I’ve never been part of an AFL grand final week but I’ve been told it’s a thing to behold. The whole city of Melbourne hits fever pitch and becomes absorbed with the culmination of Australia’s most popular winter sport.
The best illustration of the AFL’s position atop of the Australian winter sporting landscape (perceived or actual) was on show after a West Coast Eagles training session had more than 15,000 people in attendance.
Out of AFL land came the quote “It’s bigger than a Sydney NRL crowd”. The sad fact of the matter is that the statement was pretty close to the mark and league pundits had no reasonable response.
Once again AFL had kicked the NRL down the ladder to an almost conceivable irrelevance. In fact, the whole narrative of the finals series was how the AFL crowds dwarfed the NRL.
But if you fast forward approximately two and a half weeks from the grand final weekend – a different story unfolds. Across the Tasman Sea, the Australian Kangaroos suited up against Tonga in front of a packed out Auckland crowd.
(AAP Image/David Rowland)
Those who attended or watched from home witnessed sea of red shirted fans singing passionate hymns as the Tongan boys mixed it with the world’s best (something that was inconceivable ten years ago).
Although Tonga fell short the game was considered an enthralling contest and a success as far as crowd numbers and viewing figures were concerned.
The next month England played New Zealand in front of approximately 25,000 people at the famous Anfield stadium (home of Liverpool FC).
In the same three game series they packed out the smaller stadiums in Hull and Leeds, both heartlands of rugby league.
During this time there was all but silence outside of AFL’s heartlands with the competition finished up for the year.
Whilst rugby league has a long way to go as far as international development compared to rugby union, it is light years ahead of the AFL.
The AFL is desperate for any international content – so much so that every year it moves a fixture to China to play in front of around 13,000 fans and manufactures a series against Ireland with a hybrid game of gaelic football and AFL.
They have even developed an Australian Football International Cup which I had never heard about until I started writing this article.
It is a televised event that occurs every three years in Australia and consists of amateur international teams.
It is hard to find crowd numbers and viewing figures but the fact that 18 men’s and eight women’s teams compete shows AFL has some international footprint.
But when comparing the NRL and AFL, fans and commentators only look to Australia – they fail to take in 70,000 fans at Old Trafford every year for the Super League grand final, the Wembley stands crammed with screaming Frenchmen at the Challenge Cup Final in August of last year and the rows of fans ten deep at Port Moresby airport wanting to get a glimpse of NRL heroes or the Meteoric rise of the Toronto Wolfpack, the world’s first transatlantic professional sports team.
When comparing the two codes in their respective heartlands of Sydney and Melbourne respectively you can see that comparisons are so lopsided that the NRL risks becoming irrelevant. However if you look at it globally the results tell a far different story – rugby league can hold its own.
In February of this year both competitions pre seasons will be well underway and the AFL will persist with yet another hybrid game born in 2017 called AFLX. This is played on rectangular pitches and has a two pronged desire of growing the game internationally and also moving in on the rugby codes territory.
Meanwhile, NRL champions the Sydney Roosters will fly over to Wigan to play against the Wigan Warriors for the World Club Challenge in front of a packed DW stadium in one of the true rugby league cities of the UK.
The AFL’s amazing PR machine will make sure no comparisons are made while the NRL’s fractured relationship with its media will probably eventuate in little reporting on this world championship fixture, yet to the keen observer it will be another interesting comparison to see how the two codes really compare.
kent
Guest
i remember in the late 80's early 90's in SA - from memory Ch9 jad a Fridday night NRL game, Sat arvo was Channel 2, Sunday arvo was Ch9, then when the Adelaide Rams came along every game went to midnight almost like the broadcasters / state Govt were worried that RL would take off now that there was a team in the local comp. RL teams who played a "home game" in SA (like the Dragons) would get 15k to a game as did the Rams on average for their 1st season
kent
Guest
NRL is a sport best suited to TV where the camera can zoom in close to the action, AFL because of the possibility of longer kicking (not that anyone does that any more), the TV tends to be zoomed out a little more as the ball could end up anywhere - forward, back, either side, 50 meters away from the player with the ball and suitable for bums on seats at the stadiums. This is why sports like lacrosse will never make it big on TV - small ball, long passing, camera needs to be zoomed out too far to cover the players around the goal. Swans probably have good membership because they are "South Melbourne" (as far as Proctorians are concerned), same with the Brisbane Bears Lions Fitzroy club. the Vics can't let it go.
sue strasser
Guest
You are soo wrong. as a AFL footy fan I can tell you to check the names of the players - they come from all over and have heaps of Aboriginal players . I remember many years ago watching the great Polly Farmer play for Geelong. You should check your facts, and another thing , what is wrong with being a white person????
