The League Media

[Quick Hands]

AFL is going to kill cricket?

Possibly the most popular sport in Australia?

A summer sport the AFL doesn't compete with?

Right......

True in most of Australia, but in Victoria the AFL play hardball with grounds and with the services of juniors. AFL has the money to dictate and as mostly cricket and AFL share the same grounds, cricket has to lie back and take it. It's no co-incidence that Victoria doesn't produce anywhere near the number of top class crricket players these days that NSW and Qld do.

 

[Highlander35]

Victoria may be shunted out of the MCG in the SS as well, AFL apparently willing to stump up about 20% of the costs of developing Junction Oval into a First Class ground, in exchange for the MCG in March and letting St Kilda train there sometimes.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Actually, it would've been Channel 10 forking out the money to get the AFL in that time slot.....

Yes, but it's what the AFL promised to get it that many close to NBL were up in arms about.

 

[Slim 293]

Ratings?

 

[Braveheart81]

It's absolutely true that AFL takes talented cricketers out of the pool of potential professional athletes. There have been numerous AFL draft picks who were state junior cricketers in Victoria or South Australia. A big part of that is that whilst the top cricketers earn more, there are only about 25 Australian cricketeres at that level compared with hundreds of AFL players making 200k+ a year.

In recent years, the one person who decided to go with cricket rather than AFL was Alex Keath.

I find it hard to get too upset at the AFL though. People love the sport and whilst we'd be better at sports we play internationally without the existence of AFL, it's an iconic Australian sport and it isn't going away.

 

[wamberal]

It is kind of ironic that the roots of Australian football can be traced back to the days when it (or, rather, a very rudimentary version) was developed to give cricketers a relevant winter sport to play.

 

[Dctarget]

It's absolutely true that AFL takes talented cricketers out of the pool of potential professional athletes. There have been numerous AFL draft picks who were state junior cricketers in Victoria or South Australia. A big part of that is that whilst the top cricketers earn more, there are only about 25 Australian cricketeres at that level compared with hundreds of AFL players making 200k+ a year.

In recent years, the one person who decided to go with cricket rather than AFL was Alex Keath.

I find it hard to get too upset at the AFL though. People love the sport and whilst we'd be better at sports we play internationally without the existence of AFL, it's an iconic Australian sport and it isn't going away.

Keath was my school vice captain and fuck he's a champ, totally should've gone to AFL though, so much potential.


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[Braveheart81]

Keath was my school vice captain and fuck he's a champ, totally should've gone to AFL though, so much potential.

At the time of making the decision he must have a) loved cricket more than AFL and b) felt like one day he was a chance to play for Australia.

He's still only 22 and he played Australian under 19s so maybe some day he will play for Australia.

 

[papabear]

I personally don't mind AFL, but I hang around in a lot of league circles where the sport is not particularly appreciated.

That said, I have spent some time back in the north shore over the past few days and the amount of swannies flags around is huge, I don't remember seeing hardly any waratahs flags there when the tahs were approaching the GF.

Despite what you may think, as a business and a sport in Australia rugby league is threatened more by AFL then by union by the stretch of a country mile. IMO the supporters feel that and hence why it cops way more of a beating by the general league public then union.

That said, union is more threatened by AFL then league is, afl has made most of its inroads in the north and east, normal union places... people in certain corporate position stick the swannies on their linkedin because they want work from QBE or Citibank or there related parties. There is non of that with the waratahs anymore.

The swannies imo have taken of the tahs as the corporate (be seen to be supporting) code of Sydney.

Juniors, AFL is now played in some GPS/CAS schools... this would have been unheard of when I went to school, not only that league still isn't. And the good union kids would potentially get a career out of league (and still do) whilst they are going to battle to get a career in the AFL.

IMO union and its fans should be more concerned about AFL and the effect it is and will have on its sport then league.

I am not fooled by the more powerful and professional afl media.

 

[wamberal]

There's bugger all we can do about it, Papabear.

 

[Pfitzy]

Despite what you may think, as a business and a sport in Australia rugby league is threatened more by AFL then by union by the stretch of a country mile.

Well, I'm pretty sure no-one here thinks AFL isn't the biggest danger. We've lived with loig for over a century and competed in a professional sense for nearly 20 years.

Despite the roughly equitable TV deals between NRL and AFL, the AFL is far bigger in a national sense. Gus Gould gets an ulcer just thinking about it.

And its also why the old school guys like Gus decry the interference of referees, the lack of shoulder charges, and anti-punching stance of the modern game. They know its a delimiter between league and other sports.

 

[Quick Hands]

I personally don't mind AFL, but I hang around in a lot of league circles where the sport is not particularly appreciated.

That said, I have spent some time back in the north shore over the past few days and the amount of swannies flags around is huge, I don't remember seeing hardly any waratahs flags there when the tahs were approaching the GF.

