I endorse this comment completely.  Get over yourselves.  Blaming everything on racism should remain in Melbourne where it belongs.

I'll bet there are plenty of dinosaurs just itching to do exactly that but their apparatchiks are begging them to remain silent.

Really interesting discussion.

For me the key discussion point is why the Matildas seem so much more popular than the Socceroos ATM. Looking at the crowd demographics - there are a LOT of kids who are probably the drivers in getting their parents along (and paying for the kids' tickets).

Compare that with the Socceroos - most attendees are young men who have to pay for their own tickets. There's also a massive amount of anti-football sentiment within our own community which causes judgment/animosity towards the Socceroos, which is not something the Matildas have to face. Everyone is united because fans aren't coming from so many disparate narratives - as they are re the Socceroos.

It is that disparity which engages the MSM against the Socceroos and the unity which inspires the MSM to get on the Tillies bandwagon.

Where the MSM might eventually turn on the Tillies is when they finally realise that the vast number of girls playing football will eventually be mothers and play a role in the sports their children play - female AND male. The current MSM  cosy indulgence could quickly turn sour once the penny drops. (As it did for the AFL a few years back when they rushed forward the inauguration of the AFLW after a report came out showing dramatic increases in girls playing football.)

As many have mentioned, it's probably a bunch of small factors rather than one big factor.
Another factor (maybe), look at the Socceroos players over the last decade or so. Is it just me or do they lack personality (good or bad)? Not a comment on their performances, but purely from a marketing standpoint. They seem to lack any character, they are just some blokes that can play football well. Maybe a player like Irankunda can change that (time will tell). Prior to the recent controversy, Kerr is a genuine star and was infinitely marketable. Socceroos just don't seem to have those personalities. Maybe it's a cultural difference between the genders. Maybe the blokes are more closed off compared to the women who are generally more open. Either way, the Tillies players seem to be generally more likeable and marketable.

Another interesting thing is who is the target audience for these games?
I’ve read some noise on social media that the atmosphere of games is different to regular club football which has apparently caused a good debate around what kind of fans are watching national team games especially Matilda’s games.

Why 120 odd thousand fans can turn up for two friendly games but the aleague women’s can only average 2,200 per game? How many of those fans that watch Matilda’s games are football fans?

It’s an interesting time we are in and I’m not sure how it evolve into the future and how it will benefit football especially in popularity and how that will look like. 

Cut to close to the bone? It's a valid question. It;s easy to stay out of the conversation of you have nothing to add

https://au.news.yahoo.com/revealed-the-most-racist-and-least-happy-state-in-australia-121902855.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAlysuHZ54FeKQWAOkL4MhfaRrROo0ccSYvPZSthSbrsbE3VUHh5gHBlLjR8RgYaZCZEYRbJBK42fF6-Y0WdVzykCIpmG8nEEmVyiLb2-dLtkErxr6bEN1AlNMqZjeI7FEOLC_T08ZU9f-IF6kNNpjKcbKGsou1mLd4SajVUSEg0

https://www.sportintegrity.gov.au/news/integrity-blog/2024-03/racism-sport

A bit harsh, when you invited anyone to have an opinion.

"Sling your sh1t at me peeps...."

I'd hope you're not only realising this now...but yes this, all this. That plus the 'wah-men power/thirdwave-femiN@z1$m' element of their appeal.

indeed

TBH I'm not confident it'll turn out anything holistically good for the long term of Oz football, but ofc I'm open to being proven wrong. As long as FFA/APL eventually drops its hellbent fixation w/converting 'mainstream Australia' to the game(all the while treating us actual longtime fans of it as the redheaded stepkids) in due course, I'll be more confident about it all but at this rate..it is what it is :(

i this post belongs in the gutter like everything else woke merchants scream about 

no they are popular because they are good - some are even world class good 

no one gave a s--t that Mathew Leckie was Maltese when he scored against Denmark, the country likes winners like any other country 

Do people care Postecoglou is Greek? he gets more media coverage from the mainstream then the entire AL? 

the womens team is actually one of the top side on the planet and has players playing in top leagues 

Nestory "Nestor" Irankunda isnt 'anglo' [not even close] but there is a hell of a lot of support and hope this kid could be something special - i remember Mustafa Amani also had a HELL of a lot of hype and media unfortnetly never lived upto any of it but people dont care - Modern Australia is one of the least racist countries on the planet despite what the nutters would have you believe 

as for certain atheletes being more popular then others - i'd argue if an athlete 'sells themselves' they probaby will be more popular but you dont need to be white, Angelo etc to do that Connor McGeroger sells his 'Irishness and Cockiness' for popularity, Usain Bolt had his famous Thunder bold celebration 

people like winners - there is nothing more too it if the Matildas were ranked 102th no one would be able to name a single one of them let a long care if the last name of every player was Smith, Rubic, Popadolaous, Galea, Italiano etc 

(1) 😮He isn’t a skip❓

(2) Prob not now, but as recently as 2017 he himself was quoted as wondering if it were a factor, however slight, in those ppl who wanted him gone from the NT job holding that opinion; he also arced up at the couple of instances where his surname was mispronounced/misspelled in the media

I didn't say I couldn't sling it back :D:D

Matildas beat state of origin
https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_FBK&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fsport%2Fnrl%2Fstate-of-origin%2Fstate-of-origin-confidential-star-channel-9-presenter-emma-lawrence-reveals-baby-news%2Fnews-story%2F8b6e790f2e5da579fe097b700887ffdf&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPB-Segment-1-NOSCORE

that's insane. If it was just sheila's wogs and p**ftas then that would explain matildas being more popular than the socceroos, but it wouldn't explain the matildas being more popular than state of origin

I think Australia would love to be a football nation, we just have trouble supporting a sport we aren't doing well in. Now we are doing well in women's football it is taking over. Participation rates are always said to be good, but they can easily grow four fold and then no one can ignore football

You started a race baiting thread knowing full well.....

I have never seen such a simpleminded example of what "racism" means than not liking rap watching seinfeld or denzel washington....

I'm joking bud 

No it wasn't. It's a legitimate observation and question. 

Ok then tell me why race should come into who plays for whatever team? are you saying the better black/brown people are being kept out because of the white Australia policy? maybe just maybe the best players happen to be white middle class Aussies and there is no agenda at all cept for the ugly one lurking in your head.

You've way missed the point of the original question.

No no i haven't the poster tries in a clumsy race baiting manner to insinuate that Australians would not be interested in seeing black/browns playing for Australian teams.....and i would  say Aussies love a winner and for the most part could not give a damn if it's an Indian/Aussie lesbian like Sam Kerr or an indigenous heterosexual like Mary Fowler or any ánglo type.

 

Yep

I didn't suggest anything, just asked a question that judging by many of the responses is completely legitimate and valid. 

You say Aussies love a winner, that's a nice observation and I agree that Aussies love Aboriginals who can win them an Aussie rules or NRL match, for example. 

You also failed to address the second part of my question about a lack of cultural diversity representative of Australian football community. 

I didn't "fail" to answer i pointed out you are a race baiter and i still stand by it.

No probs, and I still agree with you Aussies love minorities when they can win them a sporting match.

Ah yes

You just can't beat the A-League 5 month off-season

Or your waiting period for a fresh 777 article to repost

heheh, fark gonna be a long slumber for some lol then klang someone rattles the friggin gender or coloured door !
Your fault you aussie migrant background bloke.

Christ its just a convo I thought.

Thankfully the Euros start soon at least