Soccer will dominate AFL and Cricket in Oz

[mjp]

It's the sport of choose because kids enjoy playing it, it's that simple. There's still the groups that play Footy, but they are just getting smaller every year.

Not true.

Playing Australian football has been banned at my son's primary school due to the perceived danger. You see the kids kicking a soccer ball at school yet they all head to footy training after school...Junior footy registrations far outstrip soccer rego's here in WA despite the efforts of the Education department.

[Eastdog]

East Dog, Sydney people call RL Footy. Union people call their sport football.
Unfortunately some are insecure to worry about something being called football

True Remi. In NSW and QLD Football = Rugby pretty much. Not sure how GWS will cope in a rugby mad heartland. The Rugby League crowds are a lot lower than AFL crowds.

[Remi Moses]

True Remi. In NSW and QLD Football = Rugby pretty much. Not sure how GWS will cope in a rugby mad heartland. The Rugby League crowds are a lot lower than AFL crowds.

What gives me the s**** is people concern themselves over it.
Sets of fans engage in a peeing comp . ( Aussie rules and Soccer fans)
More inclined to worry about the Extreme Boganish behaviour of parents.

[chef]

Not true.

Playing Australian football has been banned at my son's primary school due to the perceived danger. You see the kids kicking a soccer ball at school yet they all head to footy training after school...Junior footy registrations far outstrip soccer rego's here in WA despite the efforts of the Education department.

Must be a WA thing as my three kids go to different schools and it's not the case here.

[chef]

I've always found it odd that so many people bag soccer for being a boring game where nothing happens, but absolutely love test cricket, which surely has to be one of the most drawn out games ever. At least soccer draws only take 90 minutes, not 5 days.

Agree.

[GVGjr]

I've always found it odd that so many people bag soccer for being a boring game where nothing happens, but absolutely love test cricket, which surely has to be one of the most drawn out games ever. At least soccer draws only take 90 minutes, not 5 days.

I'll put a bit more content to this than some of the replies so far. I don't see an issue with a drawn game in either Soccer or Cricket in fact some of the more exciting games can be drawn.

I also think there is more than enough room in the Australian market for Soccer, Cricket, AFL, NRL and even the ARU to co exist.

At the moment though I still think the A League lags a long way back in terms of standards when compared to most of the other codes. I'm probably going to be wrong here but I think a lot of supporters of the A league watch it because it fills the gap of missing out on seeing EPL games.

A serious question but are people in Australia more passionate about the Heart or the Victory than their EPL clubs?

[chef]

A serious question but are people in Australia more passionate about the Heart or the Victory than their EPL clubs?

No, not yet.

But I've only been a Heart fan for a couple of years while I've been a Chelsea fan for over 30.

[GVGjr]

No, not yet.

But I've only been a Heart fan for a couple of years while I've been a Chelsea fan for over 30.

That's the way I think so many people see it which in turn holds back the A League.
It's seen as a secondary competition by the fans it's hoping to attract and it's the reason why I don't think it can challenge the AFL, NRL or Cricket at the moment.

[soupman]

A serious question but are people in Australia more passionate about the Heart or the Victory than their EPL clubs?

I am. The Epl and other international leagues are too far away to support. I know that realistically I may only ever get one or two chances to see them play live, and to watch them on tv I either have to tape it or stay up late/get up early which isn't practical.

I've really enjoyed following the Heart because it's something i can go to every second week, and is my AFL substitute in the summer now.

At the moment though I still think the A League lags a long way back in terms of standards when compared to most of the other codes.

This is always going to be true, especially seeing as pretty much all the other codes allow us to see the worlds best in Australia, while we will only ever see mediocre players and very young or very old champions in the A-League.

The A-League I'm not sure is ever going to really capture the soccer market, because of thislimitation in quality. I do think however that it could make a decent play for getting AFL and other code fans to crossover and make it their "Summer football". Hopefully the A-League will soon develop into a solid mid tier league. It will never play host to the worlds best footballers or even Australia's in their prime, but hopefully we will see more and more players choose to prolong their development in the A-League before heading overseas (like Thomas Rogic), and Aussies who don't quite cut it at the top leagues oversea's representing us in their prime instead of the English Championship or similiar.

[bornadog]

No, not yet.

But I've only been a Heart fan for a couple of years while I've been a Chelsea fan for over 30.

What I don't understand is people being so passionate about the EPL when they are Australian.