Sheedy spruiks 'AFL 11s'

Jerrys Plain - if you honestly beleive that the large oval is the only distinction b/w Australian Football and Soccer then, we do have a problem. As MLF indicates, yes, the game would be different. it is. We know that already. The way 9s works includes a 'zonal' component that kinda replicates netball. No biggie. No one is talking about a full and permanent replacing of 18 aside full scale Australian Football with an 11s or 9s format. btw - key differences to soccer. Goals MUST be kicked, handling no offside, marking, bouncing, tackling NOT by foot, using your head to hit the ball does nothing for anyone and behinds and no x-bars and more 'refs' and interchange and the like. Y'know. The rules.

This has also been done to death, quite simply i believe you to be the same person, (different alias) that has been invoved in some mega threads about the history of Australian football, and if you are not, feel free to look them up. I have nothing to add, that has not already been said, but perhaps you should look at your own motivation for continuing your crusade to discredit Australian football. RL small man syndrome ?.

That's true, it won't be the same, but we can say that of all the well known shortened variations of games such as T20 and Rugby 7s.

No one is changing the format. A new format has grown organically where otherwise there was zero opportunity for Australian Football to thrive, namely in Europe and North America. In the Australian context, I see three possible uses for such an abridged version: 1. introducing the game to children 2. playing the game where the population isn't there, or where Australian Football is the minority sport 3. as an off-season summer time diversion.

Plus 1 to the Europe comments by SSB As a point of reference for the purists out there - The AFL Executive to my knowledge does not officially recognise the 9 A Side format yet. However events such as this international format will overtake the AFL as has happened with the international expansion They only approve of 14 a side -16 a side -18 a side at a senior level in the Laws of the Game.

Seeing as Koops you have no answer then how about AFL's own expert Jillian Hibbins who says in "AFL's native roots a 'seductive myth'" that "Wills was influenced more by the ball games he learned during his time at the Rugby School in England" http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/afls-native-roots-a-seductive-myth/story-e6frg7mo-1111115858741 The point is that rugby and football fans thanks to Hibbins understand that AFL is an English game and while AFL fans can believe what they want the rest of the world can see AFL is just English soccer football under another name.

Yes, the game is remarkably like soccer, except, the ball, players, rules, use of hands, more contact and the abundance of supporters in this country. Back to the Collins/Fagan website, you'll find security in their paranoia.

I've read his blog, leagueunlimited and I believe it before I believe the Koops explanation which is so far none. I also believe PROFESSOR Tony Collins http://rugbyreloaded.blogspot.com/2010/03/aussie-rules-very-british-game.html too. But to get back to the point if you reduce AFL to 11s or 9s on a smaller field it just becomes soccer. You can't have long kicks and you can't run far carrying the ball or handpassing the ball. It must boil down into being soccer with a bit of handling rules.

Oh no, i think we have moved on, is that your argument ?, you seem very bitter. I have asked, and i know you can do it, please dont restrain yourself, tell me what you really think, just what are your conclusions. BTW are you the poor mans Sean Fagan ?.

not to mention finding suitable facilities. In europe and america this has been particularly advantageous because they can use existing soccer/grid iron pitches. Indeed in germany, the AFLG (not an AFL body), and the local NFL guys are teaming up.

So we agree then that the Australian flag is an excellent summation of AFL. An English Jack game that lives under the southern cross.

Jerry, i love it how you spend so much time trying to talk down Australian football, i love talking about it, and find your ridiculing, derision and jealousy of the native Australian game upllifting. As we all know Australian football was not formed in a vacuum, nothing is, it has plenty to thank our English friends for, i think we all know that, but on the other hand, the English have China to thank for soccer.

Come on Koops. On Australid Day. Explain to us all how a new game was born but somehow it inexplicably has all this English football terminology.

Hopefully you wont last long !.

Actually its bizarre that a game invented in Australia would use any common football terms at all.

The definition of "your goal" and "opponent's goal" has been turned around. Perhaps, as mentioned below, this is because Australian Football terminology doesn't revolve around defending a goal. You man up, defend a position or portion of the ground (but that position may be in your attacking half under some circumstances), but not so much the goal. The terminology of the game is much more likely to be "attacking the goal" rather than defending it. Unike Association Football, the rug b codes and even American Football, teams also do not line up in one half of the ground, so no territory actually begins as physically "yours", because you do not start in a territory you could claim. Perhaps that is why the terminology got turned around. It suits Australian Football, but I can see why it seems wrong to everyone else.

Koops again you misunderstand. Cast aside the logic of WHY and look at the HOW. The game won't be the same using less players on a smaller field.

Oh dear, having a bad day, kick the dog did we ?, the main reasons for 9's are lack of space in new suburbs, developers want to utilise space and dont plan big parklands, ease of organising smaller teams and games, and good for clubs who have not enough or escesses of players, suits O/S clubs who also have small grounds. Pretty simple really.

Having tried to come up with a T20 of AFL it seems every path you take by reducing the size of the oval and reducing the number of players just creates a game that by any other logic would be called soccer. The difference AFL has is the larger oval. It determines the very nature of the game. If you cut it down you just end up with the game back to its original English roots and once again it is English soccer with a bit of added ball handling.

9 a side footy is already used in Australia, usually every auskick team (below under 8's) is 9 a side and the rectangle ground split into 3 zones, what this does, is allow kids more oppurtunity to get the ball and stops ugly rugby type scrums from forming, the kids love it, i would like to see a adult version pushed much harder in Australia as it has been O/S. Country football could use it, where towns have problems getting full teams up due to varius factors, including aging population, kids moving to cities or playing other sports etc, or alternatively many clubs with escesses of players but not enough to form another full sized team may use 9's. To form a club and have 2 full sized teams ( 1st and ressies) you need around 55 players, (allowing for injuries, moving for various reasons, retiring etc), it is a big ask, if you have a bad season you are scratching for players, a good one, you have a big excess, 9's i believe, can fill a hole here. One of the advantages that sports such as basketball, soccer and the likes is the ease to play the game with a much smaller amount of players, it is so much easier to organise 9 or 10 players rather than 24 players, the AFL should really look at it seriously.