Football wars continue

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Authored by: Ash Nugent
on Wednesday, February 18 2009 @ 05:26 pm ACDT

The AFL was advised by their legal counsel that had the matter gone to court they would have won. But the issue is so much more complex than that. Firstly it's hard to argue that a national soccer final is less important than a NAB Cup match. Whilst the AFL booked the stadium first, and did all that was required by them, they're made to look like bullies because Etihad Stadium management double booked the venue, and FFA smartly played the "we're the victim" card. It's neither the AFL or FFA's fault, but it left the AFL vulnerable to criticism and the FFA smartly exploited the situation. Further complicating matters, the AFL is currently or about to (can't remember which) take legal action against Etihad Stadium management for securing Etihad as a major sponsor, which conflicts with Qantas, who sponsors the AFL, and who are the stadium's main tenant. The AFL has also previously stressed their dislike at the less-favourable deals the stadium offers several Victorian AFL clubs, by comparison with teams from rival sports.

Whilst I see soccer as a big threat to football in Australia, I see football as a bigger threat to soccer overseas. After all, football only really has ground to lose in Australia (and maybe PNG and South Africa) whereas football has ground to gain virtually everwhere else. I judge the A-League's success by Melbourne Victory's on and off-field success (due to their location in prime Australian Football territory). Victory's average attendance was highest in the 2006-07 season, in which they were premiers. The two following seasons have yielded slightly lower average turnouts (fifth and first-spot finishes). This suggests that support has leveled off, and whilst an average crowd in the 20,000s is by no means poor (especially comparing with the clubs in the old NSL) it is a long stretch off the support AFL teams enjoy.

I hope AFL fans turn out in their droves to see the NAB Cup match, and put a dent in the FFA's arrogant attitude.

Football wars continue

Authored by: Brett Northey
on Wednesday, February 18 2009 @ 08:22 pm ACDT

Yep, good points. And no question the AFL would be portrayed in the media as the bad guys if they had blocked soccer. It would be okay by me if the codes had a simply healthy rivalry but it seems to me, certainly in South Australia where I live, that Australian football is under a major assault and is giving up ground at every turn, and there's nothing friendly about it with footy being told to move over.

Don't take what I say as all gloom and doom. I think our game has never been healthier internationally and is definitely looking good, and in big state like Queensland it's on the up, with progress in NSW, okay in NT and possibly WA, and of course all codes have mostly ignored Tasmania at the highest level (which has meant they are easier to take for granted).

But here in SA I've witnessed in my lifetime soccer go from a very small sport to mainstream acceptance, I've seen the local A League side become everyone's team, a nice stadium upgrade, averaging around 10k per game whilst Port Adelaide's attendance's have steadily fallen into the mid-20k range, I see more stickers on cars for the local soccer side than the Crows or Power. I see more people wearing soccer labels day to day than Australian football. There are thousands of junior soccer games every weekend across Adelaide and constant calls for more fields and despite surging numbers of new clubs they can't keep up. The main radio sports show that was 90% our code and 10% all others is now closer to 50-50 and fall over themselves to heap praise on soccer - inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes even began playing. And every step of the way people are corrected if they use the term football to mean Aussie Rules, or soccer to mean "real football". Drive around the city in the evening and the playing fields are full of African immigrants playing soccer - good for them and very pleasing to see them having fun, but you wonder just where the next generation of footy fans and players will come from. Nationally our main national broadcaster agreed to call soccer football and Australian football becomes AFL, we have a free to air channel almost dedicated to soccer (SBS), the government bankrolling a national women's league, tens of millions for a world cup bid, and every 4 years guaranteed saturation coverage with the soccer world cup, and with the Asian championships nationally and at club level, the soccer news on the TV never really ends.

Sorry if that sounds negative and as though I feel under siege but that's how it seems in Adelaide. Hopefully not so bad in other footy strongholds like Melbourne and Perth. A lot of people speculate that one day there will be 3rd AFL teams in Perth and Adelaide. Perhaps in Perth, which not so long ago was smaller than Adelaide but has had strong growth, but in Adelaide AFL crowds and general support is going down in my opinion. So I'd like to see footy stand its ground.

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Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

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Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

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