Footy in China

TWLS

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Nothing has changed. Port said it was no longer an issue, which it wasn't to anyone but Port.
That is not correct.
The previous Suns admin were unhappy about the jumper colour issues and the previous Coach Rodney Eade was not really on board with the whole deal.
 

jatz14

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The Suns now taking a much more pragmatic approach with their Jumper Colour issues in China.(Same colours as the Chinese Flag)
Their new managment would have realised it is in their best interests to co-operate with Port over this fixture, and are hoping to get more Suns fans up to the game, which is a traditional Saturday fixture.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-10-24/china-guernsey-stoush-not-an-issue-for-power
Port being pragmatic this time. They over thought it, and feared Chinese people siding with GC due to the colours. This was always a silly view, as if Chinese people couldn't see that the jumpers of Australian football clubs had nothing to do with Chinese nationalism. Said bias failed to materialise, and so this year they do not care, and are leaving the Suns jumper to the Suns.
 

TWLS

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Port being pragmatic this time. They over thought it, and feared Chinese people siding with GC due to the colours. This was always a silly view, as if Chinese people couldn't see that the jumpers of Australian football clubs had nothing to do with Chinese nationalism. Said bias failed to materialise, and so this year they do not care, and are leaving the Suns jumper to the Suns.
I stand corrected.
 
Port being pragmatic this time. They over thought it, and feared Chinese people siding with GC due to the colours. This was always a silly view, as if Chinese people couldn't see that the jumpers of Australian football clubs had nothing to do with Chinese nationalism. Said bias failed to materialise, and so this year they do not care, and are leaving the Suns jumper to the Suns.
Koch got some feed back that a couple of Chinese business people who didn't think it was a good idea if the opposition wore Chinese colours. It wasn't a worry about Chinese fans who might watch the game but business reaction. The club was advised by Port's China advisory team in Hong Kong to not worry about it. Koch then stupidly went overboard on this for 3 or 4 months.

CEO Keith Thomas was on radio on Sportsday SA a few hours after the Shanghai 2018 announcement talking China and other Port stuff. This 1 minute audio is about the guernsey issue. KT on China and the guernsey issue - "We made a bit of a dick of ourselves" re digging in about the guernsey before Shanghai game, then saw the experience and saw it was nothing to worry about it and now "it hasn't even really come up."

https://omny.fm/shows/sportsday-sa/keith-thomas
 

TWLS

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The headline/byline below says it all - Does it mean that the Crows will now dip their toe into the Chinese footy market.
Their cross town rivals - Port - will be looking on with much interest we would imagine.
China Southern Airlines, the world’s fourth-largest airline and the biggest in Asia, will be positioned just below Toyota as a Crows’ premium sponsor.
Source - Adelaide Advertiser .
 

TWLS

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Extracted these comments from an SBS Article sourced from AAP.
These are the first attributes from AFL House we have seen that link the growth in China to the Shanghai matches.

Dillon said international participation had also enjoyed an increase of 25.19 per cent in 2017.
"Internationally we have now reached a record high (170,744) number of participants, with our first AFL premiership match played in Shanghai having an impact in China," he said.
 

TWLS

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Without an adjective or qualification that statement is meaningless.
e.g. small, large, huge. On clubs, participation, ratings, sponsors or viewers ?
Yes I was going to put that stuff as well, however Mr Dillon is the usual AFL front man and it aint going to change.
 

TWLS

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This article covers a wide ranging interview on China with Andrew Hunter from the Port Adelaide Club, who is driving that clubs efforts in China.
Andrew Hunter and the Port Club are determined to develop our game up there, and are exploring many possible future avenues to achieve that.
Some Topics covered - Womens footy, Womens Cricket, International AFLX, Olympics and so on.

http://www.bullpen.com.au/andrew-hu...n-exhibition-sport-at-the-next-home-olympics/
Article Courtesy/Source -Port Adelaide Power.

The Ports China program in Shanghai envisions in lifting the Schools program from the current 15 schools to 50 schools in 2018, which would then include 100,000 school children. That exercise will be considerable to say the least.
 

TWLS

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Here is the latest news on Ports China Project.
This deal locks in the Shanghai match for 3 years with the AFL, and also the main Chinese backer Mr Gui has committed to a further 5 years from this year.
It appears that their Port Power Schools program although not in the article is also expanding.
The Victorian Government on the front foot with their financial support of the AFL St Kilda club.
Also the AFL has formed a Dept this year to cover China and India and is headed by David Stevenson who will liase with Port on their project.
There are rumours that AFL House may in the future set up a office up there. May just be rumours though.
Further to the above there will be involvement again from AFL Asia and local Chinese teams at the above matches.
Do the above matches form a tipping point from an International Footy expansion point of view in regards to the AFL`s previous very conservative attitude to the overseas game.

