Is Australia’s sporting landscape too overcrowded?
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 23 Aug 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
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- A-League, A-League expansion, AFL, AFL expansion, Australia, Frank Lowy, Gold Coast, NRL, Super 15, Tri Nations, V8 Supercars, west sydney
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A Brisbane supporter celebrates after the AFL Round 21 match between the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide Power
The depth and breadth of our sporting landscape never ceases to amaze me. On Saturday alone you could have watched Ashes cricket, NRL, AFL, A-League, Tri-Nations, V8 Supercars and the like on the box. With codes undertaking one of the most aggressive expansion phases in Australian sporting history, can this be sustained?
It is a fascinating time to watch the relative fortunes of the codes in what could prove to be a decisive phase of our sporting history, and it says a lot about the importance of sport to Australia’s makeup that we are able to sustain such a variety of codes and leagues in a country with a modest population of just over 21 million.
Compare that to countries with a similar variety in sporting tastes and breadth, the USA with around 300 million and the UK with 61 million, and you can’t help but be impressed.
But the acid test will be in the next decade and you have to wonder how the codes are going to fund their expansions.
Australia’s population growth rate is just over 1%, migration rates aren’t overwhelming, and economic growth, GDP rate, is a modest 2.5%
Considering this expansion phase is seeing codes move into regions in which they don’t have a substantial supporter base already, how are the codes, already suffering from the effects of the global financial crisis, going to cope with this challenge?
They have been forced to follow one another into the same expansion strategies so as not to miss out in the long-term, yet all the indicators show that codes struggle mightily in foreign territories.
Even the strongest, most economically sound code in the AFL took years to establish their franchises in Sydney and Brisbane.
In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Frank Lowy reiterated the need for the FFA to continue down the path of expansion and the need for a promotion and relegation system.
But in this highly competitive and fierce market, promotion and relegation would be the death of the A-League.
Imagine Gold Coast United relegated to a lower division, let’s say the B-League.
Without the substantial, hardcore football supporter base on the Coast, punters can simply switch memberships and season tickets to the Titans or the AFL team.
There is too much variety in the sporting landscape for the A-League to weaken franchises in such ways.
The crowds for Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury have been woeful, AFL crowd figures and television ratings in Sydney still fluctuate, Super Rugby will struggle to field deep, competitive squads once Melbourne joins Super 15 and the NRL has few possible expansion options.
All the codes are in for a rough patch in this expansion era and they need to be on their game to minimize the losses.
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August 23rd 2009 @ 2:24pm
AndyRoo said | August 23rd 2009 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
I can’t imagine only ever watching one code. The improving HAL (a domestic comp in my favorite sport) hasn’t stopped me watching the NRL and the odd rugby test.
I don’t watch 1 day cricket anymore but that was losing it’s appeal for me anyway well before Tony Labozzetta was thrown out.
August 23rd 2009 @ 4:27pm
True Tah said | August 23rd 2009 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
I think its great being spoilt for choice by having so many sports, and it helps keep all the sports honest and working hard.
This year I think the NRL has been the success story, whilst its crowds are not in the same league as the AFL, it has been copping a lot of flack, in the press, and increasingly from the likes of Les Murray and Craig Foster, in respect of off-field incidents. On friday, almost 34k attended an excellent game between two Sydney suburban teams. My regret is that my side no longer has any existence in this comp, so it makes it hard to get “tribal”.
I would caution the FFA about expanding so quickly, and if anything they really should have placed a side in Western Sydney before either the Gold Coast or North Queensland, given its contribution to Australian futbol…the fact that futbol is the number 1 participation sport in the country by a country mile is irrelevant, this has been the case for at least 20-30 years, and pretty much every single male in the country has played the game at some stage.
Rugby is hamstrung by a number of issues, but mostly two. Firstly, we have suffered from pathetic management and secondly, it is an international game with complex rules and Australia in the scheme of world rugby is a small player. I think those in charge at Australian rugby have really missed the boat in getting kids to play the game, you hardly see any advertisments to play rugby for kids here in Sydney, the NRL and AFL make us look like absolute gooses, and I suspect if you got heaps of kids to play, this would have a big flow on effect.
Having said that, I believe rugby has a lot more scope to grow, and with the Melbourne side likely to join and changes to super rugby re: conferencing, Aussie rugby will benefit. I can only hope the Melbourne side does not employ anybody from the NSWRU and QRU to run their organisation.
