The AFL season opener 2012 drew a crowd of 38,200 to watch the Sydney Swans play the Greater Western Sydney Giants. The match was played at Sydney’s ANZ stadium, which can hold 82,000 fans.
Almost a half-full stadium for the first game on the AFL calendar.
If the AFL wants to expand and become ‘the national game’, then the best way to do that is by trying to recruit the mass audience in Western Sydney to watch AFL.
But is creating a brand new club of underdeveloped players the best way to go about it?
If I lived in Western Sydney and I had the option of going to watch GWS being belted by various teams week after week or watch a game of NRL, I’m ashamed to say I would consider the second option.
Of course, after a couple of years of development GWS should mature and start winning games of football, but by then most of Western Sydney who had an interest in the first place would have moved back to watching the brand of football where throwing the ball is considered appropriate.
Why don’t we give an AFL team to a deserving state that actually watches AFL and wants a team? Tasmania, for instance.
Tassie has played our great game since the 1860s and according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, have the second-highest attendance rate in the country with 30% of people surveyed, having attended a footy game in the last year.
Compare that with the New South Wales attendance rate of 4.7 percent and it’s clear that the people of NSW don’t like AFL or just don’t understand it or something.
And Tasmanians aren’t just watching the game. Three per cent of the population have played Aussie rules footy in the past year — the third highest participation rate in the country, behind Victoria and Western Australia.
NSW, on the other hand, had less than 0.3 percent, the lowest in the country.
Some of the AFL’s greatest champions have come from Tasmania; Richardson, Stewart, Hart, Hudson, Eade, and Lynch to name a few.
With such a rich talent pool in the state, it’s no wonder Tasmanians have some of the highest footy participation rates in the country.
The problem with Tasmania is that the north and south of the island can’t seem to agree on who should own the team.
Either way, they won’t struggle to fill Aurora Stadium this weekend with Hawthorn and North Melbourne, Tasmania’s two adopted teams playing each other.
Launceston will be cheering for Hawthorn and Hobart for North Melbourne, such is the rivalry between the two ends of the state, but if they are ever going to make headway in the AFL, Tasmanians need to put their two heads together and decide on one team.
AFL would be taken seriously in Tasmania and it would bring the state together.
Apart from the state cricket team in the summer, there doesn’t seem to be much going on in Tasmanian sport especially in the winter months.
With a captive audience of some 511,000 people, the AFL needs to get into this untapped region for expansion of the national game before the Hyundai A-League do and at the very least, give the people of Tassie something to do.
Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales each have at least two AFL teams. It’s time that a Tasmanian team was admitted to the AFL.
micka
Guest
My understanding is it will be based in Strahan.
micka
Guest
As opposed to the NATIONAL Rugby League? A total of two states... Well 3 but one of those has never actually produced a player from my understanding. Tassie deserve a team. It may be preaching to the choir but it would be absolutely bankable. Expansion without risk.
Republican
Guest
Not bad rep from the ACT all the same given the population here but not as many as in past years, to be sure which is something the AFL need to be considering, i.e. the grass roots standard in the nations capital may well be in decline. The strength of the region however is predominately coming from the south western part of the Riverina and out of leagues i.e. Murray, so not much has changed in that respect. I agree however on viewing this playing list, that parts of NSW not historically represented and who now are and especially the Sydney region, is a sign of things to come. This does not however give weight to traditionally strong demos being expediently treated as they continue to be, by the AFL and certainly not in respect of any NZ forays. Analogies to do with codes pedigree in NSW, Qld the ACT or anywhere else in this country for that matter, in respect of expansion criteria with NZ, are also damaging and unfounded. NZ will be welcome to come on board once they earn their Australian Footy credibility and pedigree, which on current form is about 100 years away, rather than leap frogging deserving domestic ones, due to commercial criteria only.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
http://www.aflnswact.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Documents/Talent/squads/NSW-ACT_U16_RAMS_2012.pdf http://www.aflnswact.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Documents/Talent/2012_u18_squads/Rd_2_-_NSW-ACT_v_WA.pdf Plenty of kid from the southern half of the state, but plenty also from Sydney, not many from the ACT.
Republican
Guest
But Cat, you are very 'fussed' given your incessant references of hyperbole to international inroads by our code.
