Pub image detail ignites fiery Australian debate
The great Aussie debate between Australia’s two premier football codes has ignited again, thanks to an innocent-enough photo
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WARNING: The following story may be confronting for some NRL and AFL fans.
The great Aussie debate between Australia’s two premier football codes has ignited again, thanks to an innocent-enough photo from inside a popular Sydney watering hole.
It’s fair to say an uneasy truce has settled between rug-baleeg and Aussie rules fans in recent years since it became increasingly clear the GWS Giants are less of a threat than Latrell Mitchell’s Instagram stories are for the 13-a-side code.
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The guns have long been silent on the western front, but the cross-code truce has never extended to the big screen at live sporting venues.
It’s a matter that gets almost every red-blooded Aussie fired up. Being subjected to the torture of watching a rival code on the big screen at a pub is a fate you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
It’s why a seemingly harmless post on Reddit has stretched to become about something so much more than why a Sherrin is better than a Steeden.
Judging from the comments received on the news.com.au Sport Facebook page, pubs should in fact reserve the right to show whatever the hell they want — even if it means a monopoly of screens for either of the codes.
“Went to a pub in Sydney years ago. There was 8 tvs on, all with the Rugby. We asked if we could turn one of the tvs on to the AFL. It was the smallest one, out of the way of most of the people and they still (the customers) had a whinge,” one Facebook user commented.
Another wrote: “Of course it is. You want to change that rule??? Buy the pub. If the pub only shows “Farmer Wants A Wife” they can. Just don’t drink there.”
One fan wrote: “Typical of Sydney. We do it right in Melbourne. All sports are welcome in this fantastic state that leads the nation when it comes to sports. Sporting capital of the world.”
The drama began with a photo taken of a plaque that sits next to a big screen at The Tudor Hotel in Redfern, Sydney.
The plaque reads: “This TV is dedicated to AFL”.
The popular inner-west establishment has long been on the Swans’ official list of premium footy friendly venues — and are promoted on the club’s official website.
However, in a city dominated by rugby league hearts and minds, the plaque has gotten under the skin of plenty of unsuspecting punters unaware they were entering AFL country.
It’s no different in cases where AFL fans north of the Murray River presume to have a royal decree from Andrew Dillon guaranteeing big screen prominence for their sport.
Bloodlines are thick in Aussie sport and the sign of the AFL putting up a flag in a NSW or Queensland pub would be enough for a cattledog cry and for the ghost of Tommy Raudonikis to personally represent you in any court room matters that may result from it.
That certainly appears to be views of podcasters Tom Birmingham and Eddy Simpson, the voices behind the popular ‘Hello Sport’ podcast.
The ocker duo have won plenty of fans with their blunt opinions and the issue of big screens in sport bars has clearly gotten under their skins.
One NSW-based publican called into the show recently to air his grievances about patrons requesting for AFL to be shown on the big screen at the venue. The caller’s comments were definitely not what AFL fans want to hear.
“Don’t get me wrong. People like their sports, but AFL are you f***ing serious?
“Anyway, I work at a pub, and I always, well maybe not always, but like, once a week, I get like, ‘Can you put the AFL on? Can you put the A-League on?’ f*** no.
“They say, ‘Do you mind putting one TV on (the AFL)? No f*** off.
“Sorry buddy, keep walking. I’ve just started to implement the rule of telling everyone to say, ‘We don’t actually have the AFL in NSW’. It generally works. Anyway, AFL never. NRL forever.”
Host Simpson responded by saying, with tongue firmly in cheek, “this is the sort of guy the Anzacs fought for”.
He went on to say: “If you want to watch AFL in our state (NSW), watch it on your phone and shut the f*** up”.
Birmingham earlier this season launched his own rant about being subjected to watch the GWS Giants’ one-point win over St Kilda in Round 5 while drinking at a hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
The game was played at the same time as the Manly Sea Eagles’ draw with the New Zealand Warriors on April 13.
“It’s NSW. Sydney pub. Sydney sport. Sydney team. Sydney centric sport. And AFL was on,” he said.
“It was GWS, but it was the Manly Sea Eagles. It (NRL) was on this tiny screen in a random room. I asked, can we get the rugby league on here, and they go, ‘Oh mate, some people are watching the AFL’. There was like two dudes.
“The rule should be it’s rugby league and if you want to watch AFL, you can go and watch it over there bra. There were like two guys. Whatever, I’m not going to be kick up a stink here, but Jesus Christ.”
The two codes will always be able to agree on one thing – at least it’s not the A-League or Super Rugby.
The Tudor Hotel did not respond to requests for comment.
Originally published as Pub image detail ignites fiery Australian debate
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