Cassio del Monte
Debutant
Meh. I don't think a few seconds of highlights in India would be worth much. And even if the AFL coverage did get picked up, it would probably be on a premium channel, the Indian Setanta equivalent.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 8 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Expansion India next in AFL expansion plans
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Meh. I don't think a few seconds of highlights in India would be worth much. And even if the AFL coverage did get picked up, it would probably be on a premium channel, the Indian Setanta equivalent.
Meh. You love our game don't you? Have some ****ing faith why don't you. If rugby league, rugby union, soccer and even American football can expand outside of their heartlands, why can't we?
Ditto Ricky Ponting or Shane Warne.
Get them all together and play a celebrity footy match in Mumbai as a curtain raiser to the IPL - would be massive !
ChrisFooty
Premiership Player
This is a 10000-1 chance of working. It will not ever produce quality AFL players or leagues in India that are strong. In fact most regional victorian leagues would be strounger than India leagues, even in 20-50 years.
- Banned
- #106
India would be good for the AFL clubs for marketing, sponsorship etc. Yes the AFL/Clubs have to spend money there to attract money, but India has a huge market and it's going to explode soon if not already. It would do wonders for clubs like Roos, Melbourne, Bulldogs etc for a boost to their finances. And even the other clubs can profit, like someone posted here already Soccer is a minnow in India but yet games pull crowds ok 120 K. I don't think we could have a league or whatever in India but it would be good to pull money, sponsership etc.
It is hard to imagine the Indians really taking to any code of football, I believe soccer is fairly popular over there but as a nation they dont seem that keen on chasing pigskin around hot dusty ovals. I guess it doesnt hurt to play these games overseas there may be benefits i.e. players can write themselves off and smash up local bars without being recognised, now China...............
you speaking for an entire nation ?
and hot dusty ovals aren't really an issue. If you're keen, you're keen.
Footy has been played in woeful conditions from the word go. The diggers played in desert locations right across the world.
Nauru has been doing it for years. The oval there has no grass, just crushed phosphate and being close to the equator, it gets very hot. Doesn't stop it from being immensely popular.
And then there is the Queenstown Oval ... made of gravel .. but doesn't dampen the enthusiasm of the locals
In Minnesota, they play footy in the snow.
In Arizona, they play it in the desert.
And in Japan, some of the footy player play on bitumen with knee and elbow guards.
But you miss the point. India has some awesome cricket pitches that are well watered and just waiting for top level footy to be played on them.
you speaking for an entire nation ?
and hot dusty ovals aren't really an issue. If you're keen, you're keen.
Footy has been played in woeful conditions from the word go. The diggers played in desert locations right across the world.
Nauru has been doing it for years. The oval there has no grass, just crushed phosphate and being close to the equator, it gets very hot. Doesn't stop it from being immensely popular.
And then there is the Queenstown Oval ... made of gravel .. but doesn't dampen the enthusiasm of the locals
In Minnesota, they play footy in the snow.
In Arizona, they play it in the desert.
And in Japan, some of the footy player play on bitumen with knee and elbow guards.
But you miss the point. India has some awesome cricket pitches that are well watered and just waiting for top level footy to be played on them.
Who's going to play on them oh wise one?
Im sure Brendon Fevola will be falling all over himself to strap on the knee and elbow pads to play infront of three confused locals in Tokyo. Or maybe pack the suppository pills and head over to Delhi to flirt in the dirt.
When AFL makes it big (crowds, television ratings (or even being shown), real participation (not handing out showbags)) in any country outside Australia wake me.
why not, he straps on just about everything else in front of confused locals
Seriously though, this is where the AFL want to play exhibition matches. I don't see any desert, just a couple of huge Telstra Dome sized stadiums with some pristine turf that rugby league could only dream of playing on.
Kolta Stadium
Wankhede Stadium
That's where you're wrong mate.
It will grow - because it has.
Over 50% growth in player number over 3 years aint bad. Double the number in South Africa and Papua New Guinea in just a couple of years.
Regular media columns in New Zealand, Ireland and Papua New Guinea.
Media publicity in the USA, Canada and South Africa.
New clubs and leagues springing up virtually on a monthly basis.
Nearly double the international audience for the AFL Grand Final in the last 2 years.
Crowds at AFL exhibition matches in Dubai, London and South Africa, a sell out in the USA and next year India.
Well sponsored competitions in the UAE and Argentina.
