Some football fans may have been hoping David Gallop’s first press conference as FFA CEO resembled a rally at the Zeppelinfeld with Gallop’s spray-tanned face screaming about the glory of the world game and declaring war on all other football codes.
Others may have wanted him to become Bryan Mills, the vengeful father in the film Taken played by Liam Neeson, threatening Andrew Demetriou and the future NRL CEO with:
“I have a particular set of skills. Skills I’ve acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you stop taking all our young players now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you.
“But if you don’t, I will look for you. I will find you and I will kill you.”
Instead Gallop chose to become more like a Settler of Catan from the Germanic board game; a fairly benign chap interested in discovery, settlement, and gradual expansion, while living in peaceful co existence with his neighbours.
I was glad because war mongering (or “dick measuring” as Bryan Mills would have described it) among the football codes – talk of code rivalry and “sleeping giants”, comparing TV deals, TV ratings and game attendances – makes me a little nauseous.
It was a shame that Gallop as NRL chief felt he had to stifle his glee when John Aloisi converted the penalty that put Australia into the World Cup in 2005. Many NFL, AFL, and rugby fans probably found themselves doing it also.
And I’m sure there were plenty of diehard NRL supporters in Sydney and AFL ones in Melbourne who thought they could only celebrate their cities’ premierships in the alien code in secret.
It’s time for real sports fans to embrace all codes.
We all have our prejudices against the games we didn’t grow up with. The disparaging comments about rugby and league players as brainless battering rams; AFL as aerial ping-pong; football as a goal free non-event involving diving prima donnas.
The skill required to play a code we think we despise only becomes apparent when we try to play it ourselves. In a casual game of soccer I was exhausted after ten minutes trying to get around defenders, and hobbled for a couple of days.
More importantly we can only really appreciate it after seeing it live. Growing up in Melbourne, I had limited exposure to the rugby forms and what I saw on television was (with the exception of David Campese’s goosestepping) slow, boring and too ground based.
It only took one game – when I wandered into Olympic Park during the Storm’s inaugural year – to be converted to both league and union.
Rather than declaring war they should be helping each other out. I suggest that each club member of a football code be given a honorary temporary membership with another code so they attend games of the alternative brand and learn to appreciate it.
Even if they don’t become full converts they may at least become TV fans of the game.
I want to see a game of soccer – my least preferred form of football – but to my shame I still haven’t got around to it. I know the A-League suffers in comparison with the overseas competitions but I also know that TV rarely gives justice to the speed, skill and atmosphere of the sports it presents.
Perhaps my prejudices are still there, and I fear being crushed by an angry mob or set alight with a flare!
Gallop mentioned a cluttered market in his address, and there will always be some level of competition between the codes as they search for new hearts and dollars.
But I think they can all co-exist and prosper. Soccer has to compete in all States against all codes but it is has the summer to itself. Presently, the NRL and AFL dominate in different States.
The fear of other codes intent on expansion is understandable.
History shows original inhabitants have good cause to fear a new arrival. The Australian Aborigines and assorted native birds and mammals when the First Fleet stopped by in 1788, for instance. Or the poor citizens of the Polish town of Wielun when Hitler’s screaming Stukas dropped in to start World War Two.
Newcomers can take your jobs and leave you destitute. But they can also create jobs and enrich everyone’s existence. I thank the Italians everyday for decent coffee and salami.
TheQuietSpectator
Guest
As a Queenslander, living and breathing Australian Football, Iiving and breathing Aussie Rules is setting yourself up for the worst abuse in the world. For the most part, you can't go the city pubs, mention Aussie Rules and not get called a faggot or a poofter. The code wars for spectators is a war based on simple schoolyard bullying. Who can call who, what..... and what I have encountered from members and supporters of major Brisbane Rugby and League groups is nothing more than simpleton rubbish. They base their hate on marketing ploys and dribbled rubbish from the school yards. I live and an Aussie Rules club, less than a kilometer away from one of the biggest Rugby clubs in Queensland. The result. Almost daily, endless abuse from simple minded teenagers, simply needing to call all Aussie Rules footballers, 'faggots', 'poofters', 'GAYFL! GAYFL! GAYFL'.... This disturbs me because since we're are supposed to be a tolerant society, but so many times I have observed, either by the physical emblems of the stickers on their cars or their training and match day gear, Being an Aussie Rules bloke in Brisbane is no easy gig. Now I've grown up loving Rugby, NRL, AFL, EPL, NSL and recently A-League, and I have never understood why such simple minded individuals feel the need to yell pathetic childish abuse out their windows, JUST BECAUSE they don't like a code. It could be the curse of the simple minded die hards of each sport, or the curse of having FOUR professional level codes of football in ONE Country. To me, there is endless potential for each city and each state to exploit tolerance between supporter bases of each code. Instead, there is a ageless war between the codes. More specifically between NRL and AFL. Having travelled internationally, cities worldwide take pride in whatever sport they play. Here in Australia, we feel the need to kill and exterminate what ever doesn't please us or whatever the media DEMANDS we love. In Queensland, the media DEMANDs we only appreciate Rugby League. I won;t accept that. All sport is good sport. I grew up watching the Broncos win Premierships, I played wanting to be Red AND wanting to be the next Michael Voss and admired the skills of Beckham. All football codes are equally great. But using hate as a measure against a code is truly pathetic.
Bondy.
Guest
Jb. Nice peice.
Bondy.
