This is an excerpt from a John Harms article entitled "Is Footy Indestructible?" which first appeared in the Age on 22 February 2003:
Footy has seen many changes and its popularity has ebbed and flowed over 150 years. But the essential elements have remained. There is an oddly-shaped football that doesn't bounce truly. The game is set up to reflect the chaos, the injustice and the fickle nature of everyday life. Two athletic teams battle for that footy as fiercely as their courage and endeavour permit, and in a way that rewards individual and collective skill. The idea of form remains as mysterious as ever and in that way, footy is as much art as it is science. And the rules and those charged with the responsibility of interpreting and applying them remain deliciously ambiguous. For me, the game is the thing.
When asked whether the code is indestructible, those close to footy tend to give a cautious response. They are hopeful because they love the game. But they offer a few warnings.
Commentator Tim Lane acknowledges: "Footy is a local indigenous game and as the world gets smaller, its place becomes more seriously challenged. I recall a paper by sports lawyer Hayden Opie some years ago. He suggested that footy is like a corner hamburger store which is under threat from the big heavyweights. We have to concentrate on the unique characteristics rather than trying to match the heavyweights."
We all know that it is beetroot that makes a proper hamburger and there is no doubt that footy is more beetroot than pickle and ketchup. But Lane is concerned with the way in which elements, sometimes key elements, of the game are changed. "The administrators have shown an inclination to fiddle with the game, particularly pre-season, for years," he said. "It seems like a cultural cringe mentality. Every time we see something good in another sport, we amend and modify our game to take on these other characteristics. I just feel, whether they realise it or not, that they are putting out a message that they think the game's not good enough."
Fremantle coach Chris Connolly loves the game. "It's always going to be a great game," he says. "We have to believe in the game, make footy the important thing. If we have enough people who are passionate about the game and can put aside (selfish) concerns, football will be fine."
Ron Barassi says: "The game is fantastic. That has been the saviour." But he argues that it has taken too long for football people to really start working collectively.
"We're fighting for our lives here. We're up against international forces, so, of course, we have to be concerned. I'm optimistic (about the future of footy) if we work harder, work smarter and work together. We have to be more united than ever before - and we haven't been famous for doing that in the past."
AFL Players Association president Brendon Gale also recognises the quality of the game itself. "It's the best game," he says. "It's the most visually appealing. It's action-packed. There's a mix of skill, physicality, aggression and artistry for the punter in the crowd and for the TV viewer. That's why, in my optimistic moments, I think it is indestructible."
It is Gale's brief to represent the interests of players, but he acknowledges that in the small, local community that is Australian football, aggressive and demanding confrontation is likely to damage the future of footy. "We stick up for players, but it's not adversarial here. It's a really strong partnership with all the stakeholders: with the AFL and the clubs. We're conscious of building the game for everyone. That is one of the AFLPA's most important stated objectives."
But Gale also identifies the pressures on the game. "To continue to make footy a great game, we have to continue to get the best athletes. When I was young, there were no alternatives - except cricket. Now they're more prominent. Soccer is the obvious one and (already) you see the young stars enjoying the fame and the admiration of the world and all the benefits that go with that. The global nature of our competitors makes them more attractive."
Footy's place also seems secure because it is so embedded in the culture. It is the people who give the game its significance. It is part of them. Gale is not just a dry old sports administrator. His heart beats.
"Since I've left football and I'm working in the real world, my sense of footy mattering is so much more profound. It puts meaning into people's lives. It's just a great game. It's cathartic for people. It's their team and their players. It means something because it mattered to their parents and to their parents' parents. It is the people who hold the culture close to them and add to it, and develop it. They seed it and cultivate it. The culture is in them. They're the ones who pass it on. They tell the stories. If the game is made accessible to the people, the culture will take care of itself."
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http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/21/1045638482895.html
I'll put the full article on the Journalism board for people to peruse.
