Aussie Player Exodus

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Population of a place like Cleveland and Kansas and not just the city specific number would be comparable to a place like wider Brisbane. They aren't backwaters and your money does go pretty far in the smaller cities dotted with satellite towns where a lot of people live.

Yeah, winter is harsh but they're built for it and have gear for it.

 

[LevitatingSocks]

I am curious, have you lived in all those places and can attest to the horrible quality of life?

For a lot of people (sports stars or regular joes) who haven't lived anywhere but Australia, the journey and experience in any American city or town would be very interesting.

I have been lucky enough to experience living in a number of those horrible places you mention and the sporting fan bases and communities are very special. Not everyone needs to be living in the French countryside to enjoy life.

Spent years living in the states and have been to those places for NFL games or visiting relatives. The average American doesn't want to be in Green Bay either.

People in Australia tend to idealize America because they get an airbrushed version from media or on holiday. I'm not one of those reflexive "America bad" people you tend to encounter on the internet, but the downsides of living there are much more apparent in those places.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time there. But I still don't think any of the cities we mentioned are a better experience than France or Japan.

 

[Wallaby Man]

The thing is he wouldn’t be the average person. His club would cater for him living in a pristine part of town etc.

 

[Adam84]

There's certainly shit places to live in Japan and France also.

 

[PhilClinton]

Spent years living in the states and have been to those places for NFL games or visiting relatives. The average American doesn't want to be in Green Bay either.

People in Australia tend to idealize America because they get an airbrushed version from media or on holiday. I'm not one of those reflexive "America bad" people you tend to encounter on the internet, but the downsides of living there are much more apparent in those places.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time there. But I still don't think any of the cities we mentioned are a better experience than France or Japan.

I don't disagree that most Australians have a romanticised image of the states, but I also think in 2024, anyone going to live in those places has a much better understanding of what they're getting into. Particularly if youre going to be moving to be a highly paid athlete, you will have the ability to spread your wings a bit.

Most cities with an NFL/NBA team or a decent college population are quite built up these days, regardless of what they may have been like 15-20 years ago. Some even have multiple McDonalds.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think a big part of the NFL thing is that players going need to be absolutely ready to do nothing but train and that's their contribution to the team.

They will be on the practice squad and will get to be involved in a maximum of three preseason games and that will be it. They won't get to travel to away games etc. They will be one of the least important players in their organisation and for most of them that will be very different from their experience in rugby.

 

[stillmissit]

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Spent years living in the states and have been to those places for NFL games or visiting relatives. The average American doesn't want to be in Green Bay either.

People in Australia tend to idealize America because they get an airbrushed version from media or on holiday. I'm not one of those reflexive "America bad" people you tend to encounter on the internet, but the downsides of living there are much more apparent in those places.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time there. But I still don't think any of the cities we mentioned are a better experience than France or Japan.

I have spent many short visits to Texas as my brother lived there and it's an eye opener. We walked home from town one time and my brother said 'Don't do that, only whores and drunks walk the streets here'. We commented one time about the library asking if it was free 'That's not free we pay taxes for that' was the answer.
The average education level will also be a bit of a shock unless you live in a very good area. But the love of NFL goes very deep in Texas at least.

 

[LevitatingSocks]

I think a big part of the NFL thing is that players going need to be absolutely ready to do nothing but train and that's their contribution to the team.

They will be on the practice squad and will get to be involved in a maximum of three preseason games and that will be it. They won't get to travel to away games etc. They will be one of the least important players in their organisation and for most of them that will be very different from their experience in rugby.

Yeah to this point and @PhilClinton 's comment, yes you will be very highly paid compared to a normal person. But it'll be more of a medium sized McMansion in a nice suburb with a sensible car money than jet set money, especially when you consider the limited career window most NFL players and athletes in general have.

A bit of my own bias is creeping in here but going from being a main guy on the Reds and a Wallaby, sunny weather, and the tight-knit community Brisbane offers to being a scout team body in a very different environment would be tough. Weather is huge for your mood and the constant cold wears on you a bit.

Anecdotally a friend from Miami (US Miami, not Gold Coast Miami) ended up playing D1 soccer in the Midwest and he found the transition to be very rough even though freshman year at an American university is as easy as it gets for making friends.

