A-League thread

[dwaino]

Dwaino im finding the exact opposite to be honest. I don't know many people who love a league and not international soccer.

Depends who you hang out with. I've never had an interest sitting up stupid hours to watch international soccer and never followed it. Same with my mates. My boss has had Medallion seats for years and only recently started using them for soccer,  he couldn't even name an overseas team. Only people I knew into an overseas league are my wog in laws and that might be something to do with them being wog. Myself a bogan Aussie and every other bogan Aussie I sit with at the soccer are new to the game.

[Francois Jackson]

Dwaino because some don't wake up at 3am doesn't mean they don't follow international soccer

I don't watch cricket overseas so does that mean I don't like love it

These are the facts. AFL crowds are down soccer is up. Kids are playing more soccer it seems and it will only increase more.

Afl has lost it passion since it became about money. Most people will agree with that comment

[Judge Roughneck]

Besart Berisha > David villa

  you idiot

Orly

really.. In all seriousness, Berisha is a gun by a league standards, and he was awesome in the 2nd half and set you blokes alight early. It was the Villa show first half - was making Victory look stupid with his first touch and explosive speed off the mark

anyhow well played, thumped us 2nd half - flattering scoreline though, we were all over you in the 1st half but that's football. Berisha, Barba, Finkler and Del Pierre should lead you to a title.

Was playing on a 17 year old and went past him a couple times

Whooaa

[Judge Roughneck]

Dwaino im finding the exact opposite to be honest. I don't know many people who love a league and not international soccer.

Depends who you hang out with. I've never had an interest sitting up stupid hours to watch international soccer and never followed it. Same with my mates. My boss has had Medallion seats for years and only recently started using them for soccer,  he couldn't even name an overseas team. Only people I knew into an overseas league are my wog in laws and that might be something to do with them being wog. Myself a bogan Aussie and every other bogan Aussie I sit with at the soccer are new to the game.

Ya...

But there is a lot of bogans that have some idea. Bogan kids in 90s knew ronaldo. Ditto Jordan if not bball fans. And a lot of bogans with Brit/Irish backgrounds that have some idea due to family (liverpool bad wagoners or real fans). And there are lots of Australians that some idea. La liga / epl / cl watched by a lot of people in Asia and Australia and wider world

[dwaino]

Dwaino because some don't wake up at 3am doesn't mean they don't follow international soccer

I don't watch cricket overseas so does that mean I don't like love it

These are the facts. AFL crowds are down soccer is up. Kids are playing more soccer it seems and it will only increase more.

Afl has lost it passion since it became about money. Most people will agree with that comment

But there is a lot of bogans that have some idea. Bogan kids in 90s knew ronaldo. Ditto Jordan if not bball fans. And a lot of bogans with Brit/Irish backgrounds that have some idea due to family (liverpool bad wagoners or real fans). And there are lots of Australians that some idea. La liga / epl / cl watched by a lot of people in Asia and Australia and wider world

Maybe in Melbourne aka little Italy/Greece/Yugoslavia. Not sure the argument you guys are trying to make, A League is it's own entity, growing in its own right and enticing fans from other codes new to the game as a legitimate off season code. Until A League is played during the winter then it will never take over AFL or NRL. I grew up in QLD where soccer was considered gayer than AFL and the maori and samoan kids could name more Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings than international soccer players. I only knew of the Strikers because my band used to rent a rehearsal room over the road from the little paddock they played in. The bogan kids knew less and only cared about Alfy Langer and Wally Lewis. No word of a lie but me and my bogan ocker mates didn't even know who Messi was 3 years ago. My boss and his mates still don't. The A-League is 10 years old and it is great to see it grow.

Kids have been playing soccer in schools for as long as I can remember but they seem to grow out of it once they hit an age they're allowed to play contact sport. Not sure how how AFL can be accused of being about the money in a soccer argument either when soccer is the most guilty when it comes to throwing obscene amount of money around in place of loyalties.

