Comments on: AFL in West Sydney – the best thing to happen to Rugby League since the split

By: danwighton

danwighton — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:28:10 +0000

A good stadium makes heaps of difference – heaps. Olympic park was built as a practice track for the 56 olympics – and is a poor stadium to watch league from. Something down the lines of Skilled park or suncorp will make a big difference.

By: danwighton

danwighton — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:25:44 +0000

The point is that, from similar experiences in the NFL and the AFL, putting aside the warring factions and having one independent board has been the step forward. Yes, Mushi, there is definitely the danger that it would be stacked out, but avoiding that is part of the process – the model favoured is based largely on the NFL model, which has succeeded at avoiding the dominance of factions.

I think there is a danger in saying “independent commission = no problems, no factions and biggest code in Aus” but, looking at the previous examples, it surely is a better approach than the current one.

By: Midfielder

Midfielder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:11:25 +0000

Intereating signing by the AFL one of RL best known in the west .. http://blacktown-advocate.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/afl-poaches-first-western-sydney-league-talent/

By: Siva Samoa

Siva Samoa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:19:15 +0000

matt s, many rugby league fans used 34,000 as the numbers of rugby league players in victorian which is totally false if you add up the numbers of teams and their clubs.
i’ve heard that there are 450,000 rugby league players in australia which i also think is alot of bull. queensland would be lucky to 150,000 rugby league players.

By: prowling panther

prowling panther — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:55:53 +0000

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:09:48 +0000

Getting back to the articles purposes, going with an independent commission, who is owned by the clubs (so clubs can then use that as part ownership as an asset), will help give the game a cleanout at many different levels.

So many duplications of administration occur, leaving lots of wasted money in the game. Not to mention the conflicts of interest that certain current stakeholders have in our game.

Rugby League in Australia owes Channel 9 and News Ltd nothing. It’s now time to move forward, using the NFL model, and clubs pushing membership, the game can rise to be even better than it currently is. Hopefully with new teams in locations like PNG which help bring even more talent into the game.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:02:43 +0000

Yeah those TV ratings are through the roof each week .Leaving poor old SBS no choice on Saturday night but to put old eps of the Iron Chef against it.

By: The Link

The Link — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:32:46 +0000

can’t see how kids can play in elite teams.

By: Redb

Redb — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:08:03 +0000

oops thats the TAC Cup team.

By: Simmo

Simmo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:06:43 +0000

*Melbourne* Knights

By: Redb

Redb — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:52:59 +0000

beat me to it re Carlton and Collingwood soccer teams

The NSL was quite strong in Melbourne with South Melb, Northern Knights, Preston,etc

By: Redb

Redb — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:51:09 +0000

That’s not what he said, re participation. He was talking about WS teams (aspirational). Will soon have futbol and AFL teams in WS. it was a rugby league man based in Western Sydney who said it.

By: The Link

The Link — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:43:54 +0000

There is no war against the AFL in Sydney.

Sydneysiders actually quite like AFL.

I don’t know what’s worse at the moment, News Limited beat ups or those that take the bait and extrapolate that to some broader views held by ‘fans’.

By: The Link

The Link — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:41:17 +0000

Like the AFL development officer who’s said that Western Sydney kids have had only Rugby League to choose from for participation. RL and Football have co-existed in WS for 100 years, there is no war going on.

By: Redb

Redb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:04:09 +0000

and what sport does Ben Buckley’s son regularly play in Sydney?…. Aussie Rules.

By: Mick from Giralang

Mick from Giralang — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:10:42 +0000

Goes to show the wisdom of the Victorian government in establishing the new rectangular stadium…they now have an extra soccer team, a union team and possibly a second league team down the track ( I concede a few more planets have to aligh before this becomes a reality but I firmly believe it will become a reality.). I don’t know what the original cost-benefit analysis of the new stadium showed, but I bet it’s firmly in the black by now.

If the WA goverment builds a similar facility, they will reap similar benefits.

By: bever fever

bever fever — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:03:27 +0000

I would say junior soccer numbers would have it all over aussie rules in Sydney … period… in Perth there is quite a number of kids who chop and change between soccer and AF and i guess thats what the AFL will hope will happen in GWS.

I really doubt that they will take players (many) from rugby league.

ATM participation of AF in GWS is really minimal.

By: bever fever

bever fever — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:58:55 +0000

My local footy club in Perth had last season around 350 auskickers, this is in three age groups … 6, 7 and 8’s, so after 8’s, there is around 4 teams going into under 9’s most years.

All our auskick is in house while from under9’s we start playing other clubs within our zone.

Auskick is on saturday morning and from under 9’s up is on sunday morning.

I don t know why you would not include auskickers as participants, they are part of the same club, the season is a little shorter than 9’s but only a week or 2.

