Well, the AFL season has kicked off again. That’s aussie rules football for the Kiwis.
I should be pumped, especially as my team won the premiership last season.
And I sort of am.
I keep up to date with the latest news and results, injuries, form, drunken escapades and court appearances of my team’s players via Real Footy and the Hun. I visit various fan forums to keep abreast of the latest inside gossip and conspiracy theories.
But it’s really just not the same, because there aint no footy on the TV here folks.
Nothing reminded me that I was in a different country more than the complete absence of and AFL in any news media over here. It’s a rugby country, unfortunately.
So, for the poor old Aussie immigrant from one of the football states, there are slim pickings if you actually want to catch a match live.
However, we have to make do with what’s on offer, and so here are some resources to ease the withdrawal tremors.
Pay TV
To say there’s no AFL on television isn’t completely correct: if you have Sky pay TV then you can get some limited coverage.
However I believe that, for your dough, you get one live Friday night match and one 60 minute highlights package of the rest of the weekend’s games.
60 minutes isn’t enough to fit in each weekends’ Buddy Franklin highlights package, so I hardly see the point. Therefore, you’re basically you’re stuck with the Friday night match. If you want to pay $75 a month for that, then fine, but I’m obviously a cheapskate.
Streaming Radio
Luckily, you can get live streaming radio via the intertubes very easily. Both SEN and MMM have live radio streams where you can listen in live to Buddy’s latest haul of goals.
However I do find that at match time often their sites become overloaded, so often it’s best to go to the AFL official site, where there is a Live Match section, which contains links to the radio streams of various stations. These seem to work pretty well.
This is the way I caught last year’s Grand Final. Beers, a barbie, and the laptop plugged into the stereo playing the Hawks’ pantsing of Geelong. Wasn’t as good as being there, wasn’t as good as watching on the tele, but by god, still pretty sweet.
So, there you go. This is the best solution I’ve managed to come up with so far. I think Bigpond have some sort of video streaming of matches available, but I haven’t really tried it, as I just know the quality is bound to be crapola. Not sure it’s even available outside Aus actually.
If you just want to watch the matches and don’t care if they’re live, then you’re in luck. Thanks to the goodness of P2P downloads, it is possible to get hold of the the match broadcasts. So I’m told, I mean. I wouldn’t personally know about that. But if you want more info, email me. Not that I could really help (but seriously, email me).
ausois said
I don’t know if you’ll get much traffic on this topic ….. for the record though I live in Sydney am originally from NZ and support the Hawks, if you Master Blogger – Mr Admin can work out why then I’ll shout you a tinny or two. The Swans beat them last weekend but I still yelled for the Hawks with my fellow exers (from Tassie), all of us celebrating our common fellow retarded, semi-countryish backgrounds!!
I record all the games on my Foxtel harddrive thingo for later viewing if I have the time – in Sydney in non-AFL territory – they are often played at unsociable times .. but at least are on!
da Bender said
You should have a look at
https://secure.justin.tv/scalive
or
https://www.myp2p.eu
Love the blog… keep harassing those kiwi’s…
Grant said
The thing that springs to mind is “When in Rome…”. Since you are living in New Zealand, why not start to follow a code that has some international credibility, has rules that can be understood by people of above average intelligence (AFL rules can only be understood by those of lower IQ hence it is only played in Aussie and played by moronic thugs).
The only problem with that is that even Rugby Union followers are seriously deprived of their sport. You have to pay to see anything that is not interrupted by hours of ads.
So I guess you have 95% of the Kiwi population agreeing with you – there’s no ‘footy’ on tv (‘footy’ being Rugby Union).
It will do you a lot of good to cold turkey off AFL while you are here and take advantage of being in the greatest Rugby playing nation in the world.
admin said
da bender – that justin.tv site looks promising. Have you tried it out? I’d be interested in what the quality and reliability is like.
ausois said
Grant has a point, my friends who moved to Melbourne, heartland AFL land, report they are ostracised if they don’t ‘adopt’ an AFL team. Harden up Mr Master Blogger and adopt a team in your adopted land if footy is your thing. And I mean Rugby in NZ = footy not some aerial ping-pong faux game (just kidding, I quite like it actually).
admin said
When in Rome my arse.
As it is since living here I’ve heard myself appending “ay” onto the end of sentences, saying “sweet as” instead of “no worries”, getting used to only ever having $10 and $20 notes in my wallet (why don’t they EVER use $50s?), and even taking an interest in the NZ cricket team.
How much integration is enough?
The day I take an interest in a piss-weak excuse of a sport such as rugby is the day I…well you get the picture.
Also, AFL clubs are looking at clubs as a potential recruiting ground. Aussie rules will infiltrate eventually people, it’s inevitable.
