If sometime over the next 50/100 years the AFL was to expand internationally, which country do you think would be the most likely to have a team?

[juss]

It would easily be New Zealand as the most likely. We've already seen it work for other elite level sporting codes NRL, NBL, A-League, Super Rugby. It makes the most logistical and geographic sense too.

I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it would be NZ as the most likely if it ever did. And given other codes, its not out of the question one day.

 

[juss]

I do wonder if South Africa could be a market that could be opened up. Its already got the ovals

Their own league for sure, but not as an expansion to the AFL. Way too much of a logistical challenge for a team to compete weekly.

 

[Aussie in exile]

If was ever going to have a club in New Zealand it would have happened by now,
With all that's going on politically in South Africa that would be a no no.
Having worked in Indian 3 times, no thanks. The only reason i went back there was the money was very very good, but when ever i hear that Johnny Cash song "Ring of fire" it reminds me of India
I know people go to Goa for holidays, but trust me Goa isn't the real India.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

50-100 years, who knows what travel will be like in that time. Or the revenue sources.

If they got their security and economy sorted out, PNG would be high on the list. The game has had a solid presence there for quite a while. RL is clearly the national game, but Australian Football has a solid history.

NZ has the cricket grounds, even if small, but its hard to see the game gaining a foothold.

Maybe semi-pro league in other parts of the world are more likely than international expansion of the AFL (or its succesor). And they aren't very likely either. But in a century, anything except a Tasmanian team may be practical.

 

[The City Boyz]

Most likely to be places where cricket is played. The ground size and shape is not something that would happen otherwise, so:

NZ
S Africa
India
England
Pakistan
SL
WI

NZ the most likely of an unlikely lot.

Hahahahahaha how good would a West Indies team be

 

[terrybull]

Helsingborg Saints from Sweden. Colours are black, white, red and beige.
So not interfering with the now AFL Saints.
But St.Kilda need to change their logo though if we accept to join the league. Don’t want another Eddie-like situation..

 

[Mitchell Madness]

India. My sister in law is a TV actress over there, so I've taken a few Indians to the footy over the past few years. They love it. A few celebrity endorsements and the locals would attach

The US could be a market, however, I feel that Amy focus on that market should be on the regional/college areas

 

[kickazz]

mate if WA secedes, we're conquering the east and then setting up Kalgoorlie as the capital of Westralia. Our cheap slave labour will come from SA and our convicts to be sent to rot in Tasmania.

Is that before or after China invades?

 

[Power Raid]

Is that before or after China invades?

are you suggesting having canberra on our side would make a difference?

I dare say the US, russia and India's assistance will be the real difference

 

[kid_a]

1- PNG:
The country is very poor and lacks infrastructure, but if they manage to develop quickly you could certainly mount a case for PNG. The climate works against them though, however along with Nauru it is the only nation outside of Australia that has a genuine Aussie Rules following and culture, albeit someway behind Rugby League. The population is about 9,000,000 at the moment, and would only be expected to grow, which is more than enough to facilitate a side (granted many of the people live away from urban areas and in remote places, but still it has almost as many people as Sweden overall right now)

2- New Zealand
3- USA
4- Canada
5- China/Hong Kong

I would be extremely surprised if the league does ever induct a club from outside the country though.
The only two that are semi realistic are PNG(although so much depends on the countries future development) & NZ, and neither will be even an so much as thought until at least the late 2030's.

 

[madmug]

1- PNG:
The country is very poor and lacks infrastructure, but if they manage to develop quickly you could certainly mount a case for PNG. The climate works against them though, however along with Nauru it is the only nation outside of Australia that has a genuine Aussie Rules following and culture, albeit someway behind Rugby League. The population is about 9,000,000 at the moment, and would only be expected to grow, which is more than enough to facilitate a side (granted many of the people live away from urban areas and in remote places, but still it has almost as many people as Sweden overall right now.

2- New Zealand
3- USA
4- Canada
5- China/Hong Kong

I would be extremely surprised if the league does ever induct a club from outside the country though.
The only two that are semi realistic are PNG(although so much depends on the countries future development) & NZ, and neither will be even an so much as thought until at least the late 2030's.

If its 100 years then maybe jump the local que & bring in Moon united. Followed by the Mars Reds.

 

[Yojimbo]

Phillip Island, once they separate from Victoria and form a new country, Go Penguins.

 

[kickazz]

are you suggesting having canberra on our side would make a difference?

I dare say the US, russia and India's assistance will be the real difference

It's ANZUS not WAANZUS

 

[Aussie in exile]

1- PNG:
The country is very poor and lacks infrastructure, but if they manage to develop quickly you could certainly mount a case for PNG. The climate works against them though, however along with Nauru it is the only nation outside of Australia that has a genuine Aussie Rules following and culture, albeit someway behind Rugby League. The population is about 9,000,000 at the moment, and would only be expected to grow, which is more than enough to facilitate a side (granted many of the people live away from urban areas and in remote places, but still it has almost as many people as Sweden overall right now)

2- New Zealand
3- USA
4- Canada
5- China/Hong Kong

I would be extremely surprised if the league does ever induct a club from outside the country though.
The only two that are semi realistic are PNG(although so much depends on the countries future development) & NZ, and neither will be even an so much as thought until at least the late 2030's.

