AFL: Australia is not enough
Roar Pro
By Forgetmenot, 21 Apr 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
191 Have your say
Within Australian society there is a discussion going on. This discussion is about the future of Australia’s own game, football (AFL). The 2020 Summit in Canberra discussed the future of Australia, and how it can be achieved. The Football Summit, to held later this year, will discuss the future of our great game in Australia and around the world.
There were many arguments back in the 80′s when the VFL went national, with many people saying that it was not worth it. It is a similar thing now when people are saying that international expansion is not worth it.
In Australia, football is the biggest thing going around. In the rest of the world, it is a speck of dust on the wall, noticed by all who know about it; barely noticed by anyone else. The question remains, should we grow this speck of dust in several spots and create an international game, or should we simply remain the vital part of Australian culture that we are today?
The AFL, and indeed the WAFL, have started the ‘education’ of South Africa. There are also many leagues around world, including the BARFL and ARUK in the UK, and US footy in the USA. Football in all of these areas in being developed from the ground up, and in most cases is started by expatriates of Australia. If we grow these areas, should we sacrifice the further development of traditional areas of popularity? Do we want a sport where Americans may beat us one day?
International development is not the only discussion needed for the future of football. We need to consider the states of Australia. While easily maintaining its popularity in WA, SA, VIC and TAS, the game is slowly chipping away at the stronghold heartland of the rugby codes in Australia.
With the advent of 2 new teams, many Victorians are beginning to realise that the game is national and that the long ago days of eating pies on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Arden St are long over. Should football sacrifice some its traditions to bring the game into the globalised 21st century?
Junior participation is one key area for all sports, and indeed all disciplines around the world. Auskick, a program only started in 1998, but already has a huge national outreach and is only just beginning to enter the minds of mums wanting their kids to learn sports in a safe environment. The AFL has addressed the junior participation requirement, and as long as they keep the program up to date and interesting to the kids involved then the game will continue to grow. The future of football is in the hands of the kids.
There are many other ways that football can develop going into the future. These are only a few. What should the AFL, and the various international bodies do in to the future?
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Redb said | April 21st 2008 @ 4:01pm | Report comment
“Do we want a sport where Americans may beat us one day”
yes, yes, yes.
Redb
Footy Fan said | April 21st 2008 @ 4:09pm | Report comment
The biggest problem is exposure.
The AFL should be aggressively marketing the game overseas. But not to expats – to the people who have never heard of our game. Something like the “I’d Like to See That” campaign which worked wonders in the 90s in Queensland.
People in NSW and QLD are now aware of the game, but hostile to it. Overseas on the other hand, it carries significant untapped novelty value and there is less of a stigma to battle. They are also vastly bigger markets in both population and dollar value.
Firstly I think that the AFL is underselling its TV rights. This year Ten HD snapped up the NFL and they thought they got a bargain. But where can you watch AFL in the USA ? On some obscure satellite channel. I can see a day when AFL is relegated to pay tv. Not because it is not popular, but just because it can’t compete against the monetary might of the NFL and FIFA when it comes to TV rights deals.
What is also needed is matches played overseas. Just one or two games a season in strategically identified countries, but not wishy washy NAB Cup matches, home and away fixtures. VFL matches like this in Japan and Canada in 1980s spawned an entire history of football which continues to this day. Imagine what a nationally branded league could do. The NFL sold out Wembley. We have a better product and we can’t even sell out the Oval to a bunch of expats.
Then there is the International Cup. The IFAF is an American Football event of the same age, which was hosted in Korea and sold its television rights. You have to pay even to sit in half empty stands at the qualifiers. They even have a token US college team. In contrast, our International Cup (what I think is a great concept) is always held in Melbourne, it is free, played during weekdays, doesn’t even make it onto TV and we aren’t even game to field an amateur team even though our best juniors take on South Africa every year just to get a minimum amount of AIS funding.
Other codes understand the meaning of globalisation. The AFL doesn’t care and it unfortunately shows. It would rather risk everything on a hostile market of 6 million than try its luck in a market of 6 billion. All it has to do is realise the potential and invest in its future.
True Tah said | April 21st 2008 @ 5:52pm | Report comment
Footy Fan,
the NFL is the biggest sporting league in the biggest sporting market in the World, and is probably the biggest sporting league in the world. The sort of clout that ensures that it can sell out Wembley (good to see that English people are finally realising there are sports other than soccer!) and capture a massive global audience.