Republican
Guest
Cat The ACT have been finalists in the Australian Country State Championships on and off for years and defeated Vic Country a couple of years back in the GF. Selective regions within NSW and the whole of the ACT are historically credentialed Australian Footy demographics as you must be well aware. I take issue with your constant reference i.e. the most recent re the U18's as some sort of back handed compliment in justification of expanding to NZ or anywhere other offshore option for that matter due to your obsession with making our code appear 'global'. I dare say the make up of the U18' is predominately from the ACT and Riverina, so whats new. We in the nations capital, have just celebrated over 100 years of footy in our region yet we continue to be patronised in this fashion. NZ has NO merit based criteria in respect of being considered for any elite presence by our game and it is insulting that those i.e. yourself would attempt to suggest that they do.
Republican
Guest
To reiterate for Australians who value our game culturally rather than purely as a commodity; the sentiment expressed by the Emrics and Boomshankas ARE the rule rather than the exception, of Kiwis both here and in NZ. This is not about whether or not NZ has the potential to embrace our game of Australian Football, because given the resources the code is willing to commit to this pseudo global campaign, the same could be done in any number of off shore options i.e. PNG and Saffa. What we should be asking ourselves here is why we are willing to reward such contempt in compromising this great game of ours. There is no country in the world that takes exception to our game being branded 'Australian'. NZers in fact would be playing the code with gusto by now had it NOT been for it's 'Australianess'. All of us, together with the AFL should not be prepared to expediently neglect the very domestic markets that are the life blood of our sport and who on merit alone should be acknowledged in any further expansion at the elite tier of the code, certainly well before the undeserving and ignorant collective i.e. NZ.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
@ Boom, what's to explain !, can't you read ?.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
The DT today has an expose on Keiren Jack, son of League great Garry Jack. As interesting as Keiren's story is, the most significant part of the article is the mention of how 14 of the NSW U16 team has been drawn from Sydney and Illawarra, with the Swans and GWS Academies only a year old. When Jack came through the U16s, most of his team mates were from the Riverina and Albury, so it shows the clear gains made in metropolitan Sydney over the last 5 or so years in relation to junior development. It's worth mentioning that the U18 shcmpionships are on at the moment, and Vic Country defeated NSW/ACT by only 9 points in recent days, which is a massive result on the part of the Rams. Ten years ago, they would have got done by 20 goals.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
@ Boom, there's a complete difference between not embracing something, and going out of your way at every opputunity to put it down. I have seen many of your posts on this site describing Austraian football as fumbleball many times, thats your call , childish IMO, but your call. I wouldn't think many people would take any views i have on RL seriously if i spouted thugby etc all the time, so don't expect me to take yours as nothing more than lowbrow trolling.
Boomshanka
Guest
@ Brewski - please explain?
Boomshanka
Guest
Brewski Victoria is "my state of connection" as this is where we bought a house, send the kids to school, pay the various Stamp duties and contribute to the Victorian economy, however I'm fortunate to travel around this vast country as well as New Zealand (and other places around the globe) from time to time so I feel I have a good view on what our fellow Australians think of Victoria. As an immigrant, I've not embrace the local game true, but because one doesn't follow the local code, then does that preclude one from being Victorian or Australian? I'm happy, because there's more to life than football. Just don't get in the way of my enjoyment of it (particularly as it may be different to yours)!
Brewski
Roar Rookie
@Boom, and i'd suggest you take note of the first post of this thread, sums up things pretty well.
Boomshanka
Guest
The Cattery said that the AFL story has " been the biggest story in the Wellington paper the last six weeks" Really?? I'd suggest its disappeared off the radar for many Wellingtonians.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Just by the by, Emric, but if this is going to stand in the way of Wellington's public sanitation networks singlehandedly, things are more dire in the 7th State than I had been led to believe! :)
Brewski
Roar Rookie
What a tacky charade you carry on with, i would be interested to see how many other letters you have written to newspapers expressing your outrage on other matters of alleged council wastage. As i understand it business rate payers not private are paying for it, so let me guess, your concerned at Anzac day, your a local rate payer, and now your a business rate payer as well !!.
Emric
Guest
Brewski I am one of those rate payers and I'm very upset that my hard earned cash is being handed over to the AFL. Wellington needs better parking and its rubbish collection systems need upgrading. If it wants more tourists from Australia it should be trying to get the SOO.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
@TC, agree entirely, if they never play a AFL game in NZ, its not going to make or break my day, but seriously the negativity is, dare i say it ...insular.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
@ Emric, I would be very suprised if a game of football, unknown and allegedly unwanted can overshadow ANZAC day, but i reckon you can give it a shot, if you try real hard, if it's not ANZAC day, its rate payers, do you have any more reasons we should know about. Its OK, you can tell us what you really think ! BTW, saw your letter Emric, keep rallying the troops, there's a good lad.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Emric keep writing letters into the Dominion Post and make your position known loud and clear.