We need to focus on expanding into Asia asap!

[Hawthorn United]

Its the best chance we have of getting an EA AFL footy game..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_(video_game_series)

I still have the EA version. I'll take a pic tomorrow.

I played FIFA 98 and also AFL98 and the standard was vastly different. Felt it was 2-3 years behind. Commentary was not as smooth and graphics terrible in comparison.

There will never be a huge investment into creating an AFL game as the market is too small.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[mightymouse75]

Bali would be a good place to start. Followed by png.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Asian countries won't be the least bit interested. They love their soccer and NBA and Aussie Rules will never be anything other than a novelty they'd go to once or twice a year. I'm also having a laugh at Aussie Rules being played during the monsoon season. Good luck.

It will be the equivalent of Vegemite. Aussies love it because we have grown up with it, but other countries will think it's awful.

 

[Hawthorn United]

AFL fans in Australia are confused with what the rules are, how are you going to adequately explain the rules during a game when a contradicting incident will happen 5 minutes later?

Also, previous attempts at expanding into foreign western territories have not done anything so how will the Eastern world adopt it?

We already have that International Cup where Japan is involved and has been running for over a decade, yet that hasn't made any inroads into the general public being aware of the game.

If the average AFL can't fit in another sport/team then neither will they. It'll be at best, a passing interest.

 

[NoobPie]

AFL fans in Australia are confused with what the rules are, how are you going to adequately explain the rules during a game when a contradicting incident will happen 5 minutes later?

Also, previous attempts at expanding into foreign western territories have not done anything so how will the Eastern world adopt it?

We already have that International Cup where Japan is involved and has been running for over a decade, yet that hasn't made any inroads into the general public being aware of the game.

If the average AFL can't fit in another sport/team then neither will they. It'll be at best, a passing interest.

I'm certainly not supporting the AFL expanding (ie creating AFL teams into asia) but people seem to miss the point with increasing interest / awareness internationally. It is highly unlikely that it will ever have any significant profile in any country outside of Australia. Point is, if it grows enough niche pockets here and there it becomes a commercially viable option for global sporting media. If 1 in a thousand people gave a toss globally you have doubled you level of interest.

At a participation level, the teams competing in the International Cup is nascent stuff. The general public in Australia is barely aware its on so why would the general public in Japan, they have ten teams there?

 

[peppy la pew]

WTF, when do we play at Bankstown ?, the HTB is a better place for you, come out when you actually start following the footy.

" we " ?

You've listed Collingwood as your team this time around phil

Too many alias's and you can't keep track

 

[NoobPie]

" we " ?

You've listed Collingwood as your team this time around phil

Too many alias's and you can't keep track

He was presumably referring to the game as "we" in the way you presumably were too...

Until we get over 7500 bums on seats regularly in Bankstown what is the point of grandiose thoughts of promoting a game that isn't even the clear no 1 sport in Australia elsewhere ?

 

[Purple Suit]

View attachment 310153

The first and still the best AFL game. They just need to remaster it.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Until we get over 7500 bums on seats regularly in Bankstown what is the point of grandiose thoughts of promoting a game that isn't even the clear no 1 sport in Australia elsewhere ?

Obviously confusing Bankstown with Blacktown - But they don't play there either, bit confused aren't ya ?

 

[Pessimistic]

Adapting the apparent impending success of the womens competition to the AFL world cup would be a start. AFL has said it wants year round TV presence and this is one product which could be adapted.

Some of the women in the upcoming comp will have limited afl playing backgrounds

 

[Saint]

Was in Thailand a few months ago and on one of the hotel channels they had the chook fights. The ring was surrounded by middle aged chain smoking Asian men. Maybe the AFL can put on the chook fights as half time entertainment next season to generate some interest in Asia. I think this idea has some merit.

I don't know if it's the same chook fighting I was watching in Borneo, but I liked the fact the ringside sponsor was Pizza Hut. All that chicken tearing chicken apart made me hungry.

