Too many draws and too many bores.

Bruce says:

06:14pm | 04/04/11

Australian football has “one formation”? Have you watched a game?

Employing our human opposing thumb dexterity makes us a bunch of gumps?

The other 3 “handball” codes were born either directly or indirectly from football? Have you done any research beyond selectively embracing myth?

A Dose of Reality says:

09:27pm | 04/04/11

Bruno,

You do your game a disservice by knowing absolutely nothing about it, nor the history of how it was formed.

Firstly, the term “football” is to describe a game played “on foot”, as distinct to those games such as polo which were played on horseback. 

The term “football” was used to describe Association Rules Football exclusively only outside the country of it’s origin - where there were no indigenous codes.

Aussie Rules was codified as a game in 1859.  There are records of precursor games played as early as 1843 in South Australia.  Obviously other precursor games were played in Victoria.

Soccer (Association Football) was codified as a game in 1863.  You might notice that this is after Aussie Rules.

This codification caused a split between those teams that continued to play the game as it was (amongst those was Rugby University, which gave it’s name to the rules they continues to play) and a group of teams that agreed that they could no longer use their hands (apart from a goal keeper).

These clubs deciding to no longer “use their hands” formed an new association of clubs (hence the term “Association Rules Football”, of which the term “soccer” is an abbreviation).

Gaelic football is of course descended from the game “Caid” (apologies to any Irishmen if I’ve spelt it wrong) and is perhaps a thousand years old.

Rugby League, if you care to know was actually formed as a way to lessen the time scums were used in the game - some argue it’s a softer game.

Perhaps you should READ SOMETHING!

Ben C says:

02:10pm | 04/04/11

Sydney really should have remained a one-team city in the AFL, that’s what made the Swans so special in 2005 - they represented a whole city, not just a few suburbs like the Melbourne teams do, or the NRL clubs in Sydney. Why destroy that bond in a region where your product is going to be number 2 at best? Why not preserve this relationship between club and city and build it into something stronger?

peter warrington says:

03:06pm | 04/04/11

ben, i know as many swans-haters as a i do fans. many of us survived for years on rations of tiger, pie, blue, hawk etc. we need someone to cheer on days off. an anti-swan team. western sydney will do me fine as a “second team”. the presence of sheedy reliving his Richmond and essendon glories just adds to the beauty. hopefully the Horse will drag the swans down and then the local derbies will be worth a visit. far west rusted on leaguies have already sniffed out the trial games at blacktown and liked what they saw, the whole experience. they will return a couple of times a year. they will prefer league but there’s lots of money and lots of time to share around.

and there’s nothing so pallid as a bandwagony one team town. mets v yankees. everton genius versus liverpool filth. manure v CITY. RANGERS V CELTIC. dockers v eagles. port v crows. sheffield utd v wednesday. etc etc

i think the swans are the ones getting nervous, not the afl. at least it should balance out some of the reporting. so boring reading about the bloody swans everry day.

EAT EM ALIVE, TIGERS!

glory glory western sydney.  (giants is a crap name, however.)

AJL says:

03:34pm | 04/04/11

Peter, that’s kind of my point.  Why spend millions on the Giants just to tear down what they’ve spent millions trying to develop over the last 30 years, being the Swans?

peter warrington says:

05:01pm | 04/04/11

no. only the swans - a transplanted team - would be worried about having a rival team. it’s classic Sydney anti-competitive behaviour. anyone else would see it as an opportunity to further their identity. if the swans can’t thrive after all the support, they deserve to die.

the swans are john travolta in The Bubble Boy. I am Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past.

ps did I say GO TIGES yet?

Sad Sad Reality says:

02:35pm | 04/04/11

The NRL doesn’t need or want your support, Steve or anyone who supports AFL. It’s league or nothing.

JMC says:

02:41pm | 04/04/11

And Steve.  AFL is only the 17 sides that make up the AFL.

AFL is not the code.

The games is Australian Rules Football.  Learn the difference.

So give me back Victoria.

Sad Sad Reality says:

03:07pm | 04/04/11

JMC, cross country basketball is easier to remember.

