The Australian Football League - Essay Example

Sports Economic al Affiliation This paper discusses the Australian Football League as sport in concentration. It also produces a brief comparison of the past seasons performance, based on the points and percentage distribution in the 2012 season. The research topics involved include competition in its nature, competition balance, competition improvement, policies involved, problems facing the sport and possible solutions. The identified problems involve racial and gender discrimination. Several policies have been laid down to curb the discrimination. Examples of these policies include securing women through the league and free agency. All of these have been discussed in detail. Other factors like labor, salaries and coaching involved in the league have also been mentioned since they are the key contributors towards the league. Keywords: Australian Football League (AFL), Salary, Competition, Competition Balance, Season, Team, Free Agency, Percentage Distribution, Scores, Point, Clubs, Discrimination, Assault, Harassment, Couch, Policy, Rules Football is no doubt an embraced game all over the world. It has intensively attracted a great number of people from different continents. For a long time, men had dominated this game while the women were left out. Today, it is a game for all regardless of the gender and age factors. If you are not a player, then you are definitely an audience. Sports are perhaps what many deny the attention but the Australian football League! You cannot afford to miss it. It consists of both games played using hands, like rugby and football termed as soccer in the U.S. Since the beginning in 1897, there has been progress in the game which a keen audience cannot fail to note. However, there are various issues surrounding the progress of this union, and needs to be reviewed from often to avoid loosing track. Competition existence: Competition in itself is a strong foundation for the growth and the interest of the football league. Every club has to prepare their team well enough to win the match. It is absolutely arguable too, to say that competition is also a disaster as much as it is the propeller for this league. Comparing them with the African league, they are definitely ahead. Very many components contribute to competition; every clubs player within the team has to work to his best as is expected for each team. It is through this that they market their clubs and draw more funs on their side. Booth suggests that “Most measures of within-season competitive balance focus on the distribution of team’s season winning percentages,” (p. 9), which applies in the case of 2012 AFL 25th season. Using the AFL ladder, you will note that several teams strived to acquire higher points to move up. Hawthorn and Adelaide teams have 68 points each, while Sydney (P) and Collingwood hold 64 points each. Their percentage distribution appears as follows respectively; 154.59%, 132.46%, 140.58%, 116.46%. (Coach – AFL, n.d.). This is appealing, and having two teams ranging with the same points but quite some distributed percentage, proves no club leaves behind a loose-end to be the Premier. Today, each club is striving to get the best player in the team for which he or she gets hired at a high price. Nothing good comes out of nothing and it is the reason you will find them striking deals every now and then. Everyone wants a high pay, so why not support the free agency timeline? So be it that, “Under the new system, if an offer is made for a restricted free agent, the club of that player has to match or better the offer if they wish to retain the players services.” (“AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou Defends Free Agency”, 2012). Though some may refute the idea, this will be a step to improving the poor clubs’ performances in the game resulting to more desired contest. Competition balance between the teams: All variables put together, there will exist a miss and come a plus. To measure the balance, then consideration of external factors counts within a given season as earlier identified. Coaching and their salaries: A team will never be good enough with poor coaching; a coach needs intelligence and smart tactics to support the team. Right from intellectual ability, good judgments, accommodative inter-personal communication even desirable demonstration to be able to work with the team. There is great need for them to understand the type of players they work with so as to understand their game plan. Coaches do not need to be harsh to effect correctly but require listening, understanding, tolerance and more so, special features like patience, something that “their Australian counterparts often lack” (Coach - AFL, n.d.), to work effectively. No one club can invest their resources on a mere couch without reviewing their performance; they have to be sure to settle on one confidently. If the decision is made in a haste and lacking proper analysis, then we can refer it as a ‘planned risk’. When clubs have qualified coaches and team players in their game then we can talk of fair competition in a match since every score will be a hustle. For a long time now, we have witnessed movements of coaches from club to club. The ‘piece of pie’ offered still matter for them and where a club feels they can produce more cash for better couch to heighten the contest, then no problem; after all, their goal is the premiership award. Coaches seem to be always on the blaming end when a match is lost; this is no different for AFL. At times, the same clubs’ admirers who fully support them are the same ones who go behind them with the claim of intolerable performance being associated with the same coaches; who once led the club to glory. Surely, nobody enjoys loosing, but for the furious club supporters, the couch risks been drove off at any recursion of the incident. Ratten the Calton coach has been of recent been pushed at the edge due to claims of under performance (BTN, 2012). To balance the competition, clubs have gone beyond the boundaries to acquire fairer couches and players. Currently, there are several non Australian citizens playing in the Australian football league. All this is done by clubs, in an attempt to better their result in the competitions. AFL has gone even further, outside the continent to rule the football in other countries. It has managed to draw experienced players from other continents and other leagues to play in their league. To add to this, there is an effort to equip young individuals with football skills right from academies. These basic developing skills form a strong player early in age. For a League to have such qualified players at the ages of 17 and 18, it means there involved reliable guidance earlier in life besides the existing passion and talent in football for the player. Several clubs have embraced this in support of this game. The trident football academy for girls has facilitated this in the early life of a girl; having girls aged less than 18 in sessions back in 2011 was very encouraging. Through this effort, champions are molded efficiently to create a