AFL RAID ON THE CRADLE OF LEAGUE

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dermo

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AFL has invaded western Sydney and pinched two of the NRL's best players. Now, the unthinkable; Aussie rules is set to be played on sacred rugby league soil, Birchgrove Oval.
If it wasn't bad enough that Australian football posts are being erected more and more across western Sydney, the ARL Commission will now only be able to watch as the rival code is played at the birthplace of rugby league in Australia.
The proposal by Leichhardt Council to allow Australian football to be played at the historic oval was attacked by Wests Tigers chairman David Trodden, who said: ''Nothing that Leichhardt Council does would surprise me any more.''
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Historic … a plaque marking the 1908 match. Photo: Dallas Kilponen
While rugby league will remain at Birchgrove Oval, coexisting with the rival code during winter, league officials fear one day, with the money local AFL officials could offer for maintenance of the ground, they might eventually be forced out for good.
''It's the first ground used for rugby league,'' said Tony Bignold, head coach of the Balmain PCYC league club, which trains and plays on the oval. ''I'm sure there are plenty of other ovals they could use. I don't know why they've got to come here.''
Birchgrove Oval was the first ground to host a premiership rugby league match in Australia, in 1908\. In 2008, the NRL launched its centenary season from the venue.
While top-level league has not been played at the ground for decades, many will find the sight of Australian football posts at the birthplace of rugby league offensive, especially at a time when the AFL is muscling in on rugby league elsewhere. NRL clubs in western Sydney are locked in a battle with the AFL's latest franchise, GWS Giants.
The Herald has obtained a copy of a report into sporting grounds in the Leichhardt district, which recommends that council ''relocate Balmain & District FC current (soccer) activities from Birchgrove Oval at the conclusion of the 2012 winter sporting season and permit NSW/ACT AFL and the Balmain Dockers to promote a new sporting activity (within the local government area) at Birchgrove Oval which will facilitate junior AFL competition within the LGA''.
Leichhardt Council, which will discuss the proposal on Tuesday, acknowledged the ground's affinity with rugby league but also maintained Australian football had links
to the oval. ''Leichhardt Council recognises the important historical and cultural ties that rugby league has to Birchgrove Oval and the significance of Birchgrove Park as the birthplace of rugby league in Australia,'' a council spokesman said.
''AFL also has historical links to Birchgrove Park, and played there from 1903 to 1926.''
Trodden described that claim as ''absolutely comical''.
''They must be reading different history books,'' Trodden said. ''Birchgrove Oval, more than any other oval in Sydney, is inextricably linked to rugby league.
''It's nothing to do with AFL. Nobody that's still living can remember AFL being played there. To use that as a basis of a decision is absolutely comical.''
The council spokesman, though, maintained that league would remain at the ground, where Balmain District Junior Rugby League plays it matches on Sundays.
''There are no plans to relocate rugby league from or decrease their presence at Birchgrove Oval,'' the spokesman said.
Former Balmain great Ben Elias said he found the plan ''offensive''.
''I've been playing there since I was seven years of age [with Holy Cross] and I've never seen an AFL game in my life [at the ground],'' he said.
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/afl-raid-on-the-cradle-of-league-20120620-20olf.html#ixzz1yNPxcHQw
 
@dermo said:
Former Balmain great Ben Elias said he found the plan ''offensive''. ''I've been playing there since I was seven years of age [with Holy Cross] and I've never seen an AFL game in my life [at the ground],'' he said.
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Benny, I know it's hard to fathom, but the world did exist before you were born:

@dermo said:
''AFL also has historical links to Birchgrove Park, and played there from 1903 to 1926.''
Click to expand...
 
AFL was played in NSW some 30 years prior Rugby League being introduced. And Brichgrove Oval was used for AFL before it was used for League. It is also suggested that Australian Rules was more popular in NSW schools at the turn of the 20th century than Union, and had it not been for the introduction of League, Australian Rules would be the number 1 winter sport here.

Trodden and Elias are essentially saying that because they don't remember something it never happened. They can do better than that.

The MCG is the home of Australian Rules Football and it has regularly hosted league, union, and soccer.

Tea cup, allow me to introduce you to storm…
 
Haha, yeah it does seem like a storm in a tea cup. No problem with me if they want to use the ground. IF they eventually pressure the council for exclusive use, we have a different matter all together. So long as the ground remains available for all, league, soccer, afl, union, whatever, i have no issue.
 