Larz said
Look if it makes you feel any better…a bit of good ol fashioned aussie afl rivalry might be in order….GO THE LIONS! i did tip hawks in my comp at work though this week, so do hope they get up.
da Bender said
Yeah.. its about 80% reliable and OK quality… better then streaming radio atleast :)
Hamish said
Sky Sport 3… I saw an ad that said they are showing 60 afl matches live this year.
Hamish said
Also, the $50 thing maybe due to the prevelence (sp?) of EFTPOS in New Zealand or NZ being ‘more English than Oz’ (noone in England carries £50 notes). It may just be the way our ATMs work; yours give out 50 when you hit 50 but ours give out two 20s and a 10….
admin said
Hamish,
Thanks for the tip re: Sky Sports 3. From memory though that’s a pretty expensive package. Still, a couple of live matches each weekend would be almost worth it.
admin said
Nup you’re right Hamish. They’ve added an extra live game per week this year. To the basic package plus the sports package works out at around $65 a month.
Thanks again.
Hamish said
No worries. Good work with the blog and hit me up when you’re next in Wellington; can you see my email?
This website has an excel spreadsheet of the games on Sky Sport 3; http://nzafl.co.nz/
Good luck!
admin said
Yep can see your email. If I’m down that way I’ll buy you a coldie, the least I could do for helping sort my footy problem. Should have thought of the NZAFL, was actually planning a post about those guys. Although their schedule seems to indicate one live match per week. I’ll ring the Sky folks on Tuesday to find out what the deal is.
Thanks again.
KiwiSwans said
Lol@you.
You cheaparse, surely you know someone with sky to at least watch the grand final?
Your not that much of a fan obviously otherwise you’d have moved mountains to see the Hawks in the GF.
We’re still your bogey team.
figjam said
The reason you never see anyone with a $50 in NZ is because no one actually has one. Thats why they are coming to aussie in the thousands. Great lifestyle,nice place but you cant eat scenery. Rugby vs AFL is no comparison,afl wins hands down.
admin said
Well yeah, but can you imagine an Australian going spastic in the lounge-room of a rugby-loving Kiwi with no idea what was going on?
And yep, the Swans and the Roos are our bogey teams. But that’s alright because we probably won’t see you in September.
admin said
Figjam (you’re not Nathan Buckley are you?),
New Zealanders don’t seem to carry much cash around at all. EFTPOS is used for everything. You often see people paying for small things like a cup of coffee on the card.
Just another one of those little differences.
Marita said
In OZ you usually have to spend a minimum of $10-$20 to be permitted to even USE EFTPOS, whereas in nz there is no minimum spend.
Can you suspend Grant from the list? This is surely one space where Aussies in NZ don’t have to put up with this sort of crap. Rugby is the most boring, thuggish, infuriating, rule-ruined, stilted game on earth. What sort of sport doesn’t allow you to pass your ball forward?! when my boy was a toddler I took him out to a park with a (real) footy for a kick. He would grab the ball, run for 10 metres, and then fall down. What the? He did this several times before I realised…. he was playing rugby!
Ken said
With a large satellite dish (2m) you can pick up Australia Network, which shows the AFL, along with lots of stuff from the ABC that leaves TVNZ for dead.
admin said
Marita,
That’s horrible about your son. Hope you sat him down and gave him a stern talking to. Find him some Buddy Franklin highlights on youtube or something, that should straighten him out.
Also, if I didn’t allow the rugby-lovers to post on here, there’d be about two people left. So Grant et al are most welcome, as misguided they are on their football codes.
admin said
Ken,
Not sure what my landlord would say about a 2m dish being mounted on the roof, by dammit I like your suggestion. ABC too! Wonder where my local satellite dish shop is…
figjam said
No im not Nathan Buckley but i kick a mean drop punt. Yeah funny how the kiwis use the card so often. Hawthorn had a good win yesterday so you will be happy about that. Get down to Wellington,get the wind behind ya back and kick some torpedo punts…awesome!
admin said
Stoked with the Hawkers. Would have been getting a bit worried if they dropped the first three.
I reckon even an unco like me could kick 60m in Wellington, given the right conditions.
Grant said
I’ll take the bait… As I said before, when in Rome. You live in the Hawkes Bay. Your local Super 14 franchise is the Hurricanes. That team is packed full of talent and next time they are playing at McLean Park you should get there (especially if they are going to be doing over one of the Aussie Super 14 teams).
And then during the NPC, your local Hawkes Bay team are worthy of your support. Hawkes Bay has a proud rugby history, and has produced many fine players.
Switch codes and you’ll save the anguish of having to put up a satellite dish (plus have the satisfaction of supporting a real sport).
