Should NZ become an AFL nation?

[Te Kaha]

NZ may have an AFL side of its own if they can find the money to build a decent stadium, and the current grassroots trend continues.
There will never be "international" tests that I can see, but it would be the ideal size for a state based (SOO) comp... or a warriers type arrangment in the AFL.

Hopefully NZ as a country will grow up in the next decades and remove its cultural cringe to always want to prove itself on the international stage, and embrase sport simply for its skill and excitement.

Is it possible for you to be any more of a wanker????? Your entire argument is based on groundless generalisations and baseless assumptions. Not to mention that last paragraph made you sound like a complete prat.

Now as for "building a decent stadium" to play AFL.

The problem with that is that New Zealanders aren't so pathetically stupid to spend hundreds or millions of dollars on a stadium for a sport that nobody plays. I would have thought that that would be obvious, even to you grayham. I guess not everybody can be as smart as New Zealanders.

 

[grayham]

the only code that has a chance of taking over union in N.Z is league(maybe soccer) the only place that likes a.f.l is a couple of states in australia.when league pull there finger out and start to play by the same rules as othe codes,league WILL take over australia and will be challenging union in kiwi land.

A.F.L is a sport that doesnt look good on t.v,so that means it will never be big anywhere as you need people to watch it on t.v before they will start to play it.todays sports are made for t.v,thus a.f.l will go backwards at a very fast rate.

WATCH OUT A.F.L .....................LEAGUE IS OUT TO GET YOU

League "should" have a better chance in NZ, but it has too much antagonistic history with Union, that they will be eternally bickering with each other leaving the door open to other codes like AFL.

AFL is by far the dominant TV sport in australia so I have no idea why you think its not a TV sport. As AFL is a game with many aspects, it will only go forward as a TV sport with advancements in technology.

 

[grayham]

Now as for "building a decent stadium" to play AFL.

The problem with that is that New Zealanders aren't so pathetically stupid to spend hundreds or millions of dollars on a stadium for a sport that nobody plays. I would have thought that that would be obvious, even to you grayham. I guess not everybody can be as smart as New Zealanders.

Like the Gabba and Stadium Australia reconfiguration: "Build it and they will come".

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

well we should be able to put this ratings fight between a.f.l and league fans to bed soon.

IF THE T.V PUT BOTH CODES ON IN EVERY STATE LIVE.

f**k that shits me when a.f.l go on about it.maybe if you count 3 states and we count three states that could be fair you think.

 

[grayham]

I have heard reports again that they are floating the idea of an 80K stadium. The debate is to either have it in central Auckland where there is a huge population base or have it in the middle of the north island were you rely on the fans to travel from either end of the north island atleast to fill it.

Great idea, although it would have to be Auckland. Take a look at the history of Waverly in Melbourne (90,000 seat stadium, with plans for up to 200,000) which died simply because it didnt have any public transport to it (and it was in a rain belt without a roof), or Stade de Oz which is struggling for sport simply because its a bit out of town.
If there one lesson here, build it within walking distance of the CBD, and transport hubs. You cant service these types of stadiums with car parks.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I have heard reports again that they are floating the idea of an 80K stadium. The debate is to either have it in central Auckland where there is a huge population base or have it in the middle of the north island were you rely on the fans to travel from either end of the north island atleast to fill it.

Great idea, although it would have to be Auckland. Take a look at the history of Waverly in Melbourne (90,000 seat stadium, with plans for up to 200,000) which died simply because it didnt have any public transport to it (and it was in a rain belt without a roof), or Stade de Oz which is struggling for sport simply because its a bit out of town.
If there one lesson here, build it within walking distance of the CBD, and transport hubs. You cant service these types of stadiums with car parks.

mate if they were to build a stadium with 200,000 seats i would go just to have a look(even if it was a.f.l) :lol:

BUT NOT UNION

 

[salivor]

I don't think they'll ever build an 80k seater stadium even if it is in the heart of Auckland because simply it'll never be filled and will be forever trying to recover its costs. Apart from a Super 12 Final and an All Blacks test, you won't get 80,000 fans to a sporting event in NZ.

Grayham, Eden Park can host cricket matches so therefore it can host AFL Matches. You've given us just about every excuse in the book as for why AFL won't take off here yet on the other hand you talk about it as if its already a fore gone conclusion that AFL will one day be big here. Your a walking contradiction who quite frankly knows virtually nothing about New Zealand and its culture.

 

[grayham]

mate if they were to build a stadium with 200,000 seats i would go just to have a look(even if it was a.f.l) :lol:

BUT NOT UNION

Yep 200,000 seat stadium was the plan. If you ever saw the ground it was one big bowl, with a second tier for a short space on one wing. The original plan was for some day to extend that second tier all the way around, .....and put a roof on it.
But it was built in the days before TV, when gate receipts were about the only income for a sport.

 

[grayham]

I don't think they'll ever build an 80k seater stadium even if it is in the heart of Auckland because simply it'll never be filled and will be forever trying to recover its costs. Apart from a Super 12 Final and an All Blacks test, you won't get 80,000 fans to a sporting event in NZ.

Grayham, Eden Park can host cricket matches so therefore it can host AFL Matches. You've given us just about every excuse in the book as for why AFL won't take off here yet on the other hand you talk about it as if its already a fore gone conclusion that AFL will one day be big here. Your a walking contradiction who quite frankly knows virtually nothing about New Zealand and its culture.

Just because you can play cricket on it, does not mean you can play AFL.
All major NZ cricket grounds are too small except that new one in Wellington. As an example the old gabba with the dog track, and North Sydney oval have hosted 1st class cricket, but are too small for AFL (At NSO, they play a 15 a side pre-pre-season game of AFL).

