1) We also play Rugby Union, Rugby League, and Australian Rules Football and watch it regularly.
2) We watch a lot of American television shows.
There is a general consciousness, however, that even though most people in Australia *probably* refer to it as 'soccer', that it is MEANT to be called 'football'; that it was 'football' before it was ever called soccer; that given the nature of the game, it is more deserving of the description 'foot-ball'; and that it is the most popular and widely played sport in the world - the World Game, if you like.
So I suppose it is for the sake of convenience more than anything else. Football is a strange phenomenon in Australia. EVERYBODY plays it casually - just for fun, in the park, with friends (in fact, I used to do this every Friday night with my friends for at least 5 years) - and most people I know, including myself, have played for a club as a child, but HARDLY ANYBODY watches it on television (although perhaps they would if it was put on a commercial channel) or plays it professionally. To my mind, Australia is very proud of its sporting heritage, especially in the domain of Rugby League, Union, Cricket, Aussie Rules, Tennis, and Swimming; but for some reason, we've never taken to football on a professional or national level. Perhaps it's because, until now, we haven't been good enough to get excited about it. But what has surprised me the most, is that for all our prominence in the other ball-sports, and for all our childhood involvement in the sport of football, our international football history is virtually non-existent. What's great now, though, is the grassroots excitement that is taking place right now for our current involvement in this year's World Cup. The Australian people are really proud and excited that we've even qualified for the first time, well, ever, and are really getting behind our team. Me and my friends will be getting together to watch the Socceroos take on Japan tonight, in fact. So hopefully the World Cup will boost our in interest in football on a national/professional level in the future.
Having lived in America for a month and a half, I have developed a respect for what American football is, but not for the same reason most Americans seem to. Strategy is where it's at in American Football, not brute strength. If you want brute strength, watch Australia take on South Africa, New Zealand or England in the Rugby Union, or watch Queensland face New South Wales in the Rugby League State of Origin. No padding, no helmets, no stoppage time, no forward passes, no offence/defence teams - you have 6 tackles to run and pass your way across 100 metres of grass. So yeah, American Football is all about the plays, and focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the offensive/defensive line, and that's what sets it apart from most games. But American Football also has the luxury of conferring between plays and protective gear. I watched it on TV a fair bit while I was in the US, especially the Seahawks games, as I was in Seattle during the Superbowl (they were cheated of 14 points and the Bowl, I believe). I even played it a few times while I was in America - and having played Rugby League so many times I was more worried about whether or not my tackles were legal than I was about getting hurt.