If you don't call that growth, then I don't know exactly what your definition is. And it will only continue. Nothing deluded about that.
So get your head out of the sand. Either get on board or stop whining.
IT is still growth.
And the game has been played overseas for half a century, it is just ignorant people like you who didn't care to know about it.
There has been at least 10-20,000 players overseas during that time.
It should reach around 120,000 or more by 2020 which will deliver plenty of international talent to the AFL.
Are you assuming that kids from overseas would want Auskick showbags ?
No actually most of the growth is in senior players.
But some of those "Auskick kids", like Canada's Scott Fleming and PNG's John James (who incidentally decided to switch from rugby league) take the game seriously enough to move to Australia to play semi-professionally. So maybe you should ask them if the showbags helped.
I'd say quite a few since the WAFL got at least 3,000 back in 1969 with zero publicity. None of them were expat Perth people.
If the AFL can't do better than that with a professional national competition and having been on Indian televisions for 2 years .... then something would be majorly wrong.
Sir Biffo et al,
'growth' - - true - it's hard to display 'growth' trends from a zero base.
However, - there are key indicators of achieving local sustainability.
Remember, in the Northern Hemisphere nothing could be more removed than the AFL in Melbourne - - there's no Superleague for example to leverage off.
In the past, often teams would pop up here and there with an influx of expat Aussies and then fade away within a few years. WHat we have now via the internet is a little community that has been 'growing' organically - - in the main without interest or encouragement from the AFL (who have focussed on establishing the AFL firstly, and then NSW and QLD - at the expense of, for example, PNG). ONly in the past few years has the AFL seriously looked towards South Africa - although, AFL investment is minute compared to spending in NSW and QLD.
Now - take Denmark as an example. The DAFL has been going for about 20 years.
Back then, the norm was to rely on ex-pat Aussies, and the odd Irishman or Kiwi who might kick the sherrin around.
20 years on, the DAFL no includes a fully fledged junior program based in Farum (not much, but, it's a start and has been feeding the national team with locally developed players).
We recently saw a DAFL match with NOT ONE single ex-pat Aussie playing, coaching or officiating the match. The DAFL is starting to take on a life of it's own. This I think is a key achievement towards 'sustainability', or at least 'stickability'.
The DAFL used to incorporate the Swedes. We now see a separate Swedish league, national body and national team debuting at this years International Cup.
Now - the DAFL is central to a nice little North Euro footy community. They play Germany and Sweden in an annual tri-series. In the last couple of years footy has kicked off in Finland - and, unlike previously, instead of starting up in isolation, they have a ready made regional footy community to join. Just the other day the first Oslo team played one of the Swedish teams.
So - while the DAFL may not be greatly 'larger' than it has been over the last 10 years - - the footy community that it is part of is rather much larger.
And now, the next 20 years will be very interesting. Locals progressing through to become the next generation of coaches and spreading the game further? (however, while the AFL looks most seriously at Sth Af, India and China, the DAFL etc will need to continue doing it just for the love of the game.).
The thing is - - why do some people enjoy it? For some, they went to school, played junior soccer and handball, but, as adults, can't continue playing both, and in footy, they find a nice game that combines all the skills they've developed. Likewise in Ireland, many players played both Rugby and Gaelic, and footy - fits the niche in between.
Will this niche proove a potential gold mine? doubtful. Has it got further growth left in it? Who knows.
Sir Biffo -- it's very easy to be negative. But, for now, this little and growing global footy community calls Melbourne it's spiritual home - - and, nothing is likely to challenge that.
btw - teams that have competed in the IC previously :
USA, Canada, Japan, Samoa, Nauru, PNG, Great Britain, Ireland, NZ, Denmark, Sth Africa and Spain.
Spain couldn't get here this time.
Debutants this time - Finland, Sweden, and project sides Peres Peace team, India and China.
16 sides is 5 more than any previous IC list of attendees. Next time?? Who knows, Germany too? Perhaps Chile and or Argentina?
While we could be dubious about the project teams - well, the example of South AFrica who have gone from 'project' team to a top 4 place getter this time around shows that perhaps these projects are worthwhile and so far pretty cheap.
Take on the Rugbies, or soccer though - - never, not internationally. That couldn't be a battle fought let alone 'won' - and why become just another sporting plaything for billionaire owners? The EPL is everything I'd NOT want AFL to become.
'growth' - - true - it's hard to display 'growth' trends from a zero base.
However, - there are key indicators of achieving local sustainability.
