AFL the clear leader in battle of the codes.

AFL might not exist in Canberra in any real form, but you have to hand it to a code that can sell-out the MCG for a game between two suburbs on a thursday night and then expect to sell-out the next night as well.

For the life of me I've no idea


For the life of me I've no idea quite why the game is quite as popular as it is in Melbourne (I've always lived in Canberra and AFL news is pretty scare here), particular when all other codes in Australia do well to get a crowd of 30,000 plus for any league/union/football club game...and why it is sooooo popular in Melbourne especially compared to other states and indeed other codes.

AFL continues, in my view, to lead the football codes in Australia but even as strong as it is it faces an increasing challenge to match the crowds in Melbourne across the Northern States, and even as entrenched as the game appears it has many clubs with financial problems.

Indeed part of it's challenge is that it's set-up and running costs are so high at each club that they need a higher revenue than any other code to maintain the clubs.

Port Adelaide with average crowds of over 23,000 (what league/union/football club wouldn't die for that average) are in a dire financial state, even the biggest club in Australian sport, Collingwood, lost $3.5 million last year.

Which leads me to think the AFL must be the most poorly run administrations of all codes. With the sort of TV deal they have how any club loses money is beyond me.

And for those who know this stuff, go the Sainters....

Guess you have to live there!