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Aussie football: A love-hate relationship
The Oceanic nation has a long history in the sport and many people who love to play it. Yet it seems more than happy to kick that history in the teeth and shove those people into the sidelines if it means keeping out all the dangerous elements that come with it…
I have written many times about the issues that plague Australian football. Both at the newspaper that I worked for during a short time period and in my own separate blog, this is a topic that I have analyzed extensively because I have a passion for the sport and to see it reduced to such a state while it has so much potential here in Australia really pains me.
There’s a rumor going on these last few years that “Aussies don’t go to football games”, but that’s not the case. It’s the other way around actually. It’s not that the people don’t want to go to the games. It’s the sport that isn’t being provided to the people! Aussies love football! They are a nation that enjoy a big event and if the weather’s good enough, they are move than willing to head out and actively support their club. The only proof you need of that is the full capacity stadiums at the A-League final or any single one of the AFL games.
Australia is a nation that was built and is sustained by many different cultures: some from Europe, some from Latin America, some from Africa. So, for all those…