Rugby Union players going to Aussie Rules?

[redunderthebed]

The sydney swans today signed Mike Pyke a canadian international

Granted this guy isnt a high profile player but it did get me thinking about it.Aussie Rules and Rugby Union share a bit in common but i don't think enough to make the transition smoothly to Aussie Rules.On a technical and game point of view the guy is about 200cm therefor he is perfect for the ruck which is simply put not alot different from a basketball tipoff except the umpire bounces the ball into the air and its a fair bit more physical but not nearly as much as it used to be well at AFL level anyway.

I think as a full-back he is perfectly suited to be a AFL player because he knows how to kick on the run which is the bread and butter of the game.Whereas i think if other players that play positions where kicking is non-existant/rare they will struggle in Australian Rules and ill say with very little doubt that prop forwards will never be able to play Aussie Rules :lol: , they have to master the most basic skill of the game and then match up with players that have being doing it since they where very young in most cases and are drilled in every aspect of it.

However i don't think the gap is that big that its insurmountable.People with natural athletic ability will be able to pick up any sport.Players coming from other codes is not a new thing albeit treated still after all these years a novelty.Gaelic Football because of the amateurism in the sport and the many traits it shares with Aussie Rules has meant players have come to Australia to play AFL.The most famous of these is Jim Stynes who played 264 games,won the highest individual honour in the AFL the brownlow medal and is now the chairman of the club he played for Melbourne Demons.

Whilst you might laugh at me its not as daft as it seems.AFL is loaded with cash and a fair few clubs are the same (all 16 clubs turned a profit last season) they pay there players more than they do the NRL.The numbers of juniors are in decline and there is two new clubs which will need 30+ players for there list in 3-4 years time.

So i think that you wont see any big name players coming over, however players that didnt quite make it in Rugby Union or players from developing nations that dont get the same opportunities as players in the areas where rugby is developed could be attracted to the game.

Whilst Aussie Rules will remain just that Aussie its spreading its wings at the same time and i think some other clubs might be look at sydney's experiment closely.


Oh and if you want to learn a bit about our version of eggball
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Football_League

 

[Prestwick]

He'll get a good, if confused, reception from the fans:

 

[InsaneAsylum]

any of the backs in rugby could theoretically play AFL but i don't know why you'd make the switch to be honest.

to appreciate AFL, you need to go back 20 or 30 years and watch VFL games, it was 10 times better back then

I hope Mike Pike doesn't forget to bounce the ball and i sure hope he doesn't grab the ball and slide of the goal line

 

[Maccaweeny]

One of the blokes I played rugby with tried to make such a switch, although at an amateur level. Apparently the first mark he went for in a game resulted in the famous 'unhappy trio' of a broken fibula, snapped anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligament tear.

While I lol'd due to the hilarity that is inherent in such devastating injuries, it was enough to deter me from ever playing the game. You jump around in the air so much that it not only looks gay, but it's also high-impact on the knees, AFL is definitely up there with netball in that regard.

Subsequently, I only ever pay attention to the sport when Barry Hall punches someone or Rebecca Twigley shows off her rack of lamb.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

afl players are definetly more injury prone. the amount of ACL recos in the game is just stupid.

it's not only the jumping but the rapid change in direction that puts so much pressure on the knees

 

[BLR]

afl players are definetly more injury prone. the amount of ACL recos in the game is just stupid.

it's not only the jumping but the rapid change in direction that puts so much pressure on the knees
[/b]

It's because they are weak as ****. Would suit a Canadian well now I think about it.

 

[melon]

For some reason I think Rocky Elsom wouldn't be too shabby at playing Aussie Rules.

Greg Inglis would be an obvious choice.

 

[QLD]

For some reason I think Rocky Elsom wouldn't be too shabby at playing Aussie Rules.

Greg Inglis would be an obvious choice.
[/b]

Elsom is from Victoria so he probs played as a kid anyway.

Why would they bother making the switch though.. giving up bledsiloes and touring the world for gay.f.l rofl

used to enjoy afl. till i realised demetriou and the shitheads that run the game only care for the money and changed all the rules that have ruined the game now.

 

[redunderthebed]

While I lol'd due to the hilarity that is inherent in such devastating injuries, it was enough to deter me from ever playing the game. You jump around in the air so much that it not only looks gay, but it's also high-impact on the knees, AFL is definitely up there with netball in that regard.



[/b]

Why when a fan of a another code when insulting a code that they dislike always head for the gay slurs? its lame.

Most people who play the game never get such injuries at amateur level your mate must of seriously f**ked up because its totally unreal to the experience of the average amateur player.

afl players are definetly more injury prone. the amount of ACL recos in the game is just stupid.

it's not only the jumping but the rapid change in direction that puts so much pressure on the knees [/b]

Oh FFS its crap there is rapid changing of direction in every code of football.To say one code players are more injury prone than another is rubbish injuries happen just as often in S14 (maybe less due to the fact that rugby players only have to play 26 games a year now THAT'S soft compaired to football/soccer etc) and NRL for that matter.

