Combined Soccer vs AFL threads - please post here

[Horj]

Re: AFL vs World Cup

What you do with strange men from other countries is none of my business, but all credit to you for bringing it out into the open.

Ah getting personal now the sign of a man who has no argument and i thought you could sink no lower

 

[Diego]

kekovich... that is a croatian name isn't it?

I am sure he is a serb?

What about the jakovich brothers? And isn't Yze albanian and the great Alex Jesualenko was from the balkans wasn't he?

 

[davidgoes4wce]

If you want to talk about croatia/serbia... isn't it curious that six or seven players in the socceroos are from croatia.

And the croatian team have at least 2 or 3 australian born croatians in their team. they love their soccer the croatians.

i can't think of any croatians that play australian football though?


would like to know if there are any?

kekovich... that is a croatian name isn't it?

but other than than.. can't think of any.

plenty of greeks, italians etc have taken up the australian code.. but few croatians. but happy to be proven wrong... if someone has stats. on this.

Im pretty sure Matthew Pavlich, Glen Jakovich and Peter Sumich have some Croatian origins.

 

[Matt_TY]

Alan Didak is of Croatian descent.

 

[Philosophunculist]

What's the point you were trying to make Harmesy?

As pointed out there a few Croatian AFL players. there's a heap in the VFL as well. Cros like AFL. Even the Viduka and Bosnich were handy at it.

 

[Diego]

What's the point you were trying to make Harmesy?

As pointed out there a few Croatian AFL players. there's a heap in the VFL as well. Cros like AFL. Even the Viduka and Bosnich were handy at it.

I don't think Bosnich ever played AFL, League yes but not afl. He is from liverpool in Sydneys south west and its a soccer/rugby league heart land.

Didn't dukes used to wear a trench coat and attend matches at vic Park when he was a kid?

And there has been one south american to play rules which makes me proud, albeit he ia chilean, but Jose Romero que grande!

 

[Philosophunculist]

List of Croatian AFL players

Australian Rules Football
Brent Grgic - Australian rules footballer
Peter Sumich - Australian rules footballer
Adrian Barich - Australian rules footballer and Rugby League player
Alan Didak - Australian rules footballer
Matthew Pavlich - Australian rules footballer
Lazar Vidovic - Australian rules footballer
Allen Jakovich - Australian rules footballer
Glen Jakovich - Australian rules footballer
Darren Gaspar - #1 pick in 1993
Travis Gaspar - Australian rules footballer
Ivan Maric - Australian rules footballer
Steven Jurica - Australian rules footballer
Craig Starcevich - Australian rules footballer
Marc Dragicevic - Australian rules footballer
Gordon Fode - Australian rules footballer
Ilija Grgic - Australian rules footballer
John Gerovich - Australian rules footballer
Steven Salopek - Australian rules footballer
Jacob Surjan - Australian rules footballer



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Croatian_sportspeople#Australian_Rules_Football


I would still like to know what Harmesy was trying to get at.

 

[Philosophunculist]

I don't think Bosnich ever played AFL, League yes but not afl. He is from liverpool in Sydneys south west and its a soccer/rugby league heart land.

Didn't dukes used to wear a trench coat and attend matches at vic Park when he was a kid?

And there has been one south american to play rules which makes me proud, albeit he ia chilean, but Jose Romero que grande!

Remember reading that Bosnich contributed his goalkeeping skills to playing Cricket and AFL as a kid.

 

[dart]

check it, get's better every time:

 

[The Mongrel Punt]

Re: AFL vs World Cup

Ah getting personal now the sign of a man who has no argument and i thought you could sink no lower

Nah.. it's just fun.

Especially when you have someone trying to justify soccer-related violence between two different ethnic communities in Australia and saying it's okay because it is about a bigger picture. The bigger picture is, and yes, you can quote me on this if you so well please, that these warring factions are now Australians. They live, eat, breathe and dwell in Australia. They're no longer Croats or Serbs, but Australians and yes, asoccer may just be an outlet for their violent and anti-social behaviour, but it is NO EXCUSE. The fact that they brawl and are always at each other's throats at soccer matches is indicative of the kind of people they are, and indicative of the kind of incidents that can turns the 'beautiful game' very ugly, very quickly.

Thankyou, and goodnight.

