AusLeisure

Rugby union and rugby league are set to lose out AFL and football in the next 20 years, as the round ball game benefits from its global appeal and AFL Australian capitalises on being uniquely Australian, with no equivalent competition or rival anywhere else in the world.

This battle between codes will focus on Queensland which will take over from Melbourne as the epicentre of football in Australia before 2040.

These are the findings from the articles Football Wars; by Victoria University sport academics Bob Stewart, Geoff Dickson and Aaron Smith; as published in the January/February 2008 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

The article, based on the recently published book The Games are Not the Same looks at the future of Australia's football codes.

The article is extremely timely given current moves by the AFL to position clubs in west Sydney and the Gold Coast over the following five years - a clear indication of the demographic pressures being placed on the football codes.

For details see the latest issue of issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

The Games are Not the Same; ISBN 9780522853667 is published by Melbourne University Press.

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