CCB. That’s what you support.

JMC says:

04:00pm | 04/04/11

Well said Sad

Basketball is bigger than League and Union.

And we don’t have our noses in hairy cracks.

Bilby says:

04:11pm | 04/04/11

JMC - Much as I hate to go against someone arguing with SSR, it’s “Australian Football”, as in the “Australian Football League”, which is of course the league of Australian Football, not the Australian League of Football, if you get my drift.

NS Welshmen says:

04:28pm | 04/04/11

That was my unbiased assessment. Having played all other codes first and then AFL. I found it much superior in skills, fitness, mental ability and enjoyment. Many in NSW are biased against it for no other reason than silly inter-State rivalry..

Tator says:

07:57pm | 04/04/11

Alex,
until last year when my son started playing ice hockey, I would have agreed with you about the comparison, since then, having been involved with ice hockey both as a parent, supporter, player (1 game as goalie,wow what an experience), and learning how to skate properly at 42 years, I would say that the degree of skill involved is a lot higher, purely because it is done on ice skates.  I also have played Aussie Rules, basketball, field hockey, soccer, rugby 7’s, Grade cricket, netball, golf, tennis and baseball/softball, and I would rate it the hardest sport to master purely on the skating aspect and most who excell at it generally grow up on skates (like my son who has been on inlines since he was four and on ice since he was 6).  Watching some of the local peewee players skate around at public skating sessions, they are nicknamed by the rink staff as the Peewee Mafia as they just love buzzing “the blue skates” of those who are casual skaters using the nasty blue hire skates.
Having only played the one game so far,(a father son affair,) I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I had barely skated before in my life and was towed out to the goals and spent most of the game flopping around in front of the goals just getting in the way of the puck (it helps when you have two guys in front of you, one of which is a current Australian National mens team member and the other a former Adelaide Avalance/Adrenaline player)  Fortunately the game ended with a penalty shot for my 7yo son, and the little bugga didn’t miss either and I haven’t heard the end of it yet.  Bring on this years game, at least I can skate a bit now after getting a few lessons from the pro’s.  Only problem is that the little bugga’s game has improved quite a bit as well.

Tator says:

10:34pm | 04/04/11

BTW,
Australia 11 Mexico 1 in their first game of the IIHF Div 2 World Championships at the Melbourne Icehouse

Jimbo says:

03:20pm | 04/04/11

Victoria doesn’t have the worst floods or cyclones.

And your old man was probably RIGHT behind you when he said that.  Tighten up lad. Else it will never feel the same.

Sad Sad Reality says:

04:01pm | 04/04/11

Daniel, the difference is no one watches AFL overseas and with a population under 30 Mil that isn’t going to change unless AFL expands overseas, which will never happen because sane people think the sport is a joke. And they are right. The joke is on every AFL fan. We have Russell Crowe selling our sport to the Americans. You have no one. NRL wins again.

TimB says:

04:24pm | 04/04/11

Are you seriously trying to argue that the AFL grand final stands a chance of rivalling the Superbowl for international attention?

That may be the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard. Barely anyone outside Australia gives a toss about your ridiculous excuse for a sport.

The NRL Grand Final on the other hand…beamed into NZ, England, PNG, the USA…god knows how many other places. Granted. it won’t ever rival the Superbowl either, but it’s a damn sight closer than the AFL will ever get.

rufus says:

05:00pm | 04/04/11

Rugby League is a joke as an international sport, but it least it can truly claim to be one. If AFL is ever able to make that claim, it won’t be in the lifetime of anyone living today. It seems doomed to remain a southern Australian preoccupation.

Soccer is the World Game, the one true international sport. The rest are pretenders.

Ted says:

06:03pm | 04/04/11

Rugby League’s international claims are hilariously weak, more kids play Australian football in Sydney every weekend than play Rugby League in New Zealand. More people play Australian football in NSW and QLD than play Rugby League in every country outside Australia put together, yes including the UK.

