The AFL recently announced former AFL player, Tony Woods, as the AFL’s first international development manager. Perhaps now it is clear that ‘head office’ is taking this all seriously.
In the light of the establishment of two International Australian Football sides to compete in this years National Under 16 carnival in Blacktown, the Fairfax media at least has dedicated some column inches to fairly lengthy and respectful articles around the AFL international ‘push’.
On the weekend just gone, the Age’s Rohan Connolly provided a nice overview based around two ‘new’ Essendon PNG scholarship players.
Today we see Dan Silkstone from the Age provide two related stories, Argentina footys new promised land as well as AFL bedding down its own American dream.
That this coverage is becoming more plentiful, and critically and at the same time more respectful, illustrates a change in attitudes outside of a small handful of ‘dreamers’.
Who knows what will transpire for Australian Football.
Will we see a whole bunch of Argentineans coming over? Will an ‘American footy star’ hit the screens at all?
Some things though have been bubbling along just nicely.
With the mainstream media getting their finger more on the pulse, it may herald exciting times over the next few years as AFL clubs look further afield for talent with the arrival of GC17 and GWS18.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Interesting piece from Aker in the Herald-Sun today. AKer might be the next 'spruiker' behind Sheeds and Dipper (and Barassi and Dixon).
Stephen Smith
Guest
Clearly. Personally, I have no issue with AFL trying to spread its wings to the rest of the world - if it takes off in other countries, more power to your elbow. Just remember though, you may get annoyed with the "soccer" community for their anti-AFL claptrap (as you call it) - but the majority of it exists only in the online world, which is, in reality, only really seen by a few keyboard warriors. The REAL code war (out there in mainstream land) is on the back pages of the newspapers, and mainly delivered by journalists who are very much anti-football (soccer to you) and totally and utterly clueless about the sport. Don't confuse the two.
Michael C
Roar Guru
ah now - - just because a sport is international does NOT make it important culturally on a week to week basis.......i.e. in Australia, what's the weekly TV audience for NRL and AFL combined during winter compared to club soccer and RU. No comparison. THe international aspects don't stack up however - - but, that's a different 'market'.........you need not be a big international sport to be important or great at a domestic level......we know that, the USofA further supports such assertion. however, for us Australian Football folk, now and then we need a bit of the following : our collective ego massaged by reminding that there ARE people from around the world who either come here for a short time, or come acrosss the game overseas, who fall in love with it enough to go to lengths that can put grass roots people in Australia to shame. That is 'great' in a 'nice' sense. and to allow ourselves to ponder, wonder, and even dream.......not of world domination,.......for now, just curious as to whether we could within 15 years have a decent World 18 side to take on an AFL side??? And it helps to insulate against the banal code wars anti-AFL claptrap so often trotted out on sites like this one. The Australain football world is spreading........not by massive levels relative to the 'international sports' that one might compare with............so what!!!! I'm quite comfortable therefore in having my cake and eating it too!!!!! ;-)
MV Dave
Guest
Spot on Stephen...close the thread!
Stephen Smith
Guest
I just find it kind of ironic that you seem to spend a lot of time on this board telling football fans that just because theirs is an international sport, doesn't make it great or important. And yet here you are eulogising how wonderful it is that AFL is spreading the word internationally. A bit hypocritical if you ask me.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Steve Smith - see my answer to Hutch - yes, so what if it's not an international sport.......but, isn't is cool that there's a growing international appreciation and buy in that is being given progressively more respect by the hardline Aust sport media. It's still not an 'international sport'. Who cares. Don't let that deny what's happening, nor the chance to enjoy and celebrate it...........for all we know, 2011 might be the zenith of the 'international dimension' of our great game......or it may be just the start. btw - 'so what if AFL isn't an international sport' was not supposed to be much more than a conversation piece...
Michael C
Roar Guru
hutch - at what point would you accept Australian Football as an international sport?? or, as we see it, a sport with a growing international presence. Presently we have good growth and numbers in PNG and South AFrica in particular, plus leagues across Europe, North America and Asia. We have 2 international youth sides set to partake in the upcoming Aust National u16 championships. We have quite a number of PNG lads now on AFL club international scholarships and they aren't just making up the numbers - but, are playing well at various 2nd tier levels such as the QAFL, VFL and TAC Cup and the current National U18s championships. There's perhaps no reason that a PNG best possible national side couldn't acquit itself quite well against probably an Australian Amateur side if not now, then sometime in the next 12-24 months. It doesn't make the game an 'international sport' such as that there is no professional league over seas....not even a RL style professional footprint. But - - do you acknowledge a growing international dimension that is interesting to monitor and explore possibilities. How is that delusional??
