The AFL has done some amazing things in recent years.
They fast tracked the development of the AFLW.
They have carnivals and programs for all minority groups within the game.
The inclusiveness is tremendous. The time and money the game pumps into ensuring they get as close to equality as possible is fantastic.
For just because you are from a minority should not limit your opportunities in the great game. Have they forgotten one minority though? A minority that has served the game for as long, if not longer, than any other.
Have they forgotten about the bush?
Country football is one of those things that helps county communities in the southern states run. The unifying effect that a home game has on a whole town is nothing short of palatable. It can at times be the only time a farmer sees anyone else for a decent amount of time during the week.
It also provides a ‘big night’ for the local watering hole. As the saying goes, lose your footy club and then your pub is on borrowed time. The bush needs footy.
The AFL needs the bush too. Let’s take WA just for an example. Check this out for a list of names, Patrick Cripps, Josh Kennedy, Mark LeCras, Harry Taylor, Nat Fyfe, Buddy Franklin, Jeremy McGovern, and Liam Baker are all AFL superstars of the last decade.
Three Brownlow medals between them, one of them has kicked 1000 goals, one of them kicked 700. six of them are premiership players, a couple more than once. All absolute stars of the game, and all, all of them, from the country. The game is better for them being there, the game needs more like them.
(Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
So how do we get more of them? How do we open the production line a little bit wider so we can see them all? Now granted this is a complicated question but I have a simple answer to start the journey. A National Country Football Championship, run by the AFL.
In an era when the AFL has pumped money into an International Cup in Melbourne to try and grow the game in communities it doesn’t have a strong foothold, how about they do the same to solidify the game in places where it does?
A National Country Football Championships. A carnival that the AFL put on that brings state sides from the four southern states where country footy is at it’s strongest.
It could be a week in one of the major cities where they play each other in a round robin situation then the top two play a final at the G or under the roof on the docks. It would be some event!
The argument against it of course would be cost, would be when do you hold it, would be whether players would want to go. Let me knock each of them down one by one. Cost! Really! Firstly, in the scheme of things it wouldn’t cost that much.
In a time where the competition is propping up clubs to tunes of millions of dollars and signing TV right deals in the billions, they could afford it.
When? It would need to be in August, for the simple fact that then most of the country people would be finished with the busy part of their year.
Lance Franklin. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
This needs to be tailored to them in every way possible. Then finally, would they want to go? You make it as professional of an event as possible, you put it on big grounds and make it as cost effective as possible to attend, they’ll go.
For every Buddy, for every JK, for every Crippa, there is always a story of someone they grew up with who was better. Someone who had the talent but didn’t chase the dream.
With a National Country Championships, we could see these fellas anyway. Live stream the round robin and televise the final and I can guarantee people would watch it. Plus, recruiters would love it.
So, in this wonderful time of inclusion and fairness. In this wonderful time of opening the doors and letting everyone in, of making the minorities in our community feel like the great game gives them every opportunity, lets open the door a little bit further.
Let’s remember the minority that has been so important for so long to the game of Australian rules. For while there is no denying that the bush needs footy, let us all never forget that footy needs the bush as well.
Adam
Guest
While I agree with you to a degree Woobla. Country footy in WA isn't quite a rosy as you'd think. Take South West out of the equation and the inflated numbers from the birth of women's footy and the numbers are in clear decline across the vast majority of leagues. While a PPS system might have evened out the bigger, better comps to a degree (SWFL, UGSFL, GNFL), it's lack of implementation across the top of the state is killing the lesser teams in these leagues, with increasing numbers walking away from the game in droves. Media couldn't give a toss though, as all they want to do is report on which ex-AFL players kicked 10 in a 200 point win over a makeshift team.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Agree. It wouldn't have to be like the AFL where Non-Vic sides are always travelling interstate every fortnight and having to play every club in the comp. You could do it in conferences like American sports where all the local clubs play each other, then the travel to play random sides. The VFL is doing it, sort of, where all the Northern teams play each other, but they don't play every Vic team and vice versa. The change I would make to the VFL is that they should form a reserve grade comp separately and let independent clubs play in the state leagues. To begin with, you might just have comps send their best 2 teams to make an 8 team knockout tournament after the regular season finishes. Then slowly expand it so each state still has a domestic comp but clubs can also be involved in a national comp. As a Queenslander, I feel that the AFL needs to support a Queensland State Football League which includes Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton/Mackay, Sunshine Coast and Northern NSW as well as the Brisbane and GC clubs. There is enough talent and large enough AFL community support to make it happen. An independent Queensland side made it the VFL grand final this year and won the NEAFL a few years ago.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
No, they do not. The NRL is a competition that was begun at the end of the Super League war. They have nothing to do with City vs Country or State of Origin or Test matches which are governed by the NSWRL. City/Country was always used as a selection trial for NSW Origin, but it ceased in 2017 because players were bashing the suitcase out of each other and Queensland won 8 series in a row. What has been promoted instead is an Indigenous All Stars team, which often plays international side from the Pacific Islands, but recently it has been a game against Maori All Stars. A lot of players from the bush, but all them playing NRL.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Sydney, Brisbane, GC and GWS have done massive amounts of good for bush footy in NSW, ACT, QLD and NT. All of these clubs have together nurtured ten of thousands of country kids through their pathways to the point where they produce more players than 4 clubs can keep, especially in the AFLW. The Suns run junior programs from northern NSW, up through the GC and Logan out to the Scenic Rim, then everything north of Gladstone, plus the Pacific Islands and the Darwin Academy. Their Academy recruit for the Men's team is from 1000kms out of Darwin - it doesn't get more country than that! The Suns zone is massive, mostly non-AFL and ALL of it is regional.
