New Zealand played in the 1908 Australian football Carnival, but since then the game has faded into obscurity , interest is becoming high again. Let us know.
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How soon New Zealand team and South African team
- Thread starter Port Adelaide 1870
- Start date
- Tagged users None
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Bloodstained Angel
Premiership Player
Australian Rules Football flourished in New Zealand in the years before 1914. New Zealand sides were regular participants in the All-Australian Carnivals in those years, even winning one in 1904, I think.
Like so much else that happened in those days, the First World War effectively put a stop to development of the game over there, all the players enlisted and most of them were killed or horribly injured in the fighting.
It may interest some of you to know that as a proportion of total men enlisted, New Zealand suffered far greater casualties in WWI than any other combatent.
Like so much else that happened in those days, the First World War effectively put a stop to development of the game over there, all the players enlisted and most of them were killed or horribly injured in the fighting.
It may interest some of you to know that as a proportion of total men enlisted, New Zealand suffered far greater casualties in WWI than any other combatent.
Bloodstained Angel
Premiership Player
Just to follow up, check out the current situation with NZ Footy at http://www.nzafl.co.nz
worth a look, the game has come on in leaps and bounds there in the last few years.
Also stay tuned for a post I am currently working on all about footy in NZ, a personal perspective from yours truly, a born and bred New Zealander who fell in love with the game when he first laid eyes on it, all those years ago...
worth a look, the game has come on in leaps and bounds there in the last few years.
Also stay tuned for a post I am currently working on all about footy in NZ, a personal perspective from yours truly, a born and bred New Zealander who fell in love with the game when he first laid eyes on it, all those years ago...
R
Roylion
Guest
I'd be more inclined to say that the first internationals in Australian Rules Football will be played between Australia, NZ and/or South Africa, where the best is picked from their national competitions. New Zealand is a possibility for an AFL side I suppose, as flying to Melbourne would be similar in distance to flying from Perth to Melbourne. Perhaps NZ would be better off developing it's own national competition. What's your opinion BSA?
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Bloodstained Angel
Premiership Player
Thanks Roylion
The game is just not strong enough in either NZ or South Africa to be able to field competitive sides at AFl level.
Its only since Cable TV and Internet has come along that the game has even had any kind of exposure in these countries. At the moment participation levels in the sport are tiny (but growing).
NZ actually has three different leagues of AFL and they have all developed along regional / provincial lines, much like the history of the VFL, WAFL, and SANFL - NZ has seperate leagues in Auckland (4 teams), Wellington (4 teams) and Christchurch (4 teams). Over and above these local leagues you could draw a National team together but the standard would be way short of AFL level.
Maybe a New Zealand team could play in the SFL or QSFL ? - Seriously, thats about the standard of New Zealand footy at the moment.
But look guys, you have to walk before you can run and NZ footy has taken some pretty huge steps in recent years. Player registrations are doubling every year. The code is on the School sports curriculums (a HUGE development), the brand spanking new state of the art stadium has been built in Wellington that is oval-shaped, and the AFl is keen to play games there.
I think the AFL has it about right with developing the game in NZ, the pre-season games are well attended, the next step is to encourage two AFL clubs to play a game for Prem. points there every year. If that works out well then we could proceed to the next level which is getting a New Zealand team into the SFL and getting a New Zealand team playing in All-Australian Carnivals etc.
When I lived in NZ during the 1970's the game was virually unheard of, now it is on the TV, on Cable, on the Internet, its being played and watched by ever increasing amounts of people over ther, the growth of interest in the game has been spectacular recently, BUT there is much. much work to do before NZ footy gets anywhere near AFL standard.
The game is just not strong enough in either NZ or South Africa to be able to field competitive sides at AFl level.
Its only since Cable TV and Internet has come along that the game has even had any kind of exposure in these countries. At the moment participation levels in the sport are tiny (but growing).
NZ actually has three different leagues of AFL and they have all developed along regional / provincial lines, much like the history of the VFL, WAFL, and SANFL - NZ has seperate leagues in Auckland (4 teams), Wellington (4 teams) and Christchurch (4 teams). Over and above these local leagues you could draw a National team together but the standard would be way short of AFL level.
Maybe a New Zealand team could play in the SFL or QSFL ? - Seriously, thats about the standard of New Zealand footy at the moment.
But look guys, you have to walk before you can run and NZ footy has taken some pretty huge steps in recent years. Player registrations are doubling every year. The code is on the School sports curriculums (a HUGE development), the brand spanking new state of the art stadium has been built in Wellington that is oval-shaped, and the AFl is keen to play games there.
I think the AFL has it about right with developing the game in NZ, the pre-season games are well attended, the next step is to encourage two AFL clubs to play a game for Prem. points there every year. If that works out well then we could proceed to the next level which is getting a New Zealand team into the SFL and getting a New Zealand team playing in All-Australian Carnivals etc.
When I lived in NZ during the 1970's the game was virually unheard of, now it is on the TV, on Cable, on the Internet, its being played and watched by ever increasing amounts of people over ther, the growth of interest in the game has been spectacular recently, BUT there is much. much work to do before NZ footy gets anywhere near AFL standard.
The Kiwis won TWO games in the 1908 carnival, against NSW and QLD.
Check out:
http://www.iafc.org.au
http://www.iafc.org.au
Bloodstained Angel
Premiership Player
The AFL has just announced that another Ansett Cup game will be played in New Zealand next year between Sydney and Geelong at Wellington.
Great news - but the AFL should think seriously about scheduling Richmond to play in Wellington. They share the same yellow and black colours and, because of this, Richmond are a well supported club in that city
Geelong would go down a treat in Auckland because the Auckland Rugby side also wear navy and white hoops.
just a thought, but good news for the game in Kiwiland.
Great news - but the AFL should think seriously about scheduling Richmond to play in Wellington. They share the same yellow and black colours and, because of this, Richmond are a well supported club in that city
Geelong would go down a treat in Auckland because the Auckland Rugby side also wear navy and white hoops.
just a thought, but good news for the game in Kiwiland.
P
Pessimistic
Guest
Good to see they have got the Hawks v Tigers in Launceston.
While some games will draw poorly in Tassie a recent Hawks Tigers Practice game drew some 15,000 in Hobart. Could be because of the great tasmanians who played/still play for those teams
Carlton would be a crowd puller too but need as many games as possible at optus to cover their debt.
I might even pop down there myself -but no signs of cheap fares to tassie yet !
While some games will draw poorly in Tassie a recent Hawks Tigers Practice game drew some 15,000 in Hobart. Could be because of the great tasmanians who played/still play for those teams
Carlton would be a crowd puller too but need as many games as possible at optus to cover their debt.
I might even pop down there myself -but no signs of cheap fares to tassie yet !
dons_r_tops
Team Captain
THE VFL Would Be The only league with enough funds to support a NZ side otherthan the AFL but if big brother was underwriting the teams airfares to NZ and Back they night have a chance at the QAFL, SFL just isn't an option it's still completely amateur just look at that rule where teams playing against Swans Ressies get to field 19 players