 

[Cro_Pavo]

If you want to talk about croatia/serbia... isn't it curious that six or seven players in the socceroos are from croatia.

And the croatian team have at least 2 or 3 australian born croatians in their team. they love their soccer the croatians.

i can't think of any croatians that play australian football though?


would like to know if there are any?

kekovich... that is a croatian name isn't it?

but other than than.. can't think of any.

plenty of greeks, italians etc have taken up the australian code.. but few croatians. but happy to be proven wrong... if someone has stats. on this.

Sam Kekovich is from the recently recognised independent country of Montenegro.

 

[Cro_Pavo]

List of Croatian AFL players

Australian Rules Football
Brent Grgic - Australian rules footballer
Peter Sumich - Australian rules footballer
Adrian Barich - Australian rules footballer and Rugby League player
Alan Didak - Australian rules footballer
Matthew Pavlich - Australian rules footballer
Lazar Vidovic - Australian rules footballer
Allen Jakovich - Australian rules footballer
Glen Jakovich - Australian rules footballer
Darren Gaspar - #1 pick in 1993
Travis Gaspar - Australian rules footballer
Ivan Maric - Australian rules footballer
Steven Jurica - Australian rules footballer
Craig Starcevich - Australian rules footballer
Marc Dragicevic - Australian rules footballer
Gordon Fode - Australian rules footballer
Ilija Grgic - Australian rules footballer
John Gerovich - Australian rules footballer
Steven Salopek - Australian rules footballer
Jacob Surjan - Australian rules footballer



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Croatian_sportspeople#Australian_Rules_Football


I would still like to know what Harmesy was trying to get at.

Lazar Vidovic is not of Croatian background, but of Serbian background. John Gerovich can't be put in that list because he never played VFL/AFL football.

 

[Cro_Pavo]

Revised List of VFL/AFL players with Croatian background

Adrian Barich
Alan Didak
Marc Dragicevic
Gordon Fode
Damien Gaspar
Darren Gaspar
Travis Gaspar
Brent Grgic
Ilija Grgic
Allen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich
Stephen Jurica
Ivan Maric
Matthew Pavlich
Val Perovic
Steven Salopek
Craig Starcevich
Peter Sumich
Jacob Surjan
Scott Watters

Full list of nationalities:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_VFL/AFL_players_by_ethnicity

 

[Diego]

How about a surname that doesnt end with "ich"

 

[Diego]

Scott Watters

Dude thats like the odd one out!

 

[Cro_Pavo]

Dude thats like the odd one out!

Mother was Croatian - Ivankovich

 

[Magnum]

I love my AFL footy and love my Dons

but no AFL match, ANZAC day included, has lived up to attending the WC qualifier in Sydney or the atmosphere of the Greece game

no AFL match could possibly have a national audience as great as last night or the qualifier- im assuming more than 1 in every 2 TV set was tuned into the football last night

no AFL event could send a whole country into such a state of hysteria

obviously when the green and gold is together, it becomes a national event - but these socceroos are just proving to the world what they can do and i guarantee it will have a greater impact on Aussie sport development especcially should we have a good showing against Brazil and even make it to the second round

more kids will be wanting to pull on the green and gold than to play for their favourite footy team

AFL and football can coexist - but to say that AFL is by no means worried about the world game and its potential impact, is just short sighted and foolish

I as well as all of Australia watched Kathy Freeman run and win the 400m at the Sydney olympics. We all cheered and the atmosphere at the stadium was unlike any AFL game I've ever been to.

Yet running is the most boring thing I've ever seen.

Kids didn't start joining running clubs or throwing on their running shoes. A couple of weeks later it was gone.

I sat and watched and did exactly the same last night with the socceroos, but I'm going to enjoy watching any game of Aussie Rules over the round ball variant.

Aussie Rules Kiddies might start kicking the soccer ball at play time for the next couple of weeks, but after that, back to where the heart is. Aussie Rules.

People barraking for their country has nothing to do with enjoyment of the spectacle.

Dont get me wrong, it's great for soccer in Australia, but aussie rules will rule supreme to the majority of Australians simply because to them it is a better game to watch. I like soccer (football) and I loved watching the Aussies win last night, but to me the game has nothing on Aussie Rules.

 

[DST]

I as well as all of Australia watched Kathy Freeman run and win the 400m at the Sydney olympics. We all cheered and the atmosphere at the stadium was unlike any AFL game I've ever been to.

