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.
Lover of all Football Codes
Guest
Your article is spot on. If people would just get on with their lives and spend less time and energy code bashing, their eyes might open to a world where life and sport is diverse and then realize there are more things to enjoy in life. The people who relish in all the tit for tat code wars are also the type of people who have narrow opinions and slam ideas without trying or being capable of understanding any culture, topic or idea that hasn't been indoctrinated into them from a young age
Greg trilby
Guest
Sydney does seem to be at the forefront of code wars having a diverse sporting landscape in most areas means there is always a jostle to increase market share
clipper
Guest
The situation with the Storm in Melbourne is quite different, unless you compare them with the Giants, then it would be quite similar. Both are are the least attended team in the city, whereas the Swans are the most attended team in the city. If the Storm ever manage to get crowds similar to Hawthorn or Richmond, you may have a point. I agree with Eddy, the sportscape in Sydney is very different to the one 35-40 years ago.
clipper
Guest
Fact: those 'facts' are opinions, which may or may not be true depending on who you talk to.
Fletch
Guest
Fact: AFL is running scared. Fact: Under Giles McMillionaire AFL is on the slide. The code wars will continue until AFL is knocked off its perch. Football will prevail in the long run. (PS. Any new reports of dwarf burnings, drug overdoses, rape, taxi driver bashings etc. by AFL players this week?) Kind Regards from Wagga Wagga
mushi
Guest
Well to be fair the term "code" has pretty strong inference that you are talking about football codes as the others are distinct sports not codes. Saying Basketball, baseball etc isn't ambiguous saying football requires the "code" to be disclosed
Kirk
Guest
they're unaustralian, falafel eating boat people, thats why
jamesb
Guest
...and cricket.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
while I agree that there is room for all and code wars are ridiculous I must take you to task over : "there is room in Australia for all four codes" I assume that you mean the 4 'footbal' codes, so what about hockey, basketball, baseball etc etc?
punter
Guest
WS is the problem, why can't they just like AFL like Melbourne does.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Try living in Sydney - apparently it does.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Is there 4 or 5 big fast food chains in this country . They seem to go all right I know its wrong but sometimes I eat 2 different kinds in a week !
conchie
Roar Rookie
Your correct about WS in particular the one part of this country where code wars are played out in the media all the time.
punter
Guest
Do you really believe everything you write, or you just love this code war crap!!!! Please tell you do not believe that the people of West Sydney watches a game of AFL & then thinks back to that article written by a Roy Masters, Phil Gould or a Craig Foster & says they told me not to like the game. Your problem is that you can't comprehend people in this country liking a sport better the AFL. I understand your thoughts as I feel the same about soccer/football, but I am reasonable to understand that people are different. They make their choices on the sport they like, it's not like other things where media can sway things.
Timmypig
Guest
Terry surely there can't be that many elite athletes in one sport who have been lured by the possibilities of another utterly different sport? Folau & Hunt offered huge sums to join new AFL teams notwithstanding. I can't see many 125kg tight head props deciding to attempt a professional football career because of the success of the A League!
Bondy
Guest
If we're supposedly fu**"n up the way you see sports in Australia pal hallelujah ....
Terry
Guest
Nice piece but don't agree as sport in Austalia is essentially a zero sum game. There is a finite potential fan base (23 million) and this fan base has finite budgets. In addition to this there is competition for sponsors money and for the athletes themsleves. In the decade that the a league soccer competition has been around Australia's cricket and rugby teams have suffered enormously as elite athletes now see soccer as a genuine career. In a perfect world you would be right but like any industry one company doing well is almost always at the expense of its competitors.
Simoc
Guest
Its a nonsense as well. Those codes are less popular in their countries than AFL is in Australia. But the author doesn't know to much as the article shows. I like code wars. 1. AFL 2. League 3.Soccer and rising 4. Union and falling
meme
Guest
I think a lot of people in Melbourne knew - and so did the media. But were scared of being disloyal to the AFL centric idea that pervades. Was in Melbourne recently and the first person i saw with a football jumper was a Storm follower. Basically who cares - all a place for all.
Daryl Adair
Guest
This article is way too sensible to attract the keyboard warriors and code war fanatics. Australian sport is pluralist, and its fan base is typically diverse (i.e. usually watch multiple types of sports). There is obviously competition among sports for participants, crowds and TV audiences. But the message of this article is apt: it would be great to see all of them flourish. That would be symptomatic of a mature Australian sport market and culture.