Roar Pro
Joined January 2012
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too much sport is not enough
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Every code has it weaknesses. Those little chinks in its game that people don't like, but exist all the same. For all the things…
Did anybody happen to see Riley McGree's goal on Friday night? The insane 'scorpion kick' in front of a boisterous home crowd propelled the…
Moves by the FFA to expand the A-League have a lot of fans buzzing about the future of football in this country. Many would…
People are listing seemingly never-ending lists of problems with the A-League of late, so here are some solutions. Fan engagement How do we turn…
The excitement and demand for new teams to enter Australian football has reached a tipping point, however we must proceed with caution, for there…
The A-League has finished for the season but the chatter among fans about where to take the beautiful game is never ending. The talk…
With the AFL's sights set on going international, now is the perfect time for the A-League and professional football to take centre stage in…
While replying to an excellent Jay Croucher article discussing Fremantle's woes, I asked in the comments section whether Matthew Pavlich can be considered a…
The whole of the AFL community and wider Australian sporting public is celebrating the landmark $2.5 billion media rights deal the league secured. It…
An interesting article written by Tony Tannous on the fate of two newly formed franchises in Western Sydney was fermenting debate yesterday on The…
An interesting article written by The Roar columnist Janek Speight led to a spirited debate on this very website. In the article he thought…
Could the A-League ever match the two dominant winter codes in this country and secure a $1 billion TV rights deal? Every successful sporting…
In his regular weekly sports column journalist Peter FitzSimons went on a usual rant about why "football" should be called "soccer" in Australia. This…
An initiative I would like to throw open to fellow Roarers is the idea of an A-League Cup replacing the finals system. Unlike the…
As we inch closer to the milestone of ten years of pro football in this country, I think the time is ripe to discuss…
The FFA Cup has been a welcomed and long awaited announcement. Although ignored by a lot of mainstream media, it is another block in…
Roarers have often talked about the style of football played on the park, but how do we feel about the style of the overall…
A popular debate in the comments section of football stories on The Roar is the notion the A-League or the FFA in general should…
The new reports of fan violence blasting across mainstream media and internet news sites should have every genuine football fan worried. Once again Australian…
A calculated 'cut-through' comment from FFA boss David Gallop has had journalists and bloggers buzzing with responses. Like an over-tanned Baywatch actor, Gallop has…
yeah…because the way to get the broader public to accept you is to encourage violence among your fan base. Honestly… we do shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes.
How do A-League fans convince police that passion is not a crime?
The only real solution for clubs is to own their own stadiums. That way they will be able to set the policy regarding active support and even get their own staff to relase flares safely.
How do A-League fans convince police that passion is not a crime?
Isn’t Suncorp and Lang Park the same place? …so that would be one.
Also Sydney have many “almost” 20,000 stadiums like Jubilee, Belmore, Leichardt, Shark Park, whatever Penrith’s stadium is called etc and they can’t be filled. You have buckleys of getting a “soccer specific” stadium unless FFA pay to have it built.
What Olympic glory would mean for Australian football - and why Steph Catley is the right woman to lead the Matildas to it
Rugby’s problem in Australia is inherently cultural. It has never broken away from its middle/upper class roots. It is still largely seen as a game played by private school boys in the elite schools of Sydney and Brisbane.
It never handled the move to full professionalism smoothly as it simply ran into the inevitable fact that their isn’t enough fans of the code to compete day to day with Rugby league. Without that firm footing of a popular league, the national team will alway struggle. Its Golden era largely consisted of people from the ‘semi-pro/amatuer’ era. In Sydney, their natural base has largely shifted to supporting the Swans in the AFL as it is seen as a middle class sport now.
Legalising foul play, laneway bars and Molly Meldrum: Ten ways we can conquer Melbourne for rugby
I don’t buy the whole “we should spend money on housing and hospitals” – All Governments have had years to avert this crisis. John Howard created the housing bubble in the late 90’s – blaming a stadium is just knee jerk and intellectually lazy.
Its quite obvious why the AFL want this as a pre-requisite for getting a team. The AFL is largely funded from its media rights deal – having new full stadiums looks great on TV.
Its the one issue that has blindsided soccer in their push for a second division – dodgy suburban stadiums make the league look second rate.
