A Brisbane support celebrates after the AFL Round 21 match between the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide Power
Australia is a sports loving nation. We have an affinity with all forms of competitive activity from horse racing to golf to AFL. However, lurking deep beneath this love of sport is a dangerous illness that undermines our image as a sports loving nation.
Our illness is our paranoia of other sports not mainstream in our area. With our nation split in terms of the southern AFL heartland and the northern rugby country, the populous of these areas love their football codes. But they are paranoid about the outsiders and hate anything not to do with their codes.
If we for example use Melbourne, there are too many people that are AFL in the winter and cricket in the summer with a sprinkling of tennis. Other than that, in many people eyes, the rest of the sporting world can go to hell. It is unhealthy and really is a serious problem.
I came from a family that wasn’t born in Australia who moved to South Australia in the 1990s. They had been brought up on sports such as rugby union, association football (sports outside the realm of mainstream in SA) and horse racing. I was grateful for this as my pallet for sport extended. Unfortunately, even with the advent of the Internet and Pay TV, the pallets are too restricted for most Australians.
For this abomination I lay the blame squarely at the media, especially the newspapers. If you look at Phil Rothfield, Rebecca Wilson and Paul Kent in the Daily Telegraph, the way they treat sports other than rugby league is nothing short of disgraceful. It makes other sports look like outsiders and treats them with contempt. This is despite on the same page, ads promoting the new GWS side being very prominent in the Tele.
Also, media disregard major events held in Australia. Events like the Australian golf and tennis Opens and the F1 Grand Prix were once major sports events. Now they have been relegated to also-ran status as our media’s insular attitude to sports with AFL and NRL leading the back page in January. It seems only the Olympics can knock off the big two and even then it has to be a big story.
It’s time for this to stop. We love our sports but most Australians lack an open mind when it comes to sports. It’s like racism in a way as we disregard other sports simply because of where they come from.
Jimme Jamestown
Roar Rookie
I will not forgetyounot... as you make a really good point. I have spent time in many countries overseas and Australia is by far the most appreciative of different sports. There is a general stigma attached to soccer/football just the same as cricket for some people, but as a lover all sports even I know soccer is different and sometimes slower to watch than aussie rules/football. Different does not mean better or worse, it is just different. Skills are not the same and the tactics vary also. Hats off to those of us in Australia who are happy to appreciate each on their merits.
Republican
Guest
I believe we are more ' catholic' in our sporting persuasion than any other country. This old chestnut usually has more to do with those who hold some hidden agenda to promote there own code by higlighting a percieved Australian sporting cringe, which no doubt exists, however no more or no less than anywhere else on planet.
Derby County FC
Guest
Beaver Fever "Maybe the chip carrying soccer fan may think so, especially ones who migrate from the UK expecting wall to wall soccer, and cannot fathom many peoples indifference to the game." Oh please that statement just goes to show how uninformed you are, i'm English and have lived here for 8.5 years. I never expected wall to wall football upon arrival and i don't know any of my compatriots that did either. What does suprise me is something that i have said a thousand times, why is there such a code war in Australia? I love the Swans, Dragons 'Tahs and Sydney FC but it seems i am in a minority, most people love one and slag off the others.... go figure! Australia does have a large sporting pallet but the average Aussie only choose to paint with a couple of colours. And before anyone says anything, yes in England we do tend to follow only one code too we're just not hell bent on belittling the others.
johnhunt92
Roar Guru
Baz 35 "Opinions are like arseholes evereyones got one" we will have to agree to disagree. May i ask some questions to the roarists who are from NRL loving Sydney 1. Have you ever attened an AFL game? Why/Why Not 2. Will you attend an GWS AFL game when they join the AFL in 2012? Why/Why Not
M1tch
Roar Guru
as it should be :P
Redb
Roar Guru
Grab a copy of today's Daily Telepgraph, I guarantee wall to wall Nrl.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Cronulla is part of a greater 'local market' - - - i.e. the broader NRL demographic, that has concern for the fluctuations of Cronulla. Obviously player movement for Bris Roar is not a broad based concern. Were there 3 or 4 Brisbane/GC based HAL clubs, then perhaps,.......were there 6 or 7, then definitely. That comparison to Cronulla doesn't work. (and I don't care much for either code - - it's just logic).
Redb
Roar Guru
There you again Akazie following me around like a little dog, I'll find a tree and pee on it so you can have a sniff.
punter
Guest
Doesn't stop Cronulla getting the media coverage on similar crowds & TV viewers.
Shaun
Guest
Don't even start comparing the north of this country to the south. The AFL states are far, far more inward looking and bash other codes at every opportunity. I grew up in Far North Queensland a long time ago and we had AFL live on the TV but only ever got a replay of the NRL. Pick up any NSW or Qld newspaper and you will see far more coverage of all sports than you would in the equivalent SA or Vic papers.
akazie
Guest
Does the roar deserve more coverage when they get 7k average crowds and 50k average TV viewers?