Ken said
Admin, even people in NZ who couldn’t care less about AFL would like an ABC TV channel. It wouldn’t be hard just to replace programs that the Australia Network doesn’t have the NZ rights to with other ABC stuff.
Stratos/Triangle TV had an uphill struggle just to convince the ABC to let it show Australia Network News.
Interestingly, the Australia Network only scrambles the rugby union – AFL is free to air – as is NRL (my preferred code, but to each his own.)
You might need a bigger dish according to this – http://www.freetv.co.nz/channels.html – even 2m might not be enough.
There are 50 000 Aussies in NZ – it may be a small market, but that’s more than the number of the number of Greeks in NZ – and UBI TV thinks that there’s a big enough market for Greek pay-TV channels across the ditch!
Ken said
Correction: on that side of the ditch!
admin said
Grant,
You sound exactly like I would when talking to a Kiwi who’s moved to Aus. But I’ve realised it’s a flawed argument.
Now don’t get me wrong, I would like to get up to speed with rugby and be able to enjoy it. But I have two problems:
1. It’s not on free-to-air TV so I don’t watch any matches, and therefore can’t gain any kind of interest.
2. I simply don’t give a shit who wins. AFL I’ve grown up with, and the performance of my team dictates what mood I go work in on a Monday morning. With rugby, be it Super 14, NPC, even World Cup, I simply couldn’t give a stuff.
The relative merits of the various footy codes doesn’t really enter into it. To be honest, I can appreciate soccer as a great game, probably the best football code there is. But I simply don’t care what teams are doing well and which ones aren’t. So I don’t follow it.
But I will take up your suggestion and get down to McLean Park next time one of the Hawke’s Bay teams are playing.
Marita said
OK, I’ll try not to get into the “which code is best” debate with Grant, but I’ve just heard the “Aussie no-rules” jibe once too often, and this comment p-d be off:
“AFL rules can only be understood by those of lower IQ hence it is only played in Aussie and played by moronic thugs”.
If you follow the logic that AFL has too many rules, it seems a bit rich to then suggest you have to be stupid to understand them (!) And can you really say the super-fit, lithe, lean, tautly muscled, multi-talented (kicking, marking, running, hand-balling, tackling) AFL athletes are thugs compared to the sort of players that need to physically knock each other down to stop each other getting a goal?
Ok, I love most sports, and I don’t mind watching rugby when its the wallabies playing the all blacks, because – as our blogger says – there is vaguely an interest there. But also because the wallabies can hold their own and yet compete in a country where most states couldn’t care about the sport.
Its the whole rugby-mania that turns me off here. When the AB’s come third in the world cup some years ago, again, everyone went into mourning and staff at Massey Uni were offered grief counselling (seriously).
In the footy-home of Melbourne from where I hale, people love their footy, but it is quite acceptable to (i) hate footy (there is an anti-football league), and (ii) barrack (sorry, support) different teams; because there are many teams in the one city people are used to able to tease each other about it face-to-face and not get too uptight. In chch, on days when the Crusaders play, city workers all wear red and black. My preschooler was told he had to wear red and black to school on a day when the Crusaders were playing the Wallabies (my husband and I are both aussies). He wore green and gold and they put red and black paint on his face! At school, nearly every competition (for girls and boys) has something to do with going to a training session for the Crusaders or the All Blacks. My daughter had to sign a good luck card at school before the World Cup when they played (and lost against) the Wallabies. Its like supporting the AB’s is compulsory, and even for national sports like cricket, and… maybe tennis, in OZ, it is quite acceptable not to give a toss. Its just some sort of twisting of rugby with the NZ cultural identity, and that seems weird to me when NZ has so much more to offer than playing half-decently at a code they didn’t invent with a name that the British press invented for them.
Go Blues (and I mean Carlton!)
Ken said
Sure the Kiwis didn’t invent rugby union, but they take it more seriously than the people who did. Same applies to the Brazilians with soccer -they didn’t invent it, but they perfected it.
I suppose if NZ had its own code of football, it’d be no more widely played internationally than Gaelic football in Ireland. The other thing to remember is that NZ is probably the only sizeable country where rugby union is the national sport – in South Africa, it’s mostly whites that play it.
Aussie rules is cool, and when in Melbourne I did as the Melburnians did and went to see Hawthorn play Essendon – and beat them. My Essendon-supporting host wasn’t happy, but jeez he wasn’t as upset as Kiwis are when the ABs lose.
However, it’s a parochial game, even in Australia, never mind internationally. The Canadians have their own code of football, which is close enough to American football / gridiron for players to switch to and from that code. Aussie Rules and Gaelic football were so different from each other to justify creating a new code, which was neither one nor the other.
BringBackRobbieFlower said
Admin, your Nathan Buckley call was champagne. LOL.
