Talking Footy

SOO was played at the Sydney Football Stadium, a sporting venue that has been rebadged more times than anyone can count. Imagine "rebadging" the MCG. Imagine a Victorian using a word like "rebadge". Melbourne has institutions. Sydney has developer's potential. It has been that way since the Rum Corps ran the show in Sydney.

SOO is a Rum Corps sort of game. It's not the sort of game free settlers would embrace. That's why 90 per cent of Melbourne Storm's supporters are blow-ins from north of the border.

SOO is violent. There's no getting away from it. Players can do things to each other in SOO games they would never be allowed to do in club games, or anywhere else for that matter. My Melbourne friends find this confusing. Especially the ones I run around a park kicking an AFL ball with. They think SOO is barbaric. That's if they think about it at all, which most of them don't.

While the ubiquity of the AFL in Victoria is astonishing to migrants from across the border like me, the relative anonymity of rugby league results in it being seen as a kind of Neanderthal oddity practiced by descendents of ne're-do-wells.

To put it simply, most of the people I know in Melbourne regard rugby league with undisguised contempt.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-17/m ... in/6552620

Swans4ever wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:47 am

I think it just doesnt rate as a prime sport in Victoria (SA, Tas and WA for that matter). It is a minor niche sport that isnt really played in large numbers but I think the Storm has its own unique following and TBH does well.

90 per cent of Melbourne Storm's supporters are blow-ins from north of the border.

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:26 am

Lol
What an insular article
No wonder Bea liked it .

Terry wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:26 am

Wow.......given these comments from the Stockholm syndrome suffering, fumbleball captives in bleak city I wonder why the RL GF featuring the Storm rated better in Melbourne than the fumble GF featuring the Swanettes in Sydney????

And I wonder why SOO is on prime time TV in bleaksville, and rates through the roof and helps SOO games be in the top 5 programs annually year after year.

I say hi to all the RL fans in bleaksville and thanks for once again helping make RL the top rating sport in our great land!!! Well done!!!

Swans4ever wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:47 am

I dont think contempt is the right word, I think it just doesnt rate as a prime sport in Victoria (SA, Tas and WA for that matter). It is a minor niche sport that isnt really played in large numbers but I think the Storm has its own unique following and TBH does well. It is well represented in local tv, radio and the papers but like anything is in competition with 10 AFL clubs, 2 AL clubs, 1 RU club, 1 baseball, 1 basketball. Then theres netball, tennis, BBL like Sydney is its a very crowded sporting landscape, I think all in all their doing pretty well all things considered.

post_hoc wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:09 pm

Swans4ever wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:47 am

I dont think contempt is the right word, I think it just doesnt rate as a prime sport in Victoria (SA, Tas and WA for that matter). It is a minor niche sport that isnt really played in large numbers but I think the Storm has its own unique following and TBH does well. It is well represented in local tv, radio and the papers but like anything is in competition with 10 AFL clubs, 2 AL clubs, 1 RU club, 1 baseball, 1 basketball. Then theres netball, tennis, BBL like Sydney is its a very crowded sporting landscape, I think all in all their doing pretty well all things considered.

Think it says more about Victorians than anyone else that they would disregard SOO. I am guessing more people watch SOO worldwide than ever watch the AFL Grandfinal.

Like I said says more about those from Victoria than anything else

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:39 pm

Yep
Insular article from an insular Vicderp.

Strange strange people down there

leagueiscrap wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:14 pm

post_hoc wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:09 pm

Swans4ever wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:47 am

I dont think contempt is the right word, I think it just doesnt rate as a prime sport in Victoria (SA, Tas and WA for that matter). It is a minor niche sport that isnt really played in large numbers but I think the Storm has its own unique following and TBH does well. It is well represented in local tv, radio and the papers but like anything is in competition with 10 AFL clubs, 2 AL clubs, 1 RU club, 1 baseball, 1 basketball. Then theres netball, tennis, BBL like Sydney is its a very crowded sporting landscape, I think all in all their doing pretty well all things considered.

Think it says more about Victorians than anyone else that they would disregard SOO. I am guessing more people watch SOO worldwide than ever watch the AFL Grandfinal.

Like I said says more about those from Victoria than anything else

Lol who would watch soo world wide expats?

There is a reason why the afl is easily the largest code and most popular game in Australia, the broadcast and non broadcast dollars speak for its self

Beaussie wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:51 am

Swans4ever wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:47 am

I think it just doesnt rate as a prime sport in Victoria (SA, Tas and WA for that matter). It is a minor niche sport that isnt really played in large numbers but I think the Storm has its own unique following and TBH does well.

Re the Storm, what do you make of the following statement made by the author? I know a few Storm fans in Melbourne and all of them are originally from Sydney.

90 per cent of Melbourne Storm's supporters are blow-ins from north of the border.