August 23rd 2009 @ 4:31pm
Pippinu said | August 23rd 2009 @ 4:31pm | Report comment
tt
agree with much of what you have said – of all the four codes, NRL stands out for making huge progress agaisnt all the odds this year.
August 23rd 2009 @ 5:50pm
Redb said | August 23rd 2009 @ 5:50pm | Report comment
If you want to put a decade timeline in place then AFL will still be king in Vic, SA,WA and Tas, NRL in NSW and QLD.
Expansion is all well and good but the core of code support in heartland teams of AFL Melbourne and NRL Sydney wont die easily despite the world games attempts and unions apparent international irrelevance to the Aust domestic scene.
The battle of the codes is not about the next decade, try the next 20 to 30 years.
At the end of the day those who are willing to buy sport memberships and attend games are real fans they aint going away anytime soon.
Redb
August 24th 2009 @ 12:18pm
Ghost said | August 24th 2009 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
I tend to agree. 1.5 generations is required. Enough time for those kids who ask to be more linked into the world to be able to express that financially and also to be able to shake the force of habit.
October 29th 2009 @ 2:57pm
Dave1 said | October 29th 2009 @ 2:57pm | Report comment
Its not happening. The AFL and NFL keep getting bigger
August 24th 2009 @ 7:46am
Billo said | August 24th 2009 @ 7:46am | Report comment
If there is a battle of the codes, my feeling is that the NRL is always the code that is most underestimated for a variety of reasons.
Funnily enough, the fact that the media so often seems to be gunning for league players probably helps the code. Anyone who has read Mick from Giralang’s article “Why league is a winner in the culture wars” would have to admit that the people involved with league on a weekly basis know that people like Patrick Smith of the Australian write absolute garbage, and I’m sure stuff like that will strengthen their attachment to the game. Most people know that most league players are ordinary, modest guys, whose behavior doesn’t conform to the stereotype.
The NRL seems to have made a big recovery this year in Sydney, to judge by crowds and TV figures, and also, as far as I can gather, through merchandise sales.
On the other hand, I’m not sure that soccer’s great strength in England can be easily transmitted to Australia.
Soccer fans in England are a unique breed who really define the meaning of the word “support”. They follow their club regardless of how they are performing in the league. I had a guy working for me a few years ago, for example, who would travel from London to Leeds every other weekend to see Leeds United at Elland Road. Every Monday he would be back in the office, and I would ask him how the game went. “Bloody boring” was his usual response. I once asked him why he kept blowing his money on those expensive journeys, and his response was simply “because I support them”. Again it comes back to culture – if a sport is in your blood, you’ll follow your team no matter how badly it plays.
AFL has that, and so, I think, does rugby league. Rugby has a culture, but I’m not sure it’s of a sufficient critical mass.
Australian soccer writers seem to think that the round ball has a right to be the top dog, regardless of the cultural environment in which the game finds itself. It may be the preferred game of some of the chattering classes, but they will soon desert it if it doesn’t satisfy their desire to network and be seen in the right places. And I’m not too sure that having one team – GCU – much better than the rest is a great idea for Australian soccer. The sporting culture these days is for equality of opportunity, which is a concept that the AFL has wrestled with, reasonably successfully, and the NRL has created equally successfully.
Ultimately TV figures are very important for any professional sport.
Interesting to see, then, that this weekend the NRL on Friday night drew 787,000 viewers just in Sydney and Brisbane, while the AFL on the same night drew 711,000 in the five capitals. I know this was an exceptional weekend, and AFL usually wins this battle marginally, but the signs are there.
On the other hand, the Bledisloe Cup game drew 521,000 viewers across the five capitals on Saturday night.
I love rugby, and we can spend a lot of time debating how good or bad the game is, but the critical factor is how many people other than us want to watch it.
We can deride league as a simple game, but being simple and attractive are two qualities that go brilliantly together.
My feeling is that rugby league is a very badly run sport, both domestically in Australia and internationally.
What could it achieve if it ever got someone to run it who really understood the marketing of professional sport?
That is a question that should make all the other codes shiver in dreaded anticipation.
August 24th 2009 @ 8:31am
Redb said | August 24th 2009 @ 8:31am | Report comment
Billo,
I would suspect that Sydney crowds would improve when the Sydney teams perform better, same things happens in Melbourne in the AFL.
Agree on Patrick Smith he is not well liked by anyone it seems.
