Help me understand Rugby(AFL).

I remember watching it when ESPN was a new thing...so 79 through the mid 80's..I was only 10 years old or so..but I was a pretty sophisticated (for my age) fan of American football..and the Aussie game looked fun...but I never grasped the nuances.

 

Dont like AFL at all. I live about 5 minutes from that white elephant training ground the AFL built....honestly, NO ONE cares, they could put a team in Tasmania and another team...well, anywhere for the same money and would get more out of it.


I think Americans would love Rugby League if they got enough exposure to it. Its fast and brutal, the athletes that play it are amazing and they do things that even leave a life long fan like myself stunned.

I actually know someone who is coaching one of the American National Rugby League teams and he is having so much fun doing it. There was talk of a professional league starting up but the funding fell through. They had a HEAP of top players asking about it too, its a shame.

Anyway I'll come back to this thread with a few big hit videos once my computer settles down a bit!

 

I guess its what you grew up with.

I personally HATE Rugby, its nearly as boring as soccer to me.

I cannot wait, as you said, for the West Sydney project to fall flat on its face...Demetriou you muppet!!

 

NRL - The Greatest Game of All Folks.

These videos show the brutality of the game as well as the speed, strength and endurance of these players. People who say Rugby League is a slow game have no idea what they are talking about. The speed of the game now days is quite amazing considering these guys are running up and back 10m EVERY tackle whilst tackling as well. In fact, apart from maybe boxing, i think it is the toughest sport there is.

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That last one is hilarious/brutal at the same time.

Go the Mighty Dragons!

Matty101

 

^^

Not too sure why the first to videos didnt embed onto the site. Just click on em to have a look at some hits.

 

In my opinion the hits are alot harder in AFL. Alot of people would disagree with me at first but take a look at this video.



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Difference is I guess you know where the hit is coming from in Rugby, in AFL it could come from any direction. No doubt the rugby dudes are stronger but I have always found some AFL players to be athletic freaks imo, to be able to take and deliver tackles and still have speed and agility like some of them do is amazing. However as much as it pains me to admit, I am a Richmond fan

 

fully agree

the hits come from anywhere within 360 degrees - and you have guys running back with the flight of the ball not able to see whats coming the other way - amazing courage, and you see it in every game

Rugby is hardcore aswell, but its just barging in front on to each other and you know to expect contact.

 

Agree with the posters who say in AFL often hits are unexpected and the courage they show to go to grab a mark is crazy.

BUT.

That video had mainly older games. These days if you graze the opositions shoulders in AFL its a high tackle and a free kick. Also, A big hit in AFL may come once or twice a game. Rugby league sees brutal tackles throughout the WHOLE game.

Speed, skill and endurance - AFL

Stength, toughness and brutality - NRL

 

To suggest the hits are harder in AFL on any level is ridiclous. A recgular tackle in League would be a crushing hit in AFL and a big hit in Rugby League would just about kill an AFL player!

By the way, you want skill, passing, kicking, tackling, catching the ball....League wins.

 

You can't be serious? Do you even watch AFL? I at least am able to make a judgement on the fact I actually watch(not as much as I used to) League. The tackles themselves are harder than AFL yes but rarely do you see anything similar to a bump in AFL where a bloke has been lined up from 20 metres away and gets hit without seeing it coming. In league the players learn to expect the hit from front on, while some of them are massive it is still because well they are bigger guys, because they don't need the endurance or agility of AFL players.

Lastly to say there is more skill in League than AFL is just a very ignorant post to say the least. You are telling me kicking skills in league are better than AFL? and passing? the ball is thrown, it is a lot easier to throw an accurate pass than handball, general tackling is hard to compare because of difference in the games. I know with the AFL pushing into League areas(I wish they didn't) and with Hunt joining GC17 that league fans are getting a bit precious but COME ON!! /end rant

 

Being a West Coast supporter i could'nt agree with you more. Goodes is a good player and all but something annoys me about him. For me, the Swans are the Jazz of the AFL and Adam Goods is Deron.

 

I'm not even going to debate the fact that Rugby League hits are more brutal.....to suggest AFL's little love bumps are even on Leagues scale is dumb.

And skill....are you kidding?

You try throwing a 30 meter bullet pass and hit you center on the chest as he is running into a game. Oh and, do it was about 5 guys all over 110kgs within 5 feet of you, all of them looking to smash you in a proper tackle.

And kicking....AFL give a point for MISSING!

As for Karmichael Hunt.....yeah, real problem that. A Kiwi that plays Rugby League, wants to be an NBA player and a rugby union player who is gonna get AFL's money. That is a real concern.....such a concern....no really....really....no really......

 

A lot of people dont like Goodes, but he is a magnificent athlete and player...has won the Brownlow medal (equivalent to league MVP) twice and is
a chance for a 3rd this season.

Geelong fan here and we dont have much to play for with 3 weeks to go in the season we can't move up or down on the ladder - locked in at 2nd going into the finals - Sydney are still an outside chance of a finals spot so they will have more to play for....we are just nursing ourselves through, trying to get healthy for finals time.

Don't be surprised if the Swans win this one.

 

I am a fully fledged rugby league fan however I do watch AFL and know a bit about the game. AFL, by far, is a more skillfull game agreed (although I would debate whether a handball is harder than a 20-30m spiral pass onto a running outside back) however the tackles in AFL do not compare to those in NRL - even the bumps. In fact the bumps your talking about can be compared to the tackles put on wingers, fullbacks and sometimes centres when they are standing there under a high ball just waiting to take it knowing the opposition is breathing down their necks waiting to crunch them.

Fitness wise, I dont actually think you can compare. The AFL guys do a lot more running, kinda like soccer, however they are not continuously moving up and back 10m as well as getting involved in collisions. This is why AFL guys are leaner where as League players, especially the forwards, are a lot stockier. Therefore I think the fitness levels are debatable and are, at the end of the day, even.

In the end AFL is the more skillful game, probably prettier as well but NRL is a far more brutal game and these yanks dont like finesse, they want brutal!

Respect for both games but NRL FTW!

 

Yeh mate, I am with you.. I probably carried on a bit too much in my previous post, I agree hits/tackles are harder in League but to say the AFL hits are soft I think is wrong.. that is more what i was at. These days though with the fat **** running the AFL it has become softer which I certainly disagree with but still playing it at a local level like I do I can assure you its still bloody tough. Last year I popped my shoulder out chasing a guy with the ball and completely not seeing a bloke coming in to shepard me out.... let me tell you it was not soft! I also played one year of league(pretty low level) while I was living in Queensland and I guess we can both agree both sports are at the top in the world when it comes to having to have skill, strength, skill and endurance.

 

Goodes is a freak, he kinda gets a bit of hate though because the Brownlow medal is decided by umpires voting after each game in a 3-2-1 format, as opposed to media/coaches etc. deciding it and Goodes often gets votes from the umpires when he does not deserve them(for example he got 2 votes one game in which even his coach said he played a bad game).

aussie, if I were you I would be hoping those Cats try to play for something because they look a bit ordinary at the moment and imo need to find a bit of form before finals or they could get done by someone like Collingwood first week. As my team is out of the hunt as usual I think I will be going for the Cats in the finals, anyone but Collingwood, Carlton or St Kilda.

 

Did you enjoy the game Reeko?

It was one of the better ones this season.

And the good guys won!