#chris1

“The only way they survive is to suffocate everything around them.”

And just how does this happen?? I’m very interested.

#ASFC

“unlike the AFL”…………hmmm.

Y’know in Melbourne – – where soccer is played at AAMI Park………..100% Govt funded stadium.

Sometimes the A-League got games on at Docklands…………100% no Govt funds and 100% only got build because the private owners could extort the AFL until the AFL was able to buy it out.

So far………….I don’t see the AFL sponging.

Then the MCG – – Socceroos, Wallabies, Man Utd, ’06 Comm Games, Tay Tay…….all get to use this facility. Who paid for it? Not Govt. Only $77 Mill of the roughly $580 mill to 100% rebuild it since 1990 came from Govt. The rest……..pretty well 90% is AFL direct revenues that are geared into long term leases to underpin the MCC debt. And the AFL don’t even get to own or manage it?!?!? The Govt sponges off the AFL in Melbourne as do other sports who get to feel good about themselves if they draw 80-90K to the ‘G once in a blue moon.

So……..nope……..no ‘sponging’ there.

Tassie you put forward as an example?? Interesting. The Stadium…….that the AFL will contribute $15 mill towards – a combination of State and Fed funds – for a state owned facility that……..will be used by others but only the AFL will contribute. And that comes along with another $345 mill to be spent on establishing the club, talent development and academies into the Tassie economy. Pretty well balances out the Tassie Govt investment in their own stadium. Looks like a win-win to me for Tassie.

Gold Coast……..hmmm…….what? Where the new upgraded stadium was funded by the AFL ($13.3 million), the Queensland Government ($71.9 million), the Commonwealth Government ($36 million) and the Gold Coast City Council ($23 million).

So…..the AFL put in $13.3 million into a public asset that has been since used by cricket, the Gold Coast Comm Games……doesn’t look like sponging to me.

How much did soccer invest in the SFS rebuild??

#Waz

cheers.

I still ponder when the ‘home of the Matildas’ sees it’s first Tilly……..

#pacman

Isn’t that largely what I said “with the IOC fearful of losing Soccer from the Olympics”.

FIFA felt no compulsion to be 100% WADA compliant. Through the 2000s this was going on year after year and there’d be like an uneasy truce going in to each Olympics.

There’s so little actual testing going on – – in Australia – – it’s somewhat farcical.

#Brainstrust

Perhaps that speaks to the perception of a value proposition. It’s a 10 year $28.5 million deal for 3 AFL mens and 2 AFLW matches annually at Manuka. It’s referred to as a ‘partnership’ and that can be argued as the Govt contribution to the Giants running grass roots development/academy programs etc.

And………showcasing the capital……

This part is where I guess the interest is. Canberra is firmly linked to Sydney and NSW for obvious reasons and more than just the quality of the Federal Highway. Canberra IS visible to Sydney/Brisbane via the Rugby codes however is largely invisible to Melbourne. AFL in Canberra provides visibility to Melbourne if not the ‘AFL’ community more broadly.

Can the A-Leagues do that? Presently – – it’s via the womens only and that’s a major problem regarding minimal broadcast exposure.

You may regard it as “done the dirty” and that’s perhaps a viewpoint perception thing. Seriously though – – a stand alone A-League Women’s side in Canberra is a luxury item – – I would’ve thought.

#Waz

Any yet Perth is okay?? Not sure that’s the reasoning.

Suspect some money passing hands under the table here.

btw – – so the AFC require ‘clean stadiums’ even for this event?? That’s be the major hurdle. Although – – surely AAMI Park could’ve stepped up……….y’know – the 100% Govt funded stadium.

And then the ‘Home of the Matildas’ at Latrobe Uni at Bundoora might have seen……….perhaps……just perhaps……a Matilda??

#Lionheart

And for some ridiculous reason it’s asserted both the AFL and NRL have to subscribe to the IOC rules.

The irony of course is that FIFA never sat comfortably within those rules – – there was about a 10 year rolling battle with the IOC fearful of losing Soccer from the Olympics (without which the South America’s have precious little reason to tune in and much of Europe for whom only the winter Olympics are meaningful otherwise).

Oh dear Stuart – -you’ve let yourself down here:

“What if Australian football fans could celebrate their A-Leagues, knowing full well that players were not being protected and hidden from detection when it came to recreational drug taking; as the AFL powers at be, club doctors and players lie through their teeth to the most important people of all, the fans?”

