An AFL game in London during the 2028 Ashes series

[Bjo187]

I found it interesting hearing Hutchie suggest that the AFL needs to be bolder and focus on growing the game, which I agree with (goodluck with Dillon and Drummond in charge). He floated a few ideas, including the notion of staging a game in London during the 2028 Ashes series. The parts that make some sense - there will already be thousands of Aussies travelling over, it falls during the typically dull middle part of the season, and it could give the competition a shot in the arm.

It wouldn’t necessarily attract new international fans, but like the Vegas experiment, it would generate huge hype and media back home. The Oval seems the only realistic venue for size and potential accessibility. Lord’s won’t allow any pitch damage at any time of year and with the time difference, an 11am start would be the best option for a 9pm broadcast on the east coast.

It’s definitely a bold idea, probably too bold for the AFL, but it is good to see people with the courage to throw something different out there, even if most people will call it a shit idea.

21 min 54:

 

[blueboy25]

What ground would they use?

Traditionally its been the Oval but not sure they would want a aussie rules game across their wicket when they have test match to host which is usually the 5th test.

 

[voorhees]

Would rather they spend that money on grass root footy then blow it on a British match.
But then again, it didn't stop them from playing in N.Z or China.

 

[Bjo187]

What ground would they use?

Traditionally its been the Oval but not sure they would want a aussie rules game across their wicket when they have test match to host which is usually the 5th test.

Yeah looking at the ground sizes only the oval and lords would work. From what I read the schedule of grounds often changes, so they'd need to flip the lords and oval tests to accommodate you'd think.

 

[Xtreme]

May as well copy the NRL (again) and go to Vegas...... and do another bad job of something the NRL does well.

 

[Bjo187]

May as well copy the NRL (again) and go to Vegas...... and do another bad job of something the NRL does well.

No venue to play at is the issue. I dunno if they could play at the Olympic stadium in L.A. but the capacity is too big. New York made a good cricket stadium for the 2024 world cup, but I think it got dismantled after, so not many options in the US or around the world for oval field sports.

 

[jim boy]

Hutchie suggest that the AFL needs to be bolder and focus on growing the game

why?

 

[Gough]

As much as it might pain the AFL and media nobody outside Australia really cares about footy and a game in front of a few curious Poms and a bunch of pissed up expats will do nothing to change that.

 

[blueboy25]

As much as it might pain the AFL and media nobody outside Australia really cares about footy and a game in front of a few curious Poms and a bunch of pissed up expats will do nothing to change that.

I was at the Dockers v Collingwood game at the oval in 2003 which was a great day full of pissed up expats.........only beaten by the Australia v New Zealand Champions trophy final in 2004 at the oval......it seemed every antipodean that lived in London had taken the day off work with the sole purpose of getting pissed at the cricket.

 

[Spirit Level]

No cricket ground will be available for it in June/July and you can't play at a football ground.

Not sure how they would do it

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The only game we’re likely to see internationally will be somewhere in the Middle East if they pay the AFL millions of dollars as some sort of sportswashing / influence thing.

Nobody else cares and they won’t pay for it.

The NRL in Vegas is a novelty that will end in a few years time having ultimately added nothing to the sport.

 

[Gough]

The only game we’re likely to see internationally will be somewhere in the Middle East if they pay the AFL millions of dollars as some sort of sportswashing / influence thing.

Nobody else cares and they won’t pay for it.

The NRL in Vegas is a novelty that will end in a few years time having ultimately added nothing to the sport.

Sounds like Hutchison angling for an AFL funded jolly up to Blighty during the cricket as much as anything else.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

No venue to play at is the issue. I dunno if they could play at the Olympic stadium in L.A. but the capacity is too big. New York made a good cricket stadium for the 2024 world cup, but I think it got dismantled after, so not many options in the US or around the world for oval field sports.

Theres an oval cricket venue in Dallas.

Small capacity though.

 

[Bjo187]

Theres an oval cricket venue in Dallas.

