AFL into asia?

[huntos]

Both cats coach Mark Thompson and power coach Mark Williams today fresh from their sides game in London said that they would be interested in looking to Asia for growth in Australian Rules football.
Do you think this is good for the game? Would it be to land talented recruits, exhibition games for extra revenue or should the afl look at putting money into game development so they can eventually have the China Football league and Japan Football League?
Personally i think its a wonderful idea. Why cant football eventaully be played internationally? I think it is the best game in the world and if you dont think that your game can grow, what chance does it have of surviving in the future? Could Collingwood eventually have the same presence as Chelsea and Essendon as Manchester United? All the most prominant games of the world either came from the U.K (soccer, tennis, rugby) or America (basketball, american football), could our brand of footy become the worlds next big thing, or is it a pipe dream?
The ABC sport page has a poll, lodge a vote if your interested.

 

[DyerBolical]

I cant think of too many great sporting nations in asia, none that would embrace Aussie Rules. New Zealand and South Africa first and then try to get the yanks in California into it, theyve got plenty of land there for the game to grow and there somewhat crazy.

 

[Snuka]

I cant think of too many great sporting nations in asia, none that would embrace Aussie Rules. New Zealand and South Africa first and then try to get the yanks in California into it, theyve got plenty of land there for the game to grow and there somewhat crazy.

NZ & SA are great sporting nations? Yanks are not so crash hot at team sport either, on a world scale I mean.

I think it's a great idea. Why not try to look to expand the sport to our neighbours. It's as good a place to start as anywhere.

 

[Hawkk]

I wish it could happen, but sadly its a pipe dream.

 

[Modern Day Magic]

Tokyo Sumos?

 

[Pessimistic]

Carry on at the current low but consistent level -build slowly but deliberately.

Deon't blow big bucks on one off things wth no follow up - like when they palyed all ansett cup games O/S.

i also think as australias population expands, try to build up the second tier competitions. they have taken a hammering from the formation of the AFL

 

[1908]

Could Collingwood eventually have the same presence as Chelsea and Essendon as Manchester United?

No, you're comparing the biggest sport in the world to a quirky game that is very popular in the Southern and Western states of Australia, who in it's lifetime has never encountered serious competition.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Aussie Rules has been trying to make an impression upon the sporting world for near to 40 years, with no success. It's time the AFL realised it's a game that will only ever be played at a competitive level in our own back yard, and that there are more important issues to be addressed within Australia before wasting our time pushing our game onto nations of people who are not, and never will be, interested.

 

[Warwick]

You can't be serious!

Give it another 200 years. The game isn't the biggest football code in Queensland or NSW yet, traditional aussie rules regions - Tasmania and the Northern Territory don't have teams, and the only "international" competition involves a hybrid Mickey Mouse game that few are genuinely interested in.

Scrap the International Rules series, stuff trying to market the game overseas, and bring back State of Origin.

 

[Big Nasty]

I wouldnt want it to take off over seas because the same thing will happen to afl that happens to A-League where the talented players get swooped up by rich countries.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

It depends on what they are talking about.
Growing the leagues in Japan, China, Singapore, Indonesia etc is something that should be looked at. The game will never be big there, we have to accept that. But having some minimal international presence can only be a good thing.
There isn't the money in Australia to to try an "NFL Europe" type experiment second tier professional league though, and if they are looking at anything other than small, amateur leagues its doomed to failure. Certainly it won't be this century that a team at AFL level exists outside Australia (perhaps a very remote chance in PNG if somehow that nation develops the money and stability).
There are leagues in numerous countries (and regions) that are growing, and could do with more funding, but to divert large amounts of funding to these programs may be premature.
Where the funding is needed is Tasmania, where the game has gone backwards significanly in the last ten years with the decline and eventual fall of a statewide competition. A league that could once compete with all other state leagues (beating the WAFL, SANFL and VFL at home in the 90s) now no longer exists and fields a single team in another state's league. Country clubs, and leagues, have merged, folded and failed. But the AFL isn't interested, as they already draw every available dollar out of Tasmania and there is no other sport to compete with. No growth available, no loss to be countered in terms of AFL revenue; so no interest.

 

[Cuzz09]

Leave the game in our own backyard!

We dont need other countries playing it at the highest level.

its great how it is.

anyway, I probably cant afford to go see away games at Christchurch or Cape Town

 

[Borgsta]

I love the samurais tops.

 

[Asty]

If I was in charge of a club I would be doing everything in my power to promote AFL in asia and especially my club. At the moment all of asia is soccer mad and because of this they generate a lot of cash for soccer clubs. I lived in asia for a few years and when I was 1st up there everywhere you looked was man u stickers and jerseys etc. Beckham was easily the most popular and well known player. Real Madrid then signed beckham and toured asia next thing you know their is real madrid paraphenalia everywhere. Doesn't matter what it cost to sign him they made their money back and then a lot more. So if some of that money could be syphened down here then the afl might not need to deliver handouts.

 

[RhEF JC]

I wouldnt want it to take off over seas because the same thing will happen to afl that happens to A-League where the talented players get swooped up by rich countries.

Exactly why you need a worldwide governing body to enforce a world salary-cap. Though the problem then becomes, what stops a big organisation from starting up their own league (without a salary cap but with a big cash injection) independent of that governing body?