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-10-25/shanghai-2019-game-announced


We should also add David Stevenson visited India in March this year with reps from 4 AFL Clubs to arrange exhibition games up there sometime in the future.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-07/four-clubs-off-to-india-as-afl-eyes-staging-game
 
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The game will be on a Sunday and like in 2017 the day before will have an AFL Asia tournament. In 2017 it was a modified game version and last year the game was on Saturday arvo and on the Sunday was the AFLX tournament by AFL Asia sides.

2017 they had the tournament at an international school, this year it was at Jiangwan Stadium. Not sure if the AFL will let games be played on Saturday before the main AFL game.

I expect like 2017 and 2018 we will get a 2 x 20 minute half Team China v AFL Asian Lions game after the AFL game.
 
Here is the latest news on Ports China Project.
This deal locks in the Shanghai match for 3 years with the AFL, and also the main Chinese backer Mr Gui has committed to a further 5 years from this year.
It appears that their Port Power Schools program although not in the article is also expanding.
The Victorian Government on the front foot with their financial support of the AFL St Kilda club.
Also the AFL has formed a Dept this year to cover China and India and is headed by David Stevenson who will liase with Port on their project.
There are rumours that AFL House may in the future set up a office up there. May just be rumours though.
Further to the above there will be involvement again from AFL Asia and local Chinese teams at the above matches.
Do the above matches form a tipping point from an International Footy expansion point of view in regards to the AFL`s previous very conservative attitude to the overseas game.
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-10-25/shanghai-2019-game-announced

We should also add David Stevenson visited India in March this year with reps from 4 AFL Clubs to arrange exhibition games up there sometime in the future.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-07/four-clubs-off-to-india-as-afl-eyes-staging-game

Not sure if I gave you this link in the thread on the Port board but this was an announcement made in August. Before the game in May a new partnership around education saw 100 kids involved in the Power Footy Programs coming to Adelaide to check out Adelaide Uni courses.

Port's Power Footy expansion
portadelaidefc.com.au August 24, 2018 10:55 AM

MORE students in China will learn about Australian Rules football and be exposed to Australian culture thanks to a partnership between the Port Adelaide Football Club and the Federal Government – and South Australia will be the beneficiary. The expansion is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-China Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In its third year in 2018, around 4,000 students from 21 schools participated in the Power Footy program. The program is designed to introduce students Australia and its culture through its most popular sport, Australian Rules football. It uses sport to encourage cultural exchange and promotes a healthy, active lifestyle through the use fun, engaging and challenging games. There is also a digital component, with participants learning about Australian culture through short videos shown on Wechat.

In 2019, the program will expand to two new provinces – Zhejiang as well as Sichuan - and involve at least 30 schools. This expansion holds great commercial potential, with PAFC to announce private sector support for the program in the coming weeks. It also holds great economic potential for South Australia.

In early August, a significant Chinese company that supports the Power Footy program travelled to South Australia and met with the University of Adelaide, with discussions now underway to send 100 Power Footy graduates each year to the university, creating around 29 jobs in South Australia and attracting a $13 million-dollar boost to the state’s economy.

Under the three-year agreement to expand the program in China, the Commonwealth Government, through its Australia China Council, will provide $60,000 to complement private sector support to expand Power Footy into Sichuan. Port Adelaide Football Club General Manager – China Engagement Andrew Hunter thanked the Government for its generous support, while also praising the University of Adelaide for its contribution........

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-08-24/ports-power-footy-expansion

This was the announcement a couple of days before the game in May of these tours.

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-05-18/power-footy-programs-in-china
PORT ADELAIDE today announced with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall two exciting initiatives to its evolving Power Footy program in China.

Premier Marshall launched an exciting extension to the current program with the announcement of Power Footy Study Tours. The Power Footy Study Tours program, with the support of the University of Adelaide and Australian Nutrition and Sports (ANS), will combine sport, education and tourism to build a bridge for students from Australia and China to connect. The first study tour in this program will take place in July and will combine familiarity tours of the University of Adelaide, English-immersion classes and an experience watching Port Adelaide play at the Adelaide Oval, against Greater Western Sydney.

The Power Footy program, which is also supported by Study Adelaide and is already in 21 schools across China, uses sport to encourage cultural exchange. Port Adelaide aspires to expand the program to 100 schools in China by 2020, the 150thanniversary of the club.

Premier Marshall also today announced at Shanghai’s Bile Middle School, the first school to adopt the Power Footy program in 2016, ANS as a supporting partner of the program. ANS, who have a range of health products, from infant formula to protein supplements, have quickly established their presence in the Chinese market.......
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-05-18/power-footy-programs-in-china
 

TWLS

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Thanks for the info and links REH.
Having certainty for another 3 years from the AFL is a huge boost for everybody.
Probably it will take 10 years I think to solidly establish the game and raise its low profile because we are not promoting a high profile sport like Soccer Football.
What is very positive is that the project does not exclusively involve footy it does involve other areas which fit in such as schooling, commercial, culture etc.
I cannot get my head around the possible potential participation numbers involved - It is mind boggling, however your Club is doing it the right way from the ground up and developing the game stage by stage.
I reckon AFL Asia would be very pleased with your program with the publicity it will generate for them, and their affiliated Chinese footy leagues, and is a win for everybody.
 

