The Game Future NRL Stadiums part II

[TheRam]

I actually read all this and you bring up some good points. We accept mediocrity too often, 100% we do. I'm not sure AFL is going to take over the country like you say... Firstly the game seems very anglo to me, a lot like Cricket in this country and therefor doesn't represent modern multicultural Australia. Yes some of their teams have a token African or Muslim but they stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the privileged Aussie as vegemite white kids. I also think AFL games are too long for the average millennial/zoomer attention span.

I know the current cultural trends are to move away from brutal/physical sports but I think its in our nature to want to watch gladiatorial contests. There will always be a place for them - just look at the explosion in popularity of UFC over the last decade with only minimal marketing in this country. Also one of the biggest names in that sport is a League tragic who played in the Dragons system.

I hope you are right and I am totally wrong, but something tells me that the AFL will end up bridging that white Anglo image through a zealous and full on expensive and years long add campaign and junior recruitment initiatives when they are ready and see the need for it to go the final mile in conquering the whole nation as they do and have the money that we don't to do so.

As for the game being too long it hasn't stopped them till now and so I don't think that it will be a problem in the future and is actually their biggest advantage over us for the networks and sponsors. Also look at the NFL, 4 hours of boredom compared to our sports, but they are the biggest thing in the freakin world. hasn't stopped the kids loving that sport.

In a world that has made Macca's the number one burger joint in the world, taste and logic is irrelevant. Marketing and packaging is the name of the game and the AFL have all the money to market the best in Australia and have packaged their product from game day experience, to kiddy friendly for the mummies to except, to hot sexy athletes for girls and women to swoon over. We are still playing in parks and calling them the 8th wonder of the world ffs!

More like the 8th blunder of the world! Can we be any more stupider?

 

[ground zero]

Penrith should not be allowed to have full management rights to Penrith stadium if it gets 309 million upgrade. It should be ran an owned by venues NSW. Imagine the rorts at each home game ie 5000 cans off beer sold at $10 a pop. Yep brown paper bag off 50 grand, give that bag to the fullback. 12 home games, 12 brown paper bags full off cash. Not saying it would happen but it could happen.

 

[Peach & Apricot]

Yeah, he was the AFL chairman for a fair while

Sometimes we are playing checkers v chess

The time to strike is now with Accor . with swans and gws 14th 15th etc

They have bigger issues than stadiums but it won't last forever

Make it rectangular and lock em out

Excellent idea. The AFL losers should be stuck on some oval in Blacktown where nobody is watching.

 

[Perth Red]

Penrith should not be allowed to have full management rights to Penrith stadium if it gets 309 million upgrade. It should be ran an owned by venues NSW. Imagine the rorts at each home game ie 5000 cans off beer sold at $10 a pop. Yep brown paper bag off 50 grand, give that bag to the fullback. 12 home games, 12 brown paper bags full off cash. Not saying it would happen but it could happen.

Whilst I agree, its not for that reason! If NSW govt is spending $300mill on a facility it doesnt own then it def should have management rights. Bit iffy for State Govt to be spending that sort of cash on buildings it doesnt actually own or manage. Literally no financial ROI of taxpayer spend if it isnt under venues NSW.

 

[Perth Red]

Excellent idea. The AFL losers should be stuck on some oval in Blacktown where nobody is watching.

Id be more concerned by AFL and the cricket mob pushing for upgrades to SCG next and stadium money going that way rather than if they want Accor to remain an AFL usage stadium. SCG has quickly fallen behind all the other ovals in the country.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Id be more concerned by AFL and the cricket mob pushing for upgrades to SCG next and stadium money going that way rather than if they want Accor to remain an AFL usage stadium. SCG has quickly fallen behind all the other ovals in the country.

Use that as leverage. They can have an upgraded SCG if we get and upgraded, rectangular Accor.

 

[forby]

$309m promised in 2021 is now $342m with inflation. When it is constructed in 2025 it would be over $375m. The inflation figures come from the Gov.
It seems it will be upgraded and extra corporate areas and dressing rooms, extended roofs over the existing stands, less seating for the general public and a reduced capacity.
The government will then crow about how it was delivered under budget.
The best RL area in the country gets shafted once again!

