Shanghai is the next stop on the way to Aussie rules finally going international

While it's true that AC Milan was originally set up as a cricket and football club, The C in AC most definitely does NOT stand for Cricket. AC = Associazione Calcio (quite simply, football club) As the Italian wikipedia notes: "L'Associazione Calcio Milan, nota anche come A.C. Milan o Milan, è una società calcistica italiana fondata il 16 dicembre 1899, con sede nella città di Milano. La squadra milita nella Serie A del campionato italiano di calcio, dove ha giocato pressoché stabilmente: dalla sua introduzione nella stagione 1929-1930, infatti, ha partecipato a 84 campionati di Serie A a girone unico su 86. "

So IYO there is a legitimate argument! - thanks. That's all, carry on. As a matter of fact Hungary do take migrants, but migrants that fit in with their culture,same as Poland who have around a million Ukrainians. Funny how that does not fit in with EU policy though or what is known as the Soros plan Work it out.

Happy to deal with it little fella. The Breitbart / alt-right obsession with George Soros is weird and unsettling. As for Poland and their dispute with Brussels about immigration, keep in mind this is a country that is happy to take billions from the EU, but is far less happy with actually implementing the provisions of the EU treaties it's signed up for. There's a legitimate argument to be had about mass-migration in Europe (or anywhere for that matter), but Breitbart is not interesting in having it - they're interested in whipping up race hatred to drive clicks and outrage, and you do yourself a disservice by sharing their bile.

AR- Sumo is followed in Mongolia (which has a huge wrestling culture to be fair)- many of the top ranking Japanese wrestlers of the last decade are Mongolian (and Bulgarian),, grass-roots rather than top-down it seems.

RL scheduling seems to fit the bill- https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-to-double-down-on-fixture-cramming-for-nsw-rivals-20180423-p4zb8k.html

Well, i was happy to leave it, - until you said tinfoil hat, the article is 100% correct, there is nothing tin foil hat about it.

Again with the political BS. Can you please leave that crap on a politics website, this isn't the place for your tinfoil hat crap.

Both comments are being moderated, the Guardian says the same thing, if that is more up your alley, the unelected EU bureaucrats are forcing a democratically elected Government which ran on a platform of not having to take immigrants or have mass immigration forced on them. Th EU is a Soros backed project, soros counts 212 EU members as 'friends'. Western Europe is a mess and Eastern Europe doesn't want it.

Ah, I guess what got me was just the emotional crassness of this sort of view, it's really quite nasty. I know I get accused of being blunt a lot on this place but I don't think I've ever stooped so low as to rubbish someone's personal experience of footy, whatever that may be - I stop at rubbishing intellectual positions. Here's the thing right - there has been a nasty undertone of criticism from various people on this place for some time now of the efforts to which they go to to support games or their knowledge of footy, particularly directed at a couple of Carlton supporters, who don't live all that close to Melbourne. This culminated in peak lunacy when we had matty claiming to have a full dockers membership for him and his family not to mention flying to and from perth to melbourne 10 times a year to watch the dogs, and then criticising others for not having a spare 10 grand and 10-20 spare days to drop on all of the above. It should also be noted despite apparently being surrounded by his family and kids at the Dockers game 10 mins before opening bounce he can find time to have in-depth conversations on the roar about Carlton - anyways, discerning readers can work out for themselves the truthiness of such claims. Anyways against that sort of made-up backdrop, you can perhaps understand why I was a bit terse, I just think it's nasty pointless commentary, even worse for being fabricated. Regarding the masters stuff specifically - here's the thing right, yeah I openly admit I've only started playing since about june last year, I never really had the chance or opportunity growing up as a kid, and I figured when I saw a couple of mates taking it up last year it was probably my last chance to do something about remedying that. And? Are you saying I shouldn't have bothered, not unless I was prepared to jump straight into opens and play against a bunch of 20 year olds? Each to their own I say. I'm sure relative to senior footy it undoubtedly is a big step down, but I certainly haven't found it to be bruise free, I've been bumped several times, copped elbows in the back of the head, had my leg cut and tagged up in tackles - if the players aren't moving quite as fast as they used to, they're compensating for it with extra mass, and I have found it to be fantastic fun, and really challenging. The over 45's is probably more what you're talking about, it really is quite slow and there's not much ball pick up below the knees, I will give you that. I don't know what your experience is of football played Pies, it would be impossible to know, particularly given that you, matty, anon etc - most of the recalcitrants who spend time carping about other people's experiences are the ones most reluctant to share any details of their own. But I do know that on a football forum, simply sitting back and scoffing at other people's words, basically claiming that because the footy you played was a second or two slower than mine invalidates all your opinions - well, it's a particularly weak and juvenile form of debate as far as I see it. I'm getting out and having a go to the best of my abilities, in part motivated through wanting a greater understanding of the game, which I am gaining, and I certainly am not listening to anyone saying I may as well not bother. So there you go, I wanted to at least explain better my motivation behind getting involved on this one, as you did say I'd been wound up and to be fair, I hadn't done a good job elaborating on things.

