All aboard the ’soccer haters’ bandwagon!

so every rugby playing nation in the world, other than australia and png are run by toffee noises and fascists? great argument mate. The reason is the lack of proffesionalism and the direct attack within australia from league to Rugby. I can argue with you if you like, ive had this argument many times before and come out winning. SBW was a rugby player mind you. and there are many other Rugby players being hailed the same thing.

Axel, the reason that RU is not the chosen Rugby code of NSW and Qland is because Australia did not have enough toffee noses and facsist governments to suck up to, to keep RL down. Whilst still not a level playing field in that Union is backed by the middle class professionals with friends in high places, the sheer brilliance of Rugby League has meant it has been able to survive and prosper in Australia despite it's limitted social resources. You might notice RL players Ashton and Hape for England and SBW for the All Blacks are said to be leading the way in exciting, poswitive and skillful play which Union has never had. As for the original article I think we are all a bit sick of the AFL believing it got where it is by anything other than luck that Murdoch wanted RL and was willing to almost kill it to do so.

to the afl\handball lads, 40 men a side, 2 trees for goal posts at either end and a round ball, game finishes 0-0 after 4 hours of play, 20 years later they settle for the egg ball, though some teams still prefere the round ball. the codes of football and handball,were set up only 1 month apart. be gratefull for your handball code the brits gave you, and try being a bit more patriotic towards your fellow men. austraila in the world cup is a fantastic acheivement,, though some would be quite happy to see the boys fail, shame on you.

I'm not really seeing your hysteria guys. He is saying that it doesn't look good for the bid when a large portion of the country is saying they don't want the game because it is seen as a threat to their own local game. IMO it is one thing to help out other domestic codes but the national team is the national team whatever code they play. I guess it's hard for you to understand, having no national team. If you want to see some hatred masked as righteousness have a look at skips statements above.

Yep, the Foster rant Let's hope an insular one-country code doesn't spoil Australia's chance to host world game's showpiece is a nice piece of rubbish. He claims 'foul motives', and yet admits AFL has the right to protect its own interests. With the limitation of some notion of 'national interests', and states compromise is not acceptable Well, it does shed light on the soccer zealots outlook on 'negotiations' that never were (from their perspective), and that any demands by the AFL therefore fit the category of 'outrageous' as Michael Lynch's source described it. What gets me though is this - the main battle ground seemingly was Etihad (Docklands) Stadium. And Foster has still chosen to not explore publicly why AAMI park (Swan St - Bubbledome - MRS) is not being used. The compensation issue was always an NRL and AFL concern - - and yet Foster only attacks the AFL (probably because the AFL has deeper inalienable rights) And, like Lynch and other soccer writers - - Foster is working overtime to prepare the 'nation' for a bid failure and prepare the blame target (typical of soccer in this country, never willing to accept responsibility for it's own failings) - - God willing, we will win the rights in December. However, if we do not prevail, every Australian will turn the spotlight directly on the AFL to question its motives and what damage its stance did to the $46 million taxpayer-funded bid, and we will need to decide how much we really want the tournament. Now - the thing that gets me, is, the 'compromise is unacceptable'. If that's the case - - then, too bad. Australia as a nation (hopefully) has more balls than that!!!! (both literally and figuratively !!). Anyway ...... I know realise the real meaning of this article is that the 'soccer haters' are the dedicated bunch of soccer zealots who hate the AFL.

If you want to see some hatred directed at a football code, check out Craig Foster's latest bucket of bile: http://www.smh.com.au/world-cup-2010/world-cup-news/lets-hope-an-insular-onecountry-code-doesnt-spoil-australias-chance-to-host-world-games-showpiece-20100605-xltc.html

so you agree with me then. thanks

Skip are you saying the Socceroos are not Australian enough for you? Must an Australian have a name you can readily pronounce? Perhaps an Anglo-saxon name? or speak with an Australian accent in order to be an Australian? We are a nation of migrants, the backgrounds of the Socceroos represent this diversity, as would many of the AFL, NRL etc teams out there too. Bigotry & the wog-ball stereotype! It was only a matter of time I guess...

I dont like soccer it is boring. Its my opinion but why is it when I say this to a soccer supporter they look like of I have just insulted the virgin Mary. They then go into a rant, frothing at the mouth saying things like its the world sport its skil full...blah blah blah. I love rugby a lot of people find it boring oh well that their opinion. Soccer may be the world sport but I dont have to support it. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world but I am not giving up beer or bacon. I hope the socceroo's do well. I do find it hard to support a bunch of players who's names I cant pronounce, that have english accents telling me how proud they are to be an Australian for the 3 days a year they live here.

Perhaps, as someone posted in another article, The Roar should create a Code Wars tab & you can all duke it out over there. I'm a soccer fan, and a Victoria, I'm comfortable with the game being called Soccer or Football. I have no interest in the AFL, but I can see no reason why i should hate AFL, it appears all this nonesense is about positioning in the market place to get market share... which is not a good marketing ploy... better to talk up why going to the game is a good day out than why your game is better than someone elses to me.