Pretty pathetic comments. Seriously.

I’ll illustrate why.

Consider that in 2018-19 (not a covid year) – – ADADA conducted a grand total of 5,523 tests across 52 sports.

That’s less than 110 per sport……….roughly 2 per week per sport?!?!?

Of those 5,523 tests; 2,875 (52%) were Govt funded (for the ‘Olympic sports’ including soccer and Union…..badminton……synchronised swimming…..).
A further 2,648 (48%) were ‘user pays’ tests. That’s basically the AFL and NRL.

So how many tests were conducted within the A-League vs the Socceroos vs the Matildas?? How many did they pay for??

I assert to you – – that there’s zero point in the AFL being WADA compliant.

I assert to you that there’s zero point in the AFL being forced ‘user pay’ for ASADA testing (they charge extra on weekends).

I assert to you that there’s nothing wrong with a ‘health focus’ system.

And given the AFL has BOTH in place – – I seriously don’t see what your problem with it is.

You’re actually celebrating a laissez faire approach of voluntary ignorance and projecting that as superior to an approach that seeks to educate and prevent harm.

#Grem
” The AFL pretending it is not happening”

No mate – – it’s entirely the opposite.

That you don’t comprehend this illustrates your blinkered view.

In the case of soccer……….relying on what? ASADA testing only? Consider in 2018-19 the following metrics:

In 2018–19, ASADA conducted a total of 5,523 tests across 52 sports:

2,875 Government-funded tests (948 in-competition and 1,927 out-of-competition tests)
2,648 User-pays tests (832 in-competition and 1,816 out-of-competition tests).

sooo……that’s roughly 100 tests annually for each of the 52 sports.

And ‘user pays tests’…………that’s what the AFL and NRL pay for because they aren’t Olympic sports but dopey politicians dictated that they had to be WADA compliant because it made Australia feel better about itself in trying to get someone high up the IOC ladder……John Coates managed to get to Vice Pres in 2013. Was it worth it???

Seriously – – relying on ASADA testing only is the definition of pretending it’s not happening. How many A-League players get tested each season???

btw – ASADA charges more for testing on weekends. Yep – – it’s that stupid a system. It really is.

You tell me one good reason for the AFL to be WADA compliant.

#Grem

Just reference Dr Peter Larkins….

Larkins believes there’s no clear solution and that compromises will have to be made from at least one side.

“The issue is do we have one code only? Because this is not the WADA code… this is the so called ‘welfare code’, which has intercepted people that have gone off track and put them on the straight and narrow, they’ve had counselling and drug rehabilitation and no one ever hears about it,” Larkins added.

But I’m sure Grem – – you know better – – it’s got to be all ‘name and shame’ with a 1 size fits all that ignores that many players are dealing with difficult personal issues at any given time.

It is – after all – a community game. It’s not something to morally pure at FIFA or the IOC here……..

#Grem

Yeah – – it’s a medical model. It’s entirely about player welfare.

You sound as though you’ve had your head under a rock for 15 years. Do catch up!!

#Grem

It’s not covering up if it’s only between the individual and the doctor.

Since when do you believe doctor-patient confidentiality is a ‘cover up’??

I suppose you’ve got the ‘confessional’ in your sights as well??

With all of that – the reality was Carlton should have had that game locked away once they got 16 up.

Curnow……….McKay……..are still very average players who drop marks they should be clunking. Thinking back to the likes of Dunstall, Ablett, Carey……..they ain’t dropping those marks when getting both hands on them. Curnow had one go straight through in that last period.

#Grem
You’re trotting the same old line out again and again…

Clearly you and your audience of one (Punter) think it’s funny.

….you need some new material.

Perhaps woven from onion bags.

#Grem

interesting to see……..a scoreless return by #Brainstrust; ably ensuring a clean sheet via old mate #Grem parking a bus……..

……I suspect parking a bus too near to the white line……..ah #Grem you’re the expert on white lines it seems.

Classic bit of chest beating with nothing to show on the scoreboard; oddly typical and unsurprising.

#OneOrTwoTooManyHeaders

It’s interesting you contrast Rugby Union to effectively single nation domestic codes in AFL and NFL; and in essence NRL as well.

Part of the issue for Union is just that – – it’s an international product.

