Kak means SH*T in afrikaans….

So the NRL handing out free tickets to finals and SOO isn’t buying popularity? I had free tickets to the NRL GF.
The A-League handing out Liberty passes (free entry to U16’s) isn’t being popularity?
Tell me how the AFL has bought popularity?
AusKick numbers aren’t counted in membership figures by the way. They are counted as participation, just as tag kids are counted as participation in the NRL. All figures are rubbery. If you look at https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/research/ausplay/results#research_publications and find the ones NRL, AFL & Football. You can see the figures for participation. Each counts those that participate once. Look at Page 9 of each participation breakdown. NRL counts players from 8 different categories, AFL 3 & Football from 7.
So does that mean the RL has even less than the 315K participants based on your comment about counting? WA doesn’t even have 10K registered players for NRL.

Maybe, but it was hastened by the AFL approach in QLD, otherwise explain these articles and comments;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nrl/article-12056565/Footy-supremo-Peter-Vlandys-reveals-wants-FIVE-NRL-teams-Queensland-fight-AFLs-threat.html
and
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/battle-for-western-sydney-how-emergence-of-gws-forced-penrith-parramatta-to-get-house-in-order/news-story/f0533fdc930e838bdea60b4443579fbb

The NRL are worried for whatever reason. They appear to be jumping at shadows and having a “Highlander (there can only be one)” view.

He doesn’t have an obligation to promote and grow his own sport, however, he does seem overly obsessed with the AFL, his comments and behaviour seriously give that indication. One of the main reasons the Dolphins where the expansion team (and most likely why the PNG team will be partly based out of Cairns and not completely in PNG) is the growth of AFL in QLD. V’Landys use of language like the AFL has infiltrated the Hunter Valley is also language that indicates the NRL are worried. But why should they be?

Really? Tell me where the FFA spends their money? Little on development, way behind the AFL and NRL. They may get tax payer money for their stadiums and bot contribute as much as you would like, yet they invest in the grassroots and other areas more than football. The AFL alone will spend $360mil over 10 years in Tasmania.

The fees do go to pay the 1st grade teams. They don’t pay any registration or fees, it all comes from the youth. The FFA and clubs contribute nothing substantial. For football to gain any real traction they need to do something more than they are.

As for M*FIA, just need to look at football in this country and holding the game back.

You don’t get it do you? The Football fraternity complain about the funding of a new stadium that the AFL put a little money into with lesser players than Football. Yet Football can’t get its act together. How can the 2 major codes in this country charge less to play, yet be able to spend more? Tax payer money does come into it, so why don’t Football follow what the AFL and NRL do to get that amount of money from the government?

As for my daughter, she loves her Football and her cricket. I’m not denying her the opportunity to play at NPL and State level because of the fees. Yet there are many talented players out there whose family can’t afford to pay, so we miss out on some possibly highly talented players.

As for piano and tennis, ever wondered why we don’t have many top performing people in those areas? They aren’t cheap either. And they are not like-for-like as they are not “competing” with each other.

And what stadium do the FFA have a hand in building? While the AFL may only contributing a small amount to the construction, they are spending money elsewhere in Tasmania.
The Stadium will not just be used for AFL either.
Again what is the FFA doing? They need to stop crying poor and invest properly with their money and input. Allowing NPL teams to charge juniors (like my daughter) over $2500 to play is an example of their lack of planning and expecting others to pay. You complain about the AFL, yet I know of one academy that charges under $1000 and it included 4 interstate trips throughout the season.

Yet AFL has a longer stand down period than the NRL.
None are treating head clashes with the respect they deserve.
NRL doesn’t need some of the contact dished out either, yet JWH and co. still get away with the thuggery to a point that some call “football act”.

Yeah, never understood why teams not in finals contention are considered to be tanking if they decide to do.

1. Send players off to surgery early so they can possible have an uncompromised pre-season in preparation for the following year.
2. Try out players on their list to see what they actual have when it is in a game. They have to make list changes each year, either through delisting players or trading them.

No-one complains when players are rested during the season.

Thanks – I haven’t paid as much attention this year unfortunately.
My kids struggle to understand why everyone raves about Dusty, as every time they have watched a Richmond game, he has been underwhelming.
When on song he is near unbeatable, but that doesn’t happen all that often. Yes he won 3 Norm Smith’s, however, at least 1 (or maybe 2) I thought others were more deserving – Houli for instance in 2017.

The infatuation with Dusty is getting out-of-hand. Though I would ask, exactly who would you have in front of him?

Thanks Wolzal, I love learning these things. I didn’t realise the anti-Amercianisation part, but it makes sense.