And, I know more about NZ than you know about AFL.

 

[salivor]

You'll actually find that Eden Park number 2 is a very reasonable sized cricket pitch, I'd be very surprised if you couldn't play AFL on it. Theres no shortage of stadiums in Auckland and NZ.

Lets face it, if its not the grounds its apparently the money. Yet money isn't an issue as it has been shown that the Warriors are one of about 3 teams that make a profit in the NRL and Wellington is now being considered for a second NZ side. If its not money then its that we'll have no international competition yet its been shown that NZ league is severly outnumbered compared to Australia yet still manages to compete on the International stage.

The other factor that we haven't touched on is television coverage. Prime canned their regular coverage which was in a good Sunday timeslot and opted to go for league. Why? AFL doesn't rate in NZ. How did NZ League really take off? We started getting coverage of the Winfield Cup and support grew from there until there was demand for a team of our own. The only coverage AFL gets is one game a year, the Grand Final. It obviously doesn't rate well enough to warrant further coverage of the season. Its as simple as that.

So without television coverage there is no exposure and avenue to build support. Without support there is no avenue for sponsership and a NZ team in the AFL competition. Without a team in the AFL competition there is no avenue for an NZ national team that can at least be competitive every once and a while. Basically there is no potential for much more than what we have now, amateur social comps played in the main centres.

Yet apparently the sport is going to boom in this country :roll: .

 

[dimitri]

afl will never boom in NZ

they have mch more history in much better sports

 

[XXXX]

"what are the nz crowd figures like for afl " ?

At a guess , but don't quote me ,I'd say the figures would match NRL crowds for WA ,SA ,NT and TAS .

 

[dimitri]

well adelaide rams and perth reds got average crowds of over 15,000


and that was playing whole seasons not just one off type matches

 

[weasel]

Well I don't know the per season figures but Adelaide only averaged crowds of 11 000 over their existence and the Reds only 10 000.

 

[grayham]

You'll actually find that Eden Park number 2 is a very reasonable sized cricket pitch, I'd be very surprised if you couldn't play AFL on it. Theres no shortage of stadiums in Auckland and NZ.

Lets face it, if its not the grounds its apparently the money. Yet money isn't an issue as it has been shown that the Warriors are one of about 3 teams that make a profit in the NRL and Wellington is now being considered for a second NZ side. If its not money then its that we'll have no international competition yet its been shown that NZ league is severly outnumbered compared to Australia yet still manages to compete on the International stage.

The other factor that we haven't touched on is television coverage. Prime canned their regular coverage which was in a good Sunday timeslot and opted to go for league. Why? AFL doesn't rate in NZ. How did NZ League really take off? We started getting coverage of the Winfield Cup and support grew from there until there was demand for a team of our own. The only coverage AFL gets is one game a year, the Grand Final. It obviously doesn't rate well enough to warrant further coverage of the season. Its as simple as that.

So without television coverage there is no exposure and avenue to build support. Without support there is no avenue for sponsership and a NZ team in the AFL competition. Without a team in the AFL competition there is no avenue for an NZ national team that can at least be competitive every once and a while. Basically there is no potential for much more than what we have now, amateur social comps played in the main centres.

Yet apparently the sport is going to boom in this country :roll: .

No, its not booming at the elite level at the moment because of lack of grounds, lack of population and lack of money, but it is booming at grassroots level.
And that boom will continue.

 

[Te Kaha]

You'll actually find that Eden Park number 2 is a very reasonable sized cricket pitch, I'd be very surprised if you couldn't play AFL on it. Theres no shortage of stadiums in Auckland and NZ.

Lets face it, if its not the grounds its apparently the money. Yet money isn't an issue as it has been shown that the Warriors are one of about 3 teams that make a profit in the NRL and Wellington is now being considered for a second NZ side. If its not money then its that we'll have no international competition yet its been shown that NZ league is severly outnumbered compared to Australia yet still manages to compete on the International stage.

The other factor that we haven't touched on is television coverage. Prime canned their regular coverage which was in a good Sunday timeslot and opted to go for league. Why? AFL doesn't rate in NZ. How did NZ League really take off? We started getting coverage of the Winfield Cup and support grew from there until there was demand for a team of our own. The only coverage AFL gets is one game a year, the Grand Final. It obviously doesn't rate well enough to warrant further coverage of the season. Its as simple as that.

So without television coverage there is no exposure and avenue to build support. Without support there is no avenue for sponsership and a NZ team in the AFL competition. Without a team in the AFL competition there is no avenue for an NZ national team that can at least be competitive every once and a while. Basically there is no potential for much more than what we have now, amateur social comps played in the main centres.

Yet apparently the sport is going to boom in this country :roll: .

No, its not booming at the elite level at the moment because of lack of grounds, lack of population and lack of money, but it is booming at grassroots level.
And that boom will continue.

How exactly is it booming at grass roots level? No crowds, few players, no coverage, no interest. You are truley deluded.

 

[dimitri]

deluded like most mexicans

it has something to do with the afl owning a part of most the media down there

 

[XXXX]

"How exactly is it booming at grass roots level? No crowds, few players, no coverage, no interest. "


Yeah it makes RL's effort really pathetic by comparison with it's expansionists plans .

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

"How exactly is it booming at grass roots level? No crowds, few players, no coverage, no interest. "


Yeah it makes RL's effort really pathetic by comparison with it's expansionists plans .

yea but we already have expanded into n.z :lol:

 

[dimitri]

nz infact played in the first ever official RL test match