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Has anyone ever thought to ASK the players if they want to play? if they didn't want to, I'm sure they wouldn't. Thy don't do it for the money.
If you choose not to watch/support it, then that is fine. But many of us DO watch/support it. It sold out in Perth last year, and was pretty full @ the G (60,000+ I think?). The highest crowd for ANY sports event in Ireland was the 2nd Test 2yrs ago - 72,000 people. 46,000 on Sunday was (I think) the best 1st-Test crowd in Ireland. My point? Obviously some people (like many thousands of them!) disagree with the doubters.
Everything starts small. It IS small on a world stage. But it is growing, and has a lot more history than you might think! But its the best we can do with our "home-grown" sport. As it is for Gaelic Footy. But it has sporned a number of other matches between the 2 codes. The Sydney Women's AFL played the Sydney Gaelic Football Assoc recently, and there have been a number of matches in New York between the USAFL and USGAA clubs, plus other places around the world. There is even talk of a third Test one day in New York (don't hold your breath though).
If you don't like it, don't watch it. But don't rubbish it, and don't rubbish the efforts the players etc put in, nor the jumper. The jumper carries OUR Coat of Arms. It IS our jumper. It isn't quite as "green/gold" as I would like (looks more blue to me!) but I guess with the Irish green what can we do? A Wallaby-gold perhaps? I'd prefer that! But that's an aside.
It is a great game, a fast spectacle, and the many fights & huge ever-growing attendances prove that there IS proper spirit & a future in this sport. It ISN'T footy, it isn't Gaelic. But it IS a sport. Congratulations to both the VFL/AFL and the GAA, and people like Harry Beitzel who sowed the seeds way back in the 1960's (and thank goodness we don't call them the Galah's anymore!).
I'd much rather watch this than watch the Aussie Rugby League vs the USA on astro-turf (late November ... pencil THAT in your diaries YAY how exciting!), or the Lebanon RL team in the "World Cup" when no-one living in Lebanon plays and they find it boring.
If you choose not to watch/support it, then that is fine. But many of us DO watch/support it. It sold out in Perth last year, and was pretty full @ the G (60,000+ I think?). The highest crowd for ANY sports event in Ireland was the 2nd Test 2yrs ago - 72,000 people. 46,000 on Sunday was (I think) the best 1st-Test crowd in Ireland. My point? Obviously some people (like many thousands of them!) disagree with the doubters.
Everything starts small. It IS small on a world stage. But it is growing, and has a lot more history than you might think! But its the best we can do with our "home-grown" sport. As it is for Gaelic Footy. But it has sporned a number of other matches between the 2 codes. The Sydney Women's AFL played the Sydney Gaelic Football Assoc recently, and there have been a number of matches in New York between the USAFL and USGAA clubs, plus other places around the world. There is even talk of a third Test one day in New York (don't hold your breath though).
If you don't like it, don't watch it. But don't rubbish it, and don't rubbish the efforts the players etc put in, nor the jumper. The jumper carries OUR Coat of Arms. It IS our jumper. It isn't quite as "green/gold" as I would like (looks more blue to me!) but I guess with the Irish green what can we do? A Wallaby-gold perhaps? I'd prefer that! But that's an aside.
It is a great game, a fast spectacle, and the many fights & huge ever-growing attendances prove that there IS proper spirit & a future in this sport. It ISN'T footy, it isn't Gaelic. But it IS a sport. Congratulations to both the VFL/AFL and the GAA, and people like Harry Beitzel who sowed the seeds way back in the 1960's (and thank goodness we don't call them the Galah's anymore!).
I'd much rather watch this than watch the Aussie Rugby League vs the USA on astro-turf (late November ... pencil THAT in your diaries YAY how exciting!), or the Lebanon RL team in the "World Cup" when no-one living in Lebanon plays and they find it boring.
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