 

[randyzany]

So we love our game but in the greater scheme of things we an are quaint domestic game invented in a country which is often struggling for relevance on the world stage. We are pushing into Australian markets that may eventually reap the code a few million more viewers and thousands of supporters but this is all small fry in the real scheme of things. I do not feel it is ambitious enough to really grow our game.

Imagine if we were able to claim a passing interest or minority share of media exposure in countries such as China or India? Even if 1% of the people of these countries became regular viewers of our great game, we are talking millions of people. India has the cricket grounds that could easily be used too.

We have flirted with South Africa but it is just too far away presently in play home and away games at while Asia is relatively close. New Zealand is too small.

I understand that the risk is great and the AFL playing a home and away game in China this year is a good first step but we need to do more and we need to do it before soccer monopolizes the market. We need a team to link themselves to the country, like Hawthorn & North do in Tasmania, and most importantly media exposure which takes money. A local player would be a god send.

This is where I feel the AFL should be directing their future fund rather than other markets such as Sydney or Gold Coast. The rewards are just too great to ignore.

If footy ever becomes popular in another country (and that's a big if) with a significantly larger population than Australia then we'd be in the identical situation that currently prevents soccer from becoming the premier code in this country.

The A league is nothing but a 3rd tier feeder league for much bigger wealthier leagues in Europe and Asia. And that's the fate that awaits the Australian Football League if footy somehow increases in popularity in another larger country. Personally I don't find the possibility of just watching VFL/state footy standard footballers playing for Geelong all that appealing.

Now if Australia had the population of the US than it'd be a different story but since we don't I'm fine with how things currently are.

 

[Purple Suit]

The AFL has a few major hurdles ever becoming big enough in another country.

• Ground size - been covered already.
• Number of players for a game - 44 is the biggest number of any team sport I can think of.
• Saturated market. Every country already has sport, good luck pushing their favourite one out without media help. Some sports like cricket are even adapting their current product to fill in the market gaps in India.
• Game time - 3 hours is very long in this modern time as it generally takes 5 hours to go to or play a game.

I see these as insurmountable as a country as big as the US has only managed to get basketball off the ground in a big way (I think mainly due to team/ground size). NFL would be one of the closest games to AFL in terms of complexity to learn and that has gone now where else.

The AFL likes to follow the US so much, they should learn a lesson and not waste anymore on international ground roots stuff.

 

[peppy la pew]

Obviously confusing Bankstown with Blacktown - But they don't play there either, bit confused aren't ya ?

Argh, yes I meant Blacktown of course. Wrong side of the M4, but as you know it was a cheap pun

True, it's hard work keeping up with you and your personalities

 

[Chief]

Start an Asian league with proper support and funding.

Even a niche sport in Asia would eclipse the AFL in Australia. It should happen.

The AFLW should probably have included a team from an Asian country.

 

[peppy la pew]

Do they have a Sunday league type ex-pats comp or similar over there ?

 

[Mofra]

The AFLW should probably have included a team from an Asian country.

I hear Hawaii is nice...

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Do Asians care about sport particularly much?

 

[NoobPie]

If footy ever becomes popular in another country (and that's a big if) with a significantly larger population than Australia then we'd be in the identical situation that currently prevents soccer from becoming the premier code in this country.

The A league is nothing but a 3rd tier feeder league for much bigger wealthier leagues in Europe and Asia. And that's the fate that awaits the Australian Football League if footy somehow increases in popularity in another larger country. Personally I don't find the possibility of just watching VFL/state footy standard footballers playing for Geelong all that appealing.

Now if Australia had the population of the US than it'd be a different story but since we don't I'm fine with how things currently are.

