Is football now Australia's favourite game?

Lachlan, you don't have to apologise for any of the sentiments expressed in your article. There will always be elements in the AFL/NRL fan base that are in denial and cannot bear the thought of the world game taking over their beloved backyard novelty pasttimes. The reality is - participation outstrips those codes, aspirational fundamentals - ie global possibilities - exist where in NRL and AFL - they really don't. It might be a crass way to put it, but both those sports are on the trend downwards to oblivion.

Lachlan, you don't have to apologise for any of the sentiments expressed in your article. There will always be elements in the AFL/NRL fan base that are in denial and cannot bear the thought of the world game taking over their beloved backyard novelty pasttimes. The reality is - participation outstrips those codes, aspirational fundamentals - ie global possibilities - exist where in NRL and AFL - they really don't. It might be a crass way to put it, but both those sports are on the trend downwards to oblivion.

In the 60s and 70s at least the UK media was pretty condescending to RL - with the notable exception of The (Manchester) Guardian and, strangely enough, The Daily Telegraph who had a very good writer who covered it from time to time Eddie Waring was always good for a cheap laugh for comedians and comedy show skits.

I think the population of Japan and the fact that football is the biggest code in Japan, ( yes I know about baseball, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have divisions, a women's international team and a plethora of underage international teams ), m,ens it doesn't have to try and please europhiles or other competitive codes as much, in attempts to educate the public on how really, really big world football is. Geez the mere fact we're arguing on a forum thread is indicitive of how little the aussie-rules fan knows of the REAL football. Personally I couldn't care less, if someone enjoys watching a unique game, without a unique Australian name - great. But it's only a parochial game, and only will be fforever

First is the AFL second is either the SANFL or the VFL and the WAFL is fourth, the NEAFL may be 5th. I am not disputing what rank the Australian soccer league is or whether it is a novelty or not, i am disputing your statement that the second best Australian football league would be lucky to get a 1000 people if you were lucky, you were wrong, extremely wrong. I think last year half a dozen SANFL games got bigger crowds than NRL games, if that is the case then they would have got bigger crowds than more than a handfull of a league soccer games.

Except AFL has all the money.

Wrong mate. I went to Shore and back in 2003 rugby went down to the eighths. Not sure where it's at anymore but I can tell you there were 8 rugby teams back in my day. Obviously less today.

Exactly cm. Firstly id like to know what that 99th best AFL league in the world is (if there are that many leagues that is, I wouldn't have the faintest) and secondly id like to know what the attendance figures are. If these AFL guys were fully aware of the worldwide pulling power of these super clubs when they tour, they wouldn't make such silly comparisons with HAL attendances. It can't be stressed enought that we are a 10 year old league with a couple of clubs that didn't exist more than 5 years ago.. The former has just been bought by the city group, and the latter has won the ACL. Check back with us in 5-10 years. Although we're 99th in the world, we do punch above our weight in a footballing sense but also in terms of crowds and atmosphere. The Sydney and Melbourne derbies were ridiculous this season..world class.. As was that aami final. For mine, probably the best atmosphere I've ever personally witnessed in the history of the HAL.

Wafl gets 2000. Fully pro is it? What is the third and fourth best if wafl is 4th or 5th? And what about the 99th best league? A 12000 average for a ten year old 99th best league including the figures for teams that went under is not shabby at all. And that's not even the full story when you look at what it has to contend with. And it's on the up generally. Football is not a novelty.

The the fourth or fifth best Australian football league known as the WAFL got 8,000 for the Freo derby last weekend which was bigger than a few NRL games this weekend and stacks bigger than a stack of soccer A league games. i think the WAFL averages around 3,000, the SANFL more

Think of it like this Brent. The biggest and best AFL, League and union sides in the world get the biggest crowds. So do the football ones. Our league is apparently ranked 99th in the world according to the iffhs. Now I don't know if you could even find 99 leagues for the sports listed above but given that the 2nd best aussie rules league crowds gets a thousand if you're lucky I somehow doubt that there is any other league in any sport ranked that low getting the crowds the a league gets.

Horto my understanding is that the FFA tried to book two dates for a possibile grand final date, on a ground which is basically controlled by the AFL during the Winter (because the AFL built it and its long term contract to play a minimum number of games there during the Winter gives it priority access). Even the FFA's clarification of the exact sequence of events is ambiguous as to what it did exactly. One thing is for sure, it did not have a firm booking on the date of the grand final. Regardless of what the exact circumstances of the non-booking were: 1. It's naive for the FFA to think it can tentatively book two Sundays during the Winter (and clearly, they could only have been tentative bookings); and 2. for the FFA to avoid such a scenario, it needs to create its own priority access to stadiums (including the option of building and owning or leasing-back its own stadiums). When the AFL does up its fixture each year, there is absolutely zero need for it to ponder what other sports might be doing on an AFL ground (most of which the AFL has tied up for the Winter), and its a matter for other sports and events to look for openings AFTER the AFL fixture is in place. Similarly, the AFL has a cast-iron guarantee to the use of the MCG on its grand final date (as well as the week later in case of a draw), in the main because it has a long term agreement with the MCG Trust to play games here (including the grand final), and I would hope everyone understands, it's those AFL games which actually pay for the 100,000 seat stadium, which is substantially financed by private debt.

Every sport has reasons for its popularity is the point. I left alone the fact that football has a long history in this country without being made popular by Europeans post war alone. But the isolationist bubble tends to bury that and create the idea that was those New Australians who introduced the Un Australian game.

Just trying to catch up to you guys with " wogball " quips etc. You aussie-rules mob had an unchallenged landscape many years ago, so the abusive names directed at us were even endorsed by the media. Nowadays you have to give the indigenous mob your bile. I can't see you coming close to handling other people who weren't born in Australia, even if you ever do go international ( which is a pipe dream some uf your spectators believe )

While I think Football isn't at present Australia's favourite game, it is interesting that over the past couple of decades it has shed the 'ethnic' tag that was once attached and is now widely played and watched by all sections of the community. In contrast, Rugby League has been so embraced by the Polynesian population, that from a base of about 3% they make up over 40% of the NRL, and I would imagine a similar increase in junior participation - a great opportunity for our Island cousins, who can make a good living doing what they love, but I wonder if this increase correlates with the ever increasing junior participation in Football, which in time will undoubtably mean an increase in TV and attendance with adults. Are we seeing this starting now, with NRL attendance dropping, especially in Sydney, where these factors, along with Football loving immigrants are contributing to a change.

MF "earning for themselves the whole of the FFA’s annual revenue." And Real Madrid spent the entire AFL annual revenue plus an extra AU$130 million on their squad.

Exactly! That's my point fuss. Sorry if it didn't come through in translation. When football fans say their sport is the biggest here they mean the whole football spectrum, participants and fans ( no matter the league) When rules fans say their sport is the biggest they really mean their pro comp is the biggest and most profitable. Hence my first point on semantics .

"We'll smother you" is one of the most embarrassing comments you'll read on the Roar.

Yeah, but athletics doesn't make AFL followers get all paranoid and defensive.

However, the Chelsea merchandise wearers are football followers, while I don't agree that football is more popular, this is his point, football is more then just the A-League.