The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Australian football's loss is also a blow for AFL

2nd December, 2010
Advertisement
Roar Pro
2nd December, 2010
358
6259 Reads
2010 AFL grand final re-match: Collingwood versus St Kilda

The World Game has brought heartache to Australia once again. However, this time the devastation was not felt just by world game diehards but also fans of other sports – particularly Australian Football.

While a small section of world game fans have tried to portray the AFL as the anti-World Cup brigade, the AFL, and Australian Football, had arguably more to gain from the cup than the sport that it involves.

The FIFA World Cup is an event that not only showcases the host nation’s stadiums but also the nation’s cities, culture and society.

The twelve years that would have been the lead up would have been jam packed with documentaries on Australia, ranging from our treatment of Aborigines, to our flora and fauna, through to our convict connections with the United Kingdom.

No doubt many documentaries and TV series would have focused on our sporting culture.

These are sure to inform people that Australia’s favourite football code is not Association Football, nor even Rugby, but a game of our own that is also known simply as football in many areas. This increased exposure for football would have created further interest overseas.

The travelers to an Aussie World Cup would have traveled, and a small section would have watched AFL matches either on TV or at the venue. This opportunity is a huge one to have missed.

Advertisement

Instead the AFL needs now to take football overseas to showcase the game.

The travelers who did get the chance to see a match would have been able to remove the antiquated stigma attached to the game. A stigma that says it is a brutal sport with little to no rules where fights are the main attraction.

It is an image the AFL is desperate to rid itself of, and one that a World Cup would have completely wiped.

On top of the substantial compensation deal given to the AFL, football stadiums around the country would have been renovated, built and upgraded.

This will provide a substantially improved atmosphere for fans of the nation’s most popular sports competition.

The increased capacity of several stadiums would have secured the financial future of many clubs and provided increased funding available for grass roots development. Furthermore, with large crowds occupying stadiums around the country, the AFL and state football bodies would have been able to learn new techniques to improve the customer satisfaction and security of the huge amount of fans who attend football competitions around Australia, week-in, week-out.

The corporate effects on football would also have been huge.

Advertisement

Corporations would have ‘discovered’ Australia, and the AFL could easily have promoted itself as a sport which opens more doors than any other in Australia. While this can occur still, the AFL needs to understand that football can help build bridges to grow Australian Football both inside and outside our borders.

These corporations would have included international broadcasters, who are always on the lookout for a new show or event to add to their repertoire.

And while the corporate sponsorships would have improved the financial statements of the AFL, the chance to examine the workings of FIFA up close and personal for a whole month would be invaluable in ensuring that the AFL remain Australia’s best run sporting administration.

The biggest loss of all, however, is the chance to celebrate sport.

With Australian Football, Association Football and Rugby League all showcasing matches at the highest level, June and July 2022 would have been a dream for any sports fan.

I know that I am devastated by the loss, despite not following Association Football.

Good luck for the next bid, FFA!

Advertisement
close