Sports in which skill levels have increased the most

[social]

My son and I were suffering from man flu over the weekend and spent most of the Queen's birthday holiday planted on the couch watching sport and action movies

By yesterday afternoon, the cupboard was pretty bare so we settled for Collingwood vs Melbourne (AFL)

Normally, I would neck myself before watching either team (hate the Magpies and Demons have been crap for years) but soon became transfixed due to the skill levels on show - the running, jumping, kicking and catching ability of the players was simply ridiculous and these 2 teams are hardly amongst the elite of the competition

Bearing in mind that the AFL is hardly a niche sport (most successful spectator sport in a great sporting country and in top 10 worldwide), I got to thinking about which sport has improved to a similar degree

Many can claim to having greater depth (e.g. golf and tennis) and fitness (virtually every sport) than previous generations

Just have many have been changed due to better technology

However, at the top end, nothing much has changed in terms of skill levels

In that regard, AFL may stand above all other sports

 

[Hurricane]

I will take your word for it on the improvement in AFL matches.

I will go league and ice hockey.

In league the guys are bigger and stronger and probably on performance enhancing drugs (no flames please this is just ill founded conjecture to explain why they are so big) - tackling these days is more scientific than when I was a youngster. They have really mastered the science of the 3 man gang tackle.

Ice hockey - the defensive pressure and systems they use are highly sophisticated. Goals are based on defensive lapses rather than offensive brilliance.

 

[sledger]

Haha, hardly a niche sport.

 

[Hurricane]

Haha, hardly a niche sport.

Oh I missed that - did I miss the point of this thread - is it supposed to be a pro AFL thread. I have no qualifications to discuss the sport but plenty of passionate views about its growth strategy.

 

[social]

Oh I missed that - did I miss the point of this thread - is it supposed to be a pro AFL thread. I have no qualifications to discuss the sport but plenty of passionate views about its growth strategy.

Not pro AFL thread at all other than in saying the skill levels in the sport have improved remarkably

 

[social]

Haha, hardly a niche sport.

Football is a niche sport in Australia and AFL is one of the top 10 sporting codes (i.e. any sport) in the world

Can you imagine if the Socceroos had the first, rather than 4th/5th, choice of male athletes in Oz?

Sorry ladies but most established footballing countries would be also-rans because they would suddenly be confronted by far bigger athletes with equal talent

Not hard to work out the result

 

[Hurricane]

I've always wondered what would happen if Australia just played Union instead of three different football codes (I don't call soccer football)

A match of NZ vs Australia would be epic. Look at Folau has done for the Wallabies alone. Not that he is an AFL player (he sort of was) but he is a converted player.

 

[dermo]

honestly shocked that anyone who watched that abomination on monday came out of it impressed by the standard of the AFL, the demons kicked 3 goals ffs.

 

[dermo]

I've always wondered what would happen if Australia just played Union instead of three different football codes (I don't call soccer football)

A match of NZ vs Australia would be epic. Look at Folau has done for the Wallabies alone. Not that he is an AFL player (he sort of was) but he is a converted player.

wouldn't be fair for your blokes

 

[Hurricane]

Football is a niche sport in Australia and AFL is one of the top 10 sporting codes (i.e. any sport) in the world

WHat are the other 9 in the top ten.

I am trying to guess here

1 Soccer
2 Basketball
3 Ice hockey
4 NFL
5 Union
6 Cricket
7 Baseball

Big Drop then

8 Volleyball
9 Curling
10 AFL
11 League
12 Netball


Does Golf/Tennis/Swimming/Athletics count or are we only doing team sports

 

[social]

honestly shocked that anyone who watched that abomination on monday came out of it impressed by the standard of the AFL, the demons kicked 3 goals ffs.

Demons are set up to minimize loss margins atm as they simply do not have the talent to hurt anyone on the scoreboard

My comments are based upon how good the modern day player is at hitting a target with either foot, catching the ball, etc - skills have improved exponentially since days of aerial ping-pong

 

[sledger]

Football is a niche sport in Australia and AFL is one of the top 10 sporting codes (i.e. any sport) in the world

Can you imagine if the Socceroos had the first, rather than 4th/5th, choice of male athletes in Oz?

Sorry ladies but most established footballing countries would be also-rans because they would suddenly be confronted by far bigger athletes with equal talent

Not hard to work out the result

 

[Hurricane]

wouldn't be fair for your blokes

I reckon it would be a fair go. We have never played a match as clear underdogs in my life - would like to think we can find another gear if put in that situation. You would need to add another 5-6 star players of Folau calibre just to have an 50% winning record with us. And I don't think the AFL is going to give you any forwards anyway. I would be more concerned about the likes of Inglis becoming a number 8

 

[social]

WHat are the other 9 in the top ten.

I am trying to guess here

1 Soccer
2 Basketball
3 Ice hockey
4 NFL
5 Union
6 Cricket
7 Baseball

Big Drop then

8 Volleyball
9 Curling
10 AFL
11 League
12 Netball


Does Golf/Tennis/Swimming/Athletics count or are we only doing team sports

Only team sports IIRC (think aussie rules actually ranks #4 world wide)

Basketball is the epitome of a niche sport as it is most popular in the Philippines where the average height is about 3'6"

 

[sledger]

Basketball is the epitome of a niche sport

Haha. Ok, this has to be a troll.

 

[social]

I reckon it would be a fair go. We have never played a match as clear underdogs in my life - would like to think we can find another gear if put in that situation. You would need to add another 5-6 star players of Folau calibre just to have an 50% winning record with us. And I don't think the AFL is going to give you any forwards anyway. I would be more concerned about the likes of Thurston learning how to be a 1st 5.

According to Michael O'Connor, the best footy players he ever saw/played against was the Queensland SOO backline

Not hard to imagine when it was Lewis, Miles, Meninga etc as those guys were light years ahead of anyone playing union at the time

 

[Spikey]

Ice hockey - the defensive pressure and systems they use are highly sophisticated. Goals are based on defensive lapses rather than offensive brilliance.

also goaltending. You wouldn't get an EHCL spot if you made your saves standing up and at an .890 percentage....

 

[Hurricane]

According to Michael O'Connor, the best footy players he ever saw/played against was the Queensland SOO backline

Not hard to imagine when it was Lewis, Miles, Meninga etc as those guys were light years ahead of anyone playing union at the time

Well if we just killed off league in both countries and forced everyone into union NZ would get better too. We have lost our most populated city (Auckland) to league. The super XV team up there is a shadow of its former self and their young first 5 in the last game comes from Hawkes bay.

 

[Hurricane]

also goaltending. You wouldn't get an EHCL spot if you made your saves standing up and at an .890 percentage....

.890 used to be ok. Mclean used to stand up (as you know)

 

[social]

Well if we just killed off league in both countries and forced everyone into union NZ would get better too. We have lost our most populated city (Auckland) to league. The super XV team up there is a shadow of its former self and their young first 5 in the last game comes from Hawkes bay.

Nah

AFL and league are huge here whilst union is still NZ's biggest sport

Don't get me wrong, pound=for-pound there is an argument for NZ being the world's best sporting country but the competition for winter sports here amongst young males sees union and football lagging well behind