You heard it here first people, the youth of Australia no longer see any value in AFL – the only reason the youth play sport is to make money. Next you’ll be telling us that players from all over the world will one day come to Australia to play in the A-League…

I wouldn’t be so sure about every Victorian awaiting the day that the Rebels play. Take it from me (Melbourne Storm supporter); if the Rebels survive 11 years in the competition many people in Melbourne will still have no idea who they are and what they do. Best to set your expectations at the right level. I note that you forgot to mention that the Melbourne Storm are a Victorian club who won their domestic competition – perhaps your use of the word “some” indicates a hidden agenda here. All the talk about forming an army…one could be forgiven for thinking you see this as a war. Listen to your new CEO Brian Waldron who is a great man, all codes can survive in Melbourne…..do you believe it?

Very interesting article Luke – nice work.

If anything (in my opinion) they’re underpaid at the benefit of the suits that are running the show. Anyone who says they are overpaid doesn’t understand economics. The public is crazy about sports, our city of Melbourne is obsessed with these guys, teams, the competition; they are valued very highly, so with high value comes a high price tag. If 40,000 people were turning up to watch you work, you’d be on more money too.

Luke, out of interest, how did you research the figure of $230,000pa? Do you know how many games the average AFL player has in their career.

I believe that the average NRL player plays between 40-50 games, not sure what their average wage is, anyone?

Thank you preciouspress for this article. Our mums taught us that if we didn’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all, but thanks for saying it. The commentary is a disgrace when you compare it to the radio. The plugging of the Winter Olympics over the past few days has made me want to puke – anyone else looking forward to watching some Canadian try and get back to back gold medals in the most ridiculous of events? Makes me mad that Winter Olympics get so much coverage and Melbourne Storm games aren’t shown until midnight here in Melbourne.

Question about the commentary on the radio and tv – anyone else noticed that they aren’t in sync? The channel nine coverage is delayed by a few seconds?

League is doing very well ahead of AFL, football and Union in this area; copying the All Star concept from US football and basketball (+ State of Origin as well); key is to ensure that players are passionate about playing in the match each and every year which is a challenge. A one off is easy to be passionate about but when you add 26 rounds of footy, State of Origin, a World Cup, finals, a pre-season – it’s a long season for the top players; something has to give at some point, and it won’t be club duties!

Good article!

I agree that the early rounds are dull and a waste; it would bring more interest if the random draw scenario was introduced, but perhaps the #1, 4, 5, 8 etc ranked/seeded players could be on one side of the draw still with # 2, 3, 6, 7 on the other, then do to the random draw; it’s random but if 1, 2, 3 and 4 (+ 5 thru 10 – yes very random, but still a chance and a promoters nightmare) were on the same side of the draw the final could be a whitewash…not good viewing either

Anyone who bets on the wooden spoon or who will win the flag before Round 16 is an absolute fool.

The Eels and Storm showed this in 2009; Eels were headed for a spoon and ended up grand finalists; Storm’s attack hit form in the last few weeks of the finals and the momentum was unstoppable.

Gambling is a tax on the poor; which I think makes you a tax collector Scott. I’m with Master Blaster on this one, you’re just plugging your product Scott. Gambling is a virus on our society…just my opinion.

What an inspiring blog – so good to hear nothing but positive or constructive comments – I hate it when people come on to these articles and start pushing their own agendas around. Well done team!

Yes Matt, the answer is yes. An AFL fan pointed out to me that professionalism era of players going full time has hurt rugby union because everyone is now fit. There are fewer gaps in the defense, so what choice have you got but to play field position. There are 30 players on the field at a time; AFL has 36 on the field at a time, and it’s three times the size! I believe it will go to 13, and league will go to 11-a-side too. The NRL trialed 11-a-side in the Toyota Cup towards the end of the season last year (for games that had no bearing on the finals) and it was open and exciting. Doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong or goes against the very fabric of why you love the game – you don’t matter – money matters in this day and age, so be prepared for “our” product to be changed so that other supporters can be attracted. They might lose you, but they’ll risk it if you’re replaced by 2 other people.

I agree with some of your points Blacky – I have clients in NSW who love the Waratahs and my friends in Canberra are very passionate about the Brumbies. Junior, put your crystal ball away – you have no idea if the Super 15 team will work in Melbourne, no one does; but Melbourne has an amazing thirst for sport – that’s why I moved here; if 8 AFL clubs can survive, so can 2 football, 1 league and 1 union. One last point I disagree with you on Blacky, the Melbourne Storm may not have had a base 11 years ago when the club started, but it does now – just as passionate as any club. I attended the end of season ball – there were a lot of fans there, and the board of the Storm have some big plans in stall for the future. So play nicely kids, there’s plenty of room in the playground for all of us!

I share Robbo’s confusion – isn’t the hooker in the forward pack???

So does Watmough then make it “two kangaroos would make the world forward pack”?

It’s a team game, so the real measure is how the entire pack works together, not highlighting individuals. Our start studded backline would not be able to do the things they do (Lockyer wouldn’t be putting Inglis into gaps) if the forward pack wasn’t do a brilliant job – which they are – whoever wins tonight has the best pack in the world.

Thanks Pippinu,

It’s consistent with the rules of rugby union, very very confusing and complicated.

A massive loss…hopefully Dallas will be inducted into the Melbourne Storm Hall of Fame at some point in the future (I don’t think he’s already there is he…?).

King of: “the beauty of the new format is that we are guaranteed of having an australian team in the play offs”.

Huh???? How does the guarantee work? Is it rigged?

You are right there Temba, you need 10 years and to complete a bachelor degree to understand all the rules for rugby union. New viewers to the sport have no chance of understanding it, and those that have grown up watching the game are losing interest.