As for the AFL (v Rugby) debate – you’ve just got to go to a blockbuster at the hallowed Gee (MCG) to understand. Sitting with 100,000 other fans screaming “ball!” is electric. Just thinking about it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. But this from someone who thought a Wallaby was a smaller kangaroo-like marsupial…
Thanks for the Sky update, Hamish. We’ll pay the extra for another live game a week.
Keep up the blogging. We’re loving it.
Marita said
I concur with the thrill of the Gee (MCG) and I’m all for people enjoying their sport, whatever the code. I went to a 40th party recently on a Saturday night. It was fancy dress, a very swish event with cocktails and horses doovers etc. The hosts had gone to a lot of trouble. When we arrived the place seemed empty; “everyone’s out the back” said the hostess. We went out and the guests were sitting on a sofa or standing around a TV room, eyes glued to the box, faces expressionless, watching the Crusaders play a local game. Hardly any-one was talking, but the weird thing was, no-one was animated when anyone did something exciting (which doesn’t happen much in rugby, I’ll admit). One guy I was having a conversation with kept his eyes half on the game, and then told me he had recorded it and would watch it again tomorrow! When the game finished, people went to the rest of the house and enjoyed themselves, which was good because they hadn’t seemed to have enjoyed the Crusaders win that much. I did wonder whether people were watching the game because they felt it would have been un(locally)patriotic not to.
admin said
Hey Marita,
I totally agree there. Rugby watchers seem very subdued compared to your typical Aussie football fan. They’ll watch every minute of a game and not miss a single detail, but comparing when a try is scored to when an AFL team kicks a goal, the AFL fans outdo the rugby fans in the scale of the sheer spacticity of their response 10:1.
Maybe it’s just that most Aussies are really bogans at heart :)
Although I hope I’m not living here when the All Blacks finally manage to win a World Cup. It’d be unbearable.
maroon said
Guys, guys, guys…it’s not a competition.
We all know that Rugby League is the REAL footy code anyway.
admin said
Oh dear, rugby league eh?
Only time I can stomach it is origin called by Roy & HG.
Apart from that, see my bogans comment above.
Chrus said
As Aussies in NZ we have a responsibility to educate these poor kiwis who think that rugby is top quality entertainment.
Since living in NZ I do enjoy the odd rugby game and have been to a Super 14 game, an NPC game and several local games which are a poor substitute when I need my live fix of live contact sport.
I get frustrated by the lack of time the ball is in play and the amount of time you cant even see whats happening as the ball is in the scrum.
For the kiwis… isnt one of the more exciting parts of you game when two players compete for the ball in the air?
Also in Aussie rules
you have many more one on one challenges for the ball.
You have to line up on your opponent, shoulder to shoulder at the start of the game, which tests your courage.
You have more scoring which reduces the effect of poor umpiring decisions and creates closer games.
You have faster ball movement.
You have legal shoulder charges.
And you have the (sometimes sickening) impacts between two players running at full speed from opposite directions challenging for the ball. Not just one player running the other stationary tackler.
But the best bit is the good natured heckling between supporters….the bit I miss the most!
As a hard as kiwis try they cant do the sports banter. They may have one comeback then their done.
So as much as I have tried is AFL for me.
But what can we do?
I held an AFL grand final BBQ party at my house and invited as many kiwis who like sport as I could find for the last two years.
I have started a footy tipping comp at my work.
And I keep telling the locals how good a game AFL is.
Man I have gotten way to serous here so I better finish with this…..
Aussies are not arrogant we just know we are better!
Admin, Marita, figjam I love your work.
Go pies!!!
Marita said
In response to Chris (I can pronounce it okay), I’ve tried to get sport-mad friends into AFL but it hasn’t really worked. I think the best thing is to find some aussie friends and watch some replays.
As we can’t get live matches we rely on youtube clips of great footy moments (the Toyota ads are brilliant) and video recordings of epic matches involving Carlton; my husband gave me two for St Valentine’s day a few years ago, bless ‘im. It is incredibly nostalgic watching them, and I just like to have them playing on a Saturday afternoon to provide the background noise that i grew up with. It is quite funny too, no replays, to get the score they have to show film of the ground level scoreboard, players tripping over streamers before they were banned, kids running on the ground after the match to hug the players, and there were fewer ball-ups and more fluid play, IMHO. The only problem with watching games from the 1970′s over and over is that my 5 year old aussie-rules-mad son thinks (i) footy is played in black and white, (ii) Carlton ALWAYS win.
