So what do the Irish really think of Aussie Rules? Having spent some time in the heart of the Irish Republic recently, I took the opportunity to find out what the Gaelic Amateur Association (GAA) fans thought about their cousin, Aussie Rules.
“It’s so violent, a ridiculous game!” claimed a 40 year old GAA obsessed mother who met her husband in the stands at a GAA game. “Sure the last time the Aussies were over, I don’t know what they were playing, or what rules. Sheer madness.”
GGA rules the roost across the midlands of Ireland, although it’s interesting to see the huge strides football (soccer) has made in recent times.
While the GAA, comprising of Gaelic football and hurling, have clubs in every town and village, football has it’s own resources – clubhouses and artificial pitches sitting less prominently but increasingly well-resourced across the land. It’s a huge improvement from thirty years ago, where schools would ban the round ball from even entering the playgrounds.
“Don’t be taking our players, we know all about you Aussies!” was the slightly less than friendly welcome as I walked into Clonad GAA Club, Co Laois, to watch the U8s playing. “Besides, there’s nothing for your Aussie Rules here tonight. The kids are only playing hurling.”
“Beware we care not what sport you play, just if the kid can run, jump and catch,” I returned.
I think he winced a little.
Even in Ireland the cashed-up AFL holds fear for those running the local games, and GAA is an amateur game at that. Discussions continued throughout the evening as parents dropped their next little Tadgh Kenneally or Jim Stynes at the clubhouse.
To most sports fans Gaelic Football and Aussie Rules are as close as you get, only League and Union perhaps confusing non-believers as much.
To the Irish, Aussie Rules is a foreign, violent game.
And this from GAA fans who give their eight years-olds a hurl – a stick for want of a better word, with which they can swing with gay abandon, it seems. And only last year they enforced their keepers to wear a small head protective unit, what about the rest of the wee bodies I protested.
“You wimp,” came the reply.
Crowds for GAA in Ireland are on the wane, newspapers reported, except for the big finals games. Of course, the huge recession probably doesn’t help in a country where Public Service pay salaries were cut 15 percent overnight earlier this year.
Great traditional Irish welcomes were laid out for a returning son, but I couldn’t help feel that the locals fondness for all things Australia was tinged these days with a slight fear – fear of the AFL stealing our boys.
beaver fever
Guest
http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20100913125132371 Make your own conclusions, i have made mine and this article was IMO way off base, scaremongering from the scared.
beaver fever
Guest
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/former-magpie-clarke-into-allireland-final-20100830-13xxq.html Interesting, i am sure that Gaelic football honchos would be pleased about Clarkes return, i also think that Clarke would have bought different training and coaching methods, thus adding to Gaelic football. There has been some speculation that Clarke may return to Australian football, after a year in Ireland, same as what the Swans Kennelly did.
beaver fever
Guest
http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/2010082500211217 Good article about Collingwood signing up 2 Irishmen, and some very apt comments from some of the posters at WFN at the bottom of the article.
gawa
Guest
I lived in Northern Ireland for the first 33 years of my life and the idea that people anywhere in Ireland really give more than the tiniest of passing thought to anything about AFL is hilarious. I can guarantee that if you stopped 1000 people in my former hometown and asked them to name either an AFL player or an AFL club that you would be lucky to get one person that could.
Karlos
Guest
I have said this before, but when I came to WA about 8 years ago I was willing to accept AFL as my second sport after rugby league. I watched a few games and went to a derby and coached tackling at my local afl club. I got to know the game and the general attitudes within it during these times. Without going into a full on critique of the game I was dissapointed in a few things (the lack of manning up in the game at all levels, leaving players to have free shots without challenge was and remains my biggest beef with how the game is played other than the ridiculous interchange numbers). What turned me off the game completely was the shameful way the All Australian teams bashed, belted and smirked their way over the top of our Irish cousins. I watched the worst of these games with my WA girlfriend and swithed over to the NZ v Australia Rugby League Test to see fair and hard play with respect given to each other. Blaming the Irish is way off the mark. It made me ashamed to be Australian and I have hated Aussie Rules ever since.
Farqwar
Guest
Or the Collingwood Australian Football Club ; )
beaver fever
Guest
DrGonzo said "MOST people in NSW and Qld have less complementary names for it". I've told you a million times to stop exaggerating !! , at any rate aussie rules is fine, i quite like it, but the official/real name is Australian football, as in playing Australian football in the Australian Football league or QAFL. WAFL, ACTAFL etc.