I’ve been following Lote on Twitter for a few weeks now and he’s seems like a real happy person. I can’t wait to see playing rugby league again. Dell has been brilliant; it’s almost like he feels blessed to be out there playing again. He’s having so much fun, he waves to the crowd, he almost always is willing to high five the kids on the way out on the ground and after half-time – I love it, and I hope that Lote has the same experience – and gets paid $400,000pa.

There are things that are more important in life than money LeftArmSpinner. I hope for your sake you realise this one day.

This issue irritates me for so many reasons…

1. Sport is about achieving, not always winning and to achieve you need to have confidence. I hope someone in the Government, when presented with the 2009 survey that said Australia would finish with 9 gold medals, screwed it up and threw it in the bin. How would you feel, training your guts out, only to have the AOC president say, we’re probably not going to win many gold medals.

2. Olympic motto: faster, higher, stronger, not win more medals than other countries. I need to take a deep breath and see that the Australian Government must see the light too by not throwing more money at sport. If our self esteem is wrapped up in how many gold medals we win, we’re in trouble. It’s not about keeping up with the Jones’ Mr Coates, it’s about supporting our athlete’s and congratulating them on giving 100% no matter how they do.

3. By God I hope they don’t start publishing that survey. I remember the 1988 Olympics, when we had no idea who was going to win gold medals and when Duncan Armstrong won it was a thrill. Don’t tell us who you’ve banked on to get gold medals. Hell, you have no idea who will be in form in 2012 anyway, let alone be world champs.

4. I love sport, but education, health, safe roads and safe streets are more important than winning another gold medal at the Olympics and being 6th instead of 7th on the gold medal tally. Well done Aussie Gov’t.

5. Remind me where this money goes and how it gets repaid to Australian taxpayers Mr Coates? Stephanie Rice gets funded all the way to glory, then instead of having to repay a HECS or HELP debt, she goes and signs up corporate sponsorship with knickers companies and makes more money. I think this needs attention. It’s about time sportspeople started making better use of their time between training sessions. Instead of shopping or getting a degree in X-Box how about you become the face of a charity and use your fame to good use – that way you’ll attract sponsorship and get the support you need. But I guess if you’ve got Mr Coates going around knocking on doors, raising money for you, why would you bother?

Q. Why do all the people in Sydney drink out of mugs?

A. Because Melbourne’s got all the cups.

Pippinu, sorry to place you in the same bucket as Freud of Football there; on reflection your comments weren’t anywhere near that of FOF who is in a class of his/her own (or lack of class…)

Gobsmacked at the comments of Pippinu and Freud of Football. Cannot believe how arrogant some people can be. Good article Davidde, very enjoyable.

You must have time up your sleeves too Knuckles if you just read through all that…

Amateur sport isn’t driven by money. Parents aren’t driven by money, do you know how much kids cost to raise? Don’t think love is driven by money…

The stock-market is driven by capitalism. Baby boomers that had most of their portfolio invested in the Australian stock-market and lost 40% of their capital didn’t understand risk. Investment markets hand out very expensive tuition bills to those who don’t know what they are doing, and yes, many Baby boomers earned a diploma in this recently. Share-market is up over 40% over the last six months. The patient ones have had this wealth transferred back to them. The impatient ones went back to the sidelines and missed out again.

Sheek and bever fever, you don’t understand the stock-market if you think it survives based on betting. Betting is a zero sum game, you win or you lose. If you invest in shares in a company and hold them, you receive dividends each year, and over time you earn capital gains by it going up. The stock-market transfers wealth from impatient people (speculators who think they can predict the future) to patient people (investors who understand that we live in a capitalist market and capital markets increase over time). The Australian stock-market has returned a compound return of 11%pa over the past 25 years; you don’t get that level return each week, month or year; sometimes it’s far less (like last year) and sometimes it’s far more (like this year), but it’s there.

Gambling on the other hand is, as it’s often quoted, a tax on the poor. It sounds like most people on this blog see racing as entertainment, not a way to make money which is a great thing. But it’s still a fair debate to have to question the motives behind the sport – it’s driven by money, so is it really a sport?

Great reply. You’re right – it’s not fair to single out horse racing. I will have you know however that I do despise night clubs, car racing (speed and damage to the environment) but have no defense for your point that my beloved sports of rugby league and Aussie rules may promote aggression…nup, I’ve got nothing.

There are just unfortunately too many things that irritate me about horse racing, right down to those knobs who suddenly become an experts when they put on a suit, hat and have a program in their hand. MyGeneration, if you have time use this forum to educate us on the side of horse racing that you love; so that when we watch the coverage we can block out all the garbage and focus on what you see.

Guy Smiley – you had me at hello (even though you didn’t say it). Your article made my day, so thank you. It’s nice to know that other people out there share my opinion. I am another person who should take a holiday or not look at a newspaper at this time of year because so much to do with racing makes me sick. If the gambling was taken out of this event (whoa, almost said sport!) few people would turn up. But some would turn up MyGeneration and it is at this point I bow to you and say that most people aren’t like you. They are clueless and have little appreciation about the athleticism and skill involved.

I sit back and hate what impact the event has on our society, such as the drinking, gambling, money spent on trying to look good. My girlfriend defends the fashion side by saying that it’s an opportunity for some people to go out and get dressed up once a year, but after attending Caulfield on the weekend she took it all back. She said it was disgraceful and she was being preyed upon by blokes all day.

MyGeneration, you say that horse racing has always had a symbiotic relationship with gambling; it’s a dependent relationship in my mind. Without it, it would not be anything near what it is right now.

Whilst on the topic of horse racing, what happens to horses that don’t make the grade? Do they get sent to a pasture to graze away or shot because they’re too expensive to keep alive (and turned to glue)?