AFL recruitment looking outside the square

http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20100201165931314#comments Only a week ago it was kids from PNG on international scholarships now it appears the South Africans are getting a run. Adds to the 21 players from overseas on AFL lists, i suspect the first of quite a few to follow, how many will make it is any ones guess. http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20100107140159306

A bit more news regarding the bullies and a couple of Fijians, one of them it appears, will be in one the development teams at this years under 16 nationals. http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20100114002224260

Totally agree. It is very expensive living in Sydney. Shedding out the coin to watch 1 NRL match (god help you if you are paying for a family). Or for the same money get Fox for the month with money to spare for beer. I spend the day at the beach, then home for a BBQ (because of the weather we can), beer and footy on the box. I would go to a couple of games a year. And yet I call myself a MASSIVE NRL fan. Allot of my friends are the same. In Sydney you pay a high price to live here.

2009 SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS 2009 Australian Scholarship Placements Coolangatta Peter Milaura - 21yo, good overhead, smart runner, good skills with capacity to improve now with maturity David Evertius – 23yo, mature, hard tackling defender, reliable left foot, if fit can play midfield Augustine Bede – 19yo, won comp b&f for Coolangatta U18s in 2008, hard working nuggetty rover Desmond Waluka – 21yo, midfielder, great skills, good hands, great balance Willie Aisi – 20 yo quarter back, good skills and awareness, ability to direct play from back half, can go to midfield. Junior Henry – 23yo, Very strong direct half back or midfielder, explosive with good endurance Southport David Meli (Stringrays / GC17) – 16yo, U16 State Rep 2008, silky skills, good overhead, has all attributes but needs to grow and mature. GC17 & Southport Amua Pirika – 17yo, first AFL PNG Int Rookie, plays as key forward but could mature to taller running midfield, much upside, good lead, great hands, finds the footy well. Brisbane Lions Academy Brendon Beno – 15yo, genuine star, both feet, brave, smart mover, strong, one touch, could be the first PNG boy drafted if he grows and matures. Junior Macca – 15yo, great overhead, good mover, good skills, plays tall, will mature. Aspley John James – super quick, strong tackler, elite second efforts, goalkicker and handy on baller, U18 State & Qld State League Rising Star 2008, Stanis Susuve – strong tackler, aggressive, very athletic, good skills, explosive goalkicker, strong overhead, State U16 2007, State U18 2009, 30+ goals in 5 finals for Zillmere Reserves, World Team IC08. Mt Gravatt Donald Barry – 23yo, elite agility and speed, strong tackler, very smart with ball, good tactitian, very competitive, R’up b&f Coolangatta 08, 14 games Lions Reserves 08, Medal in IC Final, World Team 08. Peter Labi – 18yo, great athlete, very good skills, strong overhead, good running ability, significant upside, U18 State Rep 09, Nambour / Sunshine Coast Emmanuel Tupia – 18yo, elite athlete, booming left foot, good overhead, maturing fast. John Vogae – 18yo, strong runner, great balance and evasive skills, good foot and hand skills, goalkicker. Garry Kele – 17yo, smart rover, strong and gets ball, needs to improve running ability. Sandgate Naime Gordon – 16yo, developing Ruckman, very smart, good skills, needs to grow and mature but ruck skills are exceptional East Devonport (Tas) Emmaus Wartovo – 22yo, super fast, great goal sense, elite evasive agility and very strong tackler, kicked 30+ goals for Coolangatta in 07,08. Joseph Ila – 25yo, utility player, good skills, link player, nice left foot, needs to be fully fit. Gagu Kayagi – 17yo, very balanced runner, strong and direct, brave, leader, one grab with good foot skills. Bacchus Marsh (Vic) Zachary Rava – 25yo, utility forward, strong over footy, good kick for goal, tackles well, good goal sense. Ali Pinda – 21yo, dynamic, explosive athlete, good skills and strong at football, great lead, needs discipline and endurance. Theo Gavuri – 15yo, strong defender, good skills, smart, finds space and uses footy, hard at it and able to defend well. http://www.afl-png.com/ants.html Has not been updated recently as Peter Labi (Mt Gravatt) has been rookie listed by Carlton

Richard Freedman is originally from Sydney, he used to be a Rugby fan

Bever, Thanks for the link. Another article on USfooty talks quite positiively about the intro of the World 16 & 18s teams. As thought the AFL has finally created a pathway for international development and recruitment. Will be interesting to see how it goes in the States as the US leagues appear the most reliant on expat involvement as opposed to Sth Africa, NZ, PNG. Redb

http://www.usfootynews.com/content/view/808/61/ American guy trying out for Claremont. Actually that reminds me, Notre Dame Uni down at Freo has a aussie rules exchange course that Americans/overseas students footy style apply to taste a bit of aussie culture, has been going for a few years now i believe.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/88426/default.aspx Updated story about kiwi boy Kurt Heatherley who sounds like a fantastic athlete for his age.

Could be wrong but i think that Peter Labi whom Carlton has drafted from QLD via PNG could be the first player that has been drafted from a non Australian aussie rules comp, although he has spent a year in QLD first, so technically maybe not, but did play all his junior footy in PNG. http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20091208004839584

half a dozen draftable international rookies per year would be a success in terms of the current state of the AFL That could translate to every team having a couple of regular players who started playing Australian Football in a foreign league by 2020. By then you would see an increase in interest in the foreign leagues that would further the growth of the game there - and thus a positive feedback of growth.

It is a scaled operation, Melbourne is the Zurich (FIFA HQ) of the 'Australian Football World'. Globalisation works in Australia's favour on this front. The capacity to develop a co-ordinated and integrated global network now - via the internet - is available in such a way as was never before possible without vast numbers of people and movement of people (as via the spread of soccer/rugby in differing ways via the British Empire). This form of 'niche gloablisation' helps to erode otherwise monopoly globalisation that would and did occur in the past. The net gain/loss for Aust Football in Australia where the heritage/tradition resides - as illustrated by basketball and soccer is seen to be very resiliant at very least and has in the main thrived with the 'competition'. The capacity to attract decent talent from overseas - is probably on a relative scale - 'easier' than for the NBA/MLB, in that the talent in the US that misses out from 300+ million population on making the 'big time' is vast compared to Australia with 20+ million. But, then, there's also the capacity of the game itself in an 'all things being equal' scenario to attract athletes/participants - there's been a couple of examples of this that has probably piqued the interest of AFL officials, i.e. Mike Pyke (Canada/Rugby) and S.MacNamara (US/basketball) being attracted to the game. these guys however made their move in early/mid 20's. The desire obviously of the dual international Under 16 sides (World/Oceania) is obviously to get in that much earlier. If the AFL could move to the stage of half a dozen draftable international rookies each year out of the program?? would that be deemed a success??

Strategically timed and taken survey, just prior to the WC Qualifyers between Ireland and France, which by far drew the most interest and attention around the world (and no doubt in Ireland) for any Irish sporting event this year. BTW Would be fair to say that any successful Irish international team would rate well in that years poll. The fact that the Rugby team had one of their greatest ever results in 2009 no doubt led to the increased interest understandably where as the football team up until the time this poll was taken had not achieved anything of note (and unfortunately due to the hand of Thierry still havent) and have a low world ranking. Any poll taken in a year the Irish football team makes the WC finals would reflect this.

>>Waterford (a very cool crystal making factory there) Not anymore.

"National" has another meaning in Ireland. It specifically excludes non-Catholics.

"You are probably one of those who judges the popularity of a sport based on attendances of the local competitions." Well no, I took the word of the locals.