James p wrote: Thats why he is paid $1.8m a year to run the biggest and most proffesional sporting league in the country…if not Asia/Pacific' You're having a laugh aren't you? Rugby League would be the biggest game in the pacific seeing as it is big in Australia, NZ and PNG, the fact that it's the #1 game in PNG with a population bigger than NZ and the rest of the pacific combined should tell you something. You have a look through Rugby League in Australia and not just the NRL and see how many pac islanders are actually playing. Rugby Union would be second and Soccer/football would be third. AFL is nowhere near any other football code in the Asia/Pac area, stop dreaming.

that'd be promoting 'Australian Association football'........ ......hard sell on the global stage but, certainly, making the final 32 or 16 at the WC promotes..........the Dutch manager!!!! ;-)

Boomshanka - what are you on about?? you said The Herald Sun for example lacks any credibility when after selling papers last Thursday with the Headline “Herald Sun First for Sport”, only to then find zip coverage of the previous nights State of Origin back page of Thursdays Melb Herald-Sun - - an action shot of Billy Slater and some NSW guy as Slater secures a try, the scores stated and "Try this for size" the picture heading, and "Reports, page 82". Also, the top page banner is "World Cup: Socceroos' journey begins page 80". Inside, a full page on page 82 of the SoO match, which, afterall, is NSW v QLD,......not a Victorian direct link anywhere other than a few Storm salary cheats playing for their home states....... ;-) Now - - unless you were looking at a country edition - - which may have gone to press prior to the SoO game finishing (such things still ruddy happen, buy the Sunday H-S down in East Gippsland and there's no results from the 2 Sat night AFL games).......so, unless this was the case - - then, you must be blind,.........I'll assume it was a country edition??

Competition is good, we all know that, but as usual you are deflecting my answer to the question posed. The AFL has around 600,000 members, great media coverage, good athletes playing it's game, a fantastic history, some clubs way older than anything the EPL can dish up and 2 new clubs on the way. That sounds pretty good to me, the question was asked what would Mike Tuckerman be jealous of, well i can see what he would be jealous of, including of course ( my personal opinion) that Mike Tuckerman has not really had the oppurtunity to immerse himself in the "foreign Melbourne" game, because of his background, and it appears from his anti-AFL articles he refuses to give Australian football a chance. His loss, not to late for you either, although i wonder !!. I really don't know what your rattling on about, but how about partaking in this discussion

Castrol say 1.3% but thanks Larry

It's not too bad. I've lived in Japan and the United States and in the former media organisations are virtually dressed up government PR units and in the latter an entire 24 hour cycle can be filled with nothing more than unsubstantiated garbage and here-say about how government healthcare will kill your grandmother.

exactly right - I dunno why people carry on about 'This ain't my Australia',.......well,.....derr!!! Not everyone lives in a Court, or in a 4 bedroom house, or on a farm, or within sight of water or in the outback or in NSW or......... ......we have diversity . So what!! Australian Football is uniquely and distinctly Australian and is a culture treasure (believe it or not) - - however, not to every corner of the country. That doesn't stop it being a cultural treasure. Sydney Opera House is a national icon but is a bit hard to spot from the corner of Bourke and Collins........

Do you mean Wingers or Whingers? Sounds like an interesting book. I'll look out for it and let you know if I regret what I've said. Does your comment mean that you admit to being a football whinger?

Beast-A-Tron O yes I've read 1984. And reading one of your posts above, I feel you have to when you say "Oh and by the way I’m well aware that the media acts in its “own interest” and of course I am highly sceptical of all things considered ‘news’. But I don’t think that self-interest is inherently bad; it is not a valid criticism to fall back on." Such self interest by the media is evil and should be avoid at all cost. The Herald Sun for example lacks any credibility when after selling papers last Thursday with the Headline "Herald Sun First for Sport", only to then find zip coverage of the previous nights State of Origin (which was by the way the most watch sports game to date this year) and the ongoing whitewash (read toe the AFL publicity machines line) of the two St Kilda players involved in a little controversy Only if after banging their head against a brick wall trying to get fair coverage of their sport in the AFL Heartland, they walk away from their livelihood, their life's ambition, and their future to come; they may as well leave their soul behind and support the AFL From the end of 1984: The brain-washing transformation from a person capable of independent thought and independent will to a person able only to think in automatic, controlled thoughts is complete. Winston does not think for himself any longer. He thinks the way the party wants him to think. He cannot reason any longer and he cannot remember anything different from what the Party tells him. Since he has lost the ability to think for himself, he is no longer a person, so, in essence, there is no longer any "himself" - he has been defeated completely, thus giving the "new" Winston a victory. The Party will now kill Winston and he knows it, but he loves Big Brother all the more.

Yes Punter, what you say is very true however, the ol' "smell the fear" is growing stronger by the day down south in Melbourne. Because; 5 of the AFL clubs are almost bankrupt all with something like $6m in debt---Carlton to name one. Add to that the ever increasing interest in Australian Football (Melb Vic and Melb Hearts) the Storm and soon to be the Rugby Rebels all at the MRS next year; the AFL landscape is under immense pressure. Of course, the AFL propaganda machine will tell you otherwise that, they have increased memberships, which is all folly (pointed out by our Football Comrade MVDave). It sort of reminds one of a pending death of a bright star in the universe---it tries to expand out of its form then suddenly burns bright before collapsing within itself into a black hole.. It sure has some resemblance, to that phenomena, with all the rectangle codes now pushing hard into the Melburnian sporting landscape. _____ AF