Yet running is the most boring thing I've ever seen.

Kids didn't start joining running clubs or throwing on their running shoes. A couple of weeks later it was gone.

I sat and watched and did exactly the same last night with the socceroos, but I'm going to enjoy watching any game of Aussie Rules over the round ball variant.

Aussie Rules Kiddies might start kicking the soccer ball at play time for the next couple of weeks, but after that, back to where the heart is. Aussie Rules.

People barraking for their country has nothing to do with enjoyment of the spectacle.

Dont get me wrong, it's great for soccer in Australia, but aussie rules will rule supreme to the majority of Australians simply because to them it is a better game to watch. I like soccer (football) and I loved watching the Aussies win last night, but to me it has nothing on Aussie Rules.

But that is the exact problem, more kids are already playing soccer at junior level than AFL and the sustained popularity of soccer as a year round event with national team exposure has only just started.

With Australia set-up to make most World Cups from now on every 4 years, Asian Cup games every year and finals every second year for the Socceroos and an Asian Champions League for the best 3 A-League clubs every year, the exposure for the game is going to grow rapidly.

Don't get me wrong AFL will always be the number 1 sport in Australia, but in order to remain so we will need the best young athletes in the country wanting to play it and for the first time ever we may now be in a position where those kids will now choose soccer as their choosen sport.

Thank god the commission saw fit many years ago to pump massive amounts of money into NSW & QLD at the junior level to establish the infrastructure in order to grow the junior base.

Rugby League must be quaking in their boots at present.

DST

 

[Magnum]

But that is the exact problem, more kids are already playing soccer at junior level than AFL and the sustained popularity of soccer as a year round event with national team exposure has only just started.

With Australia set-up to make most World Cups from now on every 4 years, Asian Cup games every year and finals every second year for the Socceroos and an Asian Champions League for the best 3 A-League clubs every year, the exposure for the game is going to grow rapidly.

Don't get me wrong AFL will always be the number 1 sport in Australia, but in order to remain so we will need the best young athletes in the country wanting to play it and for the first time ever we may now be in a position where those kids will now choose soccer as their choosen sport.

Thank god the commission saw fit many years ago to pump massive amounts of money into NSW & QLD at the junior level to establish the infrastructure in order to grow the junior base.

Rugby League must be quaking in their boots at present.

DST

I agree with you in part, however I still believe the punters (the average kid or mum and dad) will make their mind up on which game to play and which to watch by what they enjoy playing and watching the most.

I remember as a kid playing soccer on the school yard, but I never enjoyed playing it or watching it as much as Aussie Rules.

I am confident in how good AFL is to watch that I think the game sells itself. When people actually *understand* the rules (which can be a task in itself) it is just unbeatable! Our fellow fanatics on this forum are proof of that.

If the majority of kids actually enjoy playing and watching soccer more than Aussie Rules, then good luck to soccer as it is obviously the better product.

I have no interest in forcing AFL down peoples throats for it to suceed. People getting exposure to it, I think is important. But from there people need to make up their own mind. If AFL is indeed a better game, then it should succeed... Something I am confident in!

Just my thoughts,

-mag

 

[Sedition]

Soccer is an easy game for kids to play: 1. You need 11 v 18 to form a team, 2. The playing area is smaller and easier to set up, 3. the ball is round and easier to kick around, 4. you don't have to be super skilled to have a kick (don't get me wrong soccer is a very skillful game), 5. teams can be fairly mixed (adults and kids, girls and boyz, coz its not so physical), etc.

Our large migrant content of our communities gives a leaning to soccer.

Nationalism - National aspect of soccer (Asian Cup, World Cup, Olympic Games, etc) is gonna make it popular.

Soccer is gonna pose a challenge to all codes of football. Challenge as distinct from threat. I can't see AR, league or union being wiped out but soccer is sure gonna grow.

But at the end of the day the important thing is that kids and adults are physically and socially active thru playing sport.

 

[sainters]

I agree with you in part, however I still believe the punters (the average kid or mum and dad) will make their mind up on which game to play and which to watch by what they enjoy playing and watching the most.

I remember as a kid playing soccer on the school yard, but I never enjoyed playing it or watching it as much as Aussie Rules.