If we applied the same degree over optimistic, or delusional spin to Australian football globally as NRL fans do to Rugby League, we could pretend all the same sort of nonsense. Australian football is played by tens of thousands of non-expats all across the world in as many if not more places than Rugby League. There are regular international Australian Football series featuring a multitude of countries. There are far bigger crowds to the International Rules games in Ireland than to Super League games in the UK. I could go on, but the difference between AFL fans and NRL fans is that AFL fans don’t pretend that these are things of consequence and that Australian football is meaningfully “international”.

Carl Palmer says:

06:33pm | 04/04/11

@Ted says: 06:03pm | 04/04/11

Very true. On the 24th April last year in a little town near Villers-Bretonneux I watched a 9 and side Aussie Rules game being played. A summary of the rules was written in French and were on billboards around the ground. It was a celebration of what the French believed was truly Australian. Whilst most of the players were Aussie, there were a couple of Frogs that got up and had a go. Everyone cheered. It was a very memorable and humbling moment and yes I have the Polaroids.

On the same trip in northan italy I saw a group of Italians in a bar watching Essendon playing Carlton and the commentary was in Italian. They said they didn’t understand the game but thought it looked exciting.

Sad Sad Reality says:

09:40am | 05/04/11

Carl, I once saw two Congolese boys kicking a rock through a set of makeshift goals. When one of the children could the rock, I could swear he shouted “mark”. I have the photos and everything.

Carl Palmer says:

09:11am | 07/04/11

@Sad Sad Reality says: 09:40am | 05/04/11

God pickup SSR, I forgot to mention that it’s truly a multicultural sport.

Mate, don’t lose the photos, one of those kids is now playing AFL (I’;m sure you know who it is), the other was too small and a little slow but he gave it a go.

peter warrington says:

05:03pm | 04/04/11

Laurie Fowler

Bruce says:

06:29pm | 04/04/11

“Was the article’s author not watching…..”

No, he most almost certainly wasn’t. Just another rabid, insecure and parochial Leaguey feigning a sincere attempt to embrace the national game…

Several of the minority of the ten experienced players were a mile below par.

Won’t respond to the last para as I can only assume it was toungue in cheek. Found it amusing though to watch the Carlton players over the top reactions to goals given their opponents.

Go Blues says:

09:47pm | 04/04/11

Laurie Fowler? Damn you richmond people need to go back a long way for anything good, dont you?
And if you’re referring to him knocking out Big Nick - that wasn’t his debut…

peter warrington says:

12:48am | 05/04/11

you say carlton, i say laurie fowler. it’s tiger tourettes. (I did say my favourite movie was Out of the Past, btw.)

Sad Sad Reality says:

05:05pm | 04/04/11

Steve, what else is there to do in Collingwood but watch that laughable sport. Islam has a lot of supporters too. Just sayin’.

Paul says:

05:35pm | 04/04/11

As silly as it sounds Steve those crowds would be considered good by NRL standards believe me they will get worse come the winter months as most League fans do not give a hoot about their clubs. Remember this is the code that drew 7500 for a grand final replay at Parramatta last year which is supposed to be NRL heartland.

This is why the AFL will keep persisting with the GWS team as they know that although most people in sydney have some affection for an NRL team they are not die hard supporters who will not look at other products.

Pork says:

09:08pm | 04/04/11

Bollocks. NRL is a good game. Watched and played by many. You don’t like it, but that doesn’t mean it is bad.

Sad Sad Reality says:

04:36pm | 05/04/11

AFL a superior product? Ah ha ha ha ha!

The NRL and the NFL have vastly superior products to the AFL. Want to know why? Oh maybe because they feature big hits. Powerful athletes busting tackles, threading intricate passes and yes even providing pin point kicks. Except both games realised that kicking the ball is soccer’s domain and the focus should always be on bodies bashing bodies, speed, agility and aggression. At least in a sport for men. That’s why AFL will never take off overseas. The world already has a game with long distance runners kicking around a ball. And it features a hell of a lot more skill than a gang of string beans chasing around a spilled ball like it’s the under 8s grand final.

And you can’t say the world already has rugby union, because league is union without the boring bits. It’s union without the lame score lines where a team that scored four tries gets beaten by a team that scored none.