Despite what you may think, as a business and a sport in Australia rugby league is threatened more by AFL then by union by the stretch of a country mile. IMO the supporters feel that and hence why it cops way more of a beating by the general league public then union.

That said, union is more threatened by AFL then league is, afl has made most of its inroads in the north and east, normal union places. people in certain corporate position stick the swannies on their linkedin because they want work from QBE or Citibank or there related parties. There is non of that with the waratahs anymore.

The swannies imo have taken of the tahs as the corporate (be seen to be supporting) code of Sydney.

Juniors, AFL is now played in some GPS/CAS schools. this would have been unheard of when I went to school, not only that league still isn't. And the good union kids would potentially get a career out of league (and still do) whilst they are going to battle to get a career in the AFL.

IMO union and its fans should be more concerned about AFL and the effect it is and will have on its sport then league.

I am not fooled by the more powerful and professional afl media.

Like soccer, AFL appeals to the worried mothers out there. League doesn't need to appeal to these mums, but rugby does.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Like soccer, AFL appeals to the worried mothers out there. League doesn't need to appeal to these mums, but rugby does.

what mother could think that their child was at less risk in AFL than union: union seem to publish meaningful stats but not AFL: http://sma.org.au/resources-advice/sport-fact-sheets/
I'd be surprised if there was not a reason for that.

 

[Dctarget]

At the time of making the decision he must have a) loved cricket more than AFL and b) felt like one day he was a chance to play for Australia.

He's still only 22 and he played Australian under 19s so maybe some day he will play for Australia.

His reasons for playing cricket are completely justifiable and understandable.

My reasons for him playing Footy on the other hand, are purely selfish as I would've actually seen him play, since I don't watch cricket!

 

[Quick Hands]

what mother could think that their child was at less risk in AFL than union: union seem to publish meaningful stats but not AFL: http://sma.org.au/resources-advice/sport-fact-sheets/
I'd be surprised if there was not a reason for that.

The worried ones perceive that AFL and soccer are safe and the rugby codes aren't. Facts probably don't enter their pretty little heads

 

[Strewthcobber]

My mother (long ago....) was worried about concussions and spinal injuries. Anyone think you don't have a higher risk of those playing rugby?

 

[Pfitzy]

I think the chance of serious concussion is about equal at the top level - some of those hip and shoulders go very wrong, and lots of fists swinging at head height, trying to spoil marks, is quite often a recipe for disaster. And it can come from any direction.

In rugby, the training and front-on nature of the game gives you a bit of a chance to see it coming, and prepare. But the level of impact is higher.

With AFL and soccer there are a hell of a lot more lower leg injuries - particularly joints. Lots of running, lots of turning and twisting etc. Rugby and League probably have more muscle tears, particularly upper body.

 

[qwerty51]

The 3 best players on the park in the NRL tonight (SBW, Burgess, Te'o) all going to rugby next year..

Gus must watch some rugby, commented on SBW offloading from the ground "Not this year Sonny but you can do that next year"

I reckon AFL is more dangerous than the rugby codes. If you're gunna get hit in rugby you know about it, you're expecting it and you're prepared (bracing yourself). In AFL you can get hit in any direction and have no idea it's coming.

 

[Pfitzy]

In fact they're finding with sports like grid iron in the USA, the issue is really repeated micro-impacts in terms of brain damage. The big hits that result in Grade 2 concussion etc. aren't really the long-term issue. Therefore, training with head-to-head collisions inside their cavernous armour.

Best thing that game could do is get rid of helmets and hard padding, and make players accountable for their own safety.

 

[Happy]

I reckon AFL is more dangerous than the rugby codes. If you're gunna get hit in rugby you know about it, you're expecting it and you're prepared (bracing yourself). In AFL you can get hit in any direction and have no idea it's coming.

This is from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which is a Government agency:

The 3 best players on the park in the NRL tonight (SBW, Burgess, Te'o) all going to rugby next year..

Gus must watch some rugby, commented on SBW offloading from the ground "Not this year Sonny but you can do that next year"

I reckon AFL is more dangerous than the rugby codes. If you're gunna get hit in rugby you know about it, you're expecting it and you're prepared (bracing yourself). In AFL you can get hit in any direction and have no idea it's coming.

This is from the Australian Health and Welfare Agency, a Government department:
Around half of the injury hospitalisations that occurred during sporting and leisure activities occurred while playing team ball sports (9,820 hospitalisations). The proportion was much higher among young males compared with young females (54% and 36%, respectively), and was highest among males aged 12–14 years (37%) and 15–17 years (38%).

The most common team ball sports leading to injury hospitalisations for 12–24
year olds were Australian Rules football, soccer and unspecified football (25%, 18% and 17%, respectively).

I remember reading some years ago that soccer was the leading cause of sports injuries among children in Australia. It seem AFL has overtaken it, but soccer is still second, more than league and union combined.
& Harrison (2006).