For some reason I think Rocky Elsom wouldn't be too shabby at playing Aussie Rules.

Greg Inglis would be an obvious choice. [/b]

<div class='quotemain'>
For some reason I think Rocky Elsom wouldn't be too shabby at playing Aussie Rules.

Greg Inglis would be an obvious choice.
[/b]

Why would they bother making the switch though.. giving up bledsiloes and touring the world for gay.f.l rofl

used to enjoy afl. till i realised demetriou and the shitheads that run the game only care for the money and changed all the rules that have ruined the game now.

[/b][/quote]

Did you read my article or did you just come in here to slag off AFL?.

Because if you read it and ill quote it for you if you cant read long paragraphs and the alike.

So i think that you wont see any big name players coming over, however players that didnt quite make it in Rugby Union or players from developing nations that dont get the same opportunities as players in the areas where rugby is developed could be attracted to the game.
[/b]

You'll find i didnt say that they would and i agree they wont do that ever.

[/b]

:lol: Thats a obvious photoshop fremantle dockers do suck but the swans do not and actually done something that freo will never do win a premiership. (in fact they are the only side in the AFL not to have done it).

He'll get greeted by a bunch of silvertails in pink and white err i mean red and white.

 

[Maccaweeny]

<div class='quotemain'>

While I lol'd due to the hilarity that is inherent in such devastating injuries, it was enough to deter me from ever playing the game. You jump around in the air so much that it not only looks gay, but it's also high-impact on the knees, AFL is definitely up there with netball in that regard.



[/b]

Why when a fan of a another code when insulting a code that they dislike always head for the gay slurs? its lame.

Most people who play the game never get such injuries at amateur level your mate must of seriously f**ked up because its totally unreal to the experience of the average amateur player.

[/b][/quote]

First off, I was making a tongue-in-cheek comment about the usual rugby player's perspective towards AFL, saying it was gay then in the next sentence stating that it is a high-impact sport, which it is. Maybe you misunderstood because of the netball comment, if you don't already know, netball has one of the highest rate of knee injuries out of all sports, hence why AFL is similar, it's hard on your body.

Chill out, people are always going to say AFL is 'gay' and that it's aerial ballet. As for the injury, amateur level has nothing to do with it, injuries occur due to bad lack and sometimes bad fitness (which is more likely in an amateur comp anyway).

 

[InsaneAsylum]

being born, raised and still living in victoria, gives me the right by default to bag the **** out of AFL as much as I like... it's up there with soccer in terms of gayness

gay gay gay <insert random homosexual slur>

 

[BLR]

being born, raised and still living in victoria, gives me the right by default to bag the **** out of AFL as much as I like... it's up there with soccer in terms of gayness

gay gay gay <insert random homosexual slur>[/b]

At least in soccer they don't run through banners for some reason and don't turn the sing song in the back room after a victory part of the main telecast. Oh, and the kissing dudes that I am positive AFL players do.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

how did you find out about the kissing?

the club theme songs and banners are all part of AFL history. sure it looks and sounds stupid these days, but it was cool in 1899 and I respect that.

what is uncool, is the competition making it financially difficult for long standing Victorian clubs to be successful in the competition, and offering huge incentives for victorian clubs to relocate/merge to the gold coast.

why the f*** do they bother with NSW and QLD? they AFL need to realise that we are a split country and no matter what they do, NSW and QLD will always favour rugby league over afl, but they insist on pushing it in favour of maintaining the history of the competition.

 

[BLR]

how did you find out about the kissing?

the club theme songs and banners are all part of AFL history. sure it looks and sounds stupid these days, but it was cool in 1899 and I respect that.

what is uncool, is the competition making it financially difficult for long standing Victorian clubs to be successful in the competition, and offering huge incentives for victorian clubs to relocate/merge to the gold coast.

why the f*** do they bother with NSW and QLD? they AFL need to realise that we are a split country and no matter what they do, NSW and QLD will always favour rugby league over afl, but they insist on pushing it in favour of maintaining the history of the competition.[/b]

Slavery was 'cool' in the past as well, doesn't mean it's right.

As for the want to expand take a look at the Australia website The Roar. (you can work out the rest) It has a few die hard AFL fans who consistently write articles on how apparently AFL is huge and growing around the world and will continue to do so because AFL as a game is a 'better product' then every other game out there. I think the AFL admins (and fans) honestly think that their game is obviously the best game in the world and the only reason it never caught on elsewhere is simple bad luck, not the fact no one besides them actually likes the game.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

lol obviously the same people who say "i just don't get it" when they see a game of rugby... they don't want to "get it"