If AFL is 150 years old & NRL is 100 years old, why has AFL never really taken of in Sydney?

Question

Sure we have the Swans and soon a 2nd team in Western Sydney, but compared to all the Rugby League teams (in several competitions) even Suburban and Club Rugby, AFL has never really been a serious sport in Sydney. Here in High School you were actually considered "g*y" if you played it!

Look, i know their supurb athletes, i once head Paul Roos deliver a speach as a key note speaker about Goal Setting and team building, i know their incredibly fit, yet theres no possible way they could physically take the severe contact Rugby League and Union players take!

So if Sydney is our biggest city, NSW is our Premier, or Original State, thean why has AFL never taken off? It has a long, long way to go before it topples Rugby or League in Sydney..........

Answer 1

I have a name of a good Psychologist, you sad little man.

Answer 2

It's pretty simple to understand why NRL has the majority of supporters in Sydney, Wayne. Theres Cronulla, Manly, St George, Wests Tigers, Sydney City, Parramatta, South Sydney & Canterbury. In AFL there is only one team being Sydney.

8 NRL clubs against 1 AFL club - of course most footy supporters will be Rubgy League fans.

Answer 3

Wayne id like to put the question back on you,why if you are the oldest and premier state as most of the northerners think,haven't you managed to break into other states in Australia while AFL has a major team in nearly every state

Answer 4

It was the VFL before it was the AFL V standing for Victorian.

I think it was in the late 80's that it became the AFL.

That could be a contributing factor

Answer 5

it takes time for slow dim people to catch up

that's why

also NSW land to to expensive the could not afford an MCG

Answer 6

its called aussie rules

AFL is not a sport, it's the league that controls the best standard of aussie rules, come on mate, thats not too hard to understand, even for a no necker.

it's like me saying, i went to the local ground and watched a game of nrl, between tim buk too and gunnamatta,  stupid isn't it.

it's ok if you hate AUSSIE RULES, but at least get it right.

cheerio, you happy soul.

Answer 7

Maybe AFL hasn't taken off over 150 years because the AFL has actually only existed for a small portion of those years, and for most of them, it was the VFL (in case you haven't realised, Victorian Football league), and it is historically and traditionally a Victorian sport. Maybe that's why...

Answer 8

A friend who lives in Melbourne told me that it is mostly because Melbourne has or had a bigger Irish population, and as AFL is close to gaelic football that is the reson. I don't know if that is right or not

Answer 9

I can't remember the details, but I think it was during the first or second World War that things changed. In NSW, the AFL decided that since so many young men were away fighting, they would discontinue the code until the war was over. Rugby League continued. So on the weekend if you wanted to watch footie, you only had one choice. By the time the war was over, League had an overwhelming dominance in the hearts of the local people. Now this may be an urban myth, or maybe some details are wrong, but this is as I remember the explanation.   Cheers    Laurence

Answer 10

Not enough gentle pursuasion, that's why.

Aussie Rules has recruited me to change the views of a few Sydneysiders.

Me mate, Hudson, is in a bit of bother at the moment but Chopper, Sqizzy & Toe-Cutter are accompanying me up there this weekend. We'll get some good results!

Answer 11

Aussie Rules has never really taken off in NSW & Qld  because it is looked upon a bit like soccer.

Overall, plenty of mothers are encouraging their kids to play the 'less violent' sports & Aussie Rules is fastly becoming one of them.

In the northern states the men like to think of them selves as men & not compared to pansy-like soccer players. as the Aussie Rules footballers are nowadays. They keep changing the rules so it's illegal virtually to touch an opposibng player.

I hope Aussie Rules never get a strong hold in NSW or Qld. Though I don't think they ever will!

Answer 12

Aussie Rules (AR) hasn't taken off in other states because physically it can't compete with the rugby codes.

The Royal Australian Navy  has banned social rugby games, at places like Christmas Island when on shore leave, because of the injuries sustained. Many of these injuries have been to fit AR players because their bodies aren't attuned to receiving rugby style hits. Bones were regularly broken. AR players are trained to try & run away or dodge a tackle whereas rugby players braced themselves for a heavy hit.

They allowed AR to be played now & the injuries are far fewer. Both rugby & Ausie Rules players played in these AR games.

Answer 13

I don't know.  It was once the dominant code in the ACT due to all the Victorians migrating here in the late 60s.  The Canberra Raiders and the ACT Brumbies changed all that.

AFL barely rates a mention here in the ACT.

Answer 14

You are entitled to hate aussie rules that is your choice

however why do you constantly want to stir up trouble

you say you graduated from the second oldest uni in australia

well you dont sound real smart

is that from banging your head on the ar$e of the bloke in front of you in the scrum maybe even breathing in too much methane gas from all the farts you lot let go

(come on now tell the truth you do f**t in scrums and you enjoy it dont you)

Any way i transgress if you hate our code of footy so much why come onto the aussie rules site

Make you a deal you dont come here and stir up trouble i wont go to your site and stir up any

Answer 15

Wayne, you know you will get the usual abuse from the same old ones if you happen to mention ARL in this section. I think it's good that various sports get a mention - rather than be one-eyed & tunnel visioned about a particular code.

I'm an Eagles supporter & I had a laugh at the C7 sports news interview with John Worsfold last night. Basil Zemplis asked him if he was in agreeance to the 150 year centenary AFL match. Woosha responded by saying, "yes,very much so. I hope they have amother one is in another 150 years!"

OK, I know that comment has nothing to do with ARL but I (at least) thought it was funny!

Answer 16

ok, then why hasnt rugby league ever really taken off in Melbourne?

But...wait....last time I saw a Swans game at the Olympic Stadium, there were 50 000 people there and it was just a regular home and away fixture!

but it seems that not even Canterbury v Sydney Roosters can pull even half of that number in into 'sydney's' sport!

Rugby League took off well in Sydney and Australian Rules and Cricket took off well in Melbourne.

There is no comparison to the two sports, so why try to do that?

They are both great sports; yes, I follow AFL and even though Rugby League is not my cup of tea, I dont go out and look for every floor in it!