AFL Announces Expansion To 19

Departing AFL CEO has announced that a Tasmanian franchise based in Hobart will become the 19th club to join the top division.

The first fully professional football club in the small island state is due in the coming years with the AFL securing state and federal government funding for a new stadium in the state’s capital.

This expansion raises further questions about the need for a 20th club, which many believe will be based in the growing northern suburbs of Perth.

AFL can expand to 50. It's still the worst sport ever invented. Utter crud 

On 06/05/2023 at 07:59, The Masked Poster said:

AFL can expand to 50. It's still the worst sport ever invented. Utter crud 

That’s definitely the opinion of most on this forum.

On 06/05/2023 at 00:59, The Masked Poster said:

AFL can expand to 50. It's still the worst sport ever invented. Utter crud 

AFL is eternal. It wasn't invented by mankind.

God blesses indigenous Australians in the book of Genesis and commands "Go Forth and Fumble". Angel Gabriel descends to Uluru whereupon the rules are revealed in Dreamtime.

Far from a heralded decision in Tasmania, the only Liberal state government in the country has come under severe criticism for funding a new stadium in Hobart, even from within.

The party has now lost its majority in the house with two members quitting the party over the matter and now performing their duties as independents.

Aussie No-Rules Football isn't an activity I follow, so help me out here.  Is it true that the only way you can get sent off during a game is by being arrested by the police?

23 hours ago, JohnM said:

Aussie No-Rules Football isn't an activity I follow, so help me out here.  Is it true that the only way you can get sent off during a game is by being arrested by the police?

More or less. AFL doesn’t have a send off rule. The perpetrators play out the game and possibly get suspended from a number of upcoming games.

As far as the effect on the NRL goes there is not a place that the AFL could expand to that would have less effect than Tasmania. Its a place where RL is non-existent and where the AFL where dominant anyway.

Aussie Rules is nowhere near as rough as it used to be. You can't speccy like you used to, you have to play the ball more than playing the man, you can't get away with deliberately punching arms when you clear the ball like you used to.  It was psychopathic back in the 80s, made even weirder by the umpires still wearing the same uniforms as cricket umpires.

I played it in London before I was married and it was the most aggressive sport I've ever played/done.  More aggressive than MMA, if you can believe that.  I was popular because I'd tackle a brick wall and trained like an animal, partly because I was a novice and couldn't sleepwalk through training like some could.

Problem is, it's a brutal watch at amateur level.  Very boring, lots of fumbling on the floor and nobody can kick it very far.  My mate could kick it out 70-80m and he had to come back from midfield to take the kickouts because nobody else got anywhere near that.  Conversely, I can watch any game of Rugby League at any level and get something out of it.

On 13/05/2023 at 17:22, JohnM said:

Aussie No-Rules Football isn't an activity I follow, so help me out here.  Is it true that the only way you can get sent off during a game is by being arrested by the police?

Not a game I follow as well even though I enjoyed watching the Channel 4 highlights show of the VFL in the 1980’s.

I was taken to the first home game for Port Adelaide in 2007- I arrived in Adelaide in the close season.  Got there an hour or so before kick off and had  a steady three pints.  I had no idea that the game was in four quarters so at the first quarter break we had a couple more.  Half time seemed to last forever so I had a couple more ….. I cannot remember the last two quarters!  Never been to another game.  The game seemed to last longer than a Test Match!

15 hours ago, Damien said:

As far as the effect on the NRL goes there is not a place that the AFL could expand to that would have less effect than Tasmania. Its a place where RL is non-existent and where the AFL where dominant anyway.

People on your side of the world should know that fumbleball`s expansion into Tasmania really is seen as a bit of a joke, even fumbleball HQ didn`t want to go there and that`s why they are demanding so much off the Tassie Gov`t. Truth is though, they had nowhere else to go. Tassie: Half million pop. spread to the four winds and a backward economy to boot.

Funny thing now is they are starting to try and create a bit of hype around the `Northern Territory for number 20.` N.T. population 150 000 and dirt poor, it`s laughable.

