The FIFA World Cup is upon us again, and I have to fess up that every time it comes around, I get a twee bit envious.
I mean, Soccer’s a great game, alright, but imagine if it was Aussies Rules over in Brazil? Imagine if Aussie Rules was the world game and every four years the code’s best 32 countries converged with their take on it?
It’d be a wonderful melting pot, wouldn’t it? 32 nations bringing their exotica and spices; 32 nations bringing new horizons for footy just as they do for Soccer.
Alas, that’s all fanciful, isn’t it? as our game is unlikely to grow to that degree. Indeed, it’d be a triumph for Aussie rules to even become a minority sport overseas, as opposed to one that is played here and there by ex-pats.
That granted, what if there was then an alternate way to make it international? What if there was a left-field way for Aussie Rules to instantly win hearts and minds of patriotic sports fans all over the globe? Well, crazily enough, I venture there is.
Today, just as it’s always been, Australian Rules is played by a great many multi-cultural types. Even just a cursory glance of AFL lists reveals surnames with lineages to over a dozen nationalities.
My team, Footscray, has a multitude: there’s the Germanic Dahlhaus, the East European Hrovat and the North European Johannisen. From the British Isles, there’s the Irish Murphy, the Scottish McCrae and the Welsh Jones. And what about all the Italians: Giansiracusa, Bontompelli, Liberatore, Talia and Crameri. Further, there would be ancestries to other nationalities on players’ mothers side, as there would also be from grandparents. Just in this microcosm, we can see that AFL footballers have ancestral links to more than just our colonial settlers.
Why not tap into this heritage to market the game? Why not have an Aussie Rules World Cup every four years pooling players from their county of origin?
An eight team knock-out tournament played from mid-October in the year of the World Cup, with teams named Anglo-Australians, Italian-Australians, Greek-Australians, Irish-Australians, Scottish-Australians, German-Australians, Croatian-Australians and most tantalisingly, Indigenous-Australians.
These teams seem the most likely to me, as these nationalities are the most predominant in the AFL. But I expect, like the Big Bash, there would be a tender process to form the franchises, and should a consortium want to form a team for a nationality I’ve not covered, they would be given an opportunity to outbid the likelier ones.
Anyway, imagine it: an Aussie Rules World Cup!
The thing that really leaps out at me is that overseas countries would instantaneously invest emotion in our game. Picture an Italian sports nut, for instance. He’s channel surfing through a myriad of cable channels when he stumbles upon an Aussie Rules game with Italian flags in the stands.
The game is a knock-out semi-final of the 2018 Aussie Rules World Cup and Tom Liberatore from the Italian-Australians has just lain a bone-crunching tackle on Luke Dalhaus from the German-Australians. The ball spills out to Stuart Crameri and he slams through a long bomb from 50 out. Lygon street erupts behind the goal, as does half of Freemantle in the stands, and a maelstrom of Italian and Australian flags are frenetically unleashed by the formation’s cheer squad.
Did Australian Rules just win over an Italian patriot or did it not?
Further, how much more would the overseas TV rights be worth after an event like this? Up to now, the overseas rights have brought in peanuts, but with a product like this, we could approach countries represented in the tournament with real clout. Should the tournament then go on to be a success, and Aussie Rules converts countless patriots, would that then translate in higher rights for the regular season? Gee, you’d expect so, wouldn’t you?
On the formation of the teams, as I touched upon earlier, I see it working like the Big Bash. The AFL would field tenders from consortiums looking to form teams. The eight highest bidders would then win licenses and would go on to recruit players based on there ancestry. As the majority of players have mixed backgrounds, you’d think it would be best left to them to decide which way their hearts lie.
As for player contracts with AFL clubs, contracts would be drawn up so that players are released from their clubs in this window every four years. Hardly a disruption, particularly given the tournament would take place in late October.
Further on the formation of the teams, so as to adapt to an ever changing multi-cultural society, I see the tender process taking place for each tournament. This would allow consortiums which missed out on forming teams for the previous tournament a chance to outbid rivals. On the other hand, maybe we allow as many teams as consortiums want and have multiple divisions with promotions and relegations?
Lastly, on the formation of teams, I suggest one requisite: there has to be an Indigenous-Australian team! No out-bidding here. Lance Franklin, Chad Wingard, Cyril Rioli etc representing our first Australians? Wow. It’d have to have more going for it than the Indigenous All-Star game, and how incredible would the game against the Anglo-Australians be?
As a Slovenian-Australian myself, and one with German ancestry as well, I would love nothing more than to express my European background at one of these games. I see myself being as immersed in the action as much as I am watching my Dogs. And on the teams being named in this hybrid way, I can’t think of anything more symmetrical.
For me, a proud Slovenian-Australian, my heart belongs to two countries. To have them both represented as one team seems like a perfect synthesis of my and Australia’s multiculturalism.
I just pray that Gary Ablett can somehow trace his ancestry back to my Dad’s home town Ljubljana!
Dave
Guest
I'm late to this thread but I think your idea is an interesting one. But I think the best way to spread the game is to import players from other sports. Gained interest in the game in Canada, for example, picked up when Mike Pyke gained success in the AFL, for example. Obviously attratilng top soccer players is not financially feasible, but we're starting to see some college basketball players in the AFL drafted it might be possible to lure rugby players from different countries too. Some college American football players might be possibilities too, may be even some euro handball players?
Peter Zitterschlager
Guest
Hey Pete Yeah, I usually write satirical pieces (well attempts at satirical pieces!) so I guess a degree of that came in this one. It certainly is evident in the heading. I mean, titling the piece 'not so harebrained' you probably got the impression it wasn't straight. Anyway, thanks for your comment. Don't think State of Origin is the way to go, though. The players aren't passionate about it. With my loopy idea, maybe we could tap into some passion?? Be interesting to find out I reckon.