Of course AFL is hands-down the best code on the planet. As the great Ted Whitten said when commentating for the 1970 grand final “you wouldn’t see anything better anywhere in the world as far as skills and excitement where tremendous sportsmen are concerned”. And another from Butch Gale, same match “that is the gutsiest performance I’ve ever seen in my life…and I’m not kidding. It was never pretty, but oooh boy, what a team can do when they so desperately want to win”…and…”these players have hearts as big of themselves”. And that great mark that led to every kid wanting to take a “jezza”, “give him oxygen” Ted says as he flies up like the ex-high jumper he ways. It brings a lump to my throat.
Maybe that’s what has made me even more interested in AFL since moving here than when I was in OZ, I miss the zeitgeist of footy talk that brings people together with a shared experience. When you live in another country there are allusions and historical references that one misses, no matter how long one lives here, and so you’re always on the outer. Keeping up with footy (and OZ) news means that we will not become on the outer in our county of birth. For me, as admin suggested, footy also keeps me in touch with my bogan side, the blokey language, irreverance and mock seriousness that is so Australian.
GotheEagles said
Found this post on google looking for AFL on the big screen in Auckland.
I’ve moved over from WA and am hanging out for some AFL, I’ll try some of the suggestions here.
I would have assumed there would be a bar in Auckland that showed the Sky AFL game on the big screen each weekend? Surely! Does anyone know of one, I can’t find one…
Grent said
[Note: from now on I will use the Australian pronunciation of my name when posting.]
Marita. You’ve hit the nail on the head. When you have been raised in a Rugby family there’s all that history and shared memories that you don’t get in another code. It’s sitting on the banks at Okara Park during a North Auckland Ranfurly Shield defense with your uncles giving lip to the others in the crowd.
Or when the ref blows the first penalty of the game and someone yells “It’s about time, ref. He’s been doing it all day.”
As to the subdued demeanour of Rugby supporters when watching a game that is only on the surface. Deep within we are all feeling the bruising from the hits, appreciating the skill and living the game vicariously. Passion that is that deep just doesn’t surface that easily.
And as for only being half in a conversation when there’s a game on the tv in the same room – sacrilege; You should never even give half your attention to a conversation – the game comes first.
figjam said
Anzac day 90000 at the G for a club match. How can any rugby code top that. balllllllllllllllll
Chrus said
Dead right figjam! 100,000 fans for a home and away game! Rugby is lucky to get that for a test match.
Go Pies!
KiwiSainter said
Altho i ain’t an Aussie, (kiwi born) I have just returned from living in Melbourne for 5 years and am a St Kilda Fanatic. (am currently listening online to them flogging Port 51-9 2nd 1/4) I have never got into rugby and I love the Warriors But AFL is the most exciting sport I have seen and the atmosphere is unparelled…. Rugby here just doesn’t have the same passionate supporters (think Feral pie fans) and Buddy Love…What a player..altho my beloved Saints fell down last year My 2nd Fav team…(the mighty Hawks) Showed that the cats were just pussys…
Bring more Afl to the screens in NZ and maybe we can get some pre-season games at the cake-tin in Wellington GO THE BLOODY SAINTS!!!!!
Truekiwijoker said
Do you not understand?: Nobody outside of Australia and possibly Ireland is interested in eff-ing Aussie Rules!!!!
Bitch and moan all you want it’s not going to change anytime soon.
If you haven’t noticed we’re not in general sports obsessed either.
Truekiwijoker said
Just reading through this it all seems to be Aussies coming on here to say how ‘this is the best game in the world’ blah blah blah.
The issue remains moan all you want you can’t watch Aussie Rules easily in NZ. And that won’t change.
Get over it or go home.
Macgyver said
Hey the satellite that broadcasts Australia Networks free into New Zealand, along with BBC World News (free) has been updated and now it only requires a 1.2m dish in NZ. That website mentioned above has them. Try http://www.freetv.co.nz/webapps/site/61418/52840/shopping/shopping-view.html?pid=259419
Marita said
Truekiwiwanker: This website is a “Guide for Australians living and working in New Zealand”. The posts here are from Aussies who miss their national sport.
Do you not understand? Bitch and moan all you want it’s not going to change anytime soon.
Truekiwijoker said
Yeah nice try Marita. Unfortunately your passionate little comeback makes no sense as I’m not bitching and moaning.
“This website is a “Guide for Australians living and working in New Zealand”. The posts here are from Aussies who miss their national sport.”
Which is a contradiction.
Let me explain something: Living and working in NZ means you won’t get to watch Aussie Rules. If you can’t live without Aussie Rules you can’t live in NZ. Simple stuff.
And all the moaning won’t change a thing. Like the rest of the world, and NSW and QLD we’re not interested in Aussie rules.