Remember, in the Northern Hemisphere nothing could be more removed than the AFL in Melbourne - - there's no Superleague for example to leverage off.
In the past, often teams would pop up here and there with an influx of expat Aussies and then fade away within a few years. WHat we have now via the internet is a little community that has been 'growing' organically - - in the main without interest or encouragement from the AFL (who have focussed on establishing the AFL firstly, and then NSW and QLD - at the expense of, for example, PNG). ONly in the past few years has the AFL seriously looked towards South Africa - although, AFL investment is minute compared to spending in NSW and QLD.
Now - take Denmark as an example. The DAFL has been going for about 20 years.
Back then, the norm was to rely on ex-pat Aussies, and the odd Irishman or Kiwi who might kick the sherrin around.
20 years on, the DAFL no includes a fully fledged junior program based in Farum (not much, but, it's a start and has been feeding the national team with locally developed players).
We recently saw a DAFL match with NOT ONE single ex-pat Aussie playing, coaching or officiating the match. The DAFL is starting to take on a life of it's own. This I think is a key achievement towards 'sustainability', or at least 'stickability'.
The DAFL used to incorporate the Swedes. We now see a separate Swedish league, national body and national team debuting at this years International Cup.
Now - the DAFL is central to a nice little North Euro footy community. They play Germany and Sweden in an annual tri-series. In the last couple of years footy has kicked off in Finland - and, unlike previously, instead of starting up in isolation, they have a ready made regional footy community to join. Just the other day the first Oslo team played one of the Swedish teams.
So - while the DAFL may not be greatly 'larger' than it has been over the last 10 years - - the footy community that it is part of is rather much larger.
And now, the next 20 years will be very interesting. Locals progressing through to become the next generation of coaches and spreading the game further? (however, while the AFL looks most seriously at Sth Af, India and China, the DAFL etc will need to continue doing it just for the love of the game.).
The thing is - - why do some people enjoy it? For some, they went to school, played junior soccer and handball, but, as adults, can't continue playing both, and in footy, they find a nice game that combines all the skills they've developed. Likewise in Ireland, many players played both Rugby and Gaelic, and footy - fits the niche in between.
Will this niche proove a potential gold mine? doubtful. Has it got further growth left in it? Who knows.
Sir Biffo -- it's very easy to be negative. But, for now, this little and growing global footy community calls Melbourne it's spiritual home - - and, nothing is likely to challenge that.
btw - teams that have competed in the IC previously :
USA, Canada, Japan, Samoa, Nauru, PNG, Great Britain, Ireland, NZ, Denmark, Sth Africa and Spain.
Spain couldn't get here this time.
Debutants this time - Finland, Sweden, and project sides Peres Peace team, India and China.
16 sides is 5 more than any previous IC list of attendees. Next time?? Who knows, Germany too? Perhaps Chile and or Argentina?
While we could be dubious about the project teams - well, the example of South AFrica who have gone from 'project' team to a top 4 place getter this time around shows that perhaps these projects are worthwhile and so far pretty cheap.
Take on the Rugbies, or soccer though - - never, not internationally. That couldn't be a battle fought let alone 'won' - and why become just another sporting plaything for billionaire owners? The EPL is everything I'd NOT want AFL to become.
- Banned
- #116
From the Guardian .
Wednesday afternoon and the sun beats down on a tattered strip of grass surrounded by embattled homes in the centre of KwaMashu township, north of Durban.
The congregation of schoolchildren on the sidelines -- interest initially petering in the heat -- becomes increasingly enthralled as the South African national Australian Rules Football League (AFL) team mounts a late comeback against the Boomerangs, an Australian Aboriginal youth team.
Generally the crowd of about 500 kids appears engaged, cheering the local "Buffaloes" on with each goal.
But there is, of course, the obligatory group of urchins having a comical (conventional) football kick-about with an Aussie Rules ball on the periphery of the match.
Australian Rules Football and KwaMashu township might, initially, appear as mismatched as thirsty nightclub-prowling footballers and mineral water.
But AFL South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal provincial development officer, Travis Jackson, doesn't think so. For him and the AFL, the townships are wells of untapped athletic potential. There are places where youngsters' enthusiasm for sport is largely ignored by the ruling bodies of South Africa's "big three" sporting codes: soccer, cricket and rugby -- and by government departments like education and sport.
There is little or no sport coaching, infrastructure or equipment provided by the government or the "big three" here in E Section.
Silemela Primary School pupil Promise