 

[PhilClinton]

Anecdotally a friend from Miami (US Miami, not Gold Coast Miami) ended up playing D1 soccer in the Midwest and he found the transition to be very rough even though freshman year at an American university is as easy as it gets for making friends.

In my personal experience, moving from Brisbane to the Midwest was much easier than moving from NYC to Midwest and then West Coast to Midwest.

This was 20+ years ago though, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, lots of those smaller market areas have grown since then.

 

[Adam84]

I've lived18months in the US also, for a guy in the 20s there's certainly some novelty to it especially with the growing influence of NBA/NBL/NFL in Australian youth. There's some shit places and some great places to live, even within the shit places there's pockets of nice areas. Plenty of NFL teams in decent cities.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Comparing the Super Bowl to a run-of-the-mill Wallabies test isn't really an apples-to-apples comparison though

I don't think it is that much of an issue, given it's on every year.

The Superbowl (easily!) out rated last year's Australian Bledisloe match if that helps to define it better

 

[KOB1987]

I don't disagree that most Australians have a romanticised image of the states, but I also think in 2024, anyone going to live in those places has a much better understanding of what they're getting into. Particularly if youre going to be moving to be a highly paid athlete, you will have the ability to spread your wings a bit.

Most cities with an NFL/NBA team or a decent college population are quite built up these days, regardless of what they may have been like 15-20 years ago. Some even have multiple McDonalds.

So a bit like Tamworth then?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I lived in the US for 3.5 years (in Houston) and there are some pretty wild assumptions made by Australians about how Americans live. There are certainly some backwaters across what is a massive and diverse country, but many of the suburban areas are excellent places to live. Also, outside the really big or fashionable cities (LA, NYC, San Fran) the cost of living is substantially lower than many parts of Australia (especially Sydney). You can get an awful lot of house, car etc for a lot less than we spend here.

 

[Joe Blow]

What position would Petaia play in NFL? His shortcomings as rugby player would be multiplied in the game. Ball security and his habitual falling to injury. Are there any teams seriously looking at him outside of his apparent willingness to give american football a shot?
With the Rebels folding and a bleak outlook for Super Rugby(our sides particularly) there will be more to go OS and/or to other codes.
I’m not sure what the answer is for us but no doubt NZ could stand alone with their domestic comp. If we went back to an IRC how would it look?

 

[SouthernX]

What position would Petaia play in NFL? His shortcomings as rugby player would be multiplied in the game. Ball security and his habitual falling to injury. Are there any teams seriously looking at him outside of his apparent willingness to give american football a shot?
With the Rebels folding and a bleak outlook for Super Rugby(our sides particularly) there will be more to go OS and/or to other codes.
I’m not sure what the answer is for us but no doubt NZ could stand alone with their domestic comp. If we went back to an IRC how would it look?

He will be wide receiver or a pass catching TE (line him up in the slot).

just thinking how he has suffered some of his injuries in rugby he is too physical (for his own good) to play on the defensive side of the ball but if that was the route we were going he is an OLB.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I’m not sure what the answer is for us but no doubt NZ could stand alone with their domestic comp. If we went back to an IRC how would it look?

We would be paying our players a lot less and lots more would head OS, to league, or NFL

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Wide Receiver only and maybe special teams along with it but Tight End is required to block half the time and with no experience I think he’d be lost and get steam rolled. They also when catching tend to catch it in a contact situation which doesn’t suit the bloke made of glass.

 

[SouthernX]

Wide Receiver only and maybe special teams along with it but Tight End is required to block half the time and with no experience I think he’d be lost and get steam rolled. They also when catching tend to catch it in a contact situation which doesn’t suit the bloke made of glass.

I agree special teams until his earned his role - but if he’s playing tight end I see him in the Aaron Hernandez role simply because of his size and deep threat.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Jeez what a waste of time that would be.

I would put him at zero chance of making it in the nfl.

 

[SouthernX]

I would put him at zero chance of making it in the nfl.

depends on the definition. He will make a team, participate in preseason.
If Val Holmes and Hayne can find their way into a squad of 53. Petaia being a international rugby player certainly is a chance