And your MMA comment is way off. The problem is there aren’t enough good boxers going around at the moment to make a series of good fights. The UFC has a stable of big names fighting regularly which makes the sport more exciting at the moment. But you wait, there will be some retirements, some crappy up and comers and the support for the sport will wane. It happens to virtually every sport. Plus, and let’s be honest, most people would rather watch a world title boxing match than a UFC championship match. No one remembers where they were when GSP beat Josh Koscheck. But everyone knows where they were when Mike Tyson bit Evander Hollyfield’s ear off.

Paul says:

06:32pm | 04/04/11

Please refer to the attached site which shows ratings for both codes and let us all know which round the NRL outrates the AFL.

http://www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2011.php

Mate you will never see the day that NRL outrates AFL nationally.  The networks don’t pay more for the AFL rights because they like Demetriou’s haircut they pay more because more people watch it.

Davo from St Kilda says:

07:03pm | 04/04/11

@ QLD - the NRL outrates AFL on TV? What a load of crap. Where’s your proof? I’ll give YOU proof that the AFL outrates NRL on both free-to-air and foxtel.

http://www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2010.php.

-  The average weekly audience for the AFL in 2009 was 2,956,000,  compared to the NRL’s 1,548,000.

- 195,069,000 cumulative hours were viewed for the AFL compared to 80,546,000 for the NRL.

- The reach of the average AFL home and away game on Foxtel was 562,000 to the NRL’s 546,000.

Sorry to embarrass you, QLD, but when you make ridiculous claims like you have, expect to be taken to school.

Still, gotta love the constant ‘well, at least rugby is an international sport’. So what. So is chess. But if it makes you happy - knowing that AFL slaughters NRL in crowds, player salaries, team membership, income, TV rights, TV ratings, media reporting, sponsorship dollars etc, etc, - then you can win the debate on international popularity.

Me, I’ll be amongst the 80,000+ at the nation’s greatest sporting venue this Friday night supporting the mighty Blues. You can go watch Canada v PNG…

Bunny wabbit says:

07:50pm | 04/04/11

Davo from St Kilda,you take the bait every time,you need a life! Hilarious

QLD says:

08:12pm | 04/04/11

Paul and Davo. Look at me i can cut and paste too. See below

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-races-ahead-in-tv-viewers-stakes-20100930-15z9t.html

http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/league-becomes-australia-s-top-sport-3315931

In summary.
2009: League = 128.5 million GAYFL = 124.3 Million
2010: League = 120 million (without GF)  GAYFL = 112 million (with GF and with lame replay because they think they are better than the rest of the world with no golden point, overtime etc.

You can read it can’t you fellas? Well read it and weep then. Hell even wikipedia confirms it as Australias most popular sport. Take your lame sport back to Vic where it belongs. The rest of the world is satisfied to treat it as the curiosity that it is. Oh and if you’re going to throw AFL and Gaelic football in together then we may as well throw league and union in together, then you’re REALLY in trouble. Seems people prefer a Steeden over a Sherrin any day of the week.

Sorry guys you lose again

Davo from St Kilda says:

09:40pm | 04/04/11

@ QLD - again, where is your proof? The link you provided gives no evidence. To claim that 120 million watched the NRL last year without anything to back up the figure is pure BS. The Talking Footy figures provide a round-by-round, game-by-game analysis of the number of people watching AFL and NRL, and clearly shows that AFL is watched by more Australians than NRL is. Until you can provide a detailed breakdown of your ridiculous claim that 120 million people watched the NRL last year, then your claim cannot be believed. Read the Talking Footy article and show me how the numbers add up to 120 million anywhere.

Common sense tells you that a game with support in only two states, and with an average crowd attendance of only 16,000 does NOT have the same following as a sport with teams in EVERY mainland state and an average attendance of 36,000. The TV stations wouldn’t pay twice as much per year for the right to show AFL games if more people watched the NRL, would they?

As for your use of the term ‘GAYFL’, that only proves what a bunch of homophobic, backwards, knuckle-dragging neanderthals rugby fans are. You obviously can’t debate like an adult so you resort to childish name calling.