Basically it comes down to cold brutal reality. Does Tasmania want its own team? if yes…then the gatekeepers (AFL) demand a new stadium. No one has an inherit right to enter a professional sporting competition. It would actually make the AFL’s job of running the comp easier without them as now every team would have a bye.
Once its built I bet Tasmanians will love it. It will become a major focal point of the city that will lift the whole area and encourage growth.
Sometimes people need to restrain their natural NIMBYISM – its what has given us the current housing crisis as the owning class do’nt want to build anything.
Forget the critics - the new stadium is exactly what Tasmania needs
I hear all these comments about ‘identity’ but nothing about the most important issue facing punters – price point. In order to build a steady support base, the A League has to be the cheapest event in town.
Don’t try comparing it to the AFL…they have generations of support built in, their fans will pay anything to see their team.
If you want families and kids you’ve got to make it cheaper than any entertainment option.
It should literally be A League policy to have cheaper tickets than all other sports. The trick of course will be to make it at a price point that will bring fans in but still make the team economically sustainable. That’s the real challenge.
As Western United kick on with their $2 billion masterplan, it's time to turn the A-League focus onto a complacent Melbourne City
In today’s world you’ll find very little sympathy from me for a guy who once earned $76k per week.
I now know why he turned down the A League over playing in the gulf states .
'I’ve got nothing to show for it': Neill opens up on bankruptcy after ex-Socceroo narrowly avoids jail
This is the only sensible decision that could have been taken. Simply believing you are a different gender doesn’t mean it’s correct. Every woman cricketer shouldn’t have to accept a decision just to make one person feel better about themselves.
Adults are free to ‘transition’ into anything or anyone they identify as …but that has never meant that we all have to accept their access into every female space available on earth and just be cool with it.
'We are not a threat': Aussie transgender cricketer reacts with 'heavy heart' to ICC ban
What? At the Cricket Board of Common Sense and Logic?
'We are not a threat': Aussie transgender cricketer reacts with 'heavy heart' to ICC ban
‘Melbourne can’t compete with our beaches or Swan river’ – ????.,,most WA thing I’ve heard in a while.
Top AFL draft prospect Harley Reid confirms he has no issues in heading west
Sorry to throw a cat amongst the pigeons but ‘Australian Football’ – in capital letters like you just wrote….is actually the moniker of A.F.L. ????- let’s not give birth to another code war over here!
Tasty Australia Cup final promises to set the table for exciting season of Aussie football
Even Adam Cooney and Tom Mitchell have won brownlows. It’s not exactly a flex nowadays
Oliver to remain a Demon after crisis meetings, club ultimatum to 'shape up or ship off'
I’ve said it plenty of times. The Wallabies are just the b-grade Kangaroos.
Anybody with any talent in rugby is snatched up by the NRL.
The coverage of this World Cup alone should give people pause for thought – aside from the roar it’s barely raised a ripple compared to the Matilda’s and even the finals series of the NRL and AFL.
'Bloody disappointed: Wallabies OUT of World Cup as nation to miss finals for first time, Eddie fights for survival
You do know what the ‘A’ in AFL stands for don’t you? ????
Finals Fix: They just pumped Port - and here's why the Giants might be Collingwood's worst nightmare too
A well Meaning article but there are a few things to point out.
Barassi won 10 “VFL premiership” as a player/ coach. So essentially he won 10 titles in an intercity competition.
I’m not knocking him because by all accounts he was a tremendous player and coach but winning 10 titles in one city isn’t the same as competing in a national competition.
I mean I think Dimma has won the most AFL titles ( 2 as a player and 3 as a coach) and no one is suggesting an award after him. And I think another post mentioned this …if a person eclipses Barassi’s 10…would the trophy be renamed in his honour?
VFL is not the AFL and it’s only VIC bias that conflates the two.
Also for commercial reasons they usually name the cup after the major sponsor. The AFL is going to give up that money spinner for purely sentiment,
COMMENT: It's time for the AFL to immortalise Ron Barassi - and only one prize is worthy of his name
I find it amusing the same crowd outraged by selling the GF to Sydney are usually the same people who complain a finals system isn’t ‘real football’. The major codes both have Melbourne and Sydney locked in as a destination GF, so the A League was probably hoping to deliver something like that.