By: bever fever

bever fever — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:40:24 +0000

M from G, that was actually Adrian Barich who played for the Reds and Adrian is actually from Canberra from marist college and had played plenty of rugby in his time, not sure if he previously played league but was no doubt familiar with the game.

Barich does plenty of TV sports reporting and radio sports on 6PR which is the talk back sports program.

No doubt because of playing for the Eagles the league boys wanted to touch him up a bit, but yer i think he was at the time not feeling very comfortable.

By: Michael C

Michael C — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:00:47 +0000

Adrian Barich…..who was well into his 30s at the time and was an only so so AFL player who happened to play for NSW in a mighty win over a Victoria ‘B’ team in the mud and slush at the SCG back in 1989 or 1990.

At any rate……is it good to be the ‘roughest’ tough game?? Is it good to be the game with the most finesse?? Is it good to be a game with a fair degree of both??

By: Michael C

Michael C — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:58:30 +0000

ah….let’s use Daily Telegraph NRL style terminology,

Ben Buckley waz poached!!!!!

By: James

James — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:49:08 +0000

Gould is a peanut. He writes “Well, my first reaction is the NRL should say nothing.”
“We should ignore the AFL and refrain from responding publicly to anything it says or does. This only gives it
free publicity, which is exactly what it’s looking for.”

Aaah..excuse me…i dont think I heard one peep out of David Gallop! Or the ARU, or the FFA….apart from one
comment from Ben Buckley and the Rovers boss welcoming the move…and thats it.

Its muppet ex-players like Gould and the Sydney journalists who have created all the publicity for the AFL. By
writing the article, Gould is giving the AFL more publicity! Is this guy a brick or what?!

Also, NRL is not the AFL…they have an international program to run too. An independent commission works
well if you are a domestic code like the AFL and the NFL. An independent NRL commission is not going to be
the answer to all your prayers.

By: James

James — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:36:36 +0000

If you honestly think that the Storm’s crowds are going to shoot up by them having to walk 20 metres down the
road to a new stadium, then you are kidding yourself. (Mind you, the same goes for melbourne Victory…especially
when the new Heart team comes in.

Lets wait and see how the Storm goes and how the Super 15 team goes
before you even begin contemplating a second team.

By: James

James — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:22:06 +0000

Agree…except for Ben Bucklyy who jumped ship over to the A-League…although you never know if they lure him back once Demetriou moves on (stiff competition from Gillan McGlachlan)

By: Mick from Giralang

Mick from Giralang — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:18:04 +0000

Can’t remember who it was exactly but some AFL star (Kable? Cable?) played second grade for the Perth Reds. He said it was the toughest game he had ever played.

By: Mushi

Mushi — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:16:27 +0000

Once again you have nothing to suggest it will be. Agenda’s will simply be replaced by other agenda’s.

I’d rather a transparent professional agenda than a new opaque council of muppet power brokers.

That said I’m not against a commission I just think we should actually see who is on it and what powers it has (ie actually know something about it) before we declare it a better option. At the moment you could be buying a cart load of crap sight unseen

By: Mick from Giralang

Mick from Giralang — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:13:39 +0000

Once News Limited pull out of league we’ll also get to stop paying them $9 million a year.

In my view, the difference should go to establishing a second team in Melbourne, sooner rather than later.

And I am in favour of another team in Queensland as indicated in my post…yes Brisbane would do just fine.

And as for the new Super 15 team in Melbourne…that will spread the rugby love for both codes, adding more impetus for a second Bleak City team.

Am I oikee in disguise? Well has anyone ever seen us in the same room together?

By: James

James — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:06:45 +0000

Yeah thats a top idea. New Super 15 team coming to Melbourne. Once you move out of you Olympic Park haven, where you pay 2 cents a week rent, you better hope your crowds go up at the new stadium. And once News pull out the 5 mil a year funding, you are really stuffed. Second team in Melbourne? You are not Oikee in disguise are you?

By: Simmo

Simmo — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:57:01 +0000

Carlton and Collingwood had NSL teams

By: keeper11

keeper11 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:36:30 +0000

Re..’Ol boys club’
Prabably should’ve been more specific …the Daily Terror- ch 9 – 2ue/ 2GB ….
observed several related items re this topic by this troika and any reference to football participation rates are simply ignored…

Micael c- agree with both theories…both likely or unlikely as each other i guess..

but to win the hearts and minds of junior soccer players may be tough for the AFL..

while the difference b/w playing AFL/NRL is significant…
( did someone say league is the ‘best’ blah blah..?? ..whatever..
if a kids only motivation is heavy contact and physicallity than league it is…

however there is not as much difference beteen playing AFL & football..

the big differentiation is ofcourse is in footballs massive internationallity..
am sure many of the thousands of kids kicking round balls alot of their motivation would be dreaming of one day stepping onto Anfield, Trafford etc and competing for national glory on the world stage at the dizzy heights of World cup , Olympics etc etc

good luck to the AFL then….