Breitbart can't be trusted with telling the whole truth on an issue like the EU and immigration, that's simply a common sense acknowledgement. Citing their article without anything else is a pointless exercise, since you're going to only convince people who already agree with you or who don't know what Breitbart's ideological line is

Geez that wound them up. Of course you two would get offended; you pretend you know about football, when your only experience of it is trotting around playing bruise free kick to kick with a bunch of blokes who can't pick up a ball below their knees.

Concerned supporter - I think thriving might be pushing it a bit, although there was an Aussie Rules club in Bondi Junction for a number of years. I do agree with you that the AFL is unlikely to expand internationally after 150 of being a domestic sport - league has had over 100 years and has actually gone backwards internationally. The best they can hope is a niche status with a small presence in a number of countries.

Deal with it big boy. Read what the EU are actually doing instead of having a sook.

Bretibart? You just posted a link from Breitbart? That's it then, we're done, stupidity has finally completely taken over the pages of The Roar.

# Perry Bridge Sorry for the late reply. The two rugby codes tend to be ''working class people play league'' and ''private schoolboys play union'' .. whereas Aussie Rules cuts across all social structures. You could line up on a Rhodes Scholar one week, a plumber the next , spend two hours beating the bejeezus out of each other and then have a beer afterwards. I recall we had a dental technician playing for us up in Torronto, not sure how good a dentist he was but crikey he was a handy footballer ;-). Absolute gentleman off the field, but completely uncompromising on it. Thats what I love about Aussie Rules, you get a real insight into someones character after playing against them for a couple of hours on a Saturday. Loved to play the game when I was younger, but equally enjoyable now is the social aspect of it. I met some guy a couple of years ago in a pub in Vietnam, just watching a Blues - Pies game to get my AFL fix. Began talking to the only other bloke in the bar, turned out we both did time in the army back in the day. We had served in the same Battalions and knew all the same people. Except we were 3 years apart, I was leaving as he was coming. He's become a close friend of mine now. So the social aspect of Aussie Rules is something that is probably underplayed in the media etc, but for a lot of us regular mug punters, its a big part of our lives. ;-) ..and yes, love the fact that Mecca for Australians is the ''G''. Im a Perth boy from way back, but still appreciate that the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the home of sport , cricket in summer, footy in winter. Only been there twice, saw the Ashes test when Border scored 70 odd for the last wicket with Jeff Thompson, (82?) was there all 5 days and to say I was disappointed when Thommo nicked it to first slip right at the death is an understatement.... a few years later I watched a Swans Demons game there in 1988, I dont support either side but a mate of mine did and he wanted some company so I went with him ;-) Ive seen a live gridiron game in the USA, First division soccer in the UK (prior to the premier league), saw the Socceroos play live once, been to a rugby test at Ballymore, seen a few Broncos games when I was in Brisbane but nothing comes close to the excitement I get from watching Aussie Rules. I used to get more of a buzz out of watching the Brisbane Lions back in the late 1990's than all those other codes combined. And the Lions arent even my team!! Aussie Rules is simply a great f*&%# game!! ;-)

This !

Perry - you have your favourite sport and good for you. You do two different sports a disservice by suggesting that Union and League both have tackle counts as the major statistic. A simplistic and inaccurate comment. And your comment that the shepherd creates team bonding is rather cute to someone coming from rugby union. I've laid down over the top of my flyhalf while three of the opposition raked my back with their sprigs. I've lain on the ball confident that my mates will come through and clean out over the top of me. The act of rucking players is gone from the game (we still have rucks but that is something different) but the act of cleaning out remains. The roles needed to succesfully maul, moving the ball back and staying tight to prevent the opposition going through. Operating head down unable to see anything through a seething mass of straining bodies but holding tight to your mates to not let anyone through and push to the limit to advance the ball and lay a platform for the backs to attack off. To execute lineouts through lift, jump, throw and handoff. When you hold your mate just above his knee and then raise your arms as high over your head as you can, then take responsibility to land him safely - trust me the bonds are there. To scrum as an 8 man unit against an opposing 8, knowing that there is a very real risk of spinal injury given the forces involved but trusting not just your mates but the opposition to perform their roles and keep it safe. I'm biased to my game but I very strongly believe that there is no other sport like rugby union for building comaraderie within your own team and with the opposition. The 'spirit of rugby' is a truly beautiful thing. I don't doubt that australian football creates bonds - not the least, shared fitness training creates bonds through all codes as you urge each other on to push through pain. Just wanted to add a bit more nuance to the union side of the story.

Ever backed up on a Sunday to play Supers reserves or over 45s after playing on Saturday, Cat. I assume not, considering your background. I can assure you that my first hand experience proves that I am not, as you say, 'full of it'. Supers reserves and over 45s are easier by a long way. You have just proven that your assertions are in fact dubious. Good luck with the whole keeping up with the year the name changed thing happened though, just accept that knowing stats doesn't prove knowledge.

I didn't say the Supers, I said Supers reserves. The 35s Seniors is a good comp.

I didn'the say the Supers, I said Supers reserves.