Sydney AFL going down the gurgler - and quick!!!!!

[Sirasputin]

Swans have never had a problem with crowds they have a niche following, that not the problem - Insolvency and being out rated by Iron Chef re-runs are.

When they started in Sydney, they certainly did have problems attracting crowds. I remember going to games for free in the early 90s with not more than a couple thousand people. The NRL and the Roosters, given most swans fans are from the eastern suburbs, must take a lot of blame for allowing the swans to grow.

Similar to most other nrl clubs, when they first started they had trouble attracting fans. 60 plus years on its still the same story

When we push the AFL back down to Melbourne, you guys will have no where to grow you silly game.

[leagueiscrap]

When they started in Sydney, they certainly did have problems attracting crowds. I remember going to games for free in the early 90s with not more than a couple thousand people. The NRL and the Roosters, given most swans fans are from the eastern suburbs, must take a lot of blame for allowing the swans to grow.

Similar to most other nrl clubs, when they first started they had trouble attracting fans. 60 plus years on its still the same story

When we push the AFL back down to Melbourne, you guys will have no where to grow you silly game.

Yeah! How’s that gonna work?
I’m sure those tin foil hat brain storming sessions will have come up with time fool proofed plans to make it happen

[Sirasputin]

Similar to most other nrl clubs, when they first started they had trouble attracting fans. 60 plus years on its still the same story

When we push the AFL back down to Melbourne, you guys will have no where to grow you silly game.

Yeah! How’s that gonna work?
I’m sure those tin foil hat brain storming sessions will have come up with time fool proofed plans to make it happen

Mate it'll be easy. Rugby league has the superior demographic footprint. Just got to ensure no further encroachment. On our territory. We've got NZ, and AFL will never get that. We've got PNG. Between nsw and QLD, we've got the biggest population in the country. To beat AFL all we need to do is protect what we've got. Victoria and the other AFL states are backwaters. Too small as a collective market. If we can crush Aussie rules in Nsw and QLD, that's all we need to do. We don't need to grown into WA or SA. We don't even need Vic. Vlandys knows this and the AFL bosses have always known this. If it wasn't for very bad rugby league admin, we'd already have crushed Aussie rules. I give credit to AFL admin, they've definitely been smarter over the last 30 years.

[Fred]

I think strangely there is some merit to what you say here surprisingly.

The only thing I would point out is that Australian Rules doesn’t stop at the vic border...but extends well into nsw. A minor point as regional country but a point nonetheless. Queensland has always had a strong aussie rules following and is fairly entrenched in the south east. And growing. In Sydney it has developed a solid base also taking over a lot of rugby union fan base. So I think the AFL has done well to grow ... and the reasons you point out... is why they needed to ... big markets. I just wonder if the horse has bolted on trying to push AFL back across the border to what it was 20 years ago. The nrl admin has been appalling I agree and this has benefited AFL at the expense of the nrl.

[leagueiscrap]

AFL has strong amateur leagues all up the coast line up to cairns!



This thread seems to be more like the league looneys are living in fear and have come up with one of their tin foil hat plans again

[Sirasputin]

I think strangely there is some merit to what you say here surprisingly.

The only thing I would point out is that Australian Rules doesn’t stop at the vic border...but extends well into nsw. A minor point as regional country but a point nonetheless. Queensland has always had a strong aussie rules following and is fairly entrenched in the south east. And growing. In Sydney it has developed a solid base also taking over a lot of rugby union fan base. So I think the AFL has done well to grow ... and the reasons you point out... is why they needed to ... big markets. I just wonder if the horse has bolted on trying to push AFL back across the border to what it was 20 years ago. The nrl admin has been appalling I agree and this has benefited AFL at the expense of the nrl.

Horse may have bolted, but I think the AFL have always been prone to exaggerate their successes. The Barrassi line is also an exaggeration. AFL dont have as much of NSW as that division indicates. All is not lost. The good news for rugby league is that it still retains a place in the hearts of NSWmen and especially QLDers that AFL simply can't win over by spending lots of money. The game is ingrained in our culture and psyche.

NSW fans are very fickle, and that can really hurt the swans and especially gws. You're right about the union base. Many of them would rather watch chess than rugby league. The swans have benefited from union's demise, particularly in the eastern suburbs. This is the most affluent part of Australia. But, these people are so fickle. The west is heartland. They are like Queenslanders. The AFL may think its made strides in these diehard league areas, but if you actually talk to most westies and queenslanders, there's still a healthy amount of contempt for Aussie rules. And if you talk to a kiwi, you get a mix of contempt and bewilderment about AFL and why anyone would like the sport. Some battles may have been won by the AFL. But the war certainly hasn't been won.

[Sirasputin]

AFL has strong amateur leagues all up the coast line up to cairns!



This thread seems to be more like the league looneys are living in fear and have come up with one of their tin foil hat plans again

I've heard the AFL are claiming cairns as their territory. They haven't spent much time there let alone talk to cairns people. I know several cairns people. A lot of them work in PNG, where I'm based. Let me just say that they really don't like Aussie rules. And that's putting it mildly. Comments like sheilas footy, gayfl etc. They are some of the worst league bigots (if you want to put it that way) you'll ever come across. And i love that about them. None of this eastern suburbs latte sipping swannies nonsense. The indigenous communities up north are league strongholds too. The Goodes treatment by Victorians has set AFL back decades, may have even lost indigenous peoples for good.