Guest
Mark. But as somebody who follows a sport that is played all over the world ,how can aussie rules represent me as an Australian within or outside this country,I dont care if you call aussie rules ( australian football) but its not mine and still doesnt best represent me as an Australian citizen how have you decided its best I call it that ?. Sir your going to have to accept that people such as myself are always going to call aussie rules" aussie rules" and thats something people like yourself are just simply going to have to accept. Live with it its not as big as you may think.
mahonjt
Guest
I see what you did there.....
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Nah it's just run of the mill anti-cultural cringe stuff TC. Basically until we sort out the cultural cringe, which America is still sifting thru two hundred years since becoming a White-dominated (like the many republics we have today) gentleman-only (still unfortunately true for the most part, but less the white-only now) economically-charged (pretty much codifying the state for budgetary reasons alone) and emotionally-charged (built on the backs of bloodshed at the start not all that common starting and then maintaining itself whatever the cost in blood much more common) republic. My point is it's mostly the cultural-cringe which holds back Australasians' sense of identity...which makes a unified nation along lines of one sport not just impossible given the more even spread between codes, but also the wrong approach...in fact a misreading of what's made particularly Australia but also New Zealand so strong and thus so hard to be convinced that they can be wrong...and thus you have various shades of Manifest Destiny, which isn't confined to the older New World you'll find if you are prepared to look for it.
nordster
Guest
Well we arent even an independent republic yet...technically still held under Lizzie's protective gaze...that great confederation is a work in progress, friend! :) And less union the better! A ragtag collection of liberty loving individuals is us...not that you'd know it looking at our parliament
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
That may well be nordster, but how did they end up that way? Surely you're not saying the great confederation of Australia involves more a disunion than a union of peoples?
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Gosh never seen...well heard really anything so great on this site. Must mean The Roar really is a who's who of sport (I had suspected for a few years with illuminaries giving their opinion). Thanks for the contribution. Perhaps I should bow to your esteemed rubbing shoulders with the makers and shakers...I'm not sure how else to react...honestly?!
Kasey
Guest
Well now that we have your permission we can al get on just doing what we were doing anyway. As Brick says above, when I'm around my AU mates, we call it football, if I'm in mixed(sporting) company, I sometimes/often use Soccer to avoid any chance of confusion. Anyone with more than year 8 English should be able to navigate the obviopous waters there.
AL
Guest
"The fear of other codes intent on expansion is understandable. History shows original inhabitants have good cause to fear a new arrival. The Australian Aborigines and assorted native birds and mammals when the First Fleet stopped by in 1788, for instance. Or the poor citizens of the Polish town of Wielun when Hitler’s screaming Stukas dropped in to start World War Two." WWWWHHHHAAAATTTTTT! kind of analogy is this??????? What are you comparing Football to??? So Football and its fans are comparable to Nazi's????Way out of line in my opinion.
Punter
Guest
Thanks I appreciate it that you allow us to call it Football, thanks.
Mark Roth
Guest
I don't like to characterize entire groups by the actions of one person, but you are making a very good example of my point. Others (mostly) have tried to make a point that more than a few codes call themselves football anyway or that I shouldn't feel unwelcomed. And then here you go claiming that: 1) I am not a football fan. I am, I follow all seven codes of football of them to one extent or another 2) You don't care what I think of (the only real real and HOLY) football. Well you don't care have to care. You can call it whatever you want. But why should I have to call it that? 3) And, at least by implication, that I am UNWELCOME because I think it is soccer and do not worship at the altar of the round ball, having no other sport before it. You make supporters of Australian Football who believe that all "imported games" should be banned almost make sense. Rugby has been here almost as long as Australian Football, everything that cam later was an import. Australia took over and remade League in its own image and League was happy with that. Soccer came in and tried to make itself at home and when it couldn't compete, it tried to become the only football on the block with its nonsense siege mentality. That's it. I am done. Call it whatever the hell you want. I'll still support the Socceroos out of loyalty. (Or until they become the Football-roos) I'm not buying into any other arrogant soccer B.S.
Kasey
Guest
A distinct possibility, but putting aside home state loyalty(I will end my life before voluntarily drinking a West End Draught!) Coopers is a damned fine drop! I love the effect is has on Yanks, thats a bundle of fun on its own:) Akin to a child going from a Honda peewee50 to a GP-Superbike!
Kasey
Guest
And here I was thinking most Australians owned at least one Socceroos kit? In order of preference I vote for(based on gut instinct having never been to a Melb. Derby before) : Socceroos kit, Storm Jumper, Casual clothes, Collingwood jumper. Feel free to disregard this advice if a bona fide Victorian wishes to weigh in with tips and hints.
Andrew Sutherland
Roar Guru
Not if it's corked 'c'!
Andrew Sutherland
Roar Guru
Kasey, yes i am a bit of a Eurosnob when it comes to beer. Coopers is good although you may be doing some home State promotion there!
Andrew Sutherland
Roar Guru
house of love, Neutral at the moment but that might change when I see the respective playing styles. I wonder if it would be a good idea to wear a Collingwood or Storm jumper.
Kasey
Guest
Mark, look at all the f*cks I do NOT give as a football fan regarding what you think of the label of our sport.
Bric Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Theres a jack russell near my house that snarls at my german shepherd everytime we walk past it,what a snappy,yappy little breed they are.
Bric Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Mark i think you'll find when soccer fans are chatting amongst themselves they'll call the sport football,which we have every right too,in a situation where they are amongst fans of other codes they'll call it soccer to avoid confusion.If you were to talk to an Aussie Rules fan from WA and say "Im going to the footy this weekend" in regards to attending a NRL match you would also get a "thats not football thats League what are you on about" and vise versa.This "arrogance" you speak of isn't limited to fans of the round ball code.You can still attend an A-League game and say you attended a soccer match if you don't want to offend your rugby mates.