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Over the past few days I have read numerous articles both on The Roar and elsewhere written for no apparent purpose other than starting a code war. It is getting rather tiresome.
At the end of the day there is room in Australia for all four codes and although the head honchos of each code want their product to be number one, it does not mean that the average punter can only follow one sport.
As a young child, I had little interest in sport until my uncle took me to see Sydney versus Collingwood when I was eight. This was the game where Tony Lockett broke Gordon Coventry’s long standing goal kicking record.
After that day, my eyes were opened to the wonders of not just Australian rules but sport in general. I didn’t have Foxtel but that didn’t stop me watching any sport that was on free-to-air television.
Despite AFL being my favourite, I would happily watch the NRL, Super 12 and even catch the odd NSL or Sheffield Shield game that made it on to TV.
I distinctly remember loving the opportunity of watching lower profile sports such as squash, indoor cricket and hockey, all of which were broadcast sporadically on the ABC.
As an adult, AFL is still my favourite sport. And despite moving away from the Blue Mountains to Canberra, I am a proud member of the Greater Western Sydney Giants and get to half a dozen games a year.
For an unknown reason, I never identified with the Western Sydney Wanderers but happily support Central Coast in the A-League and try to get to two or three games a year (getting from Canberra to Gosford is not exactly easy for me). And despite having less love for the rugby codes, I do keep tabs on how my favourite teams, Manly and the Brumbies, are travelling throughout the season.
With the Wanderers’ recent success in the Asian Champions League, I was disappointed to read on some AFL forums comments belittling the result, claiming that it was the work of the referee or that the standard was rubbish. Similarly, I get rather insulted by A-League and NRL fans claiming that GWS is a waste of time and money.
GWS are a football team that represent me. A person who grew up playing Aussie rules in Western Sydney and copped years of people belittling the sport that I love for no apparent reason. The AFL and GWS have made many mistakes in establishing and promoting the club and the sport. But they have also done a lot of things right.
I am proud of the limited success my club has made in the past few years. AFL and GWS will never dominate the Sydney sporting landscape. But one day down the track, we will be a club that is able to stand on our own two feet and be a respected part of the diverse Western Sydney landscape.
Despite the fact the Wanderers are not my preferred team, I am happy for their success in the ACL as it shines a positive light on the A-League both domestically and overseas. And as for the notion that the referee blunders were the sole reason for their victory, fans of all sports should know and acknowledge that if the players are good enough, they can win it, regardless of any mistakes the referee has to make.
Additionally, remember that a number of the Wanderers’ players copped lasers in their eyes during the game. So perhaps that evens things out.
I want to see all four football codes prosper in Australia (five if you include american football). I also want to see Australia perform well both on and off the field in lower profile sports I love such as indoor volleyball, hockey and handball. Just because I am a GWS supporter does not mean I want to see the end of rugby league in this country (although I wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Paul Gallen).
Likewise, following the A-League does not mean I expect or want the other three football codes to fall off the face of the Earth. And I am sick of fellow fans in the AFL and A-League wishing and predicting death to all other sports.
One of the best things about Australia is having a plethora of sports to follow. If you were to go through and make a list of the most distinctive moments in our sporting history (something I’ve done on this site before), a multitude of sports would make the list.
I hope for our sake that no sport ever dominates our sporting landscape like cricket does in India, rugby does in New Zealand or football does in many countries of the world. If this does ever happen, Australia will be worse off for it. We are a diverse country in more ways than one. Let’s keep it that way.
Please do not comment on this article if you wish to belittle any club or sport. There are plenty of other articles on The Roar right now to do just that. Use this article to reflect and celebrate the incredible diversity that is Australian sport.
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