TWLS

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More news on Ports China Project and the AFL.
Apparently the AFL has put more resources into their China Dept - It has at least four people on board and the push is on to set up an office up there, and that will be very likely we would think.
There are now several articles on China on the Saints website.
http://www.saints.com.au/
Off topic but related - The Vic Govt is now talking about possible Womens matches up there in the future.
 
A new 5 year MOU has been signed by Mr Gui and the AFL to promote footy in China. In May the day before the game in Shanghai Mr Gui signed a MOU with Port for 5 years to fund the game in Shanghai.
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-05-18/port-extends-partnership-with-shanghai-cred

On Sunday at the Australian Consulate in Shanghai the MOU was signed by David Stevenson the AFL's GM China and India, Products and innovation, Mr Gui of Shanghai CRED and Port CEO Keith Thomas. Behind them is Federal Minster for Trade and Investment Simon Birmingham, Australian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China Jan Adams and the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai Graeme Meehan.

On Monday and the last few days Port and the AFL had a booth at the China International Import Expo
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-11-06/port-adelaide-attends-ciie
THE PORT ADELAIDE Football Club is taking part in the largest business and trade exhibition the world has ever seen as part of a 200-strong Australian delegation. Port Adelaide is hosting a display at the China International Import Exhibition (CIIE) in Shanghai this week. The exhibition is expected to attract 180,000 people each day and is being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre, which is the world’s single block building and exhibition complex. To get an understanding of the sheer scale of the place, its exhibition hall is around 35,000 square metres, compared with about 10,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The CIIE is one of President Xi's top four foreign policy events for 2018 and features exhibits from 66 countries.........
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-11-06/port-adelaide-attends-ciie

So not just a five-year extension to Port's partnership with Mr. Gui, announced in May, now a five-year deal in the making between the AFL (with PAFC as partner) and Mr. Gui to expand Australian Football in China. This means healthy funding for Port's Power Footy Programme across China.














 
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TWLS

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Well things are starting to get serious up there with the AFL Admin now supporting Port up there and seperately with Mr Gui the Chinese business man on board for 5 years.
I have been a critic of the AFL and their International Footy attitudes for many years however it appears they are now changing their position with regards to Footy in China. When you think about it they just had to get involved.
The Port Power Schools program was aiming for eventually 100,000 School Children participation under their previous/current program which will likely be enhanced with the above deal.
With that many players a comprehensive support structure will need to be in place all the way through to eventually Seniors based on the 10 year Auskick experience in Australia -Taking boys and girls from 5/6 years to 16 years.
That structure will be a big challenge for all concerned but I think it will be accepted, and it will create jobs and other opportunities up there.
 

TWLS

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Port Adelaide and the AFL utilising Virtual Reality at an major Trade Exhibition up there, and it attracted interest from the business people who attended their stand.
The article below from a Chinese Newspaper discusses this move and other aspects of the Port Clubs foray up there, with a heap of linked articles as well.
This article courtesy of the Port Adelaide Big Footy China topic.

https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sp...-sets-shanghai-expo-abuzz-virtual-reality-fan
 

TWLS

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The recent 2018 AFL participation highlights report broke new ground in our opinion.
It mentioned the participation numbers in China for 2017 and 2018, and was the only country individually mentioned under International Participation.
Without being too cynical it is likely to be because the AFL has set up a staffed Dept for China in Melbourne, and is co-promoting the Annual Shanghai match with Port.
As quoted from the report.
Chinese figures grew from 2200 in 2017 to 3354 last year.

We now have some numbers above to go with the figures released by the AFL Port Adelaide Footy Club last August.
2016 - Commenced with 15 schools.
2018 - About 4000 students in 21 schools.
2019 - Planning for at least 30 schools including expansion to two more provinces.
(Thanks to REB)
 
The recent 2018 AFL participation highlights report broke new ground in our opinion.
It mentioned the participation numbers in China for 2017 and 2018, and was the only country individually mentioned under International Participation.
Without being too cynical it is likely to be because the AFL has set up a staffed Dept for China in Melbourne, and is co-promoting the Annual Shanghai match with Port.
As quoted from the report.
Chinese figures grew from 2200 in 2017 to 3354 last year.

We now have some numbers above to go with the figures released by the AFL Port Adelaide Footy Club last August.
2016 - Commenced with 15 schools.
2018 - About 4000 students in 21 schools.
2019 - Planning for at least 30 schools including expansion to two more provinces.
(Thanks to REB)
I appreciate your incursion on this thread ... but you are quoting propaganda.
 

TWLS

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Well that is another way of looking at it.
I have been following International Footy from afar since 2000 and any growth occurring I am happy to report it, and I did express some cynicism about the China figure being released.
 
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