Australia may resubmit 2022 World Cup bid

re women, interesting to note a recent article about a possible re organisation of the VCFL (Victorian country football) - and one league president at least (Ovens and Murray) pointed out that whatever happens - that considerations MUST include Netball. In AFL states, especially regionally, it's footy and netball side by side. I have no idea about the northern cousins.

minor point - the MCG is run by the MCC on behalf of the MCG trust. The massive debts that have funded the MCG are in the name of the MCC who service them and underpin them mostly on the back of the AFL contracts - over 45 years. As you mention, the new stands - that's been a 100% rebuild over the last 20 years - with an absolute bare minimum of public spend (via any level of Govt).

Bondy ... Those stats are truly amazing - I thought I was a football "nut", but I think I know when I've been beaten! Now, there's one stat I'm glad I can add to your list, which you seem to have overlooked ... Man United are the first team to have gone through the entire Champions League without conceding a single goal AWAY from home! No matter which way you look at the game .... it's going to be a ripper!

Fury forever!

Yes, whiskeymac, I agree. Let's fix the hal. As a Fury Fan Forever, I remain disappointed that we weren't given the one more season to get our act together which we were promised -- though I do understand that the financial scene for FFA changed quickly and badly, and they had no real choice but to renege on their promise. Despite that disappointment, I'd love to see a strong hal Now FFA have broken another promise with the Victorian KO Cup. It looks like they need to think a bit more before they make promises!!! I believe that to fix the hal we need to seriously consider other models than the Franchise model -- or at least a different idea of who might own a franchise. Surely we can't keep on relying on the largesse of a few rich people forever. Here in NQ we were working on a Community Ownership model, and it was progressing quite well -- aiming at the time for 18 months or so down the track -- before the FFA ran out of money. I'd love to see more of these Community Ownership models around, so that part-ownerrship can be achieved by every fan willing to put some money where his or her mouth is. Yes, let's not waste any more money fighting the financial power of an oil-rich state. Let's get something good working well here in Oz.

I couldn't help myself no pun intended. http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_908254&v=rSfKbUQKUfw&feature=iv .

Fussball. I'll tape the Gary Neville Testimonial. I love football stats i've compiled some compelling data for the European Champions League Final My prediction extra time and from there who knows. Manchester Utd are the only unbeaten side in the Champions League this season (nine wins, three draws). Barcelona's only defeat in the Champions League this season was in London, when they lost 2-1 at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in February. Barcelona are the best attacking side in this season's competition with 27 goals while Manchester Utd possess the best defence with four goals conceded in 12 games. None of Manchester Utd's 18 goals in the Champions League this season have been headers. Barcelona have never failed to score in their last 20 Champions League games. The last side to stop them from finding the net were Rubin Kazan in November 2009. Barcelona were the last side to lift the Champions League trophy at Wembley when they won it in 1992 (1-0 v Sampdoria, after extra-time). This will be the 11th meeting between Barcelona and Manchester Utd, in all competitions. The record is perfectly balanced with three wins each and four draws. Their last meeting dates back to the 2009 Champions League final with Barcelona winning 2-0 at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. Their 10 previous meetings have seen a grand total of 31 goals, an average of 3.1 per game. This is the seventh time Barcelona have reached the final of the Champions League/European Cup, including three in the last six editions. They have won it three times and finished runners-up three times. Manchester Utd have reached their third Champions League final in the last four seasons. Their overall record in the Champions League/European Cup final is three wins and one defeat. The only side to beat them in the final are Barcelona, in 2009. If Barcelona beat Manchester Utd at Wembley, Spain will overtake Italy in terms of most Champions League/European Cup trophies. At the moment, they are tied on 12 trophies each, with England a close third (11). If Alex Ferguson lifts the trophy at Wembley, he will join Bob Paisley as the most decorated manager in the history of the Champions League/European Cup with three wins. Alex Ferguson is the third manager to lead a team to four Champions League/European Cup finals (1999, 2008, 2009, 2011), after Miguel Muñoz and Marcello Lippi. Lionel Messi is the top scorer this season in the Champions League with 11 goals. If he keeps hold of top spot, he would become the first player to win it outright in three consecutive seasons in the history of the European Cup. He is already Barcelona's leading scorer in the history of the competition (36 goals). Edwin Van der Sar has the best saves-to-shots ratio in the Champions League this season, having saved 31 of 35 shots faced. Van der Sar will become the oldest player to win the Champions League/European Cup if Manchester Utd are victorious. The oldest player to feature in the final will still be Juventus 'keeper Dino Zoff: he was 41 years and 86 days old when he played Hamburg in the 1983 final (lost 0-1). Dimitar Berbatov has failed to score in his last 1134 minutes of action in the Champions League. His last goal in the competition dates back to October 2008 (v Celtic). Footnote, and very telling for mine Peter Schmeichel's last game of football was in the Champions League Final against Bayern Munchen you know what happened their, its Edwin van der sar's very last game of Football.

