Qatar win 2022, but football will still thrive in Australia

Ben - Avram Grant, Glenn Reoder, Gareth Southgate and Paul Ince are all examples of managers that did not have a Uefa Pro Licence. Michael Voss had recent playing experience, so was well aware of the current tactics and game plans. Do you think going on a course could teach him that? Name a tactic in soccer that has been game breaking and has changed the way the game is played.

"The tactics in AFL are a lot more advanced than in soccer", surely you're joking? Tactics in soccer vs AFL is like comparing Advanced Calculus vs Basic Arithmetic. It takes years of study to get the requisite coaching badges in Association Football before being able to even be considered for a management role in professional football, in AFL any big-mouthed ex-player can get a gig at any club. Michael Voss got a head coaching position without having any prior coaching experience, at any level! AFL is a game played by simpletons and salivated over by simpletons, it is the lowest common denominator of the football codes.

If you think all Australians except people who follow soccer (which is a minority clearly) are 'bogans' and 'kath and kims' as you put it, you're welcome to leave. Forcing someone elses culture on other people because you see it as more refined and civilised doesn't go down well, it certainly hasn't if you look at history anyway. Pure arrogance and un-Australian.

UK Steve, I'm a former Victorian living in northern NSW and I like different sports - not just AFL. I've grown to love rugby league, rugby and soccer and my kids love soccer and even play in the rep side. I think you are the one who is a sports tragic - its tragic that you have such a negative attitude to anything that is not AFL.

Heaven forbid am I on the AFL tab..? Sorry next time I'll check the tab..

Truly your knowledge of Australian Football knows no bounds. maybe we should get you out as a consultant. Could you be a more obvious troll? While I wouldnt say soccer is my favorite sport, I dont hate it, and i certainly wouldnt say that it lacks tactics. i may not find the sport as exciting as Australian Football or even Rugby union, but it doesnt mean I dont respect the sport itself for what it is world wide. My issues with soccer here in Australia have nothing to do with the tactics or skills of the game.

C'mon Wookie----Aussie Rules is all ad-hock on the field as the team sheet illustrates. The only thing that has a faint suggestion of tactics is the ridiculous Draft of youngsters and the manipulation of the season's fixtures.

Ok I concede the point, there is a minimalist set of "tactics" in AFL, wholly stolen from association football and from basketball (ironically the two sports that the average AFL supporter despise)

They were referring to Manchester United's size and support not the fact its a soccer club. That said, any soccer tactic employed by an AFL club is still, by definition a tactic. Thus rendering your argument that the AFL is devoid of tactics irrelevant.

"I left out 10 men behind the ball when you play United at Old Trafford.", you forgot to tell Roberto Di Matteo and his West Brom team, they played two up front and actually scored, twice! Blackpool played 4-3-3 at Stamford Bridge plus pressed high up the park, Barcelona style, yep they sure as hell parked the bus! Even lower level teams in England are starting to play a more continental form of football, I watched Ipswich vs Swansea last night and Swansea play a possession based 4-3-3 pressing game, very impressive, as do Doncaster Rovers and even a division down, Brighton under Gus Poyet are playing a high possession, Arsenal style game. Kick And Rush is a dying breed in English football, only dinsoaurs like Sam Allardyce are keeping it alive (contrast Owen Coyle's Bolton with Allardyce's Bolton).

Hawthorn's "cluster" which won them the 2008 AFL grand final was almost a direct copy of the zonal marking systems utilised by Arsenal and various other top European teams, I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that Alastair Clarkson and the Hawthorn coaching staff over the 2008 pre-season spent a month or so in England talking to and learning from the top football coaches. Collingwood's game style (which translates into a really ugly spectacle in AFL albeit effective) is almost a direct copy of the high pressing, pressuring the opponent high up the park and utilising width in counter attacking, almost half of Serie A plays this style of game plus Barcelona's pressing game seems to be a direct inspiration behind the blatant thievery of association football tactics, albeit even if only half a percent of these tactics actually make their way into AFL (you could hardly compare Collingwood's "tactics" with association football methodologies, although credit to Malthouse, he is at least trying to learn from the most sophisticated, complex and intelligent form of football in the world, even though 0.5% of these tactics can be used in that sport as it is really a simpleton's game)

UK Steve-----Malthouse when he was first appointed the Collo coaching job in his first media interview he said he was gong to transform Collo into the Manchester United FC of Australia----such is the respect that he has for Sir Alex and his coaching method.. Can't imagine that Sir Alex has ever heard of Micky or even Collingwood.. I guess UK Steve Micky learnt a fair bit from Sir Alex's tactics..

Fussball Tactical sphistication is in the eye of the beholder. AFL coaches have the freedom to borrow from all sports - as you so admiringly pointed out Mick malthouse for his soccer innovations yesterday. Basketball coaches dont need boxes because the entire court is 30 odd m long and barely 20m wide. Most soccer, rugby and gridiron pitches occupy areas that have less than half the total ground area of an AFL ground. What you are forgetting is that in most AFL cases where a coach sits on the bench, its only the coach, and his runners on the bench, with specific coaches STILL in the box. You dont see half a dozen coaches on the bench as well. Once again, you do a tiny bit of research and then fail at its application to Australian Football.

Gridiron have their assistants up in the boxes relaying messages to the head coach. I lived in the US for 10 years so have some knowledge about it. The head coach has to be on the sidelines as the offense and defense come on and off. Basketball is not a great example as all the action is within touching distance so it wouldn't make sense to be up high. A couple of AFL coaches came down last year for a bit of variation but most are still up there. Nice try but no cigar. Good to see that clicking on the internet gave you all that info as you have previously said that you only ever watch the AFL grand final and no other AFL.

UK Steve You really need to do more research. As far as I know, only AFL coaches sit high up - all the tactically sophisticated sports - Football, Gridiron, Field Hockey, Basketball, etc. - have the coaching staff on the sidelines. And, surprise suprise the innovative coaches in the AFL, including: Malthouse, Roos, Clarkson have all started sitting on the sidelines, too. I realised your football knowledge was at a rudimentary level; but, I'm truly surprised at your poor knowledge of AFL, too.

Moonface, that’s not much of a comeback. Wasting time, kicking backwards! That just about sums up soccer tactics. To say soccered goals are the most exciting in AFL is ridiculous. Players only do that when there is no other option. Good to see that you and the other soccer tragics that hate the game still watch it.

No one mistakes Sydney for Adelaide.

These arguments about what Australian Football is are getting pretty boring and going nowhere.

UK Steve, your comments are very predictable, repetitive and boring. AFL actually got most of their modern day tactics from soccer, including keeping possession, wasting time, kicking sideways and kicking backwards to frustrate your opponent. And the most exciting goals in Aussie Rules are the soccered goals.

If Collingwood doesn't have a good year next year the AFL are in trouble too. Outside of Victoria, interest in AFL is falling. The cost of the new teams has forced the AFL to change airlines and cut costs elsewhere - averages will fall as the new teams come in and if Melbourne teams don't do well the AFL will continue to lose money on the expense of setting up 2 new teams.