Truekiwijoker said
Oh yeah and don’t try this sh-t about how this site is for ockers only. It’s obvious in the very title that he intended kiwis to see it and cop a few jokes. And even if it is supposed to be an ocker-only zone, it’s on the world wide web, so it’s pretty silly to think kiwis aren’t going to come here and see it.
And how can we not laugh at people having a boohoo about now being able to see AFL. This is pathetic! do you really think you’d be able to watch this sport outside of Australia?
Would you expect to be able to watch it in the UK? or Canada? or South Africa?
Talk about a bunch or bloody whingers…
Marita said
Truekiwiwanker, you said in your post about precedents etc that perhaps you weren’t such an unpleasant surly bastard. I think you need to have a nice sit down and re-read your posts.
Of course there is no stopping a kiwi living in OZ reading posts from a website aimed at Aussies living in NZ. I just can’t understand why on earth you would want to? I can’t imagine being remotely interested in a website aimed at kiwis living in OZ. Its a shame though as its spoiling what I was hoping would be a nice little website for aussies to chat about their experiences of living here and what they miss about home, understanding that a bit of whinging is par for the course for people living in another country, but not socially acceptable or understood by the locals, case in point, missing AFL.
Truekiwijoker said
[truekiwijoker smirks]
And I think you need to reread and your rather venomous reply to me and think hard and take a good look at yourself over calling me truekiwiawnker. And perhaps you should have a nice sit-down and rethink your tight-arsed attitude towards the country you live in and this BS territorialism you’re trying to pull on me.
Even if Australian rules was your national sport (because I’m sure Queensland and NSW might beg to differ on that one) there’s no reason to expect to be able watch it in another country let alone any reason to moan about not being able to watch it in another country. This to me betrays an inner disrespect for other countries and cultures, because otherwise I can’t understand why you’d be so remotely up in arms about not being able to see you precious AFL nor so bothered about the Cantabs and their ugly parochialism. It’s a shame though because you might gain some self awareness and true self respect and come to the realisation that neither your country, its culture nor you personally are anything special and that you should probably get over yourself. Then you might realise the intense amusement I feel when you try and talk over me and give me the bums rush in the disguise of such phoney, patronising advice in the fashion of an immature and insecure 16 year old schoolgirl.
This site was clearly designed to partly ‘light-heartedly’ mock NZ and chuck some banter at kiwis as much as it’s a forum for whinging ockers. If you do anything as comical as moan about not being able to WATCH the sports you want let alone get upset about the enthusiasm for the sport they like and you don’t, you’d be pretty dumb to not expect someone like me might possibly see it and milk it for a few laughs.
If you want me to stop laughing at you and *cough* *cough* making these precious little discussions too unbearable for you perhaps you should tell Mr. Admin to remove all of these jokes about NZ.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with them. But it’s only fair if you’ve got such a problem don’t you think?
Marita said
I sincerely apologise for calling Truekiwijoker a Truekiwiwanker. It was totally unnecessary to state the self-evident.
truekiwijoker said
LOL, I think most neutral observers would find evident something altogether different.
God, what a crass unladylike manipulative LOSER.
LMAO!
Marita said
TrueKiwijoke, you seem to be missing the pts made me and many others here so will give this one last go:
- I/we do not “expect” that we should be able to watch Aussie rules here. We just miss it and are interested in ideas on how to get video/audio access from others in the same predicament
- I/we are not bothered by other people’s appreciation of other sports, or indeed complete lack of interest in sports. Indeed I have commented that it seems almost treason here to not support and follow closely the All Blacks.
- I don’t believe I said anything implying that I or my country are particularly special, though I do love AFL (I can call it VFL if you like, but it is played in most States now).
- for the record, I love a lot about NZ and its people, which is why I’ve lived here for 10 years (presumably you must feel the same about OZ)
- I’ll ignore the insults, though I don’t really know what my gender has to do with anything.
Adios!
Marita said
We will now be resuming normal programming, and get back to topic thread… I am STILL having trouble even listening to internet radio streaming. Has anyone had similar problems (and solutions!) I have an apple MacBook and have installed (as recommended): Quicktime 7, Windows Media Player for Leopard, and Windows Media Components for Quicktime. It should be available on ABC 774 and I actually can listen to ABC National, but when I hit ABC on the BigPond AFL Matchday site, nothing happens. Same deal with MMM. I suspect it is something to do with our internet provider, WorldXchange having a firewall, though not sure why they would.
Will look into to the FreeTV option, thanks all for useful posts on that.
Cheers
Marita said
solved the problem – just in time for the Blues to lose by 7 pts…
truekiwijoker said
Hahahaha I’m missing the point? nice try Matilda.
Here’s the real point. You will NEVER EVER find a Kiwi living overseas moaning about something as pathetic as not being able to watch the sports they like.