You lose. Again.

Nicko says:

10:11pm | 04/04/11

Hello Roy. Isn’t it time for your milk and a nap? In a fair comparison, the AFL beats the NRL ratings quite comfortably, even with the NRL manipulating its schedule to ensure ‘blockbusters’ in prime time, even with the NRL dominant in Australia’s first and third largest cities, even when most AFL broadcasts into southern states are delayed, even when the NRL plays its grand final in a better timeslot. The NRL does do better on pay TV, but only because there is a much higher foxtel penetration in Sydney and Brisbane compared to other cities. If subscription rates were even the AFL would do better on Foxtel by a wide margin.

Your comparison by aggregate is completely misleading. The NRL plays a longer season with more games, it includes ratings for all sorts of games that aren’t even part of the NRL season. This is on top of the aforementioned manipulation. Before the NRL started ‘tricking’ the numbers to improve ratings, the AFL smashed the NRL in aggregate by 50%. I don’t know what you think you can achieve by spinning your story, but I can guarantee you TV executives aren’t going to be fooled by your dodgy math.

Paul says:

08:25am | 05/04/11

QLD - I can not believe people use the term ‘GAYFL’ when they support a code that has scrums where no one is allowed to push which surely is just an excuse for 12 men to get close to other grown men’s sweaty thighs and hang out. Strange stuff indeed, if blokes did this in public they would be locked up.

As for the articles on the NRL tv ratings I would be careful quoting anything Roy Masters is involved in as facts are not usually high on the Masters agenda to be point where he is treated by most in society even here in Sydney as delusional.

Alex says:

09:02am | 05/04/11

Cmon Tony, the storm can not pull more than 12000 to a game despite their onfield success. I hardly think the Melb people who will not even go and see their own team play will be queueing up to watch say Penrith vs Parramatta on a Friday night on their tv’s.

But living here in Sydney I am all for channel 7 showing the Collingwood vs Carlton live on Friday night , Show some courage channel 7 and show a real event live on telly and give us a choice from watching mundane League games played with 15,000 fans in the crowd at stadiums that hold 80,000 and give off zero atmosphere.

peter warrington says:

12:53am | 05/04/11

onya!

Richard Rountree says:

07:24am | 05/04/11

I forgot to add. My father was so keen he organised a scratch competition during WWII. In Lae. Papua New Guinea. Being an NCO all his unit had to play in his team. And a few ringins from the local darkies. I don’t remember him ever saying that the troops played anything other than Aussie Rules.

Pork says:

08:16am | 05/04/11

Sorry - Moderator: “darkies”?!?!

Please people, argue all you want about who has the bigger one but for heavens sake keep your ignorant racism out of it.
If Collingwood can manage to change so can you.

Billy Whizz says:

07:18am | 05/04/11

@Chris medina - “Barassi Line” very good.  It is very hard for those below the Barrassi line to comprehend that their Quaint wobbly ball code has so little interest above the line.  I have never seen the fascination of a sport where the pinnacle is a suburb of melbourne plays another suburb of melbourne, high stakes indeed.

Jason says:

07:22am | 05/04/11

A World Cup maybe starts with more than 16 teams - but is the soccer word cup ever serious until it gets down to 16 teams. ? Teams ranked 20-40 just aint there.

As for Union - the last 4 is invariably Oz, NZ, SA and England. With France occasionally - and the Odd upset side making it every now and again

As for league - well - their “world” Cup is near always Oz and New Zealand or Oz and England. But mind you - Pacific Islanders make up half the teams. Maybe that shows how bariny you ned to be to play League.  They might as well just play the tri nations as their world cup. PNG and France are never going to make it. Unless they change the Cup to schoolboy runaround 7’s.  And those really long 14 minutes halves. What a joke 7’s is.

As for The AFL International Cup. 16 sides will be there. Including China and India.  The final on August 26th is at the MCG and will have over 30,000 people watching.  PNG Mosquitos are the defending champions. Having beaten NZ 2 years ago. Samoa are the dark horse this year.  PNG now has 10 players rookie listed on AFL lists.