They recently said they wpuldn`t go to N.Z. because there is no money there. Truth is they would give their eye teeth to be able to put a team in N.Z. but Kiwi`s are just not interested in fumbleball.

On 08/05/2023 at 23:16, unapologetic pedant said:

AFL is eternal. It wasn't invented by mankind.

God blesses indigenous Australians in the book of Genesis and commands "Go Forth and Fumble". Angel Gabriel descends to Uluru whereupon the rules are revealed in Dreamtime.

They really do propagate the nonsense that early European explorers came across Aboriginals playing a similar game with a dead stuffed possum (not a Dame Edna possum mind you) on a cleared patch of ground.

Tell that to recently retired Indigenous fumbleball legend Adam `soft c#ck` Goodes. He refused to attend the Grand Final day parade for retiring players for fear of being booed. That`s how much fumbleball supporters love their Indigenous players. A West Australian coach was recently in trouble for saying that Indigenous players weren`t worth the trouble, best to stick with white kids from private schools.

BTW Adam Goodes works as an ambassador for Australian soccer now, encouraging Koorie kids to play soccer. At least Oz soccer don`t get around saying that Burke and Wills saw some Aboriginals playing soccer with a dead stuffed numbat when they travelled past Uluru.

5 hours ago, The Rocket said:

They really do propagate the nonsense that early European explorers came across Aboriginals playing a similar game with a dead stuffed possum (not a Dame Edna possum mind you) on a cleared patch of ground.

Tell that to recently retired Indigenous fumbleball legend Adam `soft c#ck` Goodes. He refused to attend the Grand Final day parade for retiring players for fear of being booed. That`s how much fumbleball supporters love their Indigenous players. A West Australian coach was recently in trouble for saying that Indigenous players weren`t worth the trouble, best to stick with white kids from private schools.

BTW Adam Goodes works as an ambassador for Australian soccer now, encouraging Koorie kids to play soccer. At least Oz soccer don`t get around saying that Burke and Wills saw some Aboriginals playing soccer with a dead stuffed numbat when they travelled past Uluru.

It's total fantasy to think that the locals were playing fumbleball on a Cricket oval when the first fleet arrived. Then again again fumbleball fans do live in a fantasy land

6 hours ago, The Rocket said:

People on your side of the world should know that fumbleball`s expansion into Tasmania really is seen as a bit of a joke, even fumbleball HQ didn`t want to go there and that`s why they are demanding so much off the Tassie Gov`t. Truth is though, they had nowhere else to go. Tassie: Half million pop. spread to the four winds and a backward economy to boot.

Funny thing now is they are starting to try and create a bit of hype around the `Northern Territory for number 20.` N.T. population 150 000 and dirt poor, it`s laughable.

They recently said they wpuldn`t go to N.Z. because there is no money there. Truth is they would give their eye teeth to be able to put a team in N.Z. but Kiwi`s are just not interested in fumbleball.

They won't go to New Zealand as they wouldn't be able to get tax payers money like they do in Australia. No sport in more dependent on tax payers money in Australia than fumbleball

On 08/05/2023 at 06:58, Sports Prophet said:

That’s definitely the opinion of most on this forum.

I.am.sure there is subtleties I am.missing but it seems so random and skilless....they just appear to sort of all bobble along and scramble with no realt purpose 

3 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I.am.sure there is subtleties I am.missing but it seems so random and skilless....they just appear to sort of all bobble along and scramble with no realt purpose 

There is no need to fall into playing to the majority on this forum.

If you can enter a match with an open mind, you will swiftly find it is an extremely skilful sport, played by some very fit and smart footballers. 

When I explain the sport to newcomers, I make it very simple.

6 for a goal, 1 for a behind (kicked through the side, touched through with the hand or run through by a defender).

You will turnover possession if:

- you kick the ball out on the full

- dispose or take the ball out of bounds deliberately

- are tackled with the ball when you have had a prior opportunity to dispose of it

- do not bounce the ball before running more than 15 metres in possession

- push a player in the back or make contact with a player above the shoulders or below the knees

In all the instances above, an opposing player will get a free kick. As will any player marking the ball from a kick that has travelled more than 15 metres.

