2006 Commonwealth Games update

[clarkey]

Received from Larry Sengstock, Group Manager - Sport, 2006 Commonwealth Games:

"At this time there has still not been a decision as to whether the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games will have provision for demonstration sports to be included in the program.

As our CEO John Harnden has eluded to in his last response, we will be in touch once we have finalised our planning and are in a position to make a decision on demonstration events."

 

[Peter P]

Well I hope the AFL are (I presume the IAFC are) doing everything possible from their end.

 

[Big Stinky Monk]

I wasn't aware that anyone was pushing to get aussie rules into the commonwealth games as a demo sport.

But given the timing, it would probably do more harm than good to the international game if it is part of the 2006 games. The International Cup is on in August 2005 - it has already been rumoured on this board that 2 teams may not be coming due to financial constraints. I know that some of the others have already been raising funds for the past year to get there. Asking them to turn around and come out again 7 months later is a pretty big ask. You may be running the risk of getting only 3-4 teams showing up for the cw games, which obviously would not be shining a good light on the state of the game overseas.

 

[VikingSven]

On the other hand, if the sport is a part of the commonwealth games, countries "may" yet get finances from their respective national sporting bodies to make the trip. They would probably stay in the athletes village and get around by bus, like in other sports.

This varies from country to country so who knows who can come until the sport is officially included & the leagues apply for grants from their national sporting organisations.

 

[cos789]

If my memory serves me right . AF was a demo sport at the Brisbane games with a contest between two AFL sides . If you're talkng true representation then there are ways . Two of the best teams NZ and PNG are neighbours .
Why not up the ante and say the top 2 number of teams (besides the former) will be invited to the games .With that highlight , there should be some funding from the AFL etc .

 

[Alphabet Man]

I wasn't aware that anyone was pushing to get aussie rules into the commonwealth games as a demo sport.

But given the timing, it would probably do more harm than good to the international game if it is part of the 2006 games. The International Cup is on in August 2005 - it has already been rumoured on this board that 2 teams may not be coming due to financial constraints. I know that some of the others have already been raising funds for the past year to get there. Asking them to turn around and come out again 7 months later is a pretty big ask. You may be running the risk of getting only 3-4 teams showing up for the cw games, which obviously would not be shining a good light on the state of the game overseas.

it woul be two teams, not every international country i believe. The USA can't play in it because they are not in the Commonwealth as with several other AF playing nations....what i would like to see is the best team from the IC2005 to play an joint Australian side (presuming the winner of the IC is a commonwealth country) but that will never happen cos it would be unfair on the other country as they aren't as proffesional as the AFL...

but what stops the AFL from playing the Wizard Cup Grand-Final as part of a demo sport to go on TV around the world?

 

[Goat]

That raises the issue of how much coverage demo sports get outside of the host country. I for one have no idea. I suspect it wouldn't go on TV overseas, but it might get some of the visitors and athletes watching. If other countries came to play, rather than just an AFL demo, then it would raise awareness in Oz of footy being played overseas. So it would be interesting to see where the main benefit is likely or hoped to be. Clarkey?

 

[PA HOG]

to go on TV around the world?

.....................................??..............................................

 

[gocats]

What about an All Stars clash or Victoria vs South Australia for the demonstration.

Would be huge.

 

[Goat]

State of Origin being revived has been discussed often, but the AFL don't seem keen. You'd want to include everyone. Actually the East vs West concept is really going well in the US, as a step between league level and internationals (doesn't it suck that everyone else gets to play internationals and we don't!). But I guess it wouldn't really work in Oz. Although I could see the SA and WA public getting behind a combined side. So if you took the eastern border of NT and SA as the dividing line, you'd get a fair split. Obviously as time goes by NSW and QLD will provide more top footballers, so them combined with Victoria and Tassie would be massive (even now the total population split would be about 4 million to 16 million, but not in footy numbers), but for now it could work. As a South Aussie, I reckon it'd be an exciting concept (Commonwealth Games or not).

 

[Bellicose]

You can't just pick the 2 grand finalists from the IC because there is a good chance at least one of them will be a non-commonwealth country. Just make it PNG vs NZ. Two close countries with a fair standard of play, both in the commonwealth. Possibly as a curtain raiser to a state of origin game. 2 AFL clubs is a bad idea, as if AR ever makes it to the stage where it is up for full consideration, there will be a precedent of commonwealth countries playing each other at the games.

 

[Alphabet Man]

any updates to the Commonwealth Games demo game? i hope it goes ahead