So watch the avalanche continue. And weep and wish when you see 80,000 at the MCG this Friday night.

Bob H says:

10:26am | 05/04/11

Afl international cup? thats a joke right? Let me guess 16 teams made from people who live in Melbourne with one member from each team has a vague association with a different country.  Or are they professional CHinese and Indian AFL players.  Get real Jason, you have just proved AFL internationally is a kick around the park and a BBQ.  As for crowd attendance, watching some of the first round games the crowds looked pretty sparse and the dubbed crowd noise that the TV now uses was very out of place.

Cam says:

08:32am | 05/04/11

Nothing new. It’s widely acknowledged the NRL inflates its attendances. Several NRL club officials have gone on record confirming that fact.

Al says:

08:35am | 05/04/11

Richard - you only have to look at those League games played at Homebush , What about that Souths game a fortnight ago that I attended, whole stands were empty yet the crowd was posted as 24,000 while at the Swans game on the weekend where the stands at least had people in them the crowd was only 28,000. If there was only 4,000 more at the swans game it would be beyond belief.

In the end it doesn’t really matter I suppose as it is just a figure and the bottom line is there is no money coming through the gates which is why the League and the majority of clubs are broke.

John says:

09:47am | 05/04/11

There has been a saying up here in NSW for years that the NRL counts legs instead of bodies to arrive at their crowd totals .

Did Number 2's in a Motel passage says:

07:50am | 08/04/11

Actually, I think the NRL Neaderthals cout brain cells to arrive at the crowd size.

Teach your children well says:

01:15pm | 05/04/11

I hope your son makes it in his chosen field of sport, afterall, people (like yourself) will be laughing at him, hope he is able to laugh with ya.

Dave says:

04:47pm | 05/04/11

its called ‘expanding’

Sad Sad Reality says:

04:38pm | 05/04/11

I hear your barista calling.

Anthony says:

02:25pm | 08/04/11

Lol poor English Rugby code follower has nothing.so resorts to insults…how typical

Dave says:

09:53am | 08/04/11

Soccer laughing?  At what?  The failed FIFA bid?  Family-and-friends A League crowds?  Whatever goes on in Craig Foster’s head?

It’s an indictment on soccer that, despite this code war, they are making absolutely NO inroads into the media or corporate market.  It might be the world game, but it’s not Australia’s.

RL is gone says:

07:34pm | 09/04/11

I used to watch the Willagee Bears in the WARL comp; they were upset when I couldn’t watch them anymore as their crown figures dropped by 50% when I wasn’t there!

Hinkler says:

08:57am | 09/04/11

RL is gone says:

“If RL is such a great game, can someone please turn up to the games then? “
I was at one last night, along with 23,000 others, not as many as your pies/blues game, but the game was alot more exciting.

Lou says:

01:29pm | 09/04/11

You went to the heritage game Hinkler?

Good to see the rich heritage of Meriton Wests Tigers franchise being recognised. Not as rich as the DeLonghi Rabbitohs, but not their fault I guess. Highlights looked good on telly, actually saw a couple of offloads to secondary support. Seems like it *could* have been exciting… many Western Suburbs Magpies supporters there?

RL is gone says:

04:01pm | 09/04/11

23,000 to a RL game!!! We would be talking about why only 23,000 turned up to an AFL game, but RL heads think 23,000 is ok!!! Why does RL get pathetic crowds compared to AFL Australia wide, and why is RL’s tv deal significantly less than AFL’s?

From todays financial review a comparison of the revenue each code brings in; AFL $794 million last year, NRL $380 million. So RL gets crowds that would be considered pathetic in the AFL, had to shut down 2 RL clubs in WA and SA due to lack of interest, and the media values RL at less than half AFL’s worth!!!

The 2 RL supporters who turn up to each match better start thinking about what they have to do when RL is replaced with AFL!

