Football Migration

Brisbane plays Melbourne tonight in a grand final of the football code that originated in Sydney (Rugby League). Yesterday Sydney played Perth in a football code which originated in Melbourne (Australian Rules). Is this the outcome of brilliant development programs and corporate sponsorship or just a result to be expected from twenty years of high levels of interstate migration? It's probably a mix of both, but relative to the crowd of over 90,000 at the MCG yesterday, the following interstate migration figures may astound you.

Over the twenty years to 2005, we estimate 475,000 people have moved from Victoria to NSW. Most of these will have taken their grassroots football allegiance with them (AFL). Over the same period we estimate 713,000 people have moved from the home of rugby league, NSW and Queensland, to Victoria. The average total interstate movement has been 340,000pa or about three times the level of net overseas migration to Australia.

The highest net interstate migration over this period has been for Queensland which had positive net movement in every year ranging from 17,000 in 1997-98 to 49,000 in 1992-93. The biggest loser over this period has been NSW with all years negative net movement ranging from 9,500 loss in 1986-87 to 37,900 loss in 1988-89.

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