Residents of Melbourne,

I find the AFL's solipsism utterly bemusing. What mentality leads these people to continually write deranged articles drawing comparisons with other sports? Is it insecurity? Melbourne's culture?

Very much appreciate someone explaining.

No idea

Me neither

It has to be AFL's insecurity.

It's a reflex reaction to their cognitive dissonance that AFL is the "greatest sport in the world" yet is only truly follow by one state of one country, with a few other states going along for the ride. While football is you know, football, with every country on the planet following it.

Within the AFL community it is most certainly insecurity, however some in Melbourne has this small town obsession with being "world class" which is why people there actually make a big deal out of inane shit like "most liveable city" "Sports Capital of the Universe" and get hugely defensive when making comparisons to other cities. Shit like that cross's over to AFL obsession where it's "Their Sport" and thus it must be the best sport. Of course, it then utterly infuriates them when every other part of the planet, including half of their own country, couldn't give two shits about some bogan version of Gaelic Football.

Edited by melbourne_terrace: 15/6/2014 09:42:11 PM

Within your question lies the answer. You've explained it yourself.
For years, there's been massive insecurities there, not that they admit it, and they've become bigger and bigger in the last 10 years with the birth of the A-league. And now that there's 2 well run professional clubs in Melbourne, and they're taking an absolute battering from their own supporters for being a crap product, they are constantly looking over their shoulder.
And call me a cynic, but the ASADA investigation, which has been going on for 2 years or so, was leaked to the media (Melbourne pro-AFL media) and all the latest info came out the day before the Socceroos played their first WC game. That to me, after years of following our great game, I dont think that was a coincidence!!

Edited by asanchez: 15/6/2014 09:46:55 PM

You are not a resident of Melbourne.

If they were solopsists they probably wouldn't write about other sports, maybe you mean insular?
But to put it simply they think they are pure Australians, I remember I was with an old housemate and someone was handing out AFL and league fixtures. He said 'we'll only want AFL, becuase we we're Australians'. Now I took the league one to piss him off, but that's the mentality here, if you don't like AFL, your unaustralian.

Yeah, insecurity. There's never been any other code that might be able to challenge them at the top of the pyramid in southern Australia. The rugbys are just a curiosity here and cricket is only around for the summer. AFL has never been an underdog like rugby league or exclusionary like rugby union, so they can't imagine or mentally handle a scenario where they're not on top.

I think its Melbourne reflecting its version of a National insecurity. Whenever overseas celebs come its like 'What do you think of Australia?'

We're so desperate to be regarded on the world stage but it just comes across as needy and immature.

My earliest memory of this (and this is showing my age) was when the movie Rainman was released and there was a mild reference to Qantas and Melbourne, Australia. The Today Show (with Steve Liebman) ran a segment and got all patriotic because of some minor reference...

In short. The whole thing is embarrassing.

sounds about right

Afl and it's media being insecure . The afl fans I know and I'm one love football , but I've notice the ones who hate are the older types who listen to what the afl and the media say and are so in doctrined by them .

Melburnian and Bomber member most of my life.

It's mainly and insecurity complex no different to any other homogenous society that feels it's culture is being lost or watered down by migration or popularity of 'external' things. Not that the AFL is particularly homogenous these days due to the large number of 2nd generation'ers playing the game.

I go to the AFL most weeks when Essendon is playing with a large number of my mates and family. We are all Victory members since 2005 and many of us also used to go to the NSL and have followed the Socceroos for decades.

There are plenty of AFL fans like me who do not subscribe to these parochial views that these so called "journo's" hold.

To sum up how I view this situation, the AFL are the richest sporting organisation in this country, which brings power and influence above and beyond anything the NRL, ARU or the FFA can only dream of.

It's painful to watch, but they are just pushing their own agenda and dragging their media partners along with them.

Sydney has the NRL, ARU and FFA based there, which all fight for the limelight, but in Melbourne, the AFL can claim it's ownership of the hearts and minds of the city. In the end, it just uses that to continue to try and brainwash everyone it can that it's game is somehow the greatest game ever. Comical but true.

The AFL media scene here is one giant sewer of conflicts of interest and an old boys network where every ignorant moron ex player and bogan hack journo protects their place on the media gravy train by any means, i.e put downs, cheap shots at anything non AFL(95% of the time soccer funnily enough). When anyone dares to say anything positive about the WC or football generally the usual boring 0-0 draw, soft players, diving etc boofhead arguments ensure. There is definately an air of Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters mentality in their 'argument'.
I enjoy and go to both sports and most people can basically figure all the bullshit out nowdays. The internet and pay TV has allowed the younger generation to appreciate the game a whole lot more now. The dinosaurs will slowly fade away. You should have seen what is was like growing up in the 70's and 80's as a 'wogball' fan lol.

So because the sport is Australian it's bogan?

Have you not seen joffa ? And no not our joffa ;)

You have many interested parties that rely on the success on the ALF. Therefore it's natural for businesses and media to maintain its success. It's the same for football in England. If you can get sell mass media to the public it will generate significant dosh. If everyone watches that particular event on a regular basis it becomes a commodity that is a reliable investment.

Nothing to do with insecurity. Everything to do with capitalism.

that's a supporter, not the game.


Our Joffa is better.

The older afl types will never convert to football , hell even the old European men I know who follow the afl call football wogball . It's been ingrained in them for decades , the afl media have fed off this and used it to their advantage . Like what the select few said it's the same with football in England .

Just piqued my interest. Having travelled and come across people from Melbourne they would unfailingly become competitive once informed that I was from Sydney.

I've only visited Melbourne twice, but the people I met and talked to were extremely fond of themselves and acted very 'cultured'

No-one seemed to understand sarcasm either, it's the same in Tassie, the culture in Newcastle is a lot more down-to-earth and vulgar

'Cos it's Tardistan.

No it's bogan because it's supported and played by bogans.

Not all afl players and fans are bogans . Hell football has an Bogan element in it as well,

:lol: I used to follow the afl but I don't anymore . I hate the league not the sport .

This. Stopped in the early 00's.

There aren't many fans these days who are, everyone I know who supports Aussie Rules hates the league as much as any of the football fans here, love the game but hate the league and the downward spiral it is attempting to drag the game through.

I think the inter state masses here read WAY too much into Herald Sun comments and articles to gauge their opinions on AFL fans and the game in general, if the same reasoning was applied to judge Australian culture in general on the basis of what is written and said in the Herald Sun then it would paint a pretty grim picture.

As a passionate fan of both games (I'm a football fan first and foremost FWIW) I see both sides of judgements based on the actions and ideals of minorities, with football being judged on headlines of flares and hooligans, and AFL judged on the stereotype of bogan and small minded followers, when in reality neither judgement could be further from the truth. I'm part of a younger generation so I can't speak for the older die hard AFL fans, but I honestly don't know anyone who thinks of the game in a world context or thinks it should ever be a world game, myself and those I associate appreciate it how it is, and whilst I love the universal appeal of football, I also love that AFL is uniquely Australian and that definitely does not have to be a bad thing.

Still go, but this season is really testing my patience.

As an aside, this video always cracks me up :lol:



Edited by socceroo_06: 16/6/2014 01:41:57 AM