What`s happening to our Aussie rules???

[billybones]

Seems these days theres no pushing or shoving allowed, no more name called and no more heckling from the players as well as the spectators.

I think they are taking some of the fun away from the sport and making everybody soft.
What`s going to happen next?? Will the players be forced to say please and thank you every time they ask or receive the ball??

Some will argue that children are watching and that the players are role models but then havn`t children always been watching???

 

[Fudd]

....I used to coach junior football during the basketball craze, BB, and the feedback I used to get was from mums who thought that the game "too rough" so they were getting their kids to play soccer or basketball as the preferred option.

This got me thinking about what would happen if more kids drifted away from football and it seemed to me that losing kids to other codes or sports, there was a possibility (i) that kids wouldn't be pestering their parents for the latest club jumper, football or any other type of merchandise (ii) of the pool of future players drying up as kids play these other sports (iii) of long term attendance figures suffering as kids wouldn't be dragging their parents to the footy (iv) tht club memberships could fall (v) that injuries could result in law suits at both the junior & senior level and (vi) the previous dot points could lead to a fall in TV viewers thus affecting future TV broadcasting rights.

Sure, I may have drawn a bit of a long bow here but everytime I thought about this, it seemed to me that it was all about money (short & long term revenue streams)...forget the role model crap.

Fudd

 

[billybones]

Fudd maybe your as old as me so maybe you can remember...
Do you remember back in the good old days where you could run onto the field at half time and play kick to kick then once the game had finished you used to be able to run up to the players and pat them on the back and maybe get them to sign your jumper or football. Now the only way to get a signed football seems to be to donate to a charity or hopefully buy one off Ebay.
I don`t think we can blame 9/11 for this and sadly as you say some of it has become more about the money that can be made...

 

[svengali]

Sooner it happens the better for my money.

There is far too much hype and blather about a game which has no international standing whatsoever. Take off at least half of the airtime and print devoted to Aussie rules and give other sports, particularly women's sport, some oxygen.

 

[Happy2]

Aussie rules Cricket & Tennis are the lifeblood of our country towns . The kids playfor the fun of it When older play for or volunteer for the town team. If not seduced to live in big towns like Gero or the City.
As for having no international standing who cares The Irish would never give up Hurling
or Irish football. The yanks their Gridiron I can guess you are not a AFL fan svengali
and many may say they agree with you But Ratings and paper sales say our irrelevant game is still keeping its head above water.
And billybones our game must be the only one where the rules change so often maybe we could just leave the damn rules alone for a year or two

 

[Fudd]

Fudd maybe your as old as me so maybe you can remember...
Do you remember back in the good old days where you could run onto the field at half time and play kick to kick then once the game had finished you used to be able to run up to the players and pat them on the back and maybe get them to sign your jumper or football.

....good days, BB.....good days

....nowadays, I also volunteer for my local club in the WAFL.....great to be involved at the grass roots.

Fudd