Aussie Head the Ball - Paul Sheehan

The usual tiresome whinge from a white, over 50 Australian journalist about the game of Soccer. This time in the Sydney Morning Herald.

And while I could reply with criticism of his "giants of the AFL and NRL, which are the pinnacles of their parochial codes" I'll make just the one point.

In AFL, Paul you can have 18 teams with  38 players in a squad - some pinnacle you have got going there. Outside the five or so truly talented athletes are the other 33 really champions of champions. The World best? And this from a talent pool of around 10 million men.

Hardly the pinnacle of sport. Challenged against who? The boys from Geelong, or GWS?

And yes your article has valid points, but always always the over 50 (you lot used to be 40 funny that) white Aussie journo and Rebecca Wilson find fault. Always.

Why do they bother?

And of course like most other tedious Aussie journo's who love to knock football they are never able to write anything with any insights about the game here at home.

When was the last time John Birmingham, Rebecca Wilson, Alan Kohler, Peter FitzSimons, Patrick Smith or Paul Sheehan or any of the usual mob who loathe the game, wrote anything positive about the game - Why are this mob such bigoted Australians when it comes to football.

United in their dislike, nay hatred and urge to write about the game they hate.

A true sports writer and observer of other sports could this week alone, write with interest and pride about Adelaide United a cellar dweller of the A-League making it through their group of Asian Champions League against teams from Uzbekistan, Japan and Korea.

Imagine if the Gold Coast Suns achieved such a feat or one of the nine Rugby League teams from Sydney.

Of course we could analyse the positive impact that Asia, culminating in the 2015 Asia Cup will have on Australia's sporting identity, how it is a building block for the century ahead and what possible positive opportunities there are for Australians.

Even for older, seemingly uninterested ones like Paul Sheehan and presumably his readers. (Guess Eddie Maguire reads Paul.) The linking to Asia through culture and sport is increasing. Football has a strong part to play.

Our clubs' girls U13 team heads to Malaysia, Borneo in fact, this year - guess it happens all the time in those pinnacle codes!

The new breed of journos will be able to transcend codes, and ideas. We welcome all ideas and debates on the culture of football.

Just not always from one perspective that these guys and gals drag up.

These clowns lack that ability, dredging their ignorance to the fore time and time again.

Hmmmn is Old Australia scared of Asia?

Paul there is a bigger picture with Aussie football - and you just don't get it. What are you afraid of?

So when in doubt or short of readers drag out the old football in Australia is crap compared to other pinnacle codes.

All codes have their place, all codes have a story. When Aussie's go for gold in obscure sports at the Olympics all of the above mentioned will be on board cheering long and hard for some athlete who gets to compete, not even win.

An Aussie Champion is an Aussie Champion in football, AFL, League or any other sport. So why the chips guys.

Football brings pleasure to many Australians young and old, and is forging ahead despite problems over the last seven years.

When did the mentioned mob write anything positive about the game?

The numbers of young Aussies now playing at home, the numbers continuing to head overseas and now to Asia. Isn't that a story?

Or the number of Aussie Coaches now coaching across the A-League - a true changing of the guard. What will this mean for our future. Will our next Socceroos Coach be an Aussie.

50,000 at a Grand Final time and time again. TV viewing figures up and crowds of over 10,000 average and sure to grow again next year with Western Sydney in and Gold Coast United out.

But no still no good news in Aussie football not for Paul.

And of course how the 2015 Asian Cup is the start of our Asian football romance - maybe that is what these folk are afraid of.

We didn't get the World Cup - but we're still making noise. Only an idiot would have thought that football in Australia started and ended with that World Cup bid. Only an idiot or a narrow minded Aussie.

Paul, I challenge you to write something positive on Australian football. Bet you can't!