@Glen McWilliams said:
AFL was played in NSW some 30 years prior Rugby League being introduced. And Brichgrove Oval was used for AFL before it was used for League. It is also suggested that Australian Rules was more popular in NSW schools at the turn of the 20th century than Union, and had it not been for the introduction of League, Australian Rules would be the number 1 winter sport here.

Trodden and Elias are essentially saying that because they don't remember something it never happened. They can do better than that.

The MCG is the home of Australian Rules Football and it has regularly hosted league, union, and soccer.

Tea cup, allow me to introduce you to storm…
Click to expand...

I don't think that is what they are saying. It is probably more along the lines of it's a bit rich the Council calling it about historical significance (trust me I live in their municipality, and some of the BS they spout out would astound people). I think it's quite clear that Leichhardt Council want the AFL's money, and there are no other suitable options in the area. Is it just me, or do they really want the Tigers out of there?
 
@Glen McWilliams said:
The MCG is the home of Australian Rules Football and it has regularly hosted league, union, and soccer.

Tea cup, allow me to introduce you to storm…
Click to expand...

I doubt if the Storm asked to play at the MCG every weekend alongside the AFL, they wouldn't be so inviting
 
the Gayfl couldnt give a flying fig about other sports ,they have booted out the soccer i know because my brother has a lot to do with the Balmain soccer club ,who have 2000 members playing the game compared to AFL 200 its a case of money talks and they wont stop there
 
@Gary Bakerloo said:
@dermo said:
Former Balmain great Ben Elias said he found the plan ''offensive''. ''I've been playing there since I was seven years of age [with Holy Cross] and I've never seen an AFL game in my life [at the ground],'' he said.

Benny, I know it's hard to fathom, but the world did exist before you were born:

@dermo said:
''AFL also has historical links to Birchgrove Park, and played there from 1903 to 1926.''
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

No sorry Gary , your wrong

It was a misprint we should be in the year 2012 AB

It is supposed to be After Benny

Just ask him he'll tell you

If the AFL are prepared to take over the upkeep of the ground good luck to them

I don't see the NRL rushing out to do anything If it is so important to our roots and history they should step up asap
 
@Benjirific said:
@Glen McWilliams said:
AFL was played in NSW some 30 years prior Rugby League being introduced. And Brichgrove Oval was used for AFL before it was used for League. It is also suggested that Australian Rules was more popular in NSW schools at the turn of the 20th century than Union, and had it not been for the introduction of League, Australian Rules would be the number 1 winter sport here.

Trodden and Elias are essentially saying that because they don't remember something it never happened. They can do better than that.

The MCG is the home of Australian Rules Football and it has regularly hosted league, union, and soccer.

Tea cup, allow me to introduce you to storm…

I don't think that is what they are saying. It is probably more along the lines of it's a bit rich the Council calling it about historical significance (trust me I live in their municipality, and some of the BS they spout out would astound people). I think it's quite clear that Leichhardt Council want the AFL's money, and there are no other suitable options in the area. Is it just me, or do they really want the Tigers out of there?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Don't they have Drummoyne Oval? How many teams do the Dackers hav?
 
@Cultured Bogan said:
@magpiecol said:
Now you know why the Balmain Leagues Club will never eventuate.

Care to elaborate?
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Click to expand...

I think he means the Council has no real intent of looking after League in the area and this is why the leagues club wont be built, although the development is no longer in the hands of the council
 
I played like 4 games for the Drummyone Dockers in the jnr afl thing, it was embarrassing, all the players were oddjobs and rejects, both physically and mentally. I had a huge laugh when some came around to Meadowbank Park to beg soccer players to join them, all the soccer players told them to piss off and laughed at them.

Soccer makes the rest look like nuffies when it comes to ground use, but they never really had problems with rugby league or union for grounds, meanwhile afl is basically offering money for near exclusive use of grounds when the demand to use them in afl capacity is tiny. Butcouncils would love someone else to pay for an area of their responsibility so they can use it on crap no one likes or wants.
 
There is AFL at the home of Nth Ryde Haws, Concord Burwood wolves, Five Dock RSL JRL and now Birchy.
.
Balmain JRL for some time now have allocated the ground to each district club on a rotating basis as their home for that w/end….to keep it RL

This isnt because it handy or convenient or anything like that for AFL....the parkings non existant....but gee junior footy down there on a sunday morning is wonderful ...Shamrocks took to doing team photos there with the bridge in the b/ground
 
im all for a variety of sports for different types of people who are suited to that particular sport,but i get concerned that Rugby League gets a bad rap from worried mothers who think that Afl is a safer game for little johnny or mary which in turn the game loses players who would of participated
 
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