There is no chance of the AFL being superseded by a league in another country to the extent that it becomes a feeder league. There is no plausible future that doesn't involve an economic catastrophe in australia, where this possible. A more plausible, and yet still improbable in the next couple of decades, scenario is that foreign football leagues evolve to the point of feeding the AFL with some talent and generating revenues that flow to the AFL.

And no doubt that Australia's best soccer players only playing here once their european careers have faded (and more recently their asian and american auxiliary careers) hinders its growth but it is hardly what prevents it from being the "premier code". It is the pre-existence of a football culture that is as deep and as old as any in the world that does that.

 

[Pessimistic]

Indeed, another league paralell to the AFL would bring in more fans, investment and players into the sport

 

[theRainbowGame]

So we love our game but in the greater scheme of things we an are quaint domestic game invented in a country which is often struggling for relevance on the world stage. We are pushing into Australian markets that may eventually reap the code a few million more viewers and thousands of supporters but this is all small fry in the real scheme of things. I do not feel it is ambitious enough to really grow our game.

Imagine if we were able to claim a passing interest or minority share of media exposure in countries such as China or India? Even if 1% of the people of these countries became regular viewers of our great game, we are talking millions of people. India has the cricket grounds that could easily be used too.

We have flirted with South Africa but it is just too far away presently in play home and away games at while Asia is relatively close. New Zealand is too small.

I understand that the risk is great and the AFL playing a home and away game in China this year is a good first step but we need to do more and we need to do it before soccer monopolizes the market. We need a team to link themselves to the country, like Hawthorn & North do in Tasmania, and most importantly media exposure which takes money. A local player would be a god send.

This is where I feel the AFL should be directing their future fund rather than other markets such as Sydney or Gold Coast. The rewards are just too great to ignore.

You obviously have never travelled if you think Australia is struggling for relevance.

But I do completely agree that more needs to be done to grow the sport.
We are at a disadvantage in many aspects. However our main advantage is, is that we have the product.
In order to grow internationally all we need to do is the same as we have done in Sydney. Invest in the grassroots. And football will grow much much fast in other areas simply because they won't have the sydney bias against our great game.

 

[Mattdougie]

There are enough players that don't want to live in Brisbane and GC already, what makes you think they would want to live in Asia?

Coz the teams are garbage in and off field.

Make them competitive and they will have no problems. The AFL will now give them the back room help they have given the Giants and they will rise.

GWS prove that coz no one in their right mind would want to live up there if they didn't have to.

Choosing West Sydney over Qld is not a lifestyle decision is purely $$$$ and success.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Coz the teams are garbage in and off field.

Make them competitive and they will have no problems. The AFL will now give them the back room help they have given the Giants and they will rise.

GWS prove that coz no one in their right mind would want to live up there if they didn't have to.

Choosing West Sydney over Qld is not a lifestyle decision is purely $$$$ and success.

I don't think all these players are living out west like the initial plan to have everyone living in Blacktown. Bondi to Homebush is only a 34 minute drive and there would be players commuting more than that living in Melbourne.

 

[PACatter]

Should start by making a good video game.

Start an asian league. In fact start many l around world. Have world cup every 4 years!!
First step: sounds funny but an awesome AFL VIDEO GAME to get the kids of the world to understand AFL. Then get athletes from said country to play it.

The popularity of the FIFA games has certainly driven some of the interest in soccer, so you're not far off.

As far as a World Cup, you've got the International Cup - just publicize it! The US is represented, but there is little coverage here, or up north.

All that being said, you're looking at the sport versus the league. Yes, the sport needs to gain worldwide traction, however, the League needs to stick to gaining traction in Tasmania, Queensland, and possibly New Zealand. Don't reach for Asia when Australia still can't get around the AFL.

 

[PenAndPaper]

I'm under the impression that the AFL does not own the copyright to the rules of Australian Football, if that is correct then I think the biggest issue with moving into the Asian market is the threat to the AFL of them starting their own league with no salary cap and therefore stealing all the best players with huge money offers. (Obviously a couple decades down the track)