It is mostly the Sydney press who allegedly vilify rugby league players and create this doomsday perception, it does not translate into Melbourne. Apart from the usual cross code sniping that has existed for decades there is actually very little negative stuff written about RL in Melbourne. The SOO 3 game was the exception rather than the rule. The Herald Sun (News Ltd) has even taken the liberty of inserting a few fluff pieces on Greg Inglis to take advantage of the situation which is pathetic.
To give you a relevant example. The Titans player who bit the arm of the South Sydney player was played to death on FoxSport News, Sky and QLD FTA television. I was travelling over the latter part of last week and repeated saw the unsavoury incident played again and again. Never saw it in Melb TV news at all earlier in the week.
The point is the perception of media persecution is Sydney based, the rest of the country does not go around thinking up ways to kill off rugby league.
Whilst not withstanding your good points generally, I have NRL TV ratings at 662,000 for Tigers v Eels and 710,000 for Cats v Bullies. http://www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2009.php
It is important to also clear up that the NRL was live into Sydney, the AFL game was on one hour delay in Melb on Friday night as is always the case.
The AFL over the course of the season is well ahead in TV ratings both on Friday night comparison for 5 capitals and total FTA ratings. Virtually all AFL games are on delay and go for 3 hours which drops the average. Plenty of upside in the AFL numbers of the future.
I agree on the rusted on fans of both the AFL and NRL secure the future for both. Expansion is great whilst risky, however the core is strong.
Aust soccer has over shot expectations as predicted by those us around on internet forums for the last few years. Unlike the AFL and NRL, virtually all the HAL clubs are expansion teams trying to win the hearts and minds, not an easy task.
Union domesticially is getting belted by rugby league, I think RL has grown at RU’s expense in Sydney/Brisbane. Huge risk that one code of rugby will only be relevant in the next decade.
As for your last sentence, well we are all very optimistic about the future. A good administration is necessary but the core support is always there, let the sport do the talking, the admin just needs to get out of the way at times. The question for RL is will it better or worse off without big brother News Ltd which owns the Melb, Brisbane and Nth QLD expansion teams and is pumping money into junior development in Victoria?
Redb
August 24th 2009 @ 10:36am
Lewie said | August 24th 2009 @ 10:36am | Report comment
different websites, different figures:
http://www.throng.com.au/ratings/free-air-tv-ratings-friday-august-21-2009
August 24th 2009 @ 8:33am
True Tah said | August 24th 2009 @ 8:33am | Report comment
Billo
the talk from a lot of the futbol press (i.e. the Les Murrays and Craig Fosters) is not so much about running a good competition, but about “conquering” the Australian sporting scene. Unfortunately they conveniently overlook the fact that a hell of a lot of futbol people, including those on the Roar here, keen follow NRL, AFL, rugby and cricket, so in some respects these guys are a bit disconnected from who they purport to represent.
The fact is, the HAL is already a success, it averages nearly 15K, the Socceroos draw excellent crowds, the FFA secured a good Pay TV deal. In global terms, 15k is bloody good for a population of 21M, especially considering we are spoilt for choice as far as sport goes.
Maybe the likes of Foster look at the AFL crowds and desire them for futbol, if thats the case then he will be waiting a bloody long time.
August 24th 2009 @ 8:46am
Redb said | August 24th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
TT,
Michael Lynch head soccer writer (who is English) at The AGE wrote in his blog last week in response to a poster who said there was too much coverage on Aussie Rules in Melbourne:
“I do of course talk daily to David Dick (AGE Sports editor) about getting more space for the game. David is a huge football fan himself and would like to make more space available but he has to recognise the commercial, social and cultural imperatives (or at least those that are perceived to be in existence) when he allocates space.
I don’t like it, but unless and until the tipping point occurs with crowds, television rights and general water cooler interest, it will only change gradually.
Like you I suspect, most of the people I talk to have football as their number one topic of sporting conversation. But if you are honest, its still not the code that is most popular with the vast majority of the Victorian population. Footy still is.
We are journalists who try to break news, analyse events, present facts and opinion. We are not here to be cheeleaders or propagandists or a publicity machine for any particular sport, although I agree that both Melbourne newspapers appear to be part of the AFL’s propaganda machine though most of the year. That will change as and when football displaces Aussie Rules. It will happen, but it will be a gradual process.”
————-
So at one point Lynch suggests it is a perception that AFL requires the coverage then he contradicts himself by admitting ‘footy’ as in AFL is the “most popular with the vast majority of the Victorian population”.
Arrogant and honest at the same time
Redb
August 24th 2009 @ 12:28pm
Ghost said | August 24th 2009 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
I’m surprised that he is content to leave it there. Most journos I know want to be part of a societal change not just to follow it. Especially if it a change from an entrenched parochial, small tradition to something bigger, more linked, more dynamic, more global.
