Just how big a following does the AFL have ??

Aussie Rules is the biggest sport in Victoria and South Australia. I think it would be the biggest in Western Australia (around Perth and the more southern areas) and the Northen Territory aswell, I don't think they're too big on rugby. Queensland and New South Wales seem interested when their teams are winning, and Canberra seems to follow the NSW trend. There is only occaisional games in Canberra, more of a showcase thing, as with Tasmania. It's absolutely massive in Victoria (the disputed home of Aussie Rules), and you get thousands of people turning up just to see their teams training sometimes, and people camping out for tickets when the finals are on. It's a multi-million dollar industry!!

Judging by the website it looks on a par with the Premiership in the UK for it though it was hard to gauge from it how that support is spread geographically

There's not as much money in the AFL industry as in the premiership over here, although they still are professional players. They get as much news coverage as the premiership does aswell. The most recent reason for the popularity spreading to Queensland and New South Wales is because their teams have been successful in the past several years, so AFL has been the flavour of the month. It used to just be popular in the southern part of the county. South Australia and Victoria used to have seperate leagues until the 90s (I think) until they decided it was a good business move to make it Australia wide. Then, gradually, some of the Victorian clubs either merged with or just turned into interstate clubs (eg Sydney used to be South Melbourne Swans). The popularity comes from a really good marketing push when the league went Australia wide. There's more politics to it, but that's the basics.

Stick with Collingwood!!

Uh oh. People barrack for their team and anyone who plays Collingwood. Dont do it to yourself, choose another team.

Definitely, there was a lot of sense being spoken, how easily that was all undone by mentioning the pies...

Go the Eagles!

To the OP, Rugby (proper Rugby, Union) is pretty big in WA now, The Western Force (Perth's Super 14 Team) has the largest membership base of any team in the competition.

To be honest pretty much all sports are we'll received and followed in Perth, most AFL's games sell out, Perth Glory are probably the only let down, but thats because the A-league really is pretty poor quality, I gave up watching a game the other week after about 15mins it was dire, I reckon my Sunday league standard 10 years ago would give them a good run about, I switched over and watched Luton v's someone, it was 10times the standard.

[QUOTE

Stick with Collingwood!![/QUOTE]





Don't do it. Anyone but Collingwood.

Can't stand the game

Cool,
I love it. roll on end of Feb for NAB cup & 28th March for round 1 of new season.

Have to confess I quite like from the few games I've seen of it.

Ain't going to nail my colours to the mast yet though. Will do that only if I end up down under

Nothing wrong with that. I cant stand shopping either, so my wife shops while I watch the footy.

whats wrong with collingwood ???


simon

Its Collingwood.

Bring it on. Though moving to Darwin means my Lions season ticket is a waste of good plastic Hope Foxtel stop being tight gits and stump up for the TV rights - they can afford it.

why do collingwood get such a hard time ??


simon