AFL Exhibitions

[Silent Alarm]

Was just watching this, an infamous pre-season game at London's Oval. There's mention of a Vancouver game as well. So where were these International Challenge games played? And if you ran the AFL, how would you plot and international pre-season comp?

 

[Cmarsh]

Why would you want an international pre season comp? The odd exhibition game overseas once a year is plenty.

Even if you came up with an international pre season comp, the players would just treat it as a holiday, and not get any actual on-field benefit from it so they would not be properly ready for the H&A season.

 

[jbass002]

I'd put carlton and collingwood in Tehran and then hope Israel misses the nuclear bases

 

[stmookeyj]

There were international challenge matches played in cities like London, Vancouver, Miami, Toronto and Tokyo amongst others IIRC in the late 80's. Something like that would never happen again, the AFLPA would crack it just like they crack it over anything and everything.

 

[jethro11]

I'd put carlton and collingwood in Tehran and then hope Israel misses the nuclear bases

Make it a multi-sport tournament and chuck in Sunderland.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Were these games essentially full of fights and piss ups?

 

[jethro11]

Basically. The players just went over for a free trip, got smashed on the town and had a few punch-ups on the field.

 

[Gibbke]

The very first one, I think, was in 1986 between Carlton and Hawthorn in Japan. The promo showed Dipper with his face covered in blood, and it apparently was a smash hit over there in terms of popularity. The game was played in an indoor stadium with astroturf, and the players wore sandshoes...

The AFL Record yearbook had a list recently of all games ever played, if it doesn't still...

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Was just watching this, an infamous pre-season game at London's Oval. There's mention of a Vancouver game as well. So where were these International Challenge games played? And if you ran the AFL, how would you plot and international pre-season comp?

I think those exhibition games were post-season. Certainly in the early and mid 90s there were some games in the pre-season comp played overseas - New Zealand and South Africa that I recall. Freo had some link with Cape Town at the time.
To answer the question, I wpouldn't have an overseas competition; but having the first round of the pre-season comp overseas might work (other than the cost, it would be a big investment for probably no reward). Games played outside NZ and SE Asia could be played a week earlier than those in the region, so those with the long trip got a long break.
It would need to be the same cities every year, though not necessarily the same teams. And I would not use the tri-series stuff; but I wouldn't use that in Australia either.

 

[Freo Dr]

Exhibition games stilled played I thought, I know Freo last played in one in 2005 post season, thrashed the Eagles and Crowley got involved in a few dut ups - Luke Webster did his knee and ruined a very promising career

 

[andrew23]

List of all the international games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austra...l_exhibition_matches_played_outside_Australia

 

[Cwross]

Perhaps the AFL could bring NAB Cup games to London?

 

[The Dice Man]

I reckon the tigers would be a smash hit in the south of France. These guys are scared of a blowfly... C'mon AFL, Europe is in need of something different, Vlad is a modern emperor and western Europe has been devoid of fat egotistical homosexual emperors for quite a while.

Although the local soccer is more physical than the afl of recent times.

 

[The Dice Man]

Plus... 500ml cans of beer (8%)are available for under 2 Aussie dollars... All ingredients are there.

 

[bradrowe#32]

Collingwood 1988 World Champions!