Redb, you are brainwashed my friend. To even try to compare sport to the sacrifices these ANZACS made is an unsult. By all means, enjoy the AFL but do not insult Aussie and Kiwi ex/current/servicemen/woman. Tip, go to a dawn service mate, make a piligrimige to a commonwealth war graves site, but please, do not offend us with this brainwashed garbage you are spilling out about 80, 000 AFL fans standing up for 1 minute teaching new generations about sacrifice. How is that doing that my friend. As an ex navy member, I find it an insult that you would even try to justify it as teaching a new generation about sacrifice.

james, bit arrogant there mate. Sharks Vs Dragons, Parra Vs Penrith, Roosters Vs souths, Broncos Vs Titans. AFL/ VFL has had Derbies in melbourne for over 100 years. Nothing new there

I’m sure Roos does fully endorse current programmes. They may turn out to be fruitfull, however, the point I am making and the quote I highlighted bro was that spin doctors in melbourne paint a different picture to what actually is occurring at the coal face. Roos understands that south of the Murray, people lap up these so called figures without question, north of the Murray, we scratch our heads with bemusement. The fact that they have introduced these programmes has nothing to do with that quote.

Matt, totally agree with you. The AFL boys on here can get away with whatever they want. I still can’t believe that republican can get away with all the anti NZ crp he has posted on here. I have complained on here time and time again about this “character” only to fall on deaf ears. If you dare describe AFL not in a positive light then suddenly you have your posts moderated yet still to this day, republican can slander the nation of NZ in his AFL rants. Double Standards

yeh bro, and you can’t get anyone East of Norfolk Island and West of Perth to not break into laughter when they see the game and have a Victorian try to have a serious conversation about it. Thats doing it tough bro

you should take your blinkers off from time to time.

Red, you have the coach of the Sydney swans who is saying the opposite of you mate and his critiscms are that what comes out of the mouths of the AFL and Melburnians is vastly different to what you see at the coal face. Your comments verify what Paul Roos is on about. No matter what anybody says on here Red, you will put a pro AFL spin on everything and defend the game to the death. No person has been at the coal face longer in the last decade than Roos yet you are doing exactly what he is criticising the AFL and Melburnians about.

quote paul Roos from yesterdays Daily telegraph

“You hear a lot of rhetoric out of the AFL and numbers and all this stuff they tell you about, but when you see it at the coalface you know it’s vastly different to what you hear out of Melbourne,”

i disagree with you bazza

Looks like I am being moderated, seems certain people on here have favoured treatment over others

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/afl/fanforce/index.php/heraldsun/comments/why_footy_is_better_than_rugby/

these are typical comments from Victorians who have little or no knowledge of the difference between the rugby codes, and shows how nieve and brainwashed they have been.

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/presence-rather-than-gifts-team-gws-kick-their-first-goal-20100403-rkp0.html

doesn’t look like 1500 people to me crazy horse.. Looks like they counted everyone 5 times.

ac…..its called being brainwashed

I tell you what Red, Storm will play in summer when AFL becomes a contact sport. BTW, plenty of ex storm players can and do play in our summer mate, its called the northern hemisphere!!!

crazy horse, rugby union in the Illawarra has a long proud history and most years the Illawarra junior rugby sides perform well at the country championships with boys regularly making the NSW CHS sides. The Illawarra junior rugby produces boys that regularly go on to play Sydney grade rugby and a couple of the Waratahs boys are from Kiama. Most surf clubs in the Illawarra are associated with rugby clubs. AFL will never take over from rugby in the Illawarra because surf clubs are strong and rugby is a big part of the surf clubs culture. My understanding is that junior AFL in the Gong has taken some kids who do not like contact sports (esp Wollongong Lions) from soccer. However Crazy horse, rugby in the Illawarra with clubs like Shamrocks, Kiama, Bowral etc will keep junior rugby strong. Sure, there are always going to be kids who donot like contact sports but they are in the miniority in the Gong.

Redb, every year at my childrens school (in Sydney)my kids have all this AUSkick stuff shoved down their throats. We are offered free tickets to the Swans etc etc. We do not ask for them, do not want them but they are like these evangelits who just keep trying to get into my childrens head. My child is a member of Auskick and is one of the 100, 000 or so NSW members that the AFL spruik over. My children do not like AFL and do not want to play it. These Auskick people are like evangelists, and they will never give up. At least the storm have a bit of integrity and do not go around shoving their sport down childrens throats. I oblect to aggressive marketing to children, I object to their spruiking and using my children in their numbers. (we have had the swans call us at work offering us free tickets but we are adults and can make up our own minds) For those reasons, my family and friends will never support the game and find it offensive how the AFL has declared war on all other football sports in Australia. I find the aggressive marketing of the AFL and Auskick in Sydney offensive and absolutely arrogant and the bloke who posted above by the name of Zach is typical of the average arrogant AFL supporter.

