More International Exhibition matches?

[Sydneyfan]

I just had a look around the IAFC & USFooty websites, and am still astounded at how quickly Aussie Rules is starting to take off overseas these days! Seems everytime I visit these sites there's more leagues and clubs taking off somewhere.

With the AFL International Cup coming up next month, providing a great opportunity for players overseas to compete and further develop their skills, I think it'd be a good idea for the AFL to really start promoting the game further in the developing markets around the world. At the moment, Aussie Rules can draw on the talents of a 19 million population base, with further promotion in developing markets it could be forseeable than within a generation, the population base could at least double as overseas nations gradually produce players of AFL standard.

Games have been played in South Africa, New Zealand, and the US in the past as well as the semi-regular AFL Exhibition match in London.

I think it would be a good idea to further expand international exhibition matches overseas, having a similar set-up as the London exhibition matches where the match co-incides with the off-season holidays, further cash incentives could be provided if the players are reluctant to play.

You could have a 2 year rotation system where 8 teams each year play during the off-season with the other 8 playing the next year. For example: St.Kilda vs. Hawthorn in London, Brisbane vs. West Coast in Cape Town, Sydney vs. Melbourne in San Francisco, and Adelaide vs. Geelong in Copenhagen in 2003; and Essendon vs. Fremantle in Dublin, Port Adelaide vs. Kangaroos in Johannesburg, Richmond vs. Western Bulldogs in Wellington, and Collingwood vs. Carlton in New York in 2004, etc.

This would enable people with a previous interest in footy or curious newcomers to witness high quality footy, hopefully displaying the full range of skills and abilities involved in high level footy, and therefore recruiting more people overseas to develop an interest in Australian Football.

Aussie Rules is a very minor pasttime played by few overseas but it definitely is growing rapidly in popularity, the AFL has the opportunity to promote the sport as an alternative to established sports in overseas nations, having the game's top players playing in front of interested parties across the world, I see as beneficial to the league.

The benefits financially could be huge in terms of sponsorship, merchandising, advertising, etc. I believe it's a risk the AFL should at least give a go for a couple of years and see how it develops, it couldn't hurt to try and benefits could be enormous for the sport.


What do you reckon?

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Personally...

I would love to see it, but not unless it was ...say... in the middle of a break or pre-season.

My suggestion would be for a 3-week break to be held mid-season, with these games played in the 2nd week.

That gives clubs a full week to go over there and acclimatise, play, and recuperate before returning. I'd play all 16 clubs outside the country to. (so two games in England, Sth Africa, States, NZ).

The clubs concerned could associate themselves with local team/leagues, conduct coaching clinics, and (best of all as far as clubs concerned) they would make more money than if games were staged locally (as AFL would guarantee gate takings).

Perhaps they could be encouraged more towards the coaching/clinic/development side of things, if they were given a specific area to develop (ie same four teams in each country every year), and any players that they decided were good enough could be brought back to Australia on sporting scholarships, (for example on a rookie-list).

.................

Otherwise, it would have to be prior to the season starting.

 

[The Ewok]

Essendon are playing Richmond in London on October 13

 

[fabulousphil]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan
I just had a look around the IAFC & USFooty websites, and am still astounded at how quickly Aussie Rules is starting to take off overseas these days! Seems everytime I visit these sites there's more leagues and clubs taking off somewhere.

At the moment, Aussie Rules can draw on the talents of a 19 million population base, with further promotion in developing markets it could be forseeable than within a generation, the population base could at least double as overseas nations gradually produce players of AFL standard.


Aussie Rules is a very minor pasttime played by few overseas but it definitely is growing rapidly in popularity, the AFL has the opportunity to promote the sport as an alternative to established sports in overseas nations, having the game's top players playing in front of interested parties across the world, I see as beneficial to the league.

The benefits financially could be huge in terms of sponsorship, merchandising, advertising, etc. I believe it's a risk the AFL should at least give a go for a couple of years and see how it develops, it couldn't hurt to try and benefits could be enormous for the sport.


What do you reckon?

Interesting post Sydneyfan but there is a couple of points im keen to make

It is true in a numerical way that we can ( OZ) draw on the talents of 19million people but OZ in a football cultural sense is divided. ( somewhere in the riverina ) North of that invisible line Rugby tows the line -----South---- Aussie rules-----so in a way we can only draw on 10million or so.

Although these days the line is somewhat blurred it still exists


2. IMO the AFL as the keeper of the code should be doing everything in its powers to promote the code overseas, something they do not appear to be doing. As a fan, ex player and keen grass roots supporter of aussie rules it is something i demand the AFL do---not something they half heartedly, namby pamby, bumble their way through. There should be a comprehensive plan in place with a decent budget attached to implemeting it.

From memory there international budget is about 300k a year ------or about the wage of a half decent AFL footballer

 

[jim boy]

Having been to a couple of the matches in London, I can tell you that they are a joke. Much as I really loved going along to them and had a ball, they really only create interest in the aussie expat community there and really do nothing to promote the code to the locals.

The money spent on putting up these beerfest matches would be much better spent on other activities if you want to promote the code, such as coaching clinics, equipment subsidies etc.

 

[clucas91]

I would like to see it take off in Africa, they can jump high.

 

[Sydneyfan]

I can't see Aussie Rules becoming the most popular football code in any other country apart from Australia and Nauru (possibly also East Timor, some Pacific Island nations, and PNG in the long term), though I think that Aussie Rules could well become one of the more popular football codes in several countries.

In quite a lot of countries, Aussie Rules could realistically become quite a popular sport for some, albeit having low participation and spectator rates compared with the more popular sports (similar scenario to say hockey in Australia, a game played by quite a few people, though minor compared to other more popular sports in Australia).