The AFL is the biggest sporting league in Australia, which is inherently a more competitive market than the US, as the big four seem to co-exist rather peacefully. The numbers will dictate that the NFL will always command bigger $$$ than the AFL.
Al said | April 21st 2008 @ 8:05pm | Report comment
EPL is way bigger than NFL throughout the world. The Super Bowl has an audience of around 90 million, of which only 7 million are outside the US. The Barclays Premier League would probably come close to reaching this figure weekly!!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/11/06/sfnfro106.xml
This article states that an Arsenal/Man U game in late 2007 had an estimated worldwide audience of 1 billion. Whilst I dont beleive it to be that high, it clearly dwarfs the NFL.
Norm said | April 21st 2008 @ 9:35pm | Report comment
The overseas participation in AFL is in direct correlation to the overseas interest in AFL.
Dave said | April 21st 2008 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
Truh Tah
EPL much bigger than NFL around the world. As stated by Al the NFL Superbowl has a TV audience of around 100 million of which over 90 million are in the states! NFL is the biigest game in the states but can’t think of anywhere else it is bigger than world football.
Foregetmenot
AFL should concentrate on trying to develop support in NSW and Queensland. If they can’t convince the people in those 2 states of the so called AFL greatness then what hope have they around the world. Should read Tony Jones, Ch 9 reporter, comments in The Age 20/4/08 in his column. After spending last week in Sydney he is convinced vast majority of peolpe there have no interest in AFL. This is the biggest city in Oz!
Redb said | April 22nd 2008 @ 7:56am | Report comment
Dave,
re AFL Sydney – perhaps, but there is more interest than meets the eye. As I’ve said elsewhere, a Sydney- Melbourne “this is your stupid game” still exists likewise with RL in Melb. AFL in Queensland is progressing, we are not talking about domination, that’s just silly, but a solid presence. It is intruiging as to why our northern friends are far more open to other sports than in Sydnereeey and perhaps a good topic for an article.
I think the AFL should concentrate on NSW and QLD before overseas, it takes a long time for generational support to move. Rugby league is so far behind in Victoria its not funny. I think the mistake that many of us AFL supporters have made is to assume and/or state that once the world sees the game they’ll be automatic converts, its not like that. It is far more complicated, with generations/families involved in a code of football they have in built preferences and loyalties and yes, prejudices!
Auskick has been around 10 years, half a generation, the AFL has got their strategy absolutely right. Give the juniors a choice and you will get your share of the pie. But it will take time. This is why Queensland under 16s won the AFL nationals at that age group. Auskick in western Sydney on a large scale is only 2-3 years old, it will take 5 -10 years to see the results with player numbers coming through in the 10 year range. Players and families turn into supporters.
AFL – the competiton should aim to remain the premier Australian football comp like the EPL in soccer on a much smaller scale. An international match between Asutralia and South Africa or Canada in Aussie Rules is a long way off – possibly 50 years away – player numbers though can develop overseas and recruits like those from Ireland now could end up running around in the AFL.
Redv
The Link said | April 22nd 2008 @ 9:17am | Report comment
RedB, Brisbane v Sydney v Melbourne on embracing other sports would make a better topic, with Melbourne coming a poor third, particularly if you compare the uptake of League in Melbourne vs uptake of AFL in Sydney / Brisbane
Redb said | April 22nd 2008 @ 9:32am | Report comment
The Link,
From what people are saying AFL is going nowhere in Sydney?
Redb
The Link said | April 22nd 2008 @ 10:37am | Report comment
RedB, not sure going nowhere in Sydney, probably more found its niche. The AFL has a genuine base in Sydney, League in Melbourne has a long way to go. Why this is would make interesting reading, particularly if we avoid the easy ‘AFL is just a better game’ cliche’s.
As always I don’t think there is a silver bullet to this, but in my view AFL popularity in Sydney definatley spiked during the Super League war and has stayed at a consistent level since the Swans have been winning. The true test for League in Melbourne will be with the new stadium built and a Storm side that consistently wins. If it can’t take off (relatively) after that then News will face some tough decisions in continuing to back the team. I’d suggest they already had a fair deal to do with Bellamy’s reappointment…..