@ Bondy Thanks for the info about Gary Neville's Testimonial. Funny thing is that, whilst Neville was a wonderful servant of the club over the years., for some reason, I always found something to criticise in every game he played .... and, I reckon, I was not the only Man United fan to have G Neville as my scapegoat. But, good on him ... he's actually lived my dream! PS: Starting to get very nervous about Sunday morning's game ... what a beauty it should be - two of the biggest Football clubs in the world - a game that will be watched in homes and in bars in every country on Earth.

I wonder what happens to the TV deal if the Nix can't make it out onto the paddock next season.

Fussball. The Gary Neville testimonial is on live tomorrow vs Juventus on the net free ,though times seem to be different on that website. http://www.vipbox.tv/sports/football.html . And espn at 4.30 am ,and replays during the day and evening.

i was talking about the current tv deal which expires till 2013. I wasn't talking about starting a new tv deal altogether. Like most here on the roar, I'm not privy with all the intimate details that the current tv deal the FFA has with fox ATM. As they say....the devil is in the detail.

No problem, I lol'd at your post. So consider that a win.

Beny Iniesta. If your not the notorious M.L.F. then i apoligise. Yes i make several "spealling " mistakes and my grammar is " pour " on paper. But at least you know im an average bloke with an insatiable appetite for sport, my passion knows no boundaries. Nothing will stop me " hear ". See you tomorrow.

Bondy - since you're having a go at me in some way. I am most certainly not a sock puppet for anyone else and I have been here for well over a year, just only intermittently. Go and do a search on my nick if you doubt what i say. I should also note you make several grammatical mistakes in your most recent post. "The only sport’s" should be "The only sports" ” rectangular ” as if their weird, there normal playing fields to me should be ” rectangular ” as if they're weird, they're normal playing fields to me I think Beny iniesta who’s only just emerged over the past couple of days is the notoriuos My Left Foot. WRONG. Just FYI - they're, their and there are all different words with different meanings - they just happen to sound the same.

Fussball. Spot on, The only sport's in Australia who play on an Oval are Cricket and Australian Rules. Look at all the other sports you've mentioned. I've always thought to myself why do the A.F.L. types call these stadia " rectangular " as if their weird, there normal playing fields to me that can be used by multi sports codes. I think Beny iniesta who's only just emerged over the past couple of days is the notoriuos My Left Foot.

The MCG is run by the MCG Trust which answers directly to the V ictorian Government. Etihad is entirely privately owned by a bunch of super funds until 2025. However the AFL has a priority contract for 6 months of the year, defined as March to 1st week in October, due to massive contract, 3 million annual attendees (more than 80% of the annual attendance at the G), and direct funding by the AFL to build both the Great Southern and Northern Stands.

I understand that fuss. But given that not ONE of the rectangular codes has average crowds of over 20,000 in Australia, it would seem superfluous to start builiding an array of 40,000 seat stadiums to play in.

In the case of both the MCG and Docklands, you'll find that niether stadium is paid for and run by the government as you suggested. Therein lies a major part of the issue. With respect to Einstein, perhaps he researched the subject matter before stooping to the condescending.

Rectangular stadia are multi-purpose & are used for a multitude of sophisticated team sports, including (in no particular order): Football, Rugby, League, American Football, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Hurling, Gaelic Football. In fact, there are very few outdoor team sports that are NOT played on a rectangular pitch.

so the federal government should pander to a sport that is a distant 4th in popular support in Australia, for all its much vaunted junior playing numbers. gotcha. No one is going to build a soccer only stadium in Australia. Especially not for 40,000 people - when the local elite version can only generate crowds of less than 9,000 on average. They will build a 40k stadium if it can deliver the attendances to pay it off, say for instance a league which averages 36-37k per game consistently over the last 3 years.