I have NEVER EVER seen anyone British, North American, Europea, South American or whatever living in another country moaning about something as pathetic as not being able to watch the sports they like.
Congratulations on being a first.
And no, you all speak as though you should be able to follow it in NZ. This ‘Chrus’ even has a master plan on raising its profile (Bwuaahahaha!). It’s pretty clear in the verbatim that you consider this sport (and ocker culture) to hold some sort of special status. And for the record I and many other Kiwis are NOT big supporters of the All Blacks. Sure I like to see them win but I’m not stupid. I know they’re not angels and I place more importance on them playing well than winning every game. Like many kiwis I’m more a supporter of my provincial team than the All Blacks. It sounds to me like in 10 years you’ve only experienced one-eyed Canterbury.
And finally it is YOU who has initiated insults (and me who’s let them wash right off).
P.S. Posting about the Rugby League result (which most of NZ also doesn’t care about) and the Blues loss shows you’ve sadly missed the point as much as my quib about not being such an unpleasant surly bastard.
In 10 years who seemed to have failed to notice we’re not as insecurely nationalistic and sports obsessed as you ockers are and we don’t generally get that cut up over losses.
Try again.
Freddy said
looking for AFL, or any Australian TV, check out SLINGBOX.media.
Cant put up with TVNZ much longer, need ABS and SBS
Freddy said
iMac has trouble with the AFL site, either go direct to radio station from Google, forget about matchday, or install Parralells for Mac, which will install windows on your Mac, and you’ll be fine.
Matt said
Hi everyone. I’ve been living in New Zealand for only 9 months now and to be honest am a little frustrated with the coverage of AFL. Probably more so because my team the mighty Blues have gone so well this year and are finally in the finals after 8 long years!!!!
I do understand that i am in another country and Rugby is the sport of choice here but i have Sky TV and i am frustrated with the fact that Sky TV has so many channels dedicated to Rugby and only Rugby! I mean come on guys, there are other sports……
Anyway that was my little complaint……For all the Aussies on this site wondering how to watch AFL games ——- i found a site before i turned up here that allows you to watch every AFL game for a price….
http://www.afl.aussiesport.tv
Its actually not very expensive, around $25AUD a month. The only catch is you can’t watch the games live as the games are put on the site to watch after the game is actually finished….The Quality is pretty good if you click on the “High Quality” button. I find that it is best when i connect my Laptop to my Plasma TV and watch the games that way……..
Hope this helps…..
Matt said
An Australian ventriloquist visiting New Zealand walks into a Small village and sees a local sitting on his veranda patting his dog.
He figures he’ll have a little fun, so he says to the Kiwi
‘G’day, mind if I talk to your dog?’
Villager: ‘The dog doesn’t talk, you stupid Aussie.’
Ventriloquist: ‘Hello dog, how’s it going mate?’
Dog: ‘Yeah, doin’ all right.’
Kiwi: (look of extreme shock)
Ventriloquist: ‘Is this villager your owner?’ (pointing at the Villager)
Dog: ‘Yep’
Ventriloquist: ‘How does he treat you?’
Dog: ‘Yeah, real good. He walks me twice a day, feeds me great food And takes me to the lake once a week to play.’
Kiwi: (look of utter disbelief)
Ventriloquist: ‘Mind if I talk to your horse?’
Kiwi: ‘Uh, the horse doesn’t talk either…I think.’
Ventriloquist: ‘Hey horse, how’s it going?’
Horse: ‘Cool’
Kiwi: (absolutely dumbfounded)
Ventriloquist: ‘Is this your owner?’ (Pointing at the villager)
Horse: ‘Yep’
Ventriloquist: How does he treat you?
Horse: ‘Pretty good, thanks for asking. He rides me regularly, Brushes me down often and keeps me in the shed to protect me from the Elements.’
Kiwi: (total look of amazement)
Ventriloquist: ‘Mind if I talk to your sheep?’
Kiwi: (in a panic) ‘The sheep’s a f*****’ liar
fushnchupsblog said
Nice one Matt :-)
Thanks for that AFL link too – I must admit I’ve hardly watched any AFL this season, but that’s probably because the Hawks didn’t register too many wins…
Will definitely check it out though, might be good for the finals. Thanks a lot.
Jen said
My husband is from NZ and I’m an Aussie..personally I love both countries. We are over here on holidays and I am really missing the AFL footy finals. Can’t believe the sledging that has gone on in a thread trying to find out where and how you can see what we call footy in Australia. I have watched Rugby of all codes , Grid Iron and Soccer on our TV both free to air and fox in Adelaide so I can’t see any problem HOPING that there would be coverage over here. My team Port Adelaide (Go Power) were not good enough this year but I’m keeping fingers crossed that by our next family holiday we can watch them on TV over here. Am trying to convince the NZ family to put the satelite dish on the roof.. Love the lime icecream over here with footy it truly would be a slice of heaven. Please don’t confuse severe withdrawal symptoms for a great game with having a whinge.