Baz35
Guest
Wow, so how about applying your formula (getting 20,000 plus average crowds to four football codes in ever city) to any other place in the world? The Swans are only getting 30,000 averages, the Tah's 25,000 as apparently the 3rd and 4th football codes in Sydney. Melbourne has only pulled a pathetic 85,000 plus in all four football codes, the Victory and Storm averaging 20 odd thousand and the rebels and the heart both kicking off in the next 9 months. Brisbane has three football codes that average 20,000 plus but needs a fourth to impress.... You have been proven so wrong already dude. Give it up!
mangohill
Guest
johnhunt92 - This is true certainly in Brisbane in regards soccer/football. The Courier Mail has hardly printed any articles about Brisbane Roar in the last month. Despite the great new season ticket prices that the club have announced along with signing 8 or 9 new players. So yes they are actively doing their bit to keep soccer/football down in south east queensland.
Michael C
Guest
johnhunt92 where this all breaks down is the following: NSW and Sydney is the countries biggest soccer market, re participation and the like......and what are the SFC crowds?? now, we see what happens if the Socceroos play a big game or Beckham comes to town, likewise, the Wallabies tend to draw okay,......when playing the AB's for example. What you've kinda overlooked along the way is, for the AFL in particular, and the NRL to a lesser degree - - outside of the peak domestic league - there's not much. The Media therefore, outside of the SoO, really doesn't have a higher level. If you were to whinge that the HAL is poorly covered, well, so too is domesitc cricket compared to the national team. So, get the Socceroos to play in Brisbane every SECOND week and see how the crowds go. Oh - - another aspect, whilst you're only talking about 1 game in a market every week at best if not fortnight,....then.....it's hardly more than a token. The AFL know's this in Syd/NSW and Bris/GC/QLD,.....the FFA know's this in Melb and Syd, and the NRL has a 100 miles to make up to get 2 team markets minimum outside of NSW and QLD. What you need to do sometimes is the sums. AFL wise, 9 Melb teams plus Geelong,.....10 teams vs 1 MVFC vs 1 Storm. You tell us how the coverage should be divided up. I reckon Storm get's much more than North Melb. (outside of 'special events' such as Salary cap scandals or possible relocation ructions). And about 420,000 members (Vic clubs - estimate) vs less than 30,000 members (MVFC and Storm combined). Tell us just how the papers have it wrong?.........do you want papers to become speculative organs of minor sports?? What do you really expect?? As Sledge and Redb pointed out above,......Melbourne is a natural consequence of the real balance of power on the ground. Sydney is the oddity where the NRL isn't quite as dominant as the D-T might have you believe.
zach
Guest
Melbourne has at various times held the Australian crowd records for all four football codes: Australian Football : Carlton v Collingwood Grand Final 120,000 Rugby League: NSW v Qld State of Origin 87,000 ( World record at the time) Rugby Union: Australia v NZ Bledisloe Cup 90,000+ Soccer: Aust v Iran World Cup Qualifier 90,000+ I think as far as Melbourne is concerned that proves that we are open minded about other codes. But we still prefer our own.
johnhunt92
Roar Guru
To all my critics prove me wrong Through your network of friends: Get 40,000 people to the Swans each week. Have the Warathas and the NRL sides draw 30,000 Fill out AAMI Park for the Melbourne Storm matches and have the Brisbane Roar draw 20,000 each week. None of this will happen because as long as the Media (Tele, Herald Sun), write paranoid articles people will limit their sporting pallets. Dont be critical just prove me wrong
Shahsan
Guest
Well said. I totally agree, even though i love football/soccer. If youve been to countries where soccer dominates then you will know what it means to live in a place that need to widen its pallette. In countries where soccer is king, other sports may as well not exist. If you like sports in all its various forms and guises, Australia is the best place in the world to be, bar none.
Baz35
Guest
Seriously, there just does not exist Australian football journos comparable to Fossy, Rothfield, Masters and their ilk. Sheedy is a coach not a journo and has made a career out of making contreversial comments he hasn't thought of. Barassi, apparently heading over to the WC anyway, is in his late 70's. Sheehan might write one article every 4 years full of tired anti-soccer cliches but at least it gives us a break from his shallow analysis of Australian football....if you had to put up with his empty dribble regularly you'd know about it!
pike64
Guest
i agree with that comment. what i can't understand is people who hate a sport then waste their time writing or whinging about that sport. Live and let live is my motto.
Michael C
Guest
Okay - so, the author came from a place where he ONLY knew Rugby Union and Soccer, and Horse racing.........and comes to a place where he bemoans that they aren't the spice of the local sporting life,.......and the author fails to realise that he's actually bemoaning -his upfront ignorance of the region to which he moved, -that there is 'variety', the world is not homogeneous -and that the very things he complains of such as media focus were about 10 times worse back in his homeland however focussed upon the local dominants sports Basically, it sounds like the Mark Schwarzer whinge in his childs book, because, in reality, there's far more chance of a soccer/rugby (Union) immigrant to Australia to find a local club/competition than for a RL or Aust Football fan/player to find a club/competition of their own code overseas. Where's the ignorance and narrow 'pallet' actually at???