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Leichhardt council to allow AFL to be played at Birchgrove Oval

Jamberoo

Juniors
Messages
1,264
If only the NRL was as proactive in Melbourne as the AFL is in Sydney. A friend’s son want to play RL this year. We live 20km east of the CBD (just north of Melbourne’s geographical centre). There is not one RL club between here and the CBD, and not one within 15km in any direction. His parents are Storm members but due to driving times, have said no.
 

Haffa

Guest
Messages
15,881
I expect there was an equal level of outrage when the Dogs starting running on Wenty Park?
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
If only the NRL was as proactive in Melbourne as the AFL is in Sydney. A friend’s son want to play RL this year. We live 20km east of the CBD (just north of Melbourne’s geographical centre). There is not one RL club between here and the CBD, and not one within 15km in any direction. His parents are Storm members but due to driving times, have said no.

This is the real issue, instead of getting distracted by dumb shit like goal posts and whether the chairman can do quizzes.

The world is getting smaller. Everything is broadcast everywhere, everything is connected. It's a completely natural consequence that given the opportunity, some people in Sydney will watch and play AFL. If you're starting from almost 0 as they were 40 years ago, the only way is up, the ratio of Rugby League to AFL is gonna close a bit whether we like it or not.

They've had a big head start on us in AFL Sydney vs NRL Melbourne, but that excuse is wearing thin. Any kid in Melbourne should be able to play Rugby League in their area. The sport has to give them the opportunity. Maybe not almost-every-suburb saturation like Sydney and Brisbane, but you shouldn't have to drive an hour to find one.
 

stormbati

Bench
Messages
3,088
If only the NRL was as proactive in Melbourne as the AFL is in Sydney. A friend’s son want to play RL this year. We live 20km east of the CBD (just north of Melbourne’s geographical centre). There is not one RL club between here and the CBD, and not one within 15km in any direction. His parents are Storm members but due to driving times, have said no.
That's dissapointing.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
If only the NRL was as proactive in Melbourne as the AFL is in Sydney. A friend’s son want to play RL this year. We live 20km east of the CBD (just north of Melbourne’s geographical centre). There is not one RL club between here and the CBD, and not one within 15km in any direction. His parents are Storm members but due to driving times, have said no.

That's surprising. In Perth the clubs are quite well spread out and wouldn't be more than 15-20km between most of them at most. Going out from the cbd in the three directions we have:

North
North Beach 18kms
Joondalup
Alkimos

East
Ellenbrook 21kms
Kalamunda

South
South Perth 10kms
Willagee
Fremantle
Applecross
Kwinana
Rockingham
Mandurah
 

Jatz15

Juniors
Messages
45
That's surprising. In Perth the clubs are quite well spread out and wouldn't be more than 15-20km between most of them at most. Going out from the cbd in the three directions we have:

North
North Beach 18kms
Joondalup
Alkimos

East
Ellenbrook 21kms
Kalamunda

South
South Perth 10kms
Willagee
Fremantle
Applecross
Kwinana
Rockingham
Mandurah
I think thats mainly a combination of Perth being quite a bit smaller than Melbourne, and historical accident. I doubt very much anyone sat down and planned how to spread RL clubs in Perth to make sure they were well distributed. It just turned out that way, could well not have.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
I think thats mainly a combination of Perth being quite a bit smaller than Melbourne, and historical accident. I doubt very much anyone sat down and planned how to spread RL clubs in Perth to make sure they were well distributed. It just turned out that way, could well not have.

That and a the steady growth factor of the city outwards in those three directions. As new outer areas have grown new clubs have started up. The north is a good example. North Beach is an old club then as the northern suburbs grew in the 80's and 90's Joondalup joined and as the suburban creep North has continued Alkimos joined in last couple of years.

Don't really understand why hasn't happened in inner Melbourne is similar way? Was there no RL played in the 50's-80's in Melbourne?
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,147
If we are going to freak about this then lets somehow demand the game take its history more seriously, get a hall of fame or something.
I never hear about Birchgrove Oval except when AFL do something there. Do they at least play touch footy there?
 

Jamberoo

Juniors
Messages
1,264
This sport is hopeless.
NRL need to fund at least one club that is not in the outer suburbs or regional areas.
Interesting that AFL in Sydney is the exact opposite - popular in the inner suburbs.
I don’t think RL is seen as bogan or outer suburban in Melbourne, I think Storm fans are spread around. There are simply no opportunities for kids to play who live in 80% of suburbs. Makes it kinda hard to grow beyond NSW/QLD/NZ/UK expats. I guess most of those must live in the (very) outer suburbs.
 
Messages
21,867
As the OP of this thread, 6 years ago, I’ve cooled a little in my stance.

These things are demand driven, and the fact is the AFL have spent a heap of money in this area of Sydney. Not much we can do.

We were behind the eight ball for so many years because our tv rights were undersold. Now is the time to go on offence, not just defence.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
NRL need to fund at least one club that is not in the outer suburbs or regional areas.
Interesting that AFL in Sydney is the exact opposite - popular in the inner suburbs.
I don’t think RL is seen as bogan or outer suburban in Melbourne, I think Storm fans are spread around. There are simply no opportunities for kids to play who live in 80% of suburbs. Makes it kinda hard to grow beyond NSW/QLD/NZ/UK expats. I guess most of those must live in the (very) outer suburbs.

Why haven’t nrlvic addressed this? Nrlwa recognised the growth opportunity in SW and set up 6 new jnr clubs with sw warriors, why aren’t nrlvic doing same?
 

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