Altringer said
An Australian ventriloquist visiting New Zealand walks into a Small village and sees a local sitting on his veranda patting his dog.
He figures he'll have a little fun, so he says to the Kiwi
'G'day, mind if I talk to your dog?'
Villager: 'The dog doesn't talk, you stupid Aussie.'
Ventriloquist: 'Hello dog, how's it going mate?'
Dog: 'Yeah, doin' all right.'
Kiwi: (look of extreme shock)
Ventriloquist: 'Is this villager your owner?' (pointing at the Villager)
Dog: 'Yep'
Ventriloquist: 'How does he treat you?'
Dog: 'Yeah, real good. He walks me twice a day, feeds me great food And takes me to the lake once a week to play.'
Kiwi: (look of utter disbelief)
Ventriloquist: 'Mind if I talk to your horse?'
Kiwi: 'Uh, the horse doesn't talk either…I think.'
Ventriloquist: 'Hey horse, how's it going?'
Horse: 'Cool'
Kiwi: (absolutely dumbfounded)
Ventriloquist: 'Is this your owner?' (Pointing at the villager)
Horse: 'Yep'
Ventriloquist: How does he treat you?
Horse: 'Pretty good, thanks for asking. He rides me regularly, Brushes me down often and keeps me in the shed to protect me from the Elements.'
Kiwi: (total look of amazement)
Ventriloquist: 'Mind if I talk to your sheep?'
Kiwi: (in a panic) 'The sheep's a f*****' liar…
fushnchupsblog said
Where have I heard that one before?
Matt said
Hi guys, i found another site to watch AFL games live….Its not the best quality, but its better than nothing……. http://blindcast.googlepages.com/aflgame234
kiwineen said
Thank you so much for some tips on how to view the Grand Final…I was starting to get a bit panicky as my MIGHTY Saints are in to win! Enjoy the game via whatever….
fushnchupsblog said
Good luck next weekend then kiwineen. Can’t say I’m a huge Saints fan, but it’d be oh so sweet to see the Cats choke in another GF :-)
kiwineen said
Yeah well, the saints have had the chokes for many a year, this year tho??. Thanks and enjoy the game!!. ps: I love watching the ABs as well….why do so many people have such a prob with a ball game!
Squivy said
No one has much of a problem with any ball game played well …. found myself watching American Football the other day and enjoyed the game. Honed up on some rules, defensive vs offensive plays etc … all good.
Some earlier posters were serial misusers of this site and indeed it took several goes to rid of Truekiwijoker (or TKJ). The new comment system requires we leave an email address and Admin could no doubt contact direct. Misusers of various shapes and sizes seem to have naffed off fortunately.
BTW … Go the Saints in the GF!!
AFL Grand Final 2009 « Fush 'n' Chups said
[...] on Sky Sports 3, so you can catch it there. Failing that, there are live radio streams outlined in my previous post (this is surprisingly fun, easily the best time you can have drinking a coldie staring at your [...]
kiwineen said
Thanks everyone….hope you all enjoy “the game” tomorrow…sort of wish I was at the MCG again for the spectacle but hey, live stream is better than nothing ( don’t have Sky).
Go the Saints….cheers
snapso said
Found this while looking for somewhere to see the big match today. I’m a Kiwi who fell in love with AFL while living in Melbourne and used to get along to the Gee pretty much every weekend. I could never feel the same way about rugby – a slow, boring and skill-less game by comparison, but to each his or her own, that’s just my opinion.
I’ve missed not being able to see AFL live the past 12 years (I was living in the States prior to my moving back to NZ). Fox Sports would replay some games (edited for length) in the US, and was much less an expensive add on to a basic Comcast cable package than Sky Sports 3 is here.
What has made it easier for me has been the dire performance of my team (who will rise again under Jimmy Styne’s leadership) but now my second team the Saints is playing in the Finals again. Good to find somewhere where others have similarly strong feelings for the game, and to know there are places that are streaming it online.
Enjoy the Grand Final everyone!
Gatto Nero said
@Truekiwijoker
It might be a bit nit-picking, but I’m based in Canada (thinking of a move to NZ and am interested in AFL coverage), and we get 3 live games each week that the premiership season is on, and they are fairly-widely screened at pubs across the nation. Most are afternoon games in Australia that screen in the evenings (the day before) in Canada. I know that live AFL games are telecast into South Africa, the UK and USA too, having watched them in each. So it doesn’t seem to be asking much to be able to watch the sport on NZ television, when the two nations are so close and the time differences insignificant.