DrGonzo
Guest
Most people in NSW and Qld have less complementary names for it. In the largely distinterested circles i move in its called Aussie rules.
Farqwar
Guest
Yawn You win.
beaver fever
Guest
Type in the acronym ACTAFL and see what it stands for, the SANFL, and WAFL stand for what ??, QAFL stands for ?. I do realise that there are other codes of football, of course. You are the one claiming that the AFL does not stand for Australian football league !!.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Michael C You are right about G Ablett and, even though he is an Englishman, I'm sure our Irish brothers would still wish him a speedy recovery! Having said that, my trip to Eire was in 2008, well before Gary's shocking diagnosis. And, for those who are interested .. the video of the event that made the name KEVIN SHEEDY a household name around the globe! (Fast forward to 3:55 on the clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9tBrjk6qTY&feature=related
Farqwar
Guest
No Beaver, I am saying the game is called football, its not called Australian football. The VFL isn't the Victorian Australian Football League is it? You guys can call your game whatever you like but you do realise other codes also play football and just trying to usurp the name "Australian football" is arrogant in the extreme. My original point that asking an Irishman about Australian football would confuse them and you somewhat.
beaver fever
Guest
Seriously, are you for real, do you really expect us to believe that the AFL is now not called the Australian Football League, but the FPITAL .............. Football Played in the Australian League. I dont think i would be alone, in thinking that you wish you could have that post over again, and submit something just a tad more credible.
Michael C
Guest
F.I.U.L. I do believe the Gary Ablett to which that you refer has a battle of sorts with being diagnosed with cancer. So, in the broader sense of sports following - - we wish him well, irrespective of using the name rather in a light hearted sense here - - so, I'd suggest the Irish folk of a soccer persuasion would now be more concerned about his latest health report than worrying too much about where he displayed his best form. ;-)
Farqwar
Guest
I am aware beaver, calling it AFL is saying that the game is called football played in the Australian league, it doesn't mean it's called "Australian football" just as it didn't use to be called "Victorian football" You are aware that FFA stands for Football Federation of Australia...No?
beaver fever
Guest
Farqwar said Problem is, if you asked someone in Ireland about Australian football they would start talking about Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka or Tim Cahill. I think it depends where you are, in many parts of Ireland, football is gaelic football and soccer is just soccer, the Irish as the American, Canadians and of course we Australians etc have our/their own codes of football. If you asked someone about Australian soccer they would surely know, but many people associate Australian football with the AFL, after all AFL stands for Australian football league ............. you were aware of that ... NO !!!.
beaver fever
Guest
I have read and heard that RU has been making big strides in Ireland (both), i believe that the team represents all of Ireland ??.
beaver fever
Guest
I stand by my comments, this article is a cheap lowbrow shot, as someone else pointed out, you are not even aware what the acronym GAA stands for, perhaps next time you should do some proper research !!. I am not sure whther you are Australian or not but your very own comment that the AFL will take anyone "that can run, jump and catch " is extremely biased and a blatant mistruth. A article on how soccer is progressing in the ROI would be much more constructive, and you would possibly in hindsight get much more satifaction from posting it, all this article relects is your dislike and jealousy of the native Australian football code.
JF
Guest
What a surprise, two massive Australian soccer fans had the same experience in Ireland which reflects poorly on the AFL . I am no AFL fan, but even I can see the bias here. You hear the stories you want to hear, you hang on to these stories, you disregard the stories that you don't want to hear. No problem with this, you are a soccer fan, just as long as you realise you are not an impartial observer - you cannot possibly be. Four football fans travel to Ireland, all follow different codes, they come back with the following observations of their trip; Soccer fan; Soccer has made huge strides into GAA areas and they really don't like the AFL. Rugby Fan; Rugby's popularity in Ireland is huge, the national team is more popular than the national soccer team. AFL fan; The Irish love the AFL, all the Gaelic footballers want to come to Australia and get an AFL contract. RL; Rugby League is making great inroads into Irish Rugby areas, they will soon be entering a team in the ESL.
Farqwar
Guest
" you could not find one person in all of Ireland to say something positive about Australian football" Problem is, if you asked someone in Ireland about Australian football they would start talking about Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka or Tim Cahill. Maybe if you said "Australian Rules Football, you know the one thats a bit like Gaelic Football"