Ever since Ron Barassi made his speech about how AFL needed to openly declare war on all other codes and how AFL should be able to wipe other codes away, there have been many articles by AFL journalists saying that the code is scared of football.
I can’t understand why. Perhaps it’s the need to sell newspapers or, in the new world media, the need to sensationalise stories.
But there is an increasing number of articles which are saying that football is taking which read over almost like a call to the troops to stop the advance.
An example is the article, Soccer Moms Are Taking Over, in which is was implied that AFL fears football like no other sport.
Then there was the reaction by Channel 10’s Steve Quartermain, head of sport, when Archer Fraser swapped from St Kilda to the A-League: “he has gone to the enemy,” was how Steve read that news on air.
Very strange wording.
The AFL media’s reaction to the grand final move of the NAB Cup was like football won some battle over the use of a stadium. An article by Mark Williams, for instance, read: “The A-League grand final has dominated the news media in both Melbourne and Adelaide over the past few days.”
Are the FFA management up to the challenge?
Interesting times lie ahead and I think it will only intensify
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- Mark Williams, NAB Cup
March 6th 2009 @ 5:20pm
Sam said | March 6th 2009 @ 5:20pm | Report comment
Pip
No one is taking away your tradition. It is all in your head. I am from NSW and knew only rugby league as a kid (as well as football due to playing the game, and from my parents influence). I knew Sydney Olympic and Marconi better than I knew Carlton or Collingwood. Believe it or not AFL was foreign to me as a kid. It is not what I knew growing up.
March 6th 2009 @ 5:29pm
Midfielder said | March 6th 2009 @ 5:29pm | Report comment
Pip
The mods cut a bit out I will just add a couple more link in.
Next is the AFL in AFL Victoria admits it has “a hell of a lot of work” to do to rejuvenate junior football in the City of Greater Dandenong http://dandenong-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/footy-fights-to-survive-in-greater-dandenong/
One per post to ensure it gets through
March 6th 2009 @ 5:30pm
Midfielder said | March 6th 2009 @ 5:30pm | Report comment
Pip
and in response to this the AFL announced . Junior football in the south-east region is in for a shake-up, with AFL Victoria taking control of the Dandenong and District Junior Football League. http://dandenong-leader.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/afl-vic-takes-over/
Again another soccer scare story they are taking over the suburbs.
March 6th 2009 @ 5:33pm
Midfielder said | March 6th 2009 @ 5:33pm | Report comment
Pip
My guess another article aimed at Kids their parents and against soccer.
Finally the new AFL add even those on real footy are saying it’s directly targeted at Soccer, some related links to the add http://www.kangaroos.com.au/season2008/news/newsarticle/tabid/4912/newsid/72794/default.aspx
just look at the pictures judge for yourself on the link.
March 6th 2009 @ 5:48pm
Midfielder said | March 6th 2009 @ 5:48pm | Report comment
Pip
It is not my fault, all these are AFL links are from AFL media pages and the AFL add itself.
So why are all these stories coming out to sell media product, has always been done but HELL you guys are kicking up a stink this time, or is there a fear within the AFL that there control of the southern states is slipping.
To explain in a business sense the AFL market presence in the Southern States is what experts call the mature phase of a trading cycle in that it will grow no more but slowly fall. New players entering the market will take slices of what was before a no go area for other market competitors.
Further the AFL is in direct competition with football in the Gold Coast and for the SECOND Sydney team (not the WS Team).
In addition the AFL has had a number of good fortune over other codes, my examples are 3. First when RL was at its peak along came the Super League war and dragged it out of SA & Perth and stopped its Oceania team from being set up, this was also good fortune for RU as they re built their code in the wreckage that was the SLW. Second Footballs past management a real gift for anyone corrupt[t, inept, hopeless. Third RU management also hopeless.
Today all three codes are well managed in stark contrast to a few years ago.
So when I add it all up numerous anti football articles, and AFL add using football and showing how much better it is… I ask myself why and does any other sport run down another code to advance itself ?????
Maybe not all but some in the AFL appear to me to be
March 6th 2009 @ 5:53pm
beaver fever said | March 6th 2009 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
I dont know the area of Dandenong at all but it sounds like a area where lots of new migrants settle, and we all know what football code new arrivals from overseas have been exposed to ( in fact its probably the only football code they have ever been exposed to).
Its hard work to expose footy codes to these communities as they are very much influenced by their parents etc but it has been done in the past and will be done in the future, i look forward to seeing what new australians such as somalians have to offer our game, as Italian, Greek and other cultures have in the past.
March 6th 2009 @ 6:11pm
Midfielder said | March 6th 2009 @ 6:11pm | Report comment
beaver
I have no idea what you last post was about.
The article is talking about a number of articles from the AFL pages of the media attacking football and you talk about …..somalians have to offer our game, as Italian, Greek…..
March 6th 2009 @ 6:59pm
The Auteur said | March 6th 2009 @ 6:59pm | Report comment
Michael C about your Ireland comment, if the Socceroos played Ireland at home, we’d at least get a near full house for that game. Remember “International” rules?
March 6th 2009 @ 7:48pm
Brickowski said | March 6th 2009 @ 7:48pm | Report comment
Michael,
I can assure you SSGs are not a reaction to ‘Auskick’, whatever that is. Small sided games are the norm in most European nations, and some South American nations (mostly Football’s world powers) for children under a certain age. These places are what Australian Football should be and are concerning itself with, not some irrelevant sideshow from the arse end of the world.
As regards your Ireland comments, I just don’t understand what you’re trying to say, what the hell does a stadium in the centre/south of the Republic have to do with the north?
March 6th 2009 @ 8:29pm
beaver fever said | March 6th 2009 @ 8:29pm | Report comment
South Fremantle Croatian allstars
Bulldogs dream team .(From FB)
Jon Dorotich Darren Gaspar Travis Gaspar
Damien Gaspar Glen Jakovich Danny Civich
Rod Grijusich Tony Parentich Otto Santich
Eric Sarich Tom Grijusich Allen Jakovich
Peter Sumich John Gerovich Scott Watters
Ruck jack Sumich Mathew pavlich jack Rocchi
INT Ivan Glucina George Grijusich Tony begovich dean Ercegovich
Scott (Ivankovich) Watters.
Emergencies
Don,Mark,Andy & Ross Grijusich,Ivan Bartul,Matt & Mark Sambrailo,Budi,Laurie & JoeSumich,Murray Bogunovich,Branko & CraigCivich,Joe & NickSilich,David & Terry Lucich,Kym Zubrinich,Frank Lendich,Bob Bucat,Gary Cukrov,Jacob Surjan,Dennis Novak,John,Pavlovic,Gary Jakovich
Pavlich played for Sth freo only after being drafted by the Dockers so is a bit of a ring in.
The other point is the vast majority of these guys are the sons of market gardeners and fishermen etc from around the freo area and were born here.