AFL spreads its wings thanks to ex-pat efforts

Roar Pro

By Michael C, 12 Jun 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: AFL, AFL Iceland, international AFL

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The ability for Australian football to expand beyond our shores has been severely limited in the past, for a variety of reasons.

Footy overseas prior to the late 1990s was generally the domain of ex-pat Aussies. Obviously not all ex-pat Aussies are ‘footy family,’ to put it mildly.

However, that has been gradually changing and here are some current examples of the new ‘ex-pats’ growing the game as they move around the globe.

In a story running on WorldFootynews.com, the efforts of some Danish AFL ‘old boys’ are highlighted.

Briefly from the article:

In the Norwegian city of Tromsø, Helsingborg Saints old boy Johan Julin is part of a group founding the world’s most northerly club. In Andorra, British expat Doug Pate is running a club. Páll Finnsson, the Icelandic captain of the Denmark Vikings at IC08, this weekend pulled on the boots at the French Championships.

Back in Iceland, Páll’s brother Jón Hrói Finnsson has also been trying to get the sport started since returning from his stint playing footy in Denmark. It seems his efforts are paying off, with school clinics underway and a senior side in formation in the town of Ólafsfjörður.

Around 400km away in the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, a group of around a dozen senior players have been kicking the footy on a weekly basis since May, under the leadership of Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson, another Icelander who learnt to play in the DAFL.

Clearly, to some people, a personal investment has been made and it’s no longer just about Aussies wanting to get together, drink beer and regale in tales from home.

Along with league’s transforming from 80 percent ex-pat Aussies to 80 percent locals, the game in small pockets overseas is developing a life of it’s own.

This is a curious case study.

I stress again, no one is talking ‘world domination’ here. And a couple of dozen blokes in Iceland is hardly a revolution.

It is a start though, and Denmark went through that process twenty-odd years ago.

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The Crowd Says (34) | Page 1 of Comments

Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson said | June 12th 2009 @ 4:00am | Report comment

Maybe not world domination just yet, but we’ll get there soon enough.

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Michael C said | June 12th 2009 @ 5:58am | Report comment

Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson -

thankyou for your reply. I had a look at the facebook page (and couldn’t understand much of the banter!!!).

Seriously though, I’m heavily involved with a VAFA club in Melbourne and have good contacts with others, I’d love for us to find a footballing ’cause’ to support (even if just for a while), if we could raise some funds to send some footys over, (or the like), then let me know and I’ll join the facebook group and we can see what can happen.

cheers,

Michael.

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Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson said | June 12th 2009 @ 7:35am | Report comment

Thanks Michael for your generous offer. We need all the help and support we can get. For obvious reasons you can’t buy any footys or jerseys here in Iceland so please do join the facebook group and we’ll have a chat.

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Forgetmenot said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:04am | Report comment

I read that story on worldfootynews with great interest.
We have to start small when we develop the sport. But from small things, big things grow.
Another example of globalisation helping football in a huge way.

I for one will be contributing to the overseas development of football, after i finish my uni degree.

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JF said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment

Can’t understand an enthusiasm for expanding AFL internationally. It seems it will take a massive amount of time an effort for very little in return. What will be the benefits?

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Forgetmenot said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:18am | Report comment

JF,

If you enjoy the sport it is no effort at all. The AFL itself is investing peanuts in growing the game overseas. It is pretty much run entirely by expats (and now other people as well).
Benefits are more exciting players, the thrill of seeing the uninitiated discover football, and possibly high standard internationals one day. Plus many more.

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Redb said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:18am | Report comment

JF,

It’s improtant to understand it’s not AFL expanding but Aussie Rules. The AFL is the governing body and name of the competition but the AFL itself is not expanding to Europe.

This is how most sports spread through expats/immigrants. As Australians have increasingly started working overseas in the past 10-15 years they have brought their native sport with them, what’s great is a few locals are also joining in.

Redb

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Pippinu said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:27am | Report comment

JF

As redb says, the AFL has next to zero interest in expanding the game overseas (all their efforts and money will be consumed by the GC and WS experiments for decades to come).

To that, I would add that traditionally, your average aussie rules fan has had zero interest as well – to a man we are 100% consumed by our own club.

Back in 1981, we were all scratching our heads about South Melbourne going to Sydney, and reacted with a “huh”?

MC is probaly more enthusiastic than most, but I will say this – I find these stories absolutely fascinating – and I love hearing about it, especially about locals who take to the game and try and get organised.

My own personal experience is that Scandinavians have a genuine interest in the game (even though people more wordly than myself, such as Millster and Captain Nemo are on here regularly telling us that they’ve never met anyone overseas who even knows that aussie rules exists, then having a hearty laugh at that fact – as if that is somehow funny, like me laughing at an Australian who has never heard of Korfball).

Also, how can anyone not be impressed by the fact that someone called Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson loves our game??!!

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JF said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:29am | Report comment

I understand the concept of local, ex-pat leagues, but high standard internationals? I can’t see how this would ever happen, and would it be worth it? The strength of the AFL is the envy of all other codes in Australia, I just can’t see how an international program would add to this.

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Pippinu said | June 12th 2009 @ 11:35am | Report comment

JF
but is anyone talking about internationals?

It’s not on anyone’s radar – most of us see the Gaelic experiment for what it is (mind you, it’s an experiment that goes back to the early 60s, so now has quite a long life)

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