AFL should open season overseas: Sheedy

Macca But many do listen. There is a growing cringe throughout, evidenced by posts here and within the rank and file of the AFL, that is impervious to how much will be compromised in respect of the historic and cultural DNA of our code, to appear pseudo international. I have no objection to any code growing organically to all corners of the earth if respective fervencies exist but ours is a code with less appeal than any of the US home grown equivalents truth be told, including in NZ. What I do object to greatly is the criteria that promotes 'growth' or should I say the illusion of growth, at the expedience of real growth, disenfranchising the grass roots and loyal demographics (of what is a very sustainable and resilient domestic code thanks very much) because merit and custodianship is completely irrelevant to multi national type organisations i.e the AFL. The AFL have little interest in growth in real terms but in terms of tele, their mercenary rhetoric of hard sell to places i.e. China, NZ et el is irrepressible. They are beyond reproach and autocratic in their neglect of a duty of care for our game but by golly they are rolling in the filthy lucre, which many punters of our code today, sadly perceive exclusive to growth as well.

That's OK cobber, you are entitled to your opinion which i might add goes basically against what every educated sports historian says.

as you yourself say, gaelic football has been around for hundreds of years, just because they didnt have one set of rules doesnt mean that aussie rules wasnt a direct copy of the original game. sorry cobber but your version IS a copy of the irish game.

Archbishop Croke also visited Melbourne several times, and how strange that when he returned to Ireland Gaelic football was codified, the GAA was set up to retain Irish games and culture and stop English Influence. The Irish in Australia and NZ had taken to the new game as documented in NZ at the time, in fact the first game under electric lights in the southern hemisphere took place in Wellington NZ and the game was a game of Aussie Rules in 1879 at the Basin Reserve.

LOL, what !! Gaelic football has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years, maybe longer, but was codified 30 or so years after Aussie Rules, Irish may have had a input into it but to say it started there is just wrong. Contrary to popular opinion …. http://www.irishecho.com.au/2010/10/06/is-gaelic-football-based-on-afl/6203 have a look at the early Gaelic goalposts from 1890 or so. There is a huge relationship between Archbishop Croke, the initial GAA where the rules were codified and , Irish/Australian gold diggers playing Aussie Rules in NZ in the 1870’s during NZ’s gold rush. AFAIK the oldest Rugby club in NZ was playing Aussie Rules before it played rugby – The game first played by the Nelson Football Club was a hybrid one: a mixture of association football and Melbourne rules http://www.theprow.org.nz/yourstory/new-zealands-first-rugby-club/#.VxG32_l96M8

LOL, what !! Gaelic football has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years, maybe longer, but was codified 30 or so years after Aussie Rules, Irish may have had a input into it but to say it started there is just wrong. Contrary to popular opinion .... http://www.irishecho.com.au/2010/10/06/is-gaelic-football-based-on-afl/6203 have a look at the early Gaelic goalposts from 1890 or so. There is a huge relationship between Archbishop Croke, the initial GAA where the rules were codified and , Irish/Australian gold diggers playing Aussie Rules in NZ in the 1870's during NZ's gold rush. AFAIK the oldest Rugby club in NZ was playing Aussie Rules before it played rugby - The game first played by the Nelson Football Club was a hybrid one: a mixture of association football and Melbourne rules http://www.theprow.org.nz/yourstory/new-zealands-first-rugby-club/#.VxG32_l96M8

yes the first game about three years ago had a reasonable crowd and the aussie rules guys were bubbling over with confidence and big talk but the crowd numbers have shrunk badly. about the only place that would work would be ireland since the game was started there in the first place.

Poor Old Kev. He's an ideas man. Out of every 100 he puts out there usually one or two have merit. This isn't one of them.

Think it is accidently on this board, but is it any less audacious than perhaps Rugby growing outside of a few select private schools. At every opportunity some within the AFL and Australian football community will attempt to spread and grow the game, some/much of the time it may be futile but it doesn't stop them.

And this piece is on a rugby thread because.............?

AFL going right to the source...of Thymosin Beta 4

this is so bizarre. AFL has had a few games in Wellington and the attendance is dwindling. I went the first game but haven't felt the desire to watch another one.

Yeah, send the AFL to China and leave it there!!

It's amazing how these people get sucked into their own bubble. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.

Another great idea from Sheeds - what better way to start the AFL year but in front of about 10k expats and bewildered locals. Why not play it in New Zealand where they could start the game at 9.30 at night to ensure maximum television rating in Melbourne? Why does anyone listen to this bloke anymore?