 

[Jamberoo]

I actually read all this and you bring up some good points. We accept mediocrity too often, 100% we do. I'm not sure AFL is going to take over the country like you say... Firstly the game seems very anglo to me, a lot like Cricket in this country and therefor doesn't represent modern multicultural Australia. Yes some of their teams have a token African or Muslim but they stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the privileged Aussie as vegemite white kids. I also think AFL games are too long for the average millennial/zoomer attention span.

I know the current cultural trends are to move away from brutal/physical sports but I think its in our nature to want to watch gladiatorial contests. There will always be a place for them - just look at the explosion in popularity of UFC over the last decade with only minimal marketing in this country. Also one of the biggest names in that sport is a League tragic who played in the Dragons system.

The only reason AFL is whiter than RL is that 47% of RL players are Polynesian, compared to AFL’s 0.2%. Polynesians simply don’t play AFL. On the flip side, there are around 20 African AFL players and none in the NRL. In Melbourne, Africans play AFL, but in Sydney they play soccer, not RL or RU. Not sure why - they are big and strong and well suited to RL. Both NRL and AFL have the same % of First Nations players and a similar smattering of Greeks, Italians, Croatians, etc. Immigration is very different across the nation - Melbourne is full of Chinese and Indians and the AFL simply cannot get them interested.

Regardless, you are right, the AFL is not going to take over NSW and QLD. Not due to any of the reasons you suggest, but simply because NSW people will never fully embrace a game invented by Victorians. You don’t get it, because you don’t want to (just like Melbourne doesn’t get RL). And neither should you, as it is not your game. AFL doesn’t belong in Sydney. It still seems weird to me from down here. Both the Swans and Giants seem fake.

Queenslanders don’t seem to hate Victorians so much, which may be why AFL does a little better there. Still, RL will always be the northern states‘ main game. Always. As it should be.

So, don‘t panic. The sky is not falling and The Big Bad Wolf ain’t going to blow your house down any time soon.

 

[mongoose]

The only reason AFL is whiter than RL is that 47% of RL players are Polynesian, compared to AFL’s 0.2%. Polynesians simply don’t play AFL. On the flip side, there are around 20 African AFL players and none in the NRL. In Melbourne, Africans play AFL, but in Sydney they play soccer, not RL or RU. Not sure why - they are big and strong and well suited to RL. Both NRL and AFL have the same % of First Nations players and a similar smattering of Greeks, Italians, Croatians, etc. Immigration is very different across the nation - Melbourne is full of Chinese and Indians and the AFL simply cannot get them interested.

Regardless, you are right, the AFL is not going to take over NSW and QLD. Not due to any of the reasons you suggest, but simply because NSW people will never fully embrace a game invented by Victorians. You don’t get it, because you don’t want to (just like Melbourne doesn’t get RL). And neither should you, as it is not your game. AFL doesn’t belong in Sydney. It still seems weird to me from down here. Both the Swans and Giants seem fake.

Queenslanders don’t seem to hate Victorians so much, which may be why AFL does a little better there. Still, RL will always be the northern states‘ main game. Always. As it should be.

So, don‘t panic. The sky is not falling and The Big Bad Wolf ain’t going to blow your house down any time soon.

yes I realise most of our multi-culturalness is of pacific island heritage but it still gives the perception that NRL is more inclusive and perhaps worldly. Someone who is 3rd generation Croatian or Italian isn't really noticeable. My wife is half spanish and everyone just thinks she's white.

 

[Vibing]

yes I realise most of our multi-culturalness is of pacific island heritage but it still gives the perception that NRL is more inclusive and perhaps worldly. Someone who is 3rd generation Croatian or Italian isn't really noticeable. My wife is half spanish and everyone just thinks she's white.

the aflol looks like a sport played & followed in Australia in the 1930's

 

[Wb1234]

I actually read all this and you bring up some good points. We accept mediocrity too often, 100% we do. I'm not sure AFL is going to take over the country like you say... Firstly the game seems very anglo to me, a lot like Cricket in this country and therefor doesn't represent modern multicultural Australia. Yes some of their teams have a token African or Muslim but they stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the privileged Aussie as vegemite white kids. I also think AFL games are too long for the average millennial/zoomer attention span.