That’s it. I find it a very enjoyable sport to watch, as do millions of Australians, all of whom have not a care in the world the sport is an Australian quirk and will never be played professionally anywhere else on the globe. In fact the only people in the world who I find to be critical of the sport, to borderline hatred of it are RL fans. In my experience annyone else new to the sport finds it an interesting spectacle at worst.

3 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

There is no need to fall into playing to the majority on this forum.

If you can enter a match with an open mind, you will swiftly find it is an extremely skilful sport, played by some very fit and smart footballers. 

When I explain the sport to newcomers, I make it very simple.

6 for a goal, 1 for a behind (kicked through the side, touched through with the hand or run through by a defender).

You will turnover possession if:

- you kick the ball out on the full

- dispose or take the ball out of bounds deliberately

- are tackled with the ball when you have had a prior opportunity to dispose of it

- do not bounce the ball before running more than 15 metres in possession

- push a player in the back or make contact with a player above the shoulders or below the knees

In all the instances above, an opposing player will get a free kick. As will any player marking the ball from a kick that has travelled more than 15 metres.

That’s it. I find it a very enjoyable sport to watch, as do millions of Australians, all of whom have not a care in the world the sport is an Australian quirk and will never be played professionally anywhere else on the globe. In fact the only people in the world who I find to be critical of the sport, to borderline hatred of it are RL fans. In my experience annyone else new to the sport finds it an interesting spectacle at worst.

Fair point.....I guess all sports have thier merits and I suspect there is much to love about it.....as a RL fanatic I am afraid I am somewhat obliged to loathe it

19 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Fair point.....I guess all sports have thier merits and I suspect there is much to love about it.....as a RL fanatic I am afraid I am somewhat obliged to loathe it

I don't think it's illegal for RL fans to like other sports, BB!

I rarely get the chance to see Aussie Rules, but enjoy it when I do.

I think Sports Prophet's explanation of the basics and his liking for it are both excellent.

I suppose the logical conclusion of a valid view that any particular support is 'random and skill-less' would be that any team could beat any other.  However, as in other sports, Aussie Rules has a hierarchy of competitions, within each of which, during the course of a season, there will be strong and weak sides.  That simply wouldn't happen in any sport that was truly random and with no skill involved.

1 hour ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I don't think it's illegal for RL fans to like other sports, BB!

I rarely get the chance to see Aussie Rules, but enjoy it when I do.

I think Sports Prophet's explanation of the basics and his liking for it are both excellent.

I suppose the logical conclusion of a valid view that any particular support is 'random and skill-less' would be that any team could beat any other.  However, as in other sports, Aussie Rules has a hierarchy of competitions, within each of which, during the course of a season, there will be strong and weak sides.  That simply wouldn't happen in any sport that was truly random and with no skill involved.

I do like other sports WWD ...live cricket and like union....even a bit of soccer now my kids are interested in it.....I'm certainly no expert on AFL and have watched maybe 10 minutes in total . I guess the fact it threatens RL in Australia means I have an innate dislike of it!

5 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

6 for a goal, 1 for a behind (kicked through the side, touched through with the hand or run through by a defender).

Think I asked about games decided by a behind on a thread in the Aussie section. Never seen it happen and thought the atmosphere might be somewhat anti-climactic.

Few weeks back, caught a YouTube video of the last two minutes of Adelaide v Collingwood. Scores went 58-57, 58-58, 58-59. Commentators and crowd at fever pitch. No sense of bathos whatsoever.

6 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

 the sport is an Australian quirk 

Bottom line is that the bloke missed and everyone went wild. That's quirky by any standards.

In pursuit of enlightenment found a story about Crows/Pies with the headline - "Officially a joke": AFL in meltdown after umpiring farce.

Most of it needed translation, but clearly not everyone was happy with the outcome.

10 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I.am.sure there is subtleties I am.missing but it seems so random and skilless....they just appear to sort of all bobble along and scramble with no realt purpose 

Seen a few jaundiced vignettes on the Aussie RL forum.

Favourite so far is "like chimps fighting over the last banana".