And in Australia in particular – which is arguably the worlds most competitive domestic football market; in Australia EACH of the codes has their ‘sweet spot’ for market share and each has it’s home fortress(es).

AFL has fortress Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth…….and even gave away State of Origin and so has a 100% domestic league with no representative activity diminishing it. And it works.

NRL has fortress Sydney and Brisbane……however has the State of Origin as its pinnacle while the League season functions quite well relative to other competitions.

Soccer………..fortress Sydney – has the issue of the domestic league is a pale imitation of the international leagues against which it is effectively scheduled. The sweet spot is the Socceroos and Matildas.

Rugby…….hard to say anymore where the fortress is…….at any rate – – Sydney and Brisbane are getting carved up a fair to much given the AFL has arguably the biggest team in Sydney and arguably the side 2nd to the Broncos in Brisbane. Rugby has no stand alone domestic league and the Wallabies are on the nose. The sweet spot……the capacity to host a RUWC is much easier than hosting a FIFAWC.

Can RU in Australia survive by hosting a RUWC once every 20 years…..because the sweet spot was 2003. Perhaps back then the ARU actually believed their own BS and over rated their self importance within the Australian football landscape. It’s been free falling since then. Perhaps there was an assumption it would just happen……success and domination. Get a team in Melbourne and everything will take care of itself………..yeah-nah.

btw 2003 – Wilkinson reminded people that there’s more than one way to win a game of RU; the problem is in Australia there seems a determination to play a single style of game rather than having a slightly more expansive tool kit. The game is the game.

#Brainstrust

I was reading a little – this thread – about the construction down the road – and then we come to your comments.

Seriously?? And what are your sources on this??

and…….having Dawson on the bench for over 6 of the last 10 minutes………..coming from behind……just leave him out there and let him play and lead.

#Tufanooo

So I’m not sure what you’re expecting to compare with in North America, Russia or Northern Japan……

#Tufanooo

“The Govt should call the bluff.”

Except…………..the Govt has already signed the contracts. That’s not really a bluff then…….that’s a reneg.

what about Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin??

#Micko

Neither WA or SA faced such an issue. When the Crows came in they played out of the SANFL owned AAMI Stadium (Football Park) and in WA games either at the WACA in the early days or at Subiaco and all were fit for purpose.

However – – in Hobart – Bellerive is far from fit for purpose and primarily due to the limitations on the venue for A. growth (being hemmed in within a residential area……and beach) and B. limitations due to the small number of night events able to be held at the venue across the full year. Which limits both Cricket (Cricket Tasmania own the infrastructure but lease the venue) and AFL……and any other ‘event’. Cricket Tasmania are open to moving in to the new stadium.

The venue is not unfit for NMFC playing a couple of games a year. Nowhere has anyone said that.

The AFL has a contract with the state Govt – – so that’s that.

The Libs returned at the election and the Lambie MPs have NO policy on anything (the worst example of the dumbing down of our democracy……..idiocracy).

#Birdman

No……….re Lindsay Thomas. Well…….Dermie in the media in particular.

I have no sympathy for whinging Hawthorn.

Guerra was one of those who’d go to ground; Poppy would drop the knees when tackled similar to……..and Selwood would………we know what he would do.

Thomas would get low to gather the ball and then as he’s coming up – he’d try to slip through the ‘gap’ past a player………that player had to tackle correctly. It’s the issue of a player MUST be permitted to come back up……….but…….if he gets back up to height and then drops again…….then bang – prior.

AFL umpires have a tendency to ‘pre plan’ games.

We’ve seen it the way they ‘manage’ certain players………..with often a ridiculous bias.

The last 2 Good Friday games have been blighted by over umpiring of minor contact by umpires seemingly over prepped for undersized defenders taking on Curnow and McKay. The umpires often betray themselves as to what they are clearly looking for………rather than just letting the game flow and paying those free kicks that are consequential rather than just purely technical. (i.e. a small hold may not retard a player…..did it linger long enough to be worthy a free kick…….some umpires have too much of a ‘hair trigger’).

In the case of Ginnivan – he sufferes now in a similar way to Lindsay Thomas. The irony is Hawthorn kicked up a stink but got away with Guerra and Puopulo milking high contacts.

#chris1

In AFL…..some of them ‘retire’ to the US as punters – for a bit of superannuation.