alexleeson

Sport and AFL AFL AFL - it is all anyone talked about in the office this last week, and it has driven me nuts. I am sure it is all they will talk about next week as well.

I just need to get it off my chest... who bloody cares about grown men playing a deformed rugby game? EUGH! I hate sport! This sports-obsessed side to ozzies grates on me so much! :curse:

There! I feel better already for getting it off my chest.

Does anyone else feel the same? Let it all out here....

Hutch

It passes me by. I don't watch any of the terrestrial TV channels (7,9,10, ABC or SBS) and I don't listen to aussie radio. In fact the first mention I've heard of the grand final was in my spin exercise class tonight.

renth

Wasn't mentioned once in my office but we are all "nerds" and "creatives" plenty of talk about our 2 favourite topics though - food and sex!

bigAPE

Not at all. You should get out and absorb the sports culture mate. This is what this country is like and personally I love it.

I've never played much sport until we got here. Now I'm a Cornishman approaching 40 running around on a cricket oval smashing into other blokes, getting pissed with mates and meeting all sorts of amazing new people from all professions and walks of life. Plus I am now the proud owner of two broken fingers and three busted ribs.

What an awesome country

You only have to live with it for another day or so and then you'll be bombarded with Cricket for a few months. Now that is a boring sport.

Al

northerner

It's not half as bad as seemingly continuous hype, pomp and ceremony based on premiership football IMO. 22 vastly overpaid, over-rated half wits kicking a bag of wind around but falling over to get a free kick if someone invades their personal space
First I heard of the grand final was 2 days ago TBH.

Graham

bigAPE

Yeah it's a Victorian thing really.

It's something that the government kept from most of those from out of State for fear that they may suffer cardiac arrest due to the excitement. Those not in Victoria generally watch this weird British Bulldog hybrid called League which is as dull as paint drying most of the time.

bigAPE

Actually, and I know you couldn't care less, but modern Rugby League and Union are about as far from Rugby Football as the game we play in Victoria, which was originally based on a hybrid between Rugby school rules with a round ball, no offside rules and a spattering of Peil Ghaelach (Gaelic football). The games used to last for hours and were over when a team scored two goals. The rules of Victorian Football (which later became Australian Rules Football) were actually formed even before Association Football (Soccer) in the UK, although I doubt anyone can argue which is more popular now.

The game has come a LONG way since then, although some feel that it's becoming too professional these days with too many rules being applied to protect players. Not that it stops them ripping each other heads off. It's also the reason why VFL and the other minor leagues are SO popular commanding huge crowds on a Saturday and Sunday in the Winter.

Aussie Rules commands HUGE crowds within Victoria, but has not yet "made it" elsewhere in the country. That said, based on the pitiful attendance to most Rugby League matches neither has that! An average of 15,000 for a regular and 24,000 for a finals Rugby League match (and these are recent peak figures for the late 2000's) are pitifully low compared to an average of 40,000 for a regular AFL, 85,000 for finals and the MCG maxed to capacity (100,000) and over on Grand Final day.

mr mover

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Aussie Rules commands HUGE crowds within Victoria, but has not yet "made it" elsewhere in the country.



There are a lot of people in SA, WA, NT, and TAS who would disagree with that sweeping statement...............mm

joh117

Living in Brisbane this time round we have hardly heard anything about it. When in Victoria the lads went away for a footy weekend and the girls likewise. I had no interest mainly didnt understand the game I guess but it is refreshing not to have it constantly rammed down your throat here in QLD.

Bring on the cricket though love it

Jo x

northernbird

One of the west coast teams was in the final for the past 3 years running so this year we haven't heard half as much over here in WA.

Why do folk get so wound up about daft things.

kez81

my OH is working today everyone thinks he's mad because its " grand final day" doesnt mean anything to us!!

Amazulu

Disagree. AFL is the No.1 sport in WA and has huge support here. The WCE won it in 2006 and were runners up the year before. The fact that this is the first time in 8 years that the final is between Victorian teams shows how the sport has spread across the country.

I have no opinion on AFL really. I don't mind it but I can't get excited about it. Rugby League is pathetic - a non sport. A 'game' for 26 meatheads to run into each other for 80 minutes. Rugby Union on the other hand is the finest sport on the planet - and my team are World champs. Apart from son, Rugby Union is the greatest thing ever to come out of the UK.

bigAPE

Sweeping, but accurate. I was mainly referring to Sydney, where the attendance is pitiful. However. while there are many passionate fans there are still considerably less people that attend matches outside Victoria.

Average Home match attendance (last 7 years):

• Any at MCG, Victoria = 47,000 (capacity 100,000)
• Any at Telstra Dome, Victoria = 43,000 (capacity 56,400)
• Adelaide Crows/Power (combined) at AMMI = 36,000 (capacity 51,000)
• West Coast/Dockers (combined) at Subiaco = 34,000 (capacity 42,000)
• Brisbane Lions at Gabba = 30,000 (capacity 42,000)
• Sydney Swans at SCG = 26,000 (capacity 44,000)

I'm not ragging on the true fans in those areas, more that it's an indicator of how the non-Victorian media still persists this myth that League has more support in the rest of Australia. That's simply rubbish. Even the lowest annual average attendance in the rest of Australia is 5,000 above the highest attendance for a Rugby match.

Al

bigAPE

Don't get me wrong, the West coast teams are (were - minor stab) awesome. West Coast had a phenomenal team until recently when it was revealed their boundless energy was due to a propensity for the Columbian Marching Powder.

I must say that after researching the audience figures for NRL and AFL it is interesting that what I thought was a general disinterest in AFL (due to the low figures), is actually matched by their disinterest of NRL. perhaps it's just the Media that hypes NRL beyond AFL in the rest of Australia. Odd really, when AFL is a true Australian sport.

Awesome, I love to hear from passionate people. It's like listening to Fraser discuss football. I'm always in awe of his love of the sport.

mr mover

Don,t forget their is much more to the footy than AFL each of the southern states has a healthy local competion ,and 90% of country towns boast a local comp... The local SANFL can pull 16,000 to a finals last Saturday and next sunday the SANFL will pull 25-30,000 to the Grand final ,My team Central districts is going into its 9th consecutive grand final.....the mighty Bulldogs founded in Elizabeth in the 60,s the home of the "10 pound pom" .................uuuuuuuuuuuuuudoggggggggsss sssssss...........mm