I know the current cultural trends are to move away from brutal/physical sports but I think its in our nature to want to watch gladiatorial contests. There will always be a place for them - just look at the explosion in popularity of UFC over the last decade with only minimal marketing in this country. Also one of the biggest names in that sport is a League tragic who played in the Dragons system.

Good post

the explosion in the ufc shows people want gladiatorial sports and league is up there even if it’s gone a little too far in taking out the combativeness in the game

all rugby league needs is leaders who back it 100 percent and done accept second best solutions

 

[Wb1234]

If I had a $ for every time someone has said RL is dying lol

AFL may well remain a bigger sport than RL in Aus, but we shall see what the next 10 years bring. If we have balls and go to 20 clubs with genuine national footprint there is no reason we cant make up a lot of ground.

Do agree though that we have been generally terrible in lobbying and influencing in comparison to them, especially for stadium funding and tv deals.

Bigger on some metrics

on other metrics absolutely monstered by rugby league

you’re right a 20 team comp will be untouchable except if won’t be national (no Adelaide no chance) but it will have teams in 3 nations

 

[Captain Apollo]

the aflol looks like a sport played & followed in Australia in the 1930's

It is. I heard some of its players still get paid in pounds and shillings

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

yes I realise most of our multi-culturalness is of pacific island heritage but it still gives the perception that NRL is more inclusive and perhaps worldly. Someone who is 3rd generation Croatian or Italian isn't really noticeable. My wife is half spanish and everyone just thinks she's white.

Were the Spanish ever considered people of colour and not white European?

 

[Pneuma]

The only reason AFL is whiter than RL is that 47% of RL players are Polynesian, compared to AFL’s 0.2%. Polynesians simply don’t play AFL. On the flip side, there are around 20 African AFL players and none in the NRL. In Melbourne, Africans play AFL, but in Sydney they play soccer, not RL or RU. Not sure why - they are big and strong and well suited to RL. Both NRL and AFL have the same % of First Nations players and a similar smattering of Greeks, Italians, Croatians, etc. Immigration is very different across the nation - Melbourne is full of Chinese and Indians and the AFL simply cannot get them interested.

Regardless, you are right, the AFL is not going to take over NSW and QLD. Not due to any of the reasons you suggest, but simply because NSW people will never fully embrace a game invented by Victorians. You don’t get it, because you don’t want to (just like Melbourne doesn’t get RL). And neither should you, as it is not your game. AFL doesn’t belong in Sydney. It still seems weird to me from down here. Both the Swans and Giants seem fake.

Queenslanders don’t seem to hate Victorians so much, which may be why AFL does a little better there. Still, RL will always be the northern states‘ main game. Always. As it should be.

So, don‘t panic. The sky is not falling and The Big Bad Wolf ain’t going to blow your house down any time soon.

Afl apologist apologises for the afl as usual.

 

[Vibing]

Afl apologist apologises for the afl as usual.

cheer leaders gotta cheer

 

[mongoose]

Were the Spanish ever considered people of colour and not white European?

haha nah, I guess Spanish people have certain physical characteristics though. I meant to say people can't even tell she's half spanish or European.

 

[bad boy bubby]

there are around 20 African AFL players and none in the NRL

There isn't many of African descent in the NRL but off the top of my head I can think of 3. Okunbur(Dogs), Mbye(Dragons),and Saab(Manly) all in the top 30 of their respective clubs. There could be more in the lower grades, I dont know.
There isn't "none" though.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

There isn't many of African descent in the NRL but off the top of my head I can think of 3. Okunbur(Dogs), Mbye(Dragons),and Saab(Manly) all in the top 30 of their respective clubs. There could be more in the lower grades, I dont know.
There isn't "none" though.

I think the difference with AFL is that they seem to have attracted some interest from the recent African arrivals, particularly the Sudanese community. Being East Africans (tall, thin and fast) they’re particularly suited to AFL though no doubt they’d make great outside backs in the rugby codes.

 

[Perth Red]

There isn't many of African descent in the NRL but off the top of my head I can think of 3. Okunbur(Dogs), Mbye(Dragons),and Saab(Manly) all in the top 30 of their respective clubs. There could be more in the lower grades, I dont know.
There isn't "none" though.

Lets not forget our Jamaican, Dom Young.