I've thought of a list of countries where Aussie Rules could realistically become quite a popular sport in the future (20 - 40 years), and then a list of countries where Aussie Rules is likely to be played at some level, though dwarfed by other sports. Bear in mind, for this to happen the current interest in Aussie Rules worldwide would have to continue and the AFL or other organisations would have to assist in making the game more popular overseas.

Countries where footy could well take off

* Papua New Guinea (history of Aussie Rules, and long running comps. still exist)
* New Zealand (an alternative to Rugby, more physically demanding than soccer)
* South Africa (SA Government saw Aussie Rules as a good sport to promote to bring country together as opposed to Rugby - white dominated and soccer - Black dominated, promising signs it could become quite a popular sport)
* Denmark (surprisingly popular already in Denmark, strong - by overseas standards - league exists)
* USA (Internet has re-sparked interest in sport, growing rapidly, could be a realistic next step for former college Gridiron players or athletes)
* Ireland (strong connections already exist between Aussie rules and Gaelic footy, though faces a lot of competition from other codes - Gaelic footy, soccer and Rugby)
* Canada (Canadian league in existence for over a decade now, teams in Western Canada starting to emerge)
* UK (needs more work to promote the game outside of Aussie ex-pat community, though league has existed for over a decade now)
* Germany (league started several years back)
* Samoa (have sent local & junior side to Australia previously, seen as alternative to Rugby)

Countries where Aussie Rules is likely to be played but not have a significant presence - several of these countries already have leagues, though these leagues don't seem to be generating as much interest as in above nations

* France
* Italy
* Poland
* China
* Japan
* Singapore
* Malaysia
* Argentina
* Israel
* Sweden
* Morocco
* Senegal
* Fiji
* Tonga
* Russia
* India
plus several other countries

 

[OldLion]

The only way to increase the number of people participating in Aussie Rules is to increase the number of Australians and make the effort in schools.

I reckon the 'elite' players on the big $$$ should have it written into their contracts that they get out there and work with the kids rather than nightclubbing / loud mouthing / and generally acting the goose.

It's now being made mandatory for entrance into Heaven ( the after life / judgment thing rather than the bar ).

Forget the evangelical stuff - every country has its quirky game that reflects its culture. Go play something else if you want to represent Australia.

Why don't we poach a no-neck from RL - everyone else is doing it.

 

[Lockyer24]

Its a good little holiday and hit and giggle for the players and the ex-patriots overseas but I dont see it doing a tremendous amount of help for the development of the game overseas

Who says the game needs to be international anyways, the Poms would just sing all game and **** you off, and then wipe out half the city if they lose

 

[Sydneyfan]

The game's fine as it is and doesn't have to become international, though I think it would be great if it ever was to be played regularly overseas. Having international leagues, international matches, foreign players in AFL squads, would add a whole new dimension to Aussie Rules, and I believe the benefits would outweigh the negatives. Globalisation of business has been expanding in earnest in the last fifty years and globalisation of sport is now catching up, it can be argued that for Aussie Rules to continue to prosper it needs to develop new markets and expand existing ones.

The thing I love about soccer is the sheer popularity of the sport around the world, it's played on every corner of the world. Over half the world's population witnessed the Soccer World Cup last month, more than the Sydney Olympics.

Aussie Rules is never going to be as popular as soccer, and it's probably better that it doesn't. Though, I'd love to go overseas and see a game of footy at a high level between local teams, it'd be almost like home away from home.

 

[AFLTN]

Sneak peak at the jumpers for the US side which will play in Melbpourne in the International Cup
http://webframes2002.afl.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/graphic/009819ak.gif

And Nauru.
http://webframes2002.afl.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/graphic/002880ab.gif

 

[fabulousphil]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan
The game's fine as it is and doesn't have to become international, though I think it would be great if it ever was to be played regularly overseas. Having international leagues, international matches, foreign players in AFL squads, would add a whole new dimension to Aussie Rules, and I believe the benefits would outweigh the negatives. Globalisation of business has been expanding in earnest in the last fifty years and globalisation of sport is now catching up, it can be argued that for Aussie Rules to continue to prosper it needs to develop new markets and expand existing ones.

The thing I love about soccer is the sheer popularity of the sport around the world, it's played on every corner of the world. Over half the world's population witnessed the Soccer World Cup last month, more than the Sydney Olympics.

Aussie Rules is never going to be as popular as soccer, and it's probably better that it doesn't. Though, I'd love to go overseas and see a game of footy at a high level between local teams, it'd be almost like home away from home.

The AFL continually tells us that the game has never been healthier and in some ways it is ----crowds, membership, sponsorship, tv ratings etc etc etc , but this is at the highest level and doesnt take into account bush clubs folding, schools unable to field teams etc etc etc, so in a lot of ways the game is top heavy.

If the AFL was as badly run as say the NSL that would be in effect the demise of aussie rules as a major sport in not only OZ but in the world, soccer on the other hand can be run by a bunch of morons and still exist because of its world dominance as a sporting code and therein lies another reason for the AFL to have some sort of grounding in other countries.

It would only take a couple of bad years of attendances or bad TV ratings a corruption scandal or a few teams folding for the AFL to be bought back to the pack and the money to dry up----then what happens, do all the best players go overseas or play in OZ for a dozen coldies and a bistro meal.

I to would never expect AFL to become anywhere as big as soccer but hopefully as big as rugby or hockey which have fairly strong bases in quite a few countries.

Its Sydney or the bush i reckon for this great game of ours--- it must attempt to become a genuine global game or in time it will regress