Anyone would think that these two are the Ferntree Gully soccer and football clubs fighting over one field!The notion that the big boy AFL would be snobbish enough to crack the shits over Australia's A-League final being played at the Dome, interfering with its 'popular' NAB Cup standard game, is laughable.
Not only is the NAB Cup the AFL's preseason competition that no-one gives a fat rat's about (you don't see NAB Cup tipping comps, do you?), it's not even a finals game!
Don't get me wrong, I love footy as much as the next man - and I love the A-League just as much - but I object with Andrew Demetriou's sucking the life out of the AFL, and now he's interfering with the A-League. The AFL are having a cry because the Dome's lawyers won't release a copy of its contract with the A-League, and have had a go at the league's attendance levels.
According to Real Footy's report on the Age website "The AFL has expressed bemusement at how the soccer club can profit from matches staged at the ground with lower attendances than loss-making Bulldogs, St Kilda or North Melbourne games."
What a load of complete manure. It really thinks that an A-League grand final won't get more than 30,000 people? (and I think I'm being generous there).
Where do I start? How about the completely different fan base? Completely different market? 150 years vs 4? The AFL can huff and puff all it likes, but the fact it feels threatened by a league that's so new to Australia should be laughable - but is it? Why is it making a big fuss over a NAB match? Could it be that it has never had to share before (except for one day cricket, but very rarely).
I guess the A-League should feel flattered that the AFL should feel so threatened. Is it so worried that NAB may pull its sponsorship from the preseason competition that it will do anything it can to take the A-League out of the equation? My feeling is yes.
Good luck to you AFL, because come World Cup season (being next year) Australia will be alive with REAL football fever.
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