The AFL hope their first overseas game for premiership points, in New Zealand next year, paves the way for matches around the world.
And they have left the door open to it eventually leading to a New Zealand-based AFL club.
St Kilda will play Sydney at Wellington’s 34,000-capacity Westpac Stadium on Anzac Day 2013, the first of what are planned to be annual fixtures on the shared holiday, hosted by the Saints.
The game will be played at 1740 AEST (1940 local), to follow the traditional Essendon-Collingwood MCG Anzac Day blockbuster.
Provided all parties are happy, the Saints will then host two Wellington games in each of 2014 and 2015, in a deal reportedly set to net the club about $1 million per year.
AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said the league was unashamedly targeting international expansion and hoped the NZ deal proved a trend-setter.
Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has spoken this week about the prospect of home and away games being staged in China, while Richmond have been pushing for an exhibition match in India.
“We’ve certainly been unambiguous about our international plans, to look 10, 15, 20 years out,” McLachlan told reporters on Wednesday.
“I certainly hope it is (the first of several overseas ventures).
“… I wouldn’t be surprised if other deals, other international games, flow on the back of it.”
While NZ is an obvious first step, given its geographical and cultural closeness, McLachlan said there were no insurmountable barriers to going further afield.
“There are obviously logistical issues, but you have to be creative to solve those,” he said.
“You think about the rugby guys who travel to South Africa – that’s a terrible flight, the time zones are poor and people make it work.
“If you’ve got a vision, you’ve got to deal with the challenges.”
Asked about the prospect of increased NZ games and eventually a NZ-based club, McLachlan said it couldn’t be ruled out, but would depend on how well the initial visits worked.
“Whether it’s a team in 10 years, I’d love to think it was,” he said.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has said Australian Rules-mad Tasmania is the logical next location if the league expands to 19 clubs.
McLachlan wasn’t willing to speculate on whether Tasmania, already spurned in favour of Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, might now be behind NZ in the AFL expansion queue.
“I think though, you’ve got to have an even number of teams, so 20 is as likely as 19,” he said.
St Kilda chief executive Michael Nettlefold and Wellington City Council Sports and Events Leader John Morrison said their deal should be mutually beneficial as a commercial and promotional venture.
TW
Guest
This is one last fling perhaps for this 2 week old thread -- The Saints v The Swans Anzac Day match for competition points in 2013 in Wellington has been confirmed as we all know . On Friday the 14th Sept a group of Saints players and officials led by their Captain Nick Riewoldt held a media conference in Wellington to officially launch the venture. The link below courtesy of the Saints website features three seperate short videos covering the conference and other matters. Nick R talked about getting 35,000 to the first game - They will do very well to get that. The ground itself looks in great shape and the stands are first class with the oval size about the same as the SCG apparently. http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/147735/default.aspx
micka
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We will... Thats how expansion generally happens...
Punter
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Brewski, it's off season in the A-League & it's finals time for both NRL & AFL, sure I have an interest.
Brewski
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Thanks for your interest guys in my posts , i have never claimed that Australian football is big internationally, what i claimed was that RL is not a whole lot bigger, and i stand by that claim. @Punter, still being a clown i see. !. By your own admission, you are not even interested in the AFL or the NRL, yet you post consistently here.
Punter
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The All Australian side is a symbol of the top players in the AFL for the year, they aren't actually picked to play anyone. But you are right about Brewski though. While the RL world is tiny, it's a damn sight lot bigger then the AFL world.
mick h
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brewski, go and do some research about rl internationally your claim about afl internationally is a complete joke and to name an all australian side to play who may i ask. don't worry myself and millions of other australians will be cheering the australian kangaroos pm's x111 against png and the test match vs nz on oct 13 in townsville who will the all australian side be playing.
Brewski
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@ punter, so i take it, your the clown here !. You do a very good job of it.
Punter
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Na not really Brewski, every time we talk attendances in the football threads, some clown from AFL will come on & tell us how big attendances the AFL get, as if we care. Small man syndrome, yes it's tough having the biggest sport in the world being behind RL in Sydney.
JVGO
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Emric, NZ obviously murders the Australian AFL states in international competition. The AFL states achieved zero gold medals in London, NZ got like 6 on its own I believe, an awesome effort from a very proud sporting country. NZ on its own made the soccer WC, are RU and RL world champions and would kick the AFL states in cricket too I'd say.. You definitely don't need AFL.
Brewski
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@Punter, small man syndrome to have pointed the obvious, i would have thought, but alas thats soccer in this country.
Punter
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Football is truly worldwide!!!!
Brewski
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Quite frankly your claim of ..."RL is a international sport FULLSTOP", shows YOUR lack of understanding of international sport. In the grand scheme of international sport, it is not far ahead of Australian football.
Trouble Ahead
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Rugby league is an international sport full stop. The claim it is not far ahead of AFL is frankly ludicrous and shows a lack of understanding of sport outside Australia.
TC
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The flights are easier because they play rugby in South Africa? That's an interesting perspective. One can bear the cold in Canada because they play Ice Hockey there. The open sewers in India don't stink because they play Cricket there. The power of sport to overcome all of life's obstacles. TC
TC
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Champ It's called envy. It is only human for the unsuccessful to look at the successful with envious eyes. TC
TC
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RC If there is one truism that we can all accept as absolute fact, it's that the average citizen of the world is absolutely clueless about kicking a footy. Absolutely clueless. TC
GCS
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So what are you saying then David, don't even bother trying? Not really the Aussie way is it.
David Heidelberg
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“You think about the rugby guys who travel to South Africa – that’s a terrible flight, the time zones are poor and people make it work. Yes, and they actualy play rugby in South Africa. Unlike VFL being played anywhere else. Their stupidity is amazing.
Champ
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I cant understand why some people feel the burning urge to attack other sports. Seriouslly get a life you paranoid tossbags, and if you like a different sport, good for you, go watch it, goodbye.
John
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A second west Sydney team should be long term. Look at west Sydney derbies in the NRL. Canterbury Vs West Tigers Parramatta Vs Penrith Canterbury Vs Parramatta Penrith Vs West Tigers. Reasonably gate attendances and excellent TV audiences. In the long, long, long term for the AFL, I would see two West Sydney teams. 1) Giants representing Parramatta, Penrith, Bankstown and 2) a second team representing Canterbury, Liverpool, Fairfield.