The AFL International Cup needs more recognition

.....as far as the International Cup goes I believe exceptions are made to respective teams but there would have to be a cap of some sort on this. I know little abuot it because I am in principle opposed to the underlying cringe element that cannot see the value in our great game remaining domestic and as such, would support NZ being afforded a plastic Aussie side in our AFL prematurely and at the expedience of deserving domestic options i.e. Canberra and Tassie.

Gaelic Footy is an amateur sport, which is why the AFL scouts are always poking around Ireland for potential talent. The Irish who represent their country in that farce of a hybrid code, are all amateurs unlike our highly paid professionals.

Are professionals allowed to play if they want? For example a professional from Ireland who wishes to represent the Ireland team?

All the best of luck to you Lisa but I have to politely disagree.

Brian, that was a bit rude. I was actually thrust this under my nose at the pub the other day by a friend who knows I have set up the Swans, on a mobile phone it is actually quite unclear what it is and you only see the title and 'have your say'. I had made a mental note to come back and read up further on it but it has been a very big week, establishing as we had our first GB Swans fundraiser yesterday. It would have been a lot nicer for you to have just said "thanks for your comment Lisa, have noticed you havent signed the petition, please can you do so". You will get a lot more for your cause if you are nice about it, rather than making a dig at someone when you don't know the facts. That said, I have now signed the petition and will make a post on social media via the Swans. Not the biggest fan of these forums as people hide behind the screen but I will make sure that any publicity that we get for the Swans over in the UK, which we are trying to get, that I mentioned the televised proposal for IC17. Cheers.

Lisa, you are trying to raise money for the G.B. Swans to come to 2017 International Cup yet you haven't supported this petition which aims to help teams exactly like yours. Mpre over it's baffling when it costs no money and only takes seconds to complete. In contrast to you' who will be running around like the proverbial trying to garner support.

I like Australian Football. The fact that it is the Australian game is a bonus but Australians certainly don't own the game anymore. Good luck to the GB Swans. Women's football is certainly booming. Cruelly where once, the rest of the world was competitive, the gap between Australia and the rest of the world in women's football is danger of widening with the development of a national women's competition

We've just established the Great Britain Swans (ladies team) and this will be our first IC. We have a large number of women who will be trialling for the squad and work extremely hard to get fit and improve their skills to be the top of their game. Australians should be proud that their sport is growing and making its way around the world so why wouldn't they want to see what the abilities of the other countries are and to celebrate the growth of the sport? Each premier team should put forward a leadership team for the countries attending to guide and support them through the competition. The final is played at the MCG - and what a showcase for the sport that would be, why not share it with the world?!

There has been only a little Australian Football played in South America as yet. There is a move to change that situation by people who have had previous success introducing Australian football into Europe and Africa. Note this is NOT an AFL initiative.

What's really funny is that a person who has absolutely no interest in the development of Australian Football outside of Australia spends so much time involved in the discussion of Australian Football and in the propagation of Australian Football.

Can't see SBS ignoring the petition . The overwhelming support of the 178 people who signed should sway them . Lol

Bring it on. All of a sudden there'd be oztam critics on the AFL boards as well.

No prizes for logic Rep. The AFL is interested in growing the code "organically" - that's the problem. The AFL doesn't support football outside of the AFL adequately we know that How is that possibly linked with football O/S? Yes the AFL is a business, so why are people against the AFL attacking expansion (limited) as a business. Do people have a problem with the AFL being successful? Nobody is being "gifted" a team, quite the opposite. The ACT and NT are domestic issues and have no link to Australian Football internationally. Apart from the RSA, PNG and NZ the AFL has little to do with Australian Football internationally. If people knew ANYTHING about Australian Football internationally then they'd know O/S community lacks support. If people knew ANYTHING Australian Football internationally then they'd know it's Australia's all-consuming passion for AFL that sucks resources from EVERY other form of Australian Football domestically and abroad. If you want to help, stop talking about the AFL and start talking about Tas, ACT, NT, WAFL, SANFL,NEAFL, International Cup, Euro Cup, 49th Parallel. Cup etc.

Tricky This is not about opposing the success of an Australian game as you infer, it is about the expedience of the process. The AFL are not interested in growing the code organically or with any meritorious consideration of loyal heartlands sadly.. The AFLs expansion is all about commercial profit and empire building and this is why McGlaughllin is talking up NZ as the next boon region - what a load of hyperbolic rhetoric.. The NZ market offer the league an opportunity to compete with other codes in the footy cold war, in respect of network $'s and that is it in a nut shell. While the cringe sub culture get on this band wagon in order to satisfy their need to glean value for their code by it appearing pseudo international, the ACT, NT and Tassie continue to be exploited and their grassroots continue to recede. This is about poor leadership and a lack of custodianship by a governing body unfit to assume a duty of care for our indigenous code. NZ should NEVER be gifted a side and especially not before domestic obligations are fulfilled in this respect.

Again thanks for promoting Australian Football overseas and your comical remarks. Everybody overseas is too busy in their own local league.

Rhino did you forget to change names when you signed in ? Strange how I'm having an argument with Rhino & Bart keep the debate going . Lol Funny that .

Thanks Brian . I believe there is way too many bad things in the world .. So having a good laugh is not a bad thing,& this is one subject that gets plenty .

it's really good of you db to continually bring attention to Australian Football overseas. I couldn't do it without you!

The only reason I mentioned Birchgrove was to show that when an AFL article showing RL in a bad light is mentioned ....its treated like gospel . Yet the same person writes something that shows the ails participation number in a bad light .. You hypocrites font want yo know about it . How predictable .. & are you Bart now rhino .?

The reality is that you are you are Don Quixote fighting at windmills that don't exist. Participation numbers are participation numbers, Birchgrove is Birchgrove and the Vitenam Swans are expat driven. Any intelligent analysis shows that participation numbers have a percentage benefit. Footywild has changed the RSA from a single Buffaloes team to a number of different community leagues and the quality of development is demonstrated by their national team the Lions at the 2014 I.C. At least two nationals are playing in second tier AFL leagues. Gross participation numbers are only relevant in comparison to other gross participation numbers but as they are rising there is obviously no problem there. If you want to talk about reality you shouldn't be in denial but be analyzing the percentage effectiveness. Obviously there is some benefit because their are now numerous school competitions were before there was none and the easiest way to start school competitions is by introducing school programs.. You are right in that S.E. Asia is largely expat driven but even that has changed dramatically recently but to imply that the Swans are somehow representative Australian Football overseas is simply ludicrous and far from reality. Keep rambling on about Birchgrove as long as it makes you feel better in the meantime it doesn't change reality that Australian Football is growing all the time. .