Matthew
Guest
More than 3 play professionally
Jimmy Newman
Guest
I think you are far too dismissive of the passion and strength of RL in PNG also.
harold
Guest
Shute shield - club RU - is on TV too but there are 60 channels so content is grabbed from anywhere for a $.
Over here
Roar Rookie
I wanted to edit my post but couldn't for some weird wonderful reason. got this error message....Comments can be edited up to 45 minutes after they've been posted. Time remaining - 39.02 I wanted to add that I just noticed that our new friend Todd Greenberg is on the board as is CEO of NZRL Greg Peters. hmmmmmm no conflicts of interest there of course
Over here
Roar Rookie
its not the NRL's job to promote league internationally. there is another organization called the Rugby League International Federation www.rlif.com Haven't heard of them? they must be doing a great job. Our old pal Peter (its the sharks Peter) Beattie is the Deputy Chair and I think another old friend John Grant was the old Chairman
Harold
Guest
CC is a one code person though has softened his bias moderately recently. The Age made a big thing about AFL clubs owning pokies but didn't mention the Storm owning the 4th largest pokie player loss making venue in the state and did not run a similar campaign in the Sydney herald against Sydney NRL clubs. Doesn't this tell you something...
Harold
Guest
I note you didn't answer any of my points but went for abuse
Harold
Guest
I have seen this before - when the NRL were helping News Corp to sell the Storm they had an AFR article before the Warriors game where they claimed the average crowd was 20K I think which would have been true if 25K had turned up to Warriors game in Round 5 so they used the biggest game of the year (when Kiwi expats bolster the crowd) to get an average which would declined after that but they didn't as it rained so the average returned to a usual 14K or so. So deceipt of the first order. Newington I assume taught you tricks with averages.
Harold
Guest
Well NRL and NFL are hardly expanding in any meaningful way and declining rapidly in participants in their big markets.
Harold
Guest
They had to include touch because NRL participation fell off a cliff. What happened to the Manly Open Grade comp - 20 years ago there many teams and now a pittance - RU doesn't seem to have picked up the slack as subbies about the same as the 70's despite pop'n growth
Harold
Guest
The Storm has won 4 premierships and had some taken back and been a perennial finalist (and salary cap cheat) and still cant beat the lowest Melbourne AFL team for members and crowds. The club is still funded by News and is allowed TPAs that only Brisbane can also use. Where is that promised review of TPAs???
Harold
Guest
The NRL lobbied for it - RU and soccer didnt and to pay it off the rent will be such (unless they get a good discount) that RU and soccer wont use it.
Harold
Guest
You must be naïve if you think that the boss makes a point of something that the mob don't follow to get promtions and keep their jobs. eg Murdoch, political leaders, newspapers any workplace. Why did the Herald take down Malcolm Knox article after he pointed this out. Sept 15 I think
Harold
Guest
Is that right about the Art Gallery though people may argue a wider cross section of people go to Art Gallery though I paid $28 to see Russian exhibition with a painting of a black square. I will use that in reply to Fitz though the NRL should contribute to the ground as the AFL does often. The ALP have said they wont give any money to Allianz or Homebush but usually govts go $ for $ so if Daley backtracks and gives govt money he should resign if he wins because he promised no govt money and its a big part of his election campaign. I'd like to run a campaign with Fitz (ALP) that Daley should resign if he reneges on his promise not to give money to Allianz but he will renege.
Harold
Guest
To quote you "Gee CC you need to keep up to speed, old info serves no purpose" I am not Lukie O RL is played in more countries but is a minnow compared to RU as is AFL. Lets see how long they last...But even you should cringe that to get a Canadian Womens RL team to WC they co-opted Canadian RU players for a holiday where there are no womens RL comps in canada. Is that not a farce? well I guess not if you pretend playing RL "tests" with heritage players only in western Sydney is fair dinkum
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
There's such a large and parochial Tongan expat population they'd be mad not to. Which reminds me - - how long since Greece played a soccer match in Melbourne?
Jimmy
Roar Guru
Interesting indeed, I just hope that Rugby League, continues with Tongan fixtures over there, whether it’s against New Zealand or Australia the match has enormous appeal.