I would be amazed if there was ever a professional club outside of Australia. There is just not the interest outside of Australia to sustain a club and also no overseas government is going to give a AFL club the benefits they enjoy here without wanting something in return.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

China.

 

[threesixpio]

The West Indies except that’s not even a country

* !

 

[kid_a]

I would be amazed if there was ever a professional club outside of Australia. There is just not the interest outside of Australia to sustain a club and also no overseas government is going to give a AFL club the benefits they enjoy here without wanting something in return.

oh, I totally agree.
I was just making the list in the highly unlikely situation that international expansion would actually occur, more of a hypothetical than anything.

 

[Carringbush2010]

The West Indies except that’s not even a country

**** !

Jamaica mun!

 

[juss]

I would be amazed if there was ever a professional club outside of Australia. There is just not the interest outside of Australia to sustain a club and also no overseas government is going to give a AFL club the benefits they enjoy here without wanting something in return.

We think that in 2020, but there's factors over the next 50 years or so that could absolutely change or influence that.

1. The globalisation/digital consumption of entertainment, with more people having access to everything and this becoming more common, the AFL's exposure around the world will increase. This is only going to increase in time, sports I have access to now is light years ahead of what I could consume 15 years ago.

2. The reduced time/cost of travel. Technology improvements will absolutely be improving the speed and efficiency of travel, its only a matter of when. When this starts to eventuate in international travel, it will open up a lot more opportunities for this, and if the AFL had a logistical way of having reasonable travel times from countries like NZ-WA or SA-AUS, ASIA-AUS, we could see international opportunities.

Culturally and logistically though, its going to be NZ imo if its ever going to happen.

 

[queensberryrules]

Tasmania, then Sicily.

 

[Atomboy]

None. Until regular supersonic/hypersonic flights become a thing and you can get anywhere in the world in about 5-6 hours. Until then forget it. Perth - Brisbane or Gold Coast is about the longest flight practicable for regular home and away matches with only a 6 day recovery in between. Lots of people saying even that is stretching it. Can't see them going any further on a weekly basis.

Super rugby is split into conferences and teams spend half the season playing within their own country with just a handful of overseas trips. Plus I think theor season is only 16 (or 18?) games. not 22. There's no way the AFL can restructure into conferences like that without dropping the number of teams in Aus.

In other words, forget it.

I think the clubs will need to be more open minded and play away games in a more compressed manner in future.

Travel over to play a game in Perth on the Sunday, stay in town and then back it up the following Thursday/Friday night.

 

[mightymouse75]

Everybody will be into virtual reality.
No one will even play football.
And Melbourne will still have 10 teams

 

[terrybull]

Everybody will be into virtual reality.
No one will even play football.
And Melbourne will still have 10 teams

and the Grand Final will be played on an Apple Server for the next 100 years. Making it difficult for Interstate sides as only Victorian teams have the Apple server as home grounds.

West Coast and Fremantle share the Microsoft Server which make them hacks, while Port Adelaide and Adelaide play on the Linux server which makes them difficult to beat at home.

Brisbane play on the PlayStation while the Sydney teams run on Xbox.

Gold Coast however could only afford Amiga and forfeit most of their matches...

Tasmania still waiting for a license.

 

[kiwiswan]

A current snap shot of the game in NZ (as I see it...I don't work for AFLNZ, just an ex-pat that plays in Auckland):

AFL NZ is about to start it's 5th season of the AFL Premiership - a high performance/representative style competition with 4 x teams with players selected via a draft process.
Aimed at providing a higher level of competition to that of the regional based competitions. Some decent quality football and the standard of young players continues to grow. Involves some logistics in getting players based outside of Auckland to town for matches each week.

There is a national team and U/18 team. They have recently played an VFL/U18 squad and were comprehensively beaten so some work to do on that front.

Auckland: 6 x teams (4 of which get results but the others are improving) Mostly filled with off-season league, union and soccer players with a growing component of Aussie ex-pats.
Usually play a 10 match round robin season followed by semi's and a GF. Season starts in August thru to early December - after rugby and soccer finish up.
Only a couple of well maintained grounds but this is local footy i.e. no grandstands. The majority of grounds have a cricket pitch permanently fixed to the centre square...
If you're thinking something that could manage an AFL crowd; maybe Western Springs but the whole stadium debate in AKL is a constant s**t fight plus they're all square shaped.

Wellington: 4 x teams
I think they play each other 3 times (?) with a GF - not sure.
Spring competition with a few local grounds to keep them entertained.
Stadiums with AFL capacity - Sky Stadium (formerly Westpac Stadium) where the Saints played a few games.

Canterbury: 4 x teams
Again, I think they play each other 3 times then semi's and a GF.
Don't think there is a stadium the right shape to host anything AFL like...

Maybe in 25yrs...maybe...

 

[Mr.X]

Liechtenstein

Tax friendly and well located within Europe