I am confident in how good AFL is to watch that I think the game sells itself. When people actually *understand* the rules (which can be a task in itself) it is just unbeatable! Our fellow fanatics on this forum are proof of that.

If the majority of kids actually enjoy playing and watching soccer more than Aussie Rules, then good luck to soccer as it is obviously the better product.

I have no interest in forcing AFL down peoples throats for it to suceed. People getting exposure to it, I think is important. But from there people need to make up their own mind. If AFL is indeed a better game, then it should succeed... Something I am confident in!

Just my thoughts,

-mag

Very good post, I also kick the soccer ball around at school, same with other kids, Aussie rules is still most peoples passion but soccer is such an easy sport to play at school...

Also people lets not forget record junior participation levels for AR...

And the huge amounts of kids involved in Auskick! AR will reamain steady, but soccer will grow...why not enjoy both?

There seems to be a growing amount of oval balls appearing at my School of late (don't know why )

The one thing i have noticed about the Socceroos fan base is it seems to have a lot more adults than kids, but at the footy you see lots of kids there supporting there team!

 

[harmesy 37]

List of Croatian AFL players

Australian Rules Football
Brent Grgic - Australian rules footballer
Peter Sumich - Australian rules footballer
Adrian Barich - Australian rules footballer and Rugby League player
Alan Didak - Australian rules footballer
Matthew Pavlich - Australian rules footballer
Lazar Vidovic - Australian rules footballer
Allen Jakovich - Australian rules footballer
Glen Jakovich - Australian rules footballer
Darren Gaspar - #1 pick in 1993
Travis Gaspar - Australian rules footballer
Ivan Maric - Australian rules footballer
Steven Jurica - Australian rules footballer
Craig Starcevich - Australian rules footballer
Marc Dragicevic - Australian rules footballer
Gordon Fode - Australian rules footballer
Ilija Grgic - Australian rules footballer
John Gerovich - Australian rules footballer
Steven Salopek - Australian rules footballer
Jacob Surjan - Australian rules footballer



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Croatian_sportspeople#Australian_Rules_Football


I would still like to know what Harmesy was trying to get at.

That is an impressive list of footballers.

I didn't have any stats. on Croatians playing Australian Football - so that was why i put the question out there.

The only thing i knew regarding croatians was that they make up about two-thirds of the socceroos team. or at least approximately half anyway.
that is a high number for what is a relatively small population base in australia.

I thought maybe that croatians hadn't taken to AFL as well as some other nationalities.. but glad that you could back that up with some stats and confirm that a high percentage of croatians like Australian footy too.

cheers.

 

[grayham]

Soccer is a great sport for new Australians to unify and identify with "Australia" and support the socceroos. Its very heartening to see a fair percentage of socceroos fans having been born somewhere else letting go of the old country and supporting the new.
I'm not a big fan of rabid patriotism, but this small step is significant in one's adoption of a new country.

Soccer, the game, on the other hand I find too slow. Just personal opinion. The WC is a great specticle, but in truth I dont think I could watch a full game until the semi's at least.

What irks me about Soccer at the moment is that they want to call it "Football" and never use the name "Soccer" ever again. Whats wrong with the word "Soccer" ? Australia, like the US, is unique in that it has several other football codes. For one, especially a minority one, to take ownership of the word "football" seems arogant and elitist. Call it football in Europe where there is very little else called football, but have a bit of cultural sensitivity to places that do. Its like a multinational like McDonalds renaming Big Macs as "food". Cultural imperialism I think the term is.

 

[sainters]

What irks me about Soccer at the moment is that they want to call it "Football" and never use the name "Soccer" ever again. Whats wrong with the word "Soccer" ? Australia, like the US, is unique in that it has several other football codes. For one, especially a minority one, to take ownership of the word "football" seems arogant and elitist. Call it football in Europe where there is very little else called football, but have a bit of cultural sensitivity to places that do. Its like a multinational like McDonalds renaming Big Macs as "food". Cultural imperialism I think the term is.

The ironic thing about them wanting the sport to be known as football is the name Socceroos

Sorry, but i will reamain Soccer in this country, we have our own culture here

 

[Blues_Man]

I tuned in to cheer on the Aussies last night ...unfortunately the boring dullness of the game had me channell flicking and eventually heading off to bed ...i even missed the Aussie goals while i will continue to support the Australian team ..the game itself is as dull as dishwater