I really enjoyed the game, well done storm

From todays SMH

Tough times as Sydney snub state’s produce
JAKE NIALL
December 16, 2009
NORTH MELBOURNE found room for a Sudanese-born player. Brisbane recruited a kid of Japanese extraction. Collingwood drafted a 24-year-old American basketballer who has never played a serious game of Australian football.

Five AFL clubs were willing to take the punt on Irish recruits, but when the Sydney Swans had an opportunity to pick up a NSW kid in yesterday’s rookie draft – a youngster who would cost them just north of $50,000 – they passed. The Swans couldn’t find a single kid from the nation’s most populous state good enough to justify the expense.

Sydney’s actions yesterday – they passed on four non-compulsory selections, due in large part to budgetary constraints – underscored the magnitude of what the AFL is trying to achieve on the Gold Coast and especially in greater western Sydney. The Swans re-drafted the battling aristocrat, Henry Playfair, and picked up an Irishman from County Derry, Chris McKaigue.

In a sign of what is to come, they ”upgraded” one NSW scholarship player, Nathan Gordon. But he was the end of their local content, even though they were permitted to pick another couple. And, based on what happened in 2008, one cannot blame them for the backyard neglect. None of the NSW rookies the Swans drafted that year has survived the cull.

As far as producing players goes, NSW, south of Wagga Wagga, is a dead zone. If the Swans can’t find local players, how is the new Greater Western Sydney franchise going to create an organic football culture in the land of Alan Jones, rugby league and Sheikh Hilali? Even Kevin Sheedy’s salesmanship will be tested in this barren terrain. Getting these folk to watch the game will be challenging enough. To produce players will take a very long time and a great deal of money.

The Swans are allowed extra local rookie players, and had the opportunity to draft up to seven players yesterday. But having undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of what was available, they selected only four – a sign, not simply of the dead zone of NSW, but of a lack of players everywhere. The club said that tight finances were part of the reason. ”The last NSW selection, we didn’t feel there was one that was warranted,” said Sydney recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson.

Mindful that there aren’t any decent players in NSW to draft, the Swans will attempt to manufacture players themselves. So, they are directing funds into a revamped scholarship scheme – investing about $400,000 a year – instead of picking token locals who have Buckley’s hope of making the grade.

It’s a matter of choosing. Sydney, says chief executive Andrew Ireland, would rather spend the money where they reckon there is a better prospect of success. On that basis, Ireland must reckon the country that bears his name is a better bet than NSW.

The Lions (who have similar access to extra local rookies) also passed on two selections yesterday and one can safely assume that they did so because it wasn’t worth trawling over a pool of players that had been gutted by the Gold Coast.

The decisions taken yesterday were a measure of how expansion creates problems for all clubs, which were sifting through the rear end of a draft that had been diluted by Gold Coast concessions. When expansion contracts the talent pool, clubs are forced to look outside the traditional, reliable recruiting patches.

Republican, takes alot for me to make this accusation but you my friend are a RASCIST and the roar should hang their head in shame for letting you smear the amount of muck that you have for so long.. Tina

republican, i can read you know!!!! making comments such as “the Hurricanes should be worried” regarding a proposed AFL game in wellington, displays to me a sense of immaturity on your behalf!! Over the last 6 months, I have watched various people on here ask you for links/facts etc to back up your opinions. To this date nothing!!! Like I said my friend. Its time to put up or shut up.

Republican, i have sat back and watched you my friend spruik on both rugby and league threads on here about the demise of these codes in the ACT over the last 6 months. You are constantly appearing on both rugby threads, yet you have the hyde to accuse me of being on this thread out of a base of fear. I take offence to that my friend. I suggest Zac is not doing his job in keeping you in line young man!!!!!! I have lost count how many times you have repeated yourself on here with the same stuff about both codes of rugby going down the drain in the ACT and lately you have changed your tone to imply rugby is heading south in the shakey isles. Republican, I will put you straight!!!! I popped my head up on this thread because I saw your name appear in th top right hand corner so i decided to defend my love of rugby. Firstly republican, you are getting really boring. No sane AFL fan would even suggest that rugby is heading south in NZ, not one. Although I donot actively follow AFL, I admire their sporting skills and will not criticise the game here because of the garbage you continue to put forward. Sometimes you start off with what is sounding like a resonable response then you blow it with extreme rubbish. I find your comments quite belittleing to Kiwis because you have little to base your arguements on. Suggestion, why don’t you write an article on Rugby and its demise on both sides of the ditch. I think Brett has suggested it before, however I really think its time for you to put up or shut up as you have been allowed to be a first class sh#t stirrer of both rugby fans and lately Kiwis for too long.
Regards
Tina Meredith

republican quote “The Hurricanes on the other hand will be feeling very nervous indeed”
hahahahaha

republican, what money grabbing off shore folly. this would COST the AFL money. So when do the Brumbies finish republican???

rumour mill is already spinning around town. SMS from friend says Tigers are keen. see what happens

Greg bird has just had his case quashed. Free man. who will he sign with????? Roosters or Bunnies???

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/975624/greg-bird-walks-free