If you want to be pedantic, then you would know that in the 1800’s there were many “codes”, even in England.
They then called themselves Rugby Union Football (obviously Rugby today), Association Football (Soccer) in England alone. So technically the name is Association Football – the football code you can score with every part of your body except your hands.

Time wasting is something the English are good at. It was funny to hear them carry on after their antics against the Matildas.
Also on their defence, my daughter and I were saying the same thing during the game – the English didn’t seem to enjoy the crosses from wide into the box, and Earps and co didn’t look entirely comfortable with balls coming in from wider than 45-50 degree angle from the middle of the goal.
The also didn’t go in as hard at the tackle like the did against the Matildas and standing back more

Yet, people will still think that the AFL & NRL don’t use their own money to contribute to building infrastructure.
The AFL alone has contributed to the MCG, Optus Stadium, SCG, the Gabba and the Adelaide Oval. They don’t have exclusive access to any of them. Each of the above has been used for concerts and other sports. Even the most moaned about in the AFL – GMHBA stadium – is available for the community to use.
Football Australia should actually look at how the NRL and AFL get their funding and actually use the same strategies.

Need to start thinking in decades not week-to-week

Which is exactly what the AFL do. The other codes could learn a thing or two in terms of vision.

Yet V’Landys is worried enough – and the AFL will plan long term, 30yrs or so. He has commented many times about the AFL posts going up in “Rugba League Heartland“. It is half the reason the Dolphins are the team that came into the NRL

There are more Auskick participants in QLD (6550), than the total number of Rugby League players (4500) in Victoria. If you go and add total registrations QLD has 55,000. Again the 30yr plan – these young Auskickers become the TV viewers in the future.

Put it another way – when has anyone in the AFL mentioned the Rugby pitches in Aussie Rules Heartland?

Really, just got back from Queensland. Taken the train from Newport to Milton and was surprised at the many Australian Rules posts in schools and ovals. The Dolphins are in existence because of the AFL The war as you call it never existed, yet like most people who prefer only the one code or are anti-AFL, the time frame you call a war is merely a battle in the long-term plans of the AFL. The NRL could learn a thing or two about long-term plans, same with soccer.

we can go watch a great game of any code in every major city with pretty good facilities.

Agree 100%

I agree – they need to find their niche (hate the word, but can’t think of a better one). When the best leagues are overseas (or can pay more money), the local league will struggle. The best example I can think of is Basketball – Kestelman has revived Basketball in this country by thinking outside the box and knowing the limits (unfortunately) of the league here. Yet there are plenty of international players wanting to play here as a grounding for the future – an important step in their development.

If Football (Soccer) could follow this approach, who knows what could happen. They can’t keep going on the same trajectory about it being the World Game and expect things to just happen. They continually complain about the AFL/NRL levels of funding when maybe they should stop and learn what they do to get the funding. The both help with infrastructure, they both heavily subsidies juniors and are a lot better at marketing.

The other thing that I personally don’t think helps (and not just Football) is the were are they best code – therefore should be the only code attitude. This leads to continuous putdowns that are really on a kindergarten level. Think of the descriptions given by many on this site
“Cross-country Volleyball”, “seagulls chasing a chip”, “push and sniff”, “Wrestling with a ball”, “thugball”.

Those who don’t support the Cats can’t wait for them to fail, says more about them seeing the world through Green eyes than the Cats….

Yes because FIFA charge too much for the product. AFL brings in the money for Ch. 7 in Australia. Cimparimg it to the Olympics is misleading as it is several sports, not just one and is done in 16 days.

The chip on the shoulder attitude of the Myopic Highlander Football supporters is really pathetic. In Australia there are other codes which are more successful, get over it. Open up your pallet and invest time in understanding other codes.

I love my SPORT, not just one. I play Football, have played Aussie Rules and touch and see that all have a beauty. My kids play football and watch it, they also watch AFL and Rugby. We also understand that FTA channels need to make money, and unfortunately Football doesn’t do it constantly enough when it comes to selling advertising spots. Maybe blame the business who put adds on TV?

The FA could have helped with money0or lobbying the government.

How can ch. 7 show more than the 15 games they are allowed to show? Regardless of ant relationship, they only have rights for the Matildas games and 3 other pool games before the Matildas half of the finals. Blame FIFA or Optus Sport for that to occur rather than the relationship with the AFL.

So Geelong shouldn’t play games in Geelong? Where they are from?

What about the Tiger supporters from Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, etc. You can’t fit all the Tigers or Pies supporters into the G, what about those that miss out?

No Geelong has stated many times that they need crowds of over 75K just to break even at the MCG. Whereas they make around $750K from each game at KP.