Fans Slam AFL’s Social Media Gaffe During Socceroos Success
The Australian Football League (AFL) is facing widespread backlash from fans and players alike for what many are calling a tone-deaf social media post that attempted to capitalize on the Socceroos’ recent World Cup victory. The league has been branded a “disgrace” by one of its own stars for scheduling matches that directly conflicted with crucial World Cup games.
AFL’s Controversial Comparison Sparks Outrage
On Wednesday evening, the AFL shared an image on social media. The post juxtaposed an image of Socceroos player Nestory Irankunda celebrating a goal against Turkey with a shadow-boxing celebration near a corner post, alongside an image of Adelaide Crows player Josh Rachele mimicking a boxer after scoring. Many interpreted this as a blatant attempt to leverage the immense popularity of the Socceroos’ underdog triumph on Sunday.
Social media platforms erupted with criticism. One user on X (formerly Twitter) declared, “And the award for the most ridiculous comparison goes to the clown town that is the AFL.” Another commented, “Nah, you don’t get to try and ride the coattails of this. Not of the game you try to systematically kill at every opportunity outside of a national tournament.” Other sentiments echoed the frustration, with comments such as “you have no shame,” “actually pathetic,” and “no one cares, mate.” The prevailing sentiment was that the AFL was acting “shamelessly.”
Scheduling Conflicts Ignite Player Fury
Beyond the social media post, a significant point of contention is the AFL’s scheduling decisions during the World Cup. Fans and players alike have pointed out the league’s decision to proceed with its own matches during key Socceroos fixtures.
GWS Giants star Jake Stringer voiced his strong disapproval during a television appearance on Monday night. He highlighted the fact that the AFL scheduled a match between the Giants and St Kilda concurrently with the Socceroos’ game against Turkey on Sunday. Similarly, the Lions vs. Tigers match overlapped with the Socceroos’ significant win in Vancouver.
“It’s a disgrace, honestly,” Stringer told Channel Nine. “Let us watch the Aussies. It’s once every four years. Don’t put the games at the same time. They want the attendance, they want people to watch. No one’s watching the AFL, everyone’s going to watch the World Cup.”
Calls for Collaboration Ignored
Giants captain Toby Greene had previously advocated for earlier kickoff times for matches so that fans and players could watch the Socceroos’ games on stadium screens after their own games concluded. Greene suggested that the AFL should have embraced the national sporting event.
“I don’t know why they’d even bother trying to compete with it [the Australia vs Turkey match],” Greene remarked. “Just embrace it and go, right, the Socceroos are playing at 2pm, let’s start the Giants and Saints at 11am and then maybe have a Marvel [Stadium] watch party. I reckon it would’ve been a great idea and everyone would have got around it. I reckon they missed a trick there.”
Socceroos’ Viewership Dwarfs AFL Numbers
The public’s appetite for the Socceroos’ World Cup campaign was evident in the viewership figures. Host broadcaster SBS reported that 4.78 million people tuned in to watch the Socceroos’ opening match, a figure that significantly overshadowed the viewership for the day’s AFL games.
Looking ahead, the AFL will not face similar scheduling conflicts with the Socceroos’ upcoming group-stage matches, as they are set to kick off at 5 am on Saturday and noon on Friday, June 26.