For mine, (if such problems could be overcome), it would be ideal to have the AFL as we know it now, but with a soccer-style world cup every four years. This way genuinely unique game styles can be developed seperately and then pitted against each other once every four years.

Disclaimer: This of course if a dream, rather than a plan

 

[magilla]

doubtful any country other than new zealand (we should claim that as an australian state ) would play aussie rules at a professional level.

look at australia and gridiron and baseball. very popular in the us and we all know and have seen the sports on the tv etc but the baseball league failed no - one gives 2 ****s about gridiron (nfl), then you have basketball and soccer. both well competed in at junior level, but at a professional level very small time and dominated by the afl.

basically the afl dominates because it is what we know, what were good at, we invented it, our code is the best in the world type attitude which is right. but thats the same way other countries think about their own sports and afl will only be like basketball or soccer is here. a smalltime league that is struggling, that only ever gets supported in international contests.

 

[Hawkk]

You can't be serious!

I agree, it'll never take off overseas, but...

Give it another 200 years. The game isn't the biggest football code in Queensland or NSW yet

Soccer isn't the number 1 sport across the whole of Britian either - Rugby holds sway in some Northern parts. Our code has sizeable support in both QLD and NSW, across the entire country Australian Football is the number 1 sport

traditional aussie rules regions - Tasmania and the Northern Territory don't have teams

The AFL could have had teams easily based in both locations 10-15 years ago - Fitzroy to Tasmania in the early 1990's for example. The AFL doesn't want nor need teams based in both locations - not only would it require constant and massive amounts of handouts to survive on a day in day out basis but it would do very little to increase the leagues stronghold across the country. To much effort for way to little reward.

and the only "international" competition involves a hybrid Mickey Mouse game that few are genuinely interested in.

This is the only reason why our game will never take off overseas, its a lost cause...the VFL tried to step into the South East Asian market in the 1980's and failed miserably.

Scrap the International Rules series, stuff trying to market the game overseas, and bring back State of Origin.

I agree, football hasn't been the same since SOO disappeared off the calendar 6-7 years ago.

 

[ClintEastwood]

There's already footy in Japan, but it's still very small-time, mostly ex-pats.

 

[SriLankanCat]

ASia is a massive market...they love aussies there as well so im sure they will get into it.

ITs a very skillful and athletic sport, and asians are very skillful...the may not be physically as strong as other nations but when it comes to skill they are up there...

We may not get a league their but the tv ratings would be phenemonal...china has 1 billion people! Imagine if we got a small portion of that

I think the AFL should be looking to take preseason games to ASia and overseas as well...

 

[demonfire]

i remember when sheedy was thinking of signing that japanese player who i think today is playing in some lower league here in an attempt to be drafted. they were saying that if essendon signed him they could have 40,000 members overnight from asia.

but i think the best idea is this:

pump money into advertising a japan/china vs australia game over there.
all we need to do is lose on purpose and they will think they are great at this sport. start playing professionally in their own leagues, and then the game is huge over there.

 

[Beckers]

There's already footy in Japan, but it's still very small-time, mostly ex-pats.

Now that is a good mascot! Sword impailing footy, blood, lack of political correctness etc:

 

[Snuka]

i remember when sheedy was thinking of signing that japanese player who i think today is playing in some lower league here in an attempt to be drafted. they were saying that if essendon signed him they could have 40,000 members overnight from asia.

but i think the best idea is this:

pump money into advertising a japan/china vs australia game over there.
all we need to do is lose on purpose and they will think they are great at this sport. start playing professionally in their own leagues, and then the game is huge over there.

Despite most not knowing of the sport, that guy still did get a small news spot here. The japanese love to hear about their own making it big overseas. Not likely to ever be fully competitive clubs here or in asia, but just one player from this region in the AFL would generate a heap of interest. ALthough finding one good enough may still be a while off yet.

 

[Dingster]

That was my team.

Pred, not sure if you've heard, but a team just started up in Nagoya too. Good to see the growth continuing in Japan.

However, the first priority is to get our own house in order. Sydney and Queensland still need catch up to the southern states in terms of coverage and promotion. Hopefully the new tv deal will help, but I won't hold my breath. Even with North playing games in the Gold Coast next year, 95% of the news and promotions are about the new Titans team. The AFL just don't get it done.

As for Japan, they get everything US thrown down their throats. The best way to get any coverage will be for a Japanese player becoming a senior player. That's not as impossible as it sounds. Peter Bell is from Korea and churned out a top career. It may be that a Japanese player born or relocated here in his school years makes the grade. Even then, we will only be a minority market at best.

 

[Rob]

If you're doing it from a recruiting perspective, Asia aint the place, most of them are too small. A few of those pacific islands mght be a place where you'd get a decent return on your investment though. I've been surprised no club has gone to the AFL with a decent proposal to invest (serious) money into a country like Samoa with a guarantee from the AFL to have first dibs on anyone that comes out of there. Probably take 15 years to show any results, but if you're making millions in profits, why not? Not much point investing in Australia.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

yeh we can bring our game to their land but dont make them play in our league ala NRL, A-league or NBL. We have our own league but having these teams from overseas would be horrendous for travel. players would be retiring at 25.