Nathan
Guest
I think a Nationwide league should be put together where VFL, SANFL, QLD and WA to make a League using all smaller venues to play at.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
They certainly still do it in Victoria. Definitely not a new concept.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
You’re way off the mark. The best thing the AFL could do for country footy would be to go away. Its meddling over the last decade or so has caused untold damage to several leagues whilst they’ve used local footy as a cash cow. Under Gil the AFL has slowly but surely taken over footy and it hasn’t been a good thing.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
WAFL website too.
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
I must be looking in the wrong spots.
Republican
Guest
The honour board of players from the ACT that have played in the AFL and before that, in the state leagues of SA, WA and Vic is significant and impressive but ironically, that has been on the decline since the code went 'national'. Sadly the AFL chose Sydney, Brisbane, GC and more recently Western Sydney to 'grow' their brand at the continued expedience of footy of once footy heartlands ie the ACT. Similarly they have been responsible for the codes demise in Tassie, once a top tier state with a pedigree that matched Vic, SA and WA. They much prefer growing the game as a sort of commercial illusion akin to reality television. They get very excited at the prospect of expanding to desolate locations that offer a dearth of footy pedigree or status i.e. NZ or China. Messers Gillon and Kennet to name two are typical of the new breed of custodians, whereby the criteria for expansion is determined by vested commercial interests so Tasmania, the NT or the ACT are simply pawns to that end.
Republican
Guest
Spot on Timmuh.
Republican
Guest
Ironically, footy was more connected to its heritage before the code devolved national, when footy states sported strong domestic leagues and the Soo existed as evidence of a evenly shared pedigree throughout. The AFL are a pseudo custodian of our great game, akin to an insatiable multi national leviathan. A stand alone body should be created to ensure governance of the indigenous code is not exclusive to and of the AFL; a body to foster cultural and historical capital and not just commercial interests. Parity across the states as well as at all tiers of the game will never be realised under the AFLs hegemony. The game will continue to devolve if commercially beholden to Murdochs etal crass television interests, inherent of the neo liberal lie, where a trickle down philosophy rarely spreads beyond the top soil.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
I like your idea.....but not in Victoria. Victoria has the national, other states can have country football. You can’t have it all. I also think you have country state cricket & hockey teams.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
...and Great Southern, Upper Great Southern, Central Midlands, Kimberley, Mid-West, Avon... Through the season, you can get discussion, results, reviews, previews in The West, Sunday Times, WA Today.
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
Solid press coverage? With respect Don Freo, I struggle to agree. Jordan Mcardle's articles about where ex-AFL players might be playing don't really stand as solid press coverage. It would be good if they spent some time acknowledging that there's more to country footy than the South West, Goldfield and Pilbara.
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
I apologise I didn't explain that part very well. My vision would be a state side carnival. Something like the U/18's but for State Country sides.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
Good article. I have heard that local teams may struggle to get enough players next year, although i am not sure at what level. I am in Albury-Wodonga area.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Alex Jesaulenko.
Paul2
Guest
Interesting idea, but you haven't explained why we would want to do this. I really can't see how a national country football championship is going to help country clubs at all. Are people really going to be falling over themselves to see Shepparton take on the mighty Renmark Rovers Football Club? As you say, the strength of country football is how important to local towns. Having a bunch of clubs meet at the Docklands each year doesn't add anything.
RnR
Guest
I must have missed all the draftees (or academy picks) coming from the ACT. Could you enumerate?