August 24th 2009 @ 4:17pm
Dave said | August 24th 2009 @ 4:17pm | Report comment
im suprised he is intersted in selling papers…… who would have thought.
August 24th 2009 @ 12:34pm
Pippinu said | August 24th 2009 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
In which case, he should look for a job we’re he can make those sorts of rants – maybe work for 442.
The Age is a major sponsor of the Victory and gives the Victory and the A-League stacks of excellent coverage.
At the same time, it knows which side it’s bread is buttered, as any business would know.
If it were to reverse its coverage of aussie rules and soccer – it would effectively go broke within a couple of months.
August 24th 2009 @ 1:06pm
Ghost said | August 24th 2009 @ 1:06pm | Report comment
I was not talking about reversal of AFL and football coverage. Something more subtle. eg if on metric football deserves 20% and AFL 80%, give football 30% and AFL 70% (ie slightly over-state it) rather than the current case which is to slightly under-state it.
Funniest of all is the ABC news in some Aussie cities, and I always thought the ABC was eager to be progressive and worldly. I was in Perth over the weekend and watching the sports section of the main 6.30pm bulletin over there. In a 24hr period in which there had been 2 HAL games and 4 EPL games (and when there was going to be a Glory home game the next day) do you think “socca” got a mention? Nah… But we did see some rivetting analysis (NOT!) of the WAFL and some local fishing comp… though noting that the Bledisloe – an elite international no less – got the very last minute of the sports slot well after said WAFL and fishing, I’m not going to expect much any more from the WA end of our supposed national broadcaster…
August 24th 2009 @ 1:17pm
Dave said | August 24th 2009 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Is it because the WAFL with over 200000 spectators have been to WAFL games this year? 200000 people aren’t going to go to soccer in Perth any year.
Also indecently the WAFL has been around since 1885 and is one of the oldest comps in the world.
maybe no one in Perth was interested in the Brisbane Roar getting their lowest crowd in their short history.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/wellington-phoenix-deny-brisbane-roar-their-first-win-of-the-season-20090823-euvs.html
………Adding to Brisbane’s disappointment at letting slip their lead was the woeful attendance.
A crowd of only 7,084 less than 15 per cent of the Suncorp Stadium capacity turned up for the Roar’s second home match of the season. It was worst they have recorded on home soil…….
August 24th 2009 @ 4:32pm
Lewie said | August 24th 2009 @ 4:32pm | Report comment
are you well placed to decide what it is that is meaningful and the future for the people that listen to the ABC in Perth?
If the reporting is as disproportionate to actual supporting preferences as you appear to be suggesting, should this not be reflected by ‘bums on seats’, or tv ratings?
Should we all be wearing alfoil on our heads? Are the media really out to get us?
August 24th 2009 @ 4:10pm
Pippinu said | August 24th 2009 @ 4:10pm | Report comment
Just give more coverage – just like that – why?? Because you personally think it’s a good idea??
August 24th 2009 @ 4:13pm
Ghost said | August 24th 2009 @ 4:13pm | Report comment
Because if you are to give something the smoke and mirrors treatment – because lets face it thats what a lot of sports media is about and had been forever – maybe its better to to the smoke and mirrors in support of something thats meaningful and is the future, and not something that is of the past.
August 24th 2009 @ 4:12pm
Dave said | August 24th 2009 @ 4:12pm | Report comment
wikipdia says these are the crowd averges for the A-league
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-League
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
10,955 12,927 14,610 12,180 11,640
August 24th 2009 @ 10:07am
Simmo said | August 24th 2009 @ 10:07am | Report comment
“On the other hand, the Bledisloe Cup game drew 521,000 viewers across the five capitals on Saturday night.”
That’s about 1 million fewer viewers than the Sydney Bledisloe was getting at the turn of the decade. RU has fallen an awfully long way over recent years. The RU community itself remains loyal but part-time fans (ie/ fans of other codes) have fallen right off.
August 24th 2009 @ 8:46am
Ben said | August 24th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
What’s the problem? I went to both the A-League match at Gosford and the Bledisloe at ANZ on Saturday and I love watching the NRL!
August 24th 2009 @ 12:31pm
The Link said | August 24th 2009 @ 12:31pm | Report comment
Ben – exactly. I’d suggest you are pretty close to the typical NSW sports fan. Enjoy your footy and ignore some of the rubbish you see on this site.