Just enjoy the league, it is 10 years old and growing strong. It is attracting thousands of Aussies who are new to the game to support clubs that belong to the city and not an ethnic minority (besides Roar, but you'd be hard pressed to find a Dutchman in Acacia Ridge/Inala there these days). No need to turn everything into a peeing contest all the time. I love when I go and get talking to the people around me who are Hawks, Essendon, Carlton supporters or whatever. We have a bit of footy banter, talk about our clubs then cheer on the one team we're there to mutually support.

[Diocletian]

Dwaino im finding the exact opposite to be honest. I don't know many people who love a league and not international soccer.

Love to know how many kids are taking up soccer vrs footy. Add in a World Cup in this country then it becomes more interesting.

Afl has turned to poo let's be honest.  If I had a son the last sport I would want him playing is AFL the way it's run today. I barely last a full game and that's when we are winning.

Soccer has been slaughtering footy at grassroots levels for a few years now Angus IIRC

Soccer's been the largest partcipant code in Australia for as long as I can remember.

[Judge Roughneck]

I don't really have a point.

I was just saying most Australian are convict or settler background and often have a family connection to an association football club

TBH i don't really consiter queensland as part of Australia cause their a strange mob. Hence I hadn't not taken it into account

[tony_montana]

Besart Berisha > David villa

  you idiot

Orly

really.. In all seriousness, Berisha is a gun by a league standards, and he was awesome in the 2nd half and set you blokes alight early. It was the Villa show first half - was making Victory look stupid with his first touch and explosive speed off the mark

anyhow well played, thumped us 2nd half - flattering scoreline though, we were all over you in the 1st half but that's football. Berisha, Barba, Finkler and Del Pierre should lead you to a title.

Was playing on a 17 year old and went past him a couple times

Whooaa

Haters gonna hate,

Good luck with that 

[🏅Dooks]

For every parents I know who's kids play Aussie rules I know just as many who's kids play soccer.

Having said that, the afl has been its own worst enemy over the past few years. 1) the essendon thing. 2) new ticketing system. 3) food and ticket prices reaching a tipping point. 4) rule changes. 5) expansion clubs draft picks. 6) lack of diversity in genuine premiership contenders.

Afl has always a massive loyal following, but attendances for 2014 suggest it's not immune when you push a sanitised, filtered version of the game which puts the $$$$$$$ before the product and the people.

[one-eyed]

Victory on top 


https://twitter.com/ALeague/status/526315506412683265/photo/1

[tigs2011]

Last years Grand Finalists holding everyone else up. I personally think that's part of the appeal that things can change so quickly. Your team doesn't need to spend a decade building a squad to compete in this league.

[Francois Jackson]

Well said Dooks couldnt agree more. Add in rubbish like dees receiving pick 3 for frawley and  banning the swans from FA because of a rule the AFl created, and you start to get the drift why some people are losing their passion for the game. Most games this year were bloody boring

[Judge Roughneck]

Its not necessarily a good thing. They should stuff off the salary cap. Its natural for big cities to dominate. The salary cap is shye allowing Gosford to be on par with melbourne FO

Of course the circus version of afl communist policy is more stupid .

Afl games are boring due to the rule changes and the evolution of rugby/netball. The circus (#3pick, swans trading etc) is just the cherry on top

[one-eyed]

Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy says it's only a matter of time until the A-League expands to a 12-team competition and adopts a system of promotion and relegation.

In particular, he said the introduction of a multi-tier model was all but inevitable.

"I think we should take that into consideration because eventually we will have to have promotion and relegation," Lowy told Fox Sports.

"In my estimation, we will be made to do that."

Lowy said the FFA was being encouraged by the sport's governing bodies to expand the competition.

But the shopping centre mogul said they understood the process would take time and weren't pressing too hard.

Two more teams should also be introduced by the time the current broadcast deal is replaced following the 2016/17 season, Lowy said.

From there he said a 14-team competition could also be on the cards.

Wollongong, Canberra, Cairns and south-west Brisbane have all been touted as potential homelands for new A-League clubs.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/frank-lowy-flags-multitier-expanded-aleague-competition-20141029-11dgyv.html

[Diocletian]

Bring back Wollongong Wolves!