competitive Women team in the future. Other institutions exist though we must give credit to Melbourne Football Club and its associate for the leading role in supporting this plan. Such programs ensure that, when tomorrow comes, the clubs team will not lack excellent players to keep the clubs’ praise on. Investment deployed is never lost, competition is kept stiff and with minimal variations. The relative quality of teams involved in the 25th season is fair compared to the previous season. The 18 famous teams consisted of well performing players in the matches; at least two in number ensuring the competitive winning platform in scores was high. Increasing the competition: Australian Football League (AFL) requires more attention and support to improve it. Locations and the playgrounds need to be prepared early in time and it should not affect participators health conditions. It is vital that training facilities are improved with the changing technology in the football sports. Resource investment in the sports workshops will assist team players in training and regular medical care for their health. These resources include small materials such as playground equipments ranging from balls, playing gears, transferable goalpost amongst and educational resources like videos to refer to in their practical session. The move is convenient for young developing clubs that need to make its’ foundation better. Other advanced measures include, establishment of well equipped gym houses, organized and structured playgrounds and readily available Medicare for the clubs. Club players need accessible treatment and follow up facilities when injuries occur minimizing movements in search of medical care and therapy. It is not an easy step to achieve, with needing financial and managerial strength, but with the right support from clubs sponsors’ and funs, it will become a happen. Considering all participators available, the players, spectators, owners and managers, they all have an authority in the competition that either influences positively or negatively based on the roles they play and the decisions they make. The other way to perk up the competition is by diversify or reviewing the membership rights and benefits. The guaranteed entry to the opening and grand final matches offer, provided for full membership is enjoyable by the few in this class but those with silver membership are kept aside to determine their options. Problem facing AFL: Racial and gender discrimination have continued to be the challenging issues the league is experiencing. In the recent, several controversies have emerged that shows that racial prejudice is for a fact existing. A very irritating issues in the public domain that is resilient despite the efforts in place to kill it. Wilkinson, a Nigerian origin though an Australian rule football player has been the latest victim of racial assault in 2012; by a Collingwood member following a similar ill talk by a Bulldogs’ player, Justin in 2011. Gender problem apply to both men and women league but let us base the concentration on women discrimination. Women from within different age groups in their league need protection from harassment in the labor industry. The employing clubs have a duty to its employees to maintain a safe structure of workflow. The AFL can accomplish this under the state, federal and health occupation safety legislation. Policies lay down to govern the football league cover all range of players, men and women and under 18 footballers. With such measures like respect, discipline and shared responsibility will allow the managerial duties to run smoothly within the stipulated boundaries. These rules extend all through, to capture the religions and racial notice of the players and probably those involved in the clubs. Andrew expresses the position of the AFL and their clubs towards creating a secure and inclusive setting for the women at all stages in the Australian football (2005, p.3). Since the adoption of this policy in 2005, it has continued to protect women against sexual harassment and discrimination essentially improving their participation so far. Several policies have been outlined in support of this and from time to time review would be a necessity. The female gender football players comprised of 7.7% in 2005 and though an encouraging increase by 2012, more effort to embrace it is needed. His policy will enforce public campaigns to raise awareness of the need for the women to participate in the league. The different communities, the new immigrants and indigenous people will also become part of it. We would like a situation where female gender is involved in managerial, investment and in the playground. What we mean is; these big clubs can be sponsored, couched and directed through women leadership. If men can do this in the women league freely, why is it so resistible with women in the men league? The responsibility of AFL growth in general, lies with everyone involved. Together with respect to other measures like free agency period, young players will be ‘grazed’ early enough while the restricted players have the opportunity make free movement unless new drafts are made. Other steps to improve the AFL: Active involvement of immigrants, indigenous people and a variety of communities all across will help mitigate this discrimination in the Australian football league. Next is to intensify the labor market all across the population distribution for supporters and players without bias. Communities will come into this with different cultures and lifestyle where with common association, it contribute to fight against prejudice. Continuous review on salary differences can also boost the morale of those involved to increased performances. So far we can only hope for the best in AFL but in every season’s results all of us, regardless of our differing participation will have contributed either positively or negatively towards the competition. References “AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou Defends Free Agency” (4, October.2012). Andrew Demetriou defends free agency. Retrieved from http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/afl-ceo-andrew-demetriou-defends-free-agency-saying-it-wont-result-in-an-uneven-playing-field/story-e6frf3e3-1226488464351#ixzz28YuYrkuO. Bailey Ladder. (n.d.). AFL. Retrieved 6, October, 2012 from http://www.afl.com.au/ Booth. Ross. (n. d). Comparing competitive balance in Australian sports leagues, the AFL, NBL and NRL: does the afl’s team salary cap and player draft measure up? Department of Economics, issn 1441-5429, 9. BTN. (2012). Cut AFL coaches some slack. The Roar your sport opinion. Retrieved 5, October, 2012 from http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/07/08/cut-afl-coaches-some-slack/ Demetriou. Andrew. (November 2005). Creating a safe and inclusive environment for women at all levels of Australian football. Respect & Responsibility, 3. Coach - AFL. (n.d.). The Challenges of coaching Australian rules football overseas – the US footy experience. Retrieved 6, October, 2012 from http://www.coachafl.com/index.php?pr=Feature_-_US_Footy Read More