2 hours ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

 However, as in other sports, Aussie Rules has a hierarchy of competitions, within each of which, during the course of a season, there will be strong and weak sides.  That simply wouldn't happen in any sport that was truly random and with no skill involved.

Result from today - Hawthorn 142 West Coast 26

Reckon that's the biggest blowout I've seen yet.

On 16/05/2023 at 06:00, bbfaz said:

Aussie Rules is nowhere near as rough as it used to be. You can't speccy like you used to, you have to play the ball more than playing the man, you can't get away with deliberately punching arms when you clear the ball like you used to.  It was psychopathic back in the 80s, made even weirder by the umpires still wearing the same uniforms as cricket umpires.

I played it in London before I was married and it was the most aggressive sport I've ever played/done.  More aggressive than MMA, if you can believe that.  I was popular because I'd tackle a brick wall and trained like an animal, partly because I was a novice and couldn't sleepwalk through training like some could.

Problem is, it's a brutal watch at amateur level.  Very boring, lots of fumbling on the floor and nobody can kick it very far.  My mate could kick it out 70-80m and he had to come back from midfield to take the kickouts because nobody else got anywhere near that.  Conversely, I can watch any game of Rugby League at any level and get something out of it.

Hence why it's called fumbleball by other sport fans in Australia

1 hour ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Think I asked about games decided by a behind on a thread in the Aussie section. Never seen it happen and thought the atmosphere might be somewhat anti-climactic.

Few weeks back, caught a YouTube video of the last two minutes of Adelaide v Collingwood. Scores went 58-57, 58-58, 58-59. Commentators and crowd at fever pitch. No sense of bathos whatsoever.

Bottom line is that the bloke missed and everyone went wild. That's quirky by any standards.

In pursuit of enlightenment found a story about Crows/Pies with the headline - "Officially a joke": AFL in meltdown after umpiring farce.

Most of it needed translation, but clearly not everyone was happy with the outcome.

The only team sport in the world where you score a point for missing 

1 hour ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Seen a few jaundiced vignettes on the Aussie RL forum.

Favourite so far is "like chimps fighting over the last banana".

Or seagulls fighting over a chip

8 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

There is no need to fall into playing to the majority on this forum.

If you can enter a match with an open mind, you will swiftly find it is an extremely skilful sport, played by some very fit and smart footballers. 

When I explain the sport to newcomers, I make it very simple.

6 for a goal, 1 for a behind (kicked through the side, touched through with the hand or run through by a defender).

You will turnover possession if:

- you kick the ball out on the full

- dispose or take the ball out of bounds deliberately

- are tackled with the ball when you have had a prior opportunity to dispose of it

- do not bounce the ball before running more than 15 metres in possession

- push a player in the back or make contact with a player above the shoulders or below the knees

In all the instances above, an opposing player will get a free kick. As will any player marking the ball from a kick that has travelled more than 15 metres.

That’s it. I find it a very enjoyable sport to watch, as do millions of Australians, all of whom have not a care in the world the sport is an Australian quirk and will never be played professionally anywhere else on the globe. In fact the only people in the world who I find to be critical of the sport, to borderline hatred of it are RL fans. In my experience annyone else new to the sport finds it an interesting spectacle at worst.

It's nothing to do with any of that. It's just absolutely dreadful - in my opinion, pure and simple. I don't dislike it "because it's not RL", I don't like it because it's a complete nonsense. Others may love it and good for them, that's what makes the world go around. But for me, no thanks. I'd even rather watch Union - seriously. 

11 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

 are tackled with the ball when you have had a prior opportunity to dispose of it

This is the deal-breaker for me. Dispose of it really means get rid of it any old how. Not exactly the last word in deft artistry. Similar to a Soccer player taking a throw-in when all his teammates are tightly marked. Eventually he just chucks it anywhere to avoid being penalized for timewasting.

When a fumbler with the ball looks up and sees no options available, he's hardly culpable if an opponent then tackles him. I'm not buying the "prior opportunity" tosh. In effect, the free kick is purely for being caught in possession. That sanction has to be applied otherwise the whole game would break down.