Hinkler says:

01:32pm | 09/04/11

Well if you tried to work out our simple game as you arrogantly call it to all your wise nodding fumbleball mates, you would know that a scrums purpose is to keep the forward pack tied together so the backline can spin the ball out to hopefully get a try, for years the scrum has been allowed to break too early, thus limiting try opportunity’s, but at last refs are cracking down on this making them bind properly until the ball is out.
The reason why they don’t push anymore as is in rugby union is because a Penrith hooker(the guy in the middle of the front row) back in the early eighties was turned into a quadriplegic by a collapsed scrum on him, because the ball used to be fed by the halfback straight into the middle of the scrum, instead of behind the front row like it is now.
If you see rugby league scrums from thirty years ago they were wild crashing fistthrowing things indeed, something most AFL dainty fairy boys such as yourself would have gently tiptoed away from.

Hinkler says:

01:47pm | 09/04/11

Souths got a lot of other rugby league supporters at that rally, not just Souths ones, myself included, who didn’t like the treatment they got, they are a foundation club that has won 21 premierships,and deserved alot more respect.
Plenty of people go to the games, we will get 35 -40,000 at the doggies saints game tomorrow, if Sydney teams meet in the finals its a guaranteed 70,000 plus crowd now, so how can you stupidly say no one goes to the games then?
So your game gets more, whoopy doo da goose, guess what EPL and NFL get much higher attendance average to a round than you, so I guess that means no one turns up in the AFL.
Better more powerful code lol to a victorian insular goose I guess, we are der master race, all other sport must not live and compete, we fear it so much, right AFLdolf Hitler?
Coming from a low baseline your really showing Victorian ignorance of the rest of the sporting history of Australia now, not surprising for someone who has been spoon fed sherrins since he fell out of his mum, Rugby league was extremely popular in the fiftys and sixtys with large crowds attending, it then went right down for the next three decades in attendance, but now it is growing again.

Lou says:

05:33pm | 09/04/11

I know the simple game because I played it at school representative level while spending the first 2 decades of my life growing up in NW Sydney. Not Victoria, as you’ve incorrectly assumed. I recall when the scrum was fed in the middle row, and hookers like Royce Simmons etc actually practiced the art of hooking the ball. I recall the scrums we packed and the black eyes we’d sometimes end up with after going 80 minutes front row vs front row against Ashfield Boys etc.

It was a rhetorical question. There’s no point to the scrum whatsoever. Like I’ve mentioned above, the game I grew up loving is a shallow shell of what it was, thanks in part to media monies and loss of heritage , and thanks in part to boring as bats***, barely adventurous tactics. RL lost me as a fan, and I was one of many. Can’t be arsed retyping the reasons why, but if you want to refute it, scroll up. Both games are “softer” than they were in the past, you only need to youtube any number of brawls or hits in Aussie Rules games in the 70’s and 80’s. Again, if you want to see punching, go to a boxing match. Your contention of no “real physical contact” is fallacious as well, showing a shallow understanding of our sole indigenous game. Back into a pack in the goalsquare, or be blindsided by a fair shepherd off the ball, then come back to me after you’ve had a kidney removed and say it again. Easily enough to steel yourself for contact when it’s right in front of you, brick with eyes or not.

Good to see you’ve admitted the low baseline as well. I’m well aware of the glory years, or even more aware that they’re in the long distant past, particularly when the marquee games are 2 or 3 overhyped games in the middle of the season. Been that way for a while too.

My contention is that your lot have, well, dropped the ball, so to speak.

Whether that consigns the NRL to the history books, or just merely a second rate comp is for Gallop, his cronies/overlords, and/or this new “independent commission” to decide.

p.s. Souths have won 20 premierships, not 21.  At least they were able to retain some semblance of history in this new franchised world of RL.

Mike says:

06:58pm | 11/04/11

pffft… silly old man.

Cycling isn’t a sport, it’s a form of transport.

Alex says:

06:30pm | 14/04/11

Yeah rugby supporters use that as a cop out. Theres just as much to do in Melbourne as there is in Sydney.
The fact of the matter is that it is easier to catch onto AFL thus more people go to the games. Just look at its fast pace, the high flying marks, some of the freakish goals we see, the one on one contests across the park. So many more memorable things happen.