August 24th 2009 @ 8:49am
Matt S said | August 24th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
Sorry but the HAL’s biggest crowd this week was just over 10,000 for the derby central coast v Sydney, pretty worrying sign. Plus how much of a financial hit will the Roar take for attracting a pathetic 7,000? That average is about to drop dramatically.
August 24th 2009 @ 8:59am
True Tah said | August 24th 2009 @ 8:59am | Report comment
7,000 for the Roar, maybe the Reds are not so bad after all!!
August 24th 2009 @ 9:13am
AndyRoo said | August 24th 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
I don’t get the obsession with being number one. Personally while I like Football I wouldn’t want the Rugby codes to die. I love watching Parramatta, State Of Origin and the odd Rugby Test.
I understand that one codes rise does often come at the expense of the others but I think that effect is overblown. At junior level Football has been above the others for ages in participation but the other codes are still getting plenty of players. I don’t think footballs rise has really hurt anyone apart from possible some marketing dollars for the Wallabies as the Socceroos have overtaken them as Australia’s national team.
They were squandering all that money on league players anyway so it will probably do them good to have less in the kitty
The HAL could improve and grow without hurting the other codes at all, there are still a huge amount of supporters of European football that can be won over. A few of them have deep allegiances and will never change but a lot of them just need more exposure (FTA) to the HAL and to see a better standard. Once you hit peoples sweet spot (different for each individual) the allure of being able to support your team live will win them over.
If the HAL ever got to the level of the J league in the quality of play, continental success and support (avg 20k) I would be happy. It wouldn’t bother me one iota if AFL was getting an Average crowd of say 40k, good on them.
August 24th 2009 @ 12:48pm
JF said | August 24th 2009 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
I too cannot comprehend the obsession for national dominance. Does it somehow make you game more relevant, more valid, if it is played everywhere in Australia? No, association football is the most popular football code on the planet, that does not make the HAL any better viewing than AFL, NRL. I like that we are diverse sporting nation, it adds to our identity, imagine if became a sporting monoculture, obsessed with football like a Latin American or European nation, I think that it would seriously detract from our national identity.
August 24th 2009 @ 9:47am
pothale said | August 24th 2009 @ 9:47am | Report comment
I don’t get quite why Australian fans seem so obsessed with different codes. It’s not unique.
In Ireland we have four big field sports competing for a much smaller size pie with a population that is nearly one-sixth of Australia’s. And with the occasional tussle, they all manage to get along each year. Rugby has had the biggest growth of all four sports, largely due to its recent professionalism, and the success of the Irish team in the last decade.
Why the argument about being overcrowded? Or is it a dwindling amount of money being spread across too many sports that have been professioalised and commercialised to death?
August 24th 2009 @ 10:18am
Robbos said | August 24th 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Pothale,
Most Aussies (insular) think we have the monolopy on multipule sports. Don’t hurt our feelings.
August 24th 2009 @ 10:35am
Pippinu said | August 24th 2009 @ 10:35am | Report comment
pothale
it’s a fair question – when I comment on sports blogs about Australian’s unique position – I invariably refer to Ireland as being very close to our situation.
One very unique aspect about Australia is the fact that League overshadows rugby – that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world (and that’s before we even throw aussie rules into the mix).
Also – the rugby/aussie rules divide is very much a geographical divide, that can be compared to the language border that cuts across continental Western Europe, with the south-west talking predominantly latin languages, and the North-East talking predominantly Germanic languages.
I suspect that Gaelic football and rugby in your country does not have that sort of geographical divide?
In both cases, the border doesn’t follow state lines exactly, and islands can be found on either side.
August 24th 2009 @ 11:20am
pothale said | August 24th 2009 @ 11:20am | Report comment
“I suspect that Gaelic football and rugby in your country does not have that sort of geographical divide?”
You’d be right, Pippiniu. Historically it’s been more of a class divide, and an Anglo vIrish (rugby being a foreign game like soccer, hence the Croke Park ban for decades.)
However, things is changing, as amateur recognises the inevitable pull of professionalism in other sports, and from other countries (like those damn Aussies who want to nick our GAA boys)
But hey ho. That’s sport. As we’ve discussed on other fora, Pip, GAA may eventually have to face up to the awful reality of professionalism. I sincerely hope not, but it may become an inevitability due to other forces.
August 24th 2009 @ 10:31am
pothale said | August 24th 2009 @ 10:31am | Report comment
LOL! That gave me a good chuckle, Robbos. I promise not to mention it again.