Barry Hall makes an appeal to tamp down all the ugly rubbish that goes on in Aussie Rules games because he wants the next generation of kids to keep coming and carry on the footy tradition.
Aussie Rules is still the number one sport but there is concern at the huge inroads that soccer has made. From a sport that was derogatorily called Wogball to the national mainstream in a few years, soccer’s success has the AFL worried for footy’s future.
Many parents already consider soccer to be a safer option for kids and it has supplanted Aussie Rules amongst the school going population. It has led Aussie Rules to change the rules to make it safer and reverse the trend. Unfortunately for them, the mob mentality that usually accompanies these games which led to the beating up of the father of Nathan Jones, a Melbourne player, does not help their cause. A number of other factors like the Socceroos international success, a well attended domestic league, and a real possibility of getting the 2018 World Cup are fueling soccer’s progress.
Concerned enough that the most recognizable footy personality has to make a personal appeal.