Pete
Guest
The way this is written made me think at first it was a satirical piece. Doesn't appear that way anymore. As someone else suggested hosting a State of Origin series would be a higher priority.
BES
Guest
rotflmao - an AFL worldcup?? hahahahahahahahah I mean really - you don't get how hilarious that is? Let me try again then. An "Australian" Footall League "World" cup. hahahahahahah Get it? no? oh well. Its right up there with the yanks calling their national baseball league the "World Series". Oh my oh my. Its been a long day. I really needed that good laugh.....
joe b
Guest
Perhaps Tassie can enter a heritage team.
The Magic Man
Guest
Aussie Rules... when I read this article all I could think of was poor old Tassie... over looked yet again.
TW
Guest
Off topic but related to international footy. There were some rumours floating around that the St Kilda venture into Wellington NZ was about to collapse due to low crowd numbers and unhappiness at the Wellington City Council. The Saints have just made an announcement that may dispel some of those rumours. They have appointed an administrator who resides in Wellington.. The woman herself has excellent credentials and will be able to keep the Saints Board and the Wellington entity linked up being on the spot so as to speak. It is unlikely the lady would have been appointed if the deal is about to collapse. http://www.saints.com.au/news/2014-06-28/historic-appointment-to-saints-board The NZ Squad for the IC has been announced and are confident of getting to the final. http://aflnz.co.nz/strong-squad-for-2014-international-cup/
Tad
Roar Rookie
Mosies always seem to be the bridesmaids, NZ is fast improving, expect the Americans and canadians to improve their rankings, but the Irish always have good running games.
Peter Zitterschlager
Guest
Hey C Well, of course, it's not a world cup. That's just my imagination taking flight. Let's say we call it the AFL Multicultural Cup, yes?
c
Guest
so peter it would then be the AFL Australian World Cup
Peter Zitterschlager
Guest
Hey Gecko Thanks for your comments mate. I think you've grasped where I'm going with this better than most. The idea is to stimulate interest OS, as well as celebrate our multiculturalism. Love your thoughts on whether the players would embrace this opportunity to show passion for their ancestries. That would be fascinating, wouldn't it?
Peter Zitterschlager
Guest
HI Brian Thanks for your thoughts. Um, in my construct, there is no Australian team, all the teams are branded Australia. Of them, I reckon the Anglo-Australian team would be the strongest I guess, as most players have ancestries to our colonial settlers. From there you'd think the Indigenous, Irish and Scottish Australians would be in the next rung down, then say the Germans and Italians and probably a bit of a drop off from there to the Greek and Croatian Australians.
Gecko
Guest
Peter I think the idea makes a lot of sense from a marketing point of view. It may be a bit ambitious to hope Croats and Greeks in their motherlands might start playing footy, but if AFL footy could attract enough interest to get to the point where the AFL can sell its TV rights abroad, there's extra income for the AFL to help develop the game. And just to take the marketing idea even further, maybe we could pay 20 points for a goal kicked below a cross bar, and have a well known local Croat and Greek sportsman in a goal keeper position. The whole point is to attract paid TV rights, not to please the purists. It'd be interesting to hear from the players themselves about whether they had any passion to play for an ethnicity-based team.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
Would love to see an AFL World Cup, they could even play the final at the MCG. Which countries do you see as being competitive with the Aussies?
c
Guest
come on Mister Football you know better than to talk like that < btw greece in italy out lmao
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Because they have no cojones?
Marc Dellapia
Guest
This is a joke of an article. JAJI has it right. AFL is a joke of a guy. Nobody in the rest of the world is stupid enough to play it.
Andy Smith
Guest
Hello Australia, I'm coming down to play in the International Cup with the Great Britain team....perhaps not a commercial winner for the AFL but great for the development of the game outside OZ. The AFL are doing a great job in Europe to develop the game with non Aussies and we're all coming down for the tournament in August, "amateur World Cup". 18 teams I believe...Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, USA, South Africa, New Zealand etc etc Can't wait to get there, never been to OZ. Andy http://www.afl.com.au/global/AFLIC14
duecer
Guest
You may scoff, but in the '50's through to the early '70's the RLWC was quite an evenly fought contest, when any of 4 nations could, and often did have hard fought finals. They didn't have to split the Rugby codes as RU didn't start until '87 and even then it was a close run decision. It really is quite sad how far international Rugby League has fallen - Australia has just bolted away and the world cup this year had blow outs in the SF and Final and has crazy eligibility rules resulting in the situations with the Italians etc. Of course it's too late now - SOO has replaced the international game as the pinnacle of the game and the public here have lost the interest they had, but it's interesting to reflect on what may have been if administrators had been more adventurous and RU had been less successful in their WC. Nothing wrong with the AFL trying to get people together every few years to have a fun tournament,, as long as they don't try to tell us that having teams with mostly ex pats is proof the game is going gangbusters overseas.
sheek
Roar Guru
When the Yanks call something 'world', at least they can back it up. The MLB finals series might be called the 'world series', but the yanks are still the best baseball nation on the planet, on most days. Ditto their NBL & NFL. Seriously, if the NFL was an international sport, you would still put your money on the yanks, considering their obsession with explosive power. And the NFL is all about explosive power. The only American league to struggle on the world stage is the NHL, by that I mean the yanks national team aren't top dog. But they're not far off either. I'm sorry but the article is a nonsense. As is quoting the rugby league world cup as an example. that's a joke also. The AFL satisfies its fanbase here in Australia on a weekly basis & that's what they should continue to do - do what they do best.