I think the numbers of AFL comps and participants has always been exaggerated by the AFL. Soccer has great participation and amateur comps everywhere too. Means nothing for popularity. In the US, American football is not the most participated sport. It's the most popular though.

[Fred]

As someone who lives in qls Australian rules does very well in south east anyway. Very strong grassroots, lots of clubs at all levels and has a community presence (played in most schools formally, kids in primary school playing it at breaks etc). Rl is still king no doubt but the nrl would love to have the presence Australian rules has in seq in Victoria .

[leagueiscrap]

AFL has strong amateur leagues all up the coast line up to cairns!



This thread seems to be more like the league looneys are living in fear and have come up with one of their tin foil hat plans again

I've heard the AFL are claiming cairns as their territory. They haven't spent much time there let alone talk to cairns people. I know several cairns people. A lot of them work in PNG, where I'm based. Let me just say that they really don't like Aussie rules. And that's putting it mildly. Comments like sheilas footy, gayfl etc. They are some of the worst league bigots (if you want to put it that way) you'll ever come across. And i love that about them. None of this eastern suburbs latte sipping swannies nonsense. The indigenous communities up north are league strongholds too. The Goodes treatment by Victorians has set AFL back decades, may have even lost indigenous peoples for good.

I think the numbers of AFL comps and participants has always been exaggerated by the AFL. Soccer has great participation and amateur comps everywhere too. Means nothing for popularity. In the US, American football is not the most participated sport. It's the most popular though.

Rubbish dude! Look at the 3rd party data they all show the nrl fudges their participation numbers.cairns is early 50/50 but the more redneck places of clownsville, stoneage Hampton and Bundaberg are definitely league dominate. But as I said there is strong AFL leagues all up the coast line so AFL definitely has a presence in all those towns

[AFLcrap1]

Lol an AFL fan saying Rl fudges participation numbers while ignoring his own code doing the same .

[leagueiscrap]

Lol an AFL fan saying Rl fudges participation numbers while ignoring his own code doing the same .

going by all 3rd party data! yes! crap bot the nrl figures are

[Sirasputin]

AFL has strong amateur leagues all up the coast line up to cairns!



This thread seems to be more like the league looneys are living in fear and have come up with one of their tin foil hat plans again

I've heard the AFL are claiming cairns as their territory. They haven't spent much time there let alone talk to cairns people. I know several cairns people. A lot of them work in PNG, where I'm based. Let me just say that they really don't like Aussie rules. And that's putting it mildly. Comments like sheilas footy, gayfl etc. They are some of the worst league bigots (if you want to put it that way) you'll ever come across. And i love that about them. None of this eastern suburbs latte sipping swannies nonsense. The indigenous communities up north are league strongholds too. The Goodes treatment by Victorians has set AFL back decades, may have even lost indigenous peoples for good.

I think the numbers of AFL comps and participants has always been exaggerated by the AFL. Soccer has great participation and amateur comps everywhere too. Means nothing for popularity. In the US, American football is not the most participated sport. It's the most popular though.

Rubbish dude! Look at the 3rd party data they all show the nrl fudges their participation numbers.cairns is early 50/50 but the more redneck places of clownsville, stoneage Hampton and Bundaberg are definitely league dominate. But as I said there is strong AFL leagues all up the coast line so AFL definitely has a presence in all those towns

C'mon .... cairns is not an AFL town. Every cairns native I've spoken to is a diehard cowboys fan.

[AFLcrap1]

Mate get used to it
Most fumblers on here live the great AFL popularity lie .

[leagueiscrap]

I've heard the AFL are claiming cairns as their territory. They haven't spent much time there let alone talk to cairns people. I know several cairns people. A lot of them work in PNG, where I'm based. Let me just say that they really don't like Aussie rules. And that's putting it mildly. Comments like sheilas footy, gayfl etc. They are some of the worst league bigots (if you want to put it that way) you'll ever come across. And i love that about them. None of this eastern suburbs latte sipping swannies nonsense. The indigenous communities up north are league strongholds too. The Goodes treatment by Victorians has set AFL back decades, may have even lost indigenous peoples for good.

I think the numbers of AFL comps and participants has always been exaggerated by the AFL. Soccer has great participation and amateur comps everywhere too. Means nothing for popularity. In the US, American football is not the most participated sport. It's the most popular though.

Rubbish dude! Look at the 3rd party data they all show the nrl fudges their participation numbers.cairns is early 50/50 but the more redneck places of clownsville, stoneage Hampton and Bundaberg are definitely league dominate. But as I said there is strong AFL leagues all up the coast line so AFL definitely has a presence in all those towns

C'mon .... cairns is not an AFL town. Every cairns native I've spoken to is a diehard cowboys fan.

No one is claiming cairns is an AFL town it’s an even spread


Clownsville is a nrlol town

[Sirasputin]

Rubbish dude! Look at the 3rd party data they all show the nrl fudges their participation numbers.cairns is early 50/50 but the more redneck places of clownsville, stoneage Hampton and Bundaberg are definitely league dominate. But as I said there is strong AFL leagues all up the coast line so AFL definitely has a presence in all those towns

C'mon .... cairns is not an AFL town. Every cairns native I've spoken to is a diehard cowboys fan.

No one is claiming cairns is an AFL town it’s an even spread


Clownsville is a nrlol town

Lol you think cairns is 50/50? I'd love to have what you're smoking lol