Small capacity though.

I did an a.i check on this and the only viable option seemed to be the rose bowl in L.A. Looking on the maps though it looks too small to me. Good location though, the other it mentioned was in Michigan but who wants to go there. Also L.A. is the obvious one coz it's closer and a tourist destination which you'd think is a requirement.

Rose bowl:



I just looked up your Dallas suggestion, that looks decent actually, grand prairie, only 7k capacity it looks more, but it can be bumped up to higher capacity. Dallas isn't as good as a tourist destination, but when I use to fly to the US regularly in the 2010s, they were doing direct flights there from Australia. It's close to the city.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

I did an a.i check on this and the only viable option seemed to be the rose bowl in L.A. Looking on the maps though it looks too small to me. Good location though, the other it mentioned was in Michigan but who wants to go there. Also L.A. is the obvious one coz it's closer and a tourist destination which you'd think is a requirement.

Rose bowl:

View attachment 2471497

I just looked up your Dallas suggestion, that looks decent actually, grand prairie, only 7k capacity it looks more, but it can be bumped up to higher capacity. Dallas isn't as good as a tourist destination, but when I use to fly to the US regularly in the 2010s, they were doing direct flights there from Australia. It's close to the city.

View attachment 2471498

Dallas is arguably a better sports city than LA, and Qantas fly direct from Sydney and Melbourne.

Obviously not as glamourous as LA or Vegas, but theres no viable options there.

 

[JPetro83]

No cricket ground will be available for it in June/July and you can't play at a football ground.

Not sure how they would do it

spend the $$ and turn the Olympic stadium in London back into a oval playing surface

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Yeah looking at the ground sizes only the oval and lords would work. From what I read the schedule of grounds often changes, so they'd need to flip the lords and oval tests to accommodate you'd think.

Between internationals, ciunty, blast and hundred, these grounds are used far more than Australian grounds are over what passes for summer. No chance of being allowed to tear up the centre square and leave the ground out of action for a month while pitches get evened out and grass grows again.

Probably only The Oval, traditionally the last in an Ashes series, would have the playing dimensions large enough for Australian Football, and then its doubtful it would be AFL size given the modern game. It would certainly be on the small side, despite being a large cricket playing surface by standfards other than Australia's.

Can one-off matches really do anything to grow the game? They get a couple of ex-pats and some people who do the trip once for the experience, but its hard to imagine they get any real interest; certainly sustanable interest; in a sport if there is not already interest there.

 

[kirky]

We ain’t the NFL so lets just not waste $$$ on what would be a junket for some.

 

[Billy ray]

play it here in the skyyyyyyyy

 

[Bjo187]

Can one-off matches really do anything to grow the game? They get a couple of ex-pats and some people who do the trip once for the experience, but its hard to imagine they get any real interest; certainly sustanable interest; in a sport if there is not already interest there.

I don't think it's for that they've realised now. I guarantee you Vegas would do nothing for Americans being interested in r.l, but it's the halo affect from the hype it generates back home, media exposure and tv ratings as to why this might be back on the table.

The AFL would know that Australia is too much of a small and irrelevant market internationally to get enough attention overseas to ever make a blip on the radar.

 

[GoldenMagpie16]

Don't give Saudi Arabia any ideas.

 

[Bjo187]

Don't give Saudi Arabia any ideas.

Actually just looking up Dubai has a few nice sized cricket stadiums around 20k capacity and Saudi is building a new one. Closer travel, tourist destinations, Saudi money to play there and bring in tourists, only issue is, I dunno if you're allowed to get on the piss over there.

 

[ioppolo]

Wasn't there a pre season game played in the UAE about 15 years ago?

 

[Tackle Bag]

Waste of time and money. It’s been done 20+ years ago. The NRL will soon realise it’s a waste of time too

 

[Kappa]

Waste of time and money. It’s been done 20+ years ago. The NRL will soon realise it’s a waste of time too

Think the NRL made a massive massive profit from their trip..?