It’s nice to think that the top team deserves a grand final but that is a very hard sell to media rights holders and governments looking to boost tourism. I mean do we want a GF on the Central Coast or in another small venue once more teams enter the league? No….GF’s deserve a big stadium venue.
If the A-Leagues backflip on the grand final, it is a win for fans - and for common sense
Who are you kidding with that display of cognitive dissonance ????
He committed a penalty and got a just fine.
Blues confirm Tribunal challenge for forward's Swan whack
The ALW might have a slight bump in numbers, but it will quickly turn back to it’s usual low numbers.
Football fans are once again misunderstanding the situation. Those amazing numbers you see were for a ‘national side in a world competition’ – they weren’t for ‘supporters of football”.
It was a sugar hit of national pride …the same way everyone was into athletics at Sydney 2000 because of Cathy Freeman then largely forgot about the sport.
Football support in this country has always been a mile wide but inch deep. We have seen massive numbers support the Socceroos at several world and Asian cups ( remember our win in 2015? …yeah…most people don’t) and yet that has never translated into sustained support for our local comps.
Through a quirk of history…both rugby league and ‘Australian rules’ football got here first and established local comps that have thrived and produced generational and institutional support..,the type that exist in Europe for football clubs.
That would take generations ( literally decades) to change .
Australian women calling for real change in football should start it by turning up to A-League matches
Anyone that believes since we hosted a monumentally successful women’s World Cup we could instantly translate that into hosting the men’s is insanely naive.
The stadia required are more demanding and the AFL have proven they’re not willing to play ball – they acquiesced for bow because they knew the women’s World Cup doesn’t threaten their main product – the men’s AFL league.
Also ( and probably the main reason people are overlooking) is that Australia is in an unfavorable timezone for the big markets of Europe where FIFA generate most of their revenue. A huge market like America ( not a big footballing nation) solves that equation, but a small market of Australia/New Zealand doesn’t really offer FIFA any big reason to send their prime product down under.
Also the Australian Government would be very reluctant to spend any public funds on a bid due to the shoddy and corrupt way $50 million was spent last time for only one vote.
So yeah….totally different ball game. We need to be wise to that before going down that path.
It's time for football in Australia to grow up and stop being so naïve
There is no more of a bonehead statement than saying there should be a PNG side in the NRL.
It is literally a 3rd world country whose biggest export is Australian aid.
seriously?? what recruit would go there? do you really think they have the infastructure to support a team in a trans-national competition? (other than ‘loving the game’) . I instantly lose respect for anyone who suggests this is feasible.
The only way to expand or sensibly build the comp is a team in Perth, Adelaide and a second team in NZ for derbies.
PNG bid has potential but NRL can’t have further expansion without the three Rs - relocation, relegation or rationalisation
We have had so many false dawns in regards to football in this country I’m sure many fans could be convinced the sun isn’t real 😂
It will most likely be the same with this tournament. Some girls may end up taking up football. But most people are enjoying the sugar hit of national pride for what it is .
After it’s ends , they will most likely go back to their lives and forget about the W- League.
'I’ll be supporting whoever plays against Australia': Are people engaging with the Women’s World Cup, or just along for the ride?
So you’re saying there is hope for us long suffering Evertonians Stuart? 😂
European trophy the beginning of a West Ham dynasty... yeah, right!
The NRL don’t need to worry about rugby. Once the World Cup is done. People will go back to forgetting about the local domestic rugby comp .
Rugby News: Alaalatoa's cheeky response to NRL raid plan, 'massive' upside in Tahs surrender
You can’t compare Britain to Australias football culture. Over there they have next to no competition for peoples hearts minds and wallets. Yes they have other sports but nothing even comes close to the popularity of football. We have two very strong domestic leagues that were established before football and have huge cultural cache that football finds hard to break through. Yes our immigrants started football clubs, but they also played and supported Australian Rules Football and Rugby League in equal measure.
The biggest irony of this A-League season is that it's the most entertaining campaign in years
They only ‘walked out’ because thats what European crowds do. I love the game but the brutal reality is that ‘active’ supporters groups in this country are spectacularly cringe worthy in their desperate attempt to mimic the European supporter groups they grew up watching on the telly.
How do A-League fans convince police that passion is not a crime?