Soccer - and Australia.

The Socceroos will be heading to South Africa and the World cup in 2010 - and this will have a stimulating effect on support for the game in Australia.

There was a peak in interest after the last World cup in Germany four years ago, but then that interest dwindled and it must be said that Soccer is decidedly the " third code " here - a long way behind Rugby and Australian Rules in popular support.

It's interesting to try and speculate why this is so. The original settlers were mainly from England and so it would be expected that Soccer would have been the code to establish here. It didn't - and Rugby became the game of New South Wales and Queensland, while a completely new game - Australian Rules - originated and took fanatical hold in the southern states.

Perhaps it has something to do with the Australian psyche. Soccer is hardly a contact sport - and the rules of play and system of team progression leave many people scratching their heads.

For instance. To qualify for the World cup the Socceroos played Qaatar - and the result was a nil all draw - but Australia won - and if it had not it would still have two other chances to qualify !

Rugby and Australian Rules games are decisive. There never has been a nil all draw. The result is plain to see - and it seems Aussies like a bit of " biffo " to liven things up.

At least the sports pages of newspapers now devote attention to Soccer - and that was not always the case in years past. Soccer is a good game - played on the world stage - and now that Australia is making a presence it is here to stay !

Maybe one day we will manage to sort out the weird rules that apply to the game !