Michael C
Roar Guru
btw - I'd like to register again my protest - - this article was about international AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL....... and the theRoar editors butchered the title by inserting 'AFL'.........which was not at all correct.
hutch
Roar Guru
this is the most delusional thread ive ever seen on the roar. im sorry, but afl is not, and will never be an international sport. it barely rates a mention in half of australia. keep dreaming fellas!
Galloping Guru
Guest
I did hear the WCEagles are getting involved in the search in South America, not sure why this would be the case, South Africa would be far easier to acess, manage and maintain links to. http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20100522211155539
Stephen Smith
Guest
Aren't you the guy who wrote the article entitled "So what if AFL isn't an international sport?"
Redb
Roar Guru
Yes that nursey rhyme keeps you safe at night. don't try, dont do anything, nothing changes anyway??? :-)
punter
Guest
Like I said TammyS, you won't get an answer from them. Same old rhetoric.
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
My original response was to your response to TammyS, I never mentioned Ritchie initially, and you still haven't responded to any of my points re the DT's positive coverage of AFL (as in acknowledging that it exists, for a start). No problems with you pointing out that News Limited has a conflict of interest, but that's not exactly "News". So round and round we go...
Michael C
Guest
ah well JF, next year will be the 4th AFL international cup, with, perhaps more than the 2008 number of 16 nations (teams really, as Scotland and Wales were incorporated in GB, and the Peres peace team was there as well) looking very possible for 2011. Okay.....the top end competition is not able to take on Australia and Australia don't participate.......but.....the event occurs and that's something. re the codes of football.......there's a scale that has soccer to the left, with limited tackling, very limited hands, kicking almost exclusively.........far over on the right are the Rugby codes, and American/Canadian Football(s), the formation handling collision games. In the middle there's not much, Gaelic and Aust Footy. There is a mid ground niche that might be the underdeveloped football market. And we've seen plenty of examples around the world where part of the attraction is that people can play a single game that draws on the skills/attributes/awareness/tactics etc that have been developed in a variety of sports - often as a junior - - that as an adult there just isn't the time to play them all. That's A possible niche market. But, the holy grail is accessing a reasonable supply of under 23 yr old talent with suitable abilities to develop quickly. The 15-21 age group probably most desirable. But, in that market - - you're directly up against sports that are institutionalised in schools and colleges. That's the tougher nut to crack!!!! It has been here and there to varying degrees. How much it can continue??
Redb
Roar Guru
"but you expanded on your point about Ritchie with misleading statements indicating that was the extent of the DT’s AFL coverage" When did I say that? You say you dont read the DT, yet found the time to report back on the AFL coverage. Now you say you don't read Ritchie but felt compelled to comment anyway. My whole comment was aimed at the Dean Ritchie article in the first place. It smacks of ....... self interest. The paper is owned by News Ltd and News Ltd 50% owns the NRL -well its not like News Ltd and the NRL have not been accused on a conflict of interest/favouritism before. ...even Roy Masters would agree with that :-)
Michael C
Roar Guru
punter - the AFL had a leg to stand on......Docklands. Simple as that. Well, and a 45 years deal (1992-2037) at the MCG, so, real bargaining power. The NRL spent late October and November verbalising disapproval......and the media almost ignored them, why?? probably because they carried no real 'clout'. Then the AFL got their backs up over Docklands and it was on for young and old......blame the Melb media if you want, but, I'd suggest they were just waiting to have the AFL join the NRL in pubilc complaint and were super boosted by the turf war over Docklands,..... ....which reminds me of the recommendation of the Cicilian (Wallace Shawn) in "Princess Bride" to the Man in Black......Never get involved in a land war in Asia.......well,.......Frank Lowy just wouldn't listen to good advice........
Redb
Roar Guru
Was that before the FFA tried to shaft the AFL over Etihad or after. :-) Give us a break punter, let it go...
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
And you're still avoiding my point, redb. I have not read Dean Ritchie's article, and do not intend to. I don't read his stories on League, and I expect he is no better on other subjects. And I object to having to peruse the DT in the lunch room at work to double check the fact that you are talking rubbish (that is, on certain points; you might be right about Dean Ritchie). The DT has plenty of positive articles about the AFL. That is my point. I am not denying there are also negative articles, but you expanded on your point about Ritchie with misleading statements indicating that was the extent of the DT's AFL coverage, which is wrong. I'm not here to defend Dean Ritchie or the DT. If you want someone to agree with you, I'm sure Keeper11 will be happy to. I won't.
punter
Guest
Tammys, I don't think you will ever get an answer to that question. "the soccer world cup bid for instance ; ) did you notice a rise in all the anti-football articles down there?" This is something that was very obvious. While there was those in the RL world who opposed the Football WC bid, it was not with the same 'weapons of mass destructions' fevour it was down in Melbourne.