League invades AFL turf

[El Diablo]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25854814-5013406,00.html

League invades AFL turf

Peter Kogoy | July 30, 2009
Article from: The Australian

GREG Brentnall thinks a homegrown Victorian will one day play rugby league for Australia.

At least that is his hope considering AFL poached one of rugby league's brightest and best yesterday.

Brentnall, who played rugby league for Australia but grew up playing Australian football in NSW's Riverina, has been at the coalface of league's push into a traditional AFL heartland in southern NSW before becoming the Melbourne Storm's first development manager.

Now chairman of the Victorian Rugby League, Brentnall's task is to identify and nurture youngsters in what is for many a foreign code in a state deeply entrenched in the indigenous game. "I'm seeing more and more boys switching football codes in Melbourne and in rural and regional Victoria," Brentnall said.

"These are kids new to rugby league disillusioned with AFL. They are coming to us because they see AFL as too sanitised. They come looking for a more physical game and have the build to play our game."

Brentnall says Tom Goodwin, a rising star in the Storm's under-18 team, typifies the changing football landscape.

"His father Andy was born in England where he played both union and soccer until he was 18, came to Australia and went on to play for both Richmond and Melbourne in the AFL," Brentnall said.

"Young Tom's dad learned the game at Box Hill before he was picked up by the Tigers and retired from the code at age 39 after spells with Devonport and Frankston."

Brentnall says Goodwin junior could have played AFL, but he spurned overtures to play for Richmond under the father-son rule, to play rugby league.

"The Goodwin case is being replicated in our junior Victorian sides as more kids with a rules background swap codes."

On figures supplied by Brentnall and the Victorian Rugby League, 30,000 boys play the game regularlyat school or at a registered club on weekends.

Much of the growth is due to the success of Melbourne Storm.

On whether Karmichael Hunt would adapt to AFL, Brentnall said: "His build reminds very much of a Paul Kelly, the former Swans champion from Wagga who could have easily made the grade in rugby league, but eventually chose to play AFL."

 

[LESStar58]

Nice of them to fit in a sidebar story amongst all this hysteria about Kashdolla Hunt!

 

[Tex_21]

30,000 players? Gee the Storm's list has expanded. That seems to be even more inflated than Auskick figures.

 

[Lambretta]

Victoria is producing some good junior players and I can only see that growing if the Storm remain as a competative team and kids aspire to play for them.

Really, with National competitions or with different codes playing in different Cities - you will always find kids from different Cities suited to different codes.

AFL has become a long distance running game and there is less contact than there used to be. This doesnt suit all body types and power runners or people built for physical contact will look to play Rugby League even if they do come from Melbourne.

However, it works both ways. Taller, slimmer built kids with great aerobic ability from Sydney will also choose to play AFL.

Neither sport is going to dominate either City any time soon - and they probably never will - but there is definately room for our code in AFL dominated Cities just as the AFL believes there is space in League heartlands for people to play AFL. They're right of course - but the test will be how much space. At the moment AFL doesnt look like it has enough momentum in Sydney for 2 clubs yet strangely they're pushing for it. I think they're in for a rude awakening. Most kids out West who don't want to play league play football which offers far greater opportunities than AFL ever will.

But there is genuine growth in league in Victoria. Maybe in 20 years time there will be a genuine need for the NRL to be starting a 2nd Melbourne franchise.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25854814-5013406,00.html

"On whether Karmichael Hunt would adapt to AFL, Brentnall said: "His build reminds very much of a Paul Kelly, the former Swans champion from Wagga who could have easily made the grade in rugby league, but eventually chose to play AFL."

No no no. Paul Kelly was too busy connecting the dots & writing songs to be playing AFL.

 

[Tex_21]

Victoria is producing some good junior players and I can only see that growing if the Storm remain as a competative team and kids aspire to play for them.

Really, with National competitions or with different codes playing in different Cities - you will always find kids from different Cities suited to different codes.

AFL has become a long distance running game and there is less contact than there used to be. This doesnt suit all body types and power runners or people built for physical contact will look to play Rugby League even if they do come from Melbourne.

However, it works both ways. Taller, slimmer built kids with great aerobic ability from Sydney will also choose to play AFL.

Neither sport is going to dominate either City any time soon - and they probably never will - but there is definately room for our code in AFL dominated Cities just as the AFL believes there is space in League heartlands for people to play AFL. They're right of course - but the test will be how much space. At the moment AFL doesnt look like it has enough momentum in Sydney for 2 clubs yet strangely they're pushing for it. I think they're in for a rude awakening. Most kids out West who don't want to play league play football which offers far greater opportunities than AFL ever will.

But there is genuine growth in league in Victoria. Maybe in 20 years time there will be a genuine need for the NRL to be starting a 2nd Melbourne franchise.

Wow-very good, well reasoned post. I will argue I haven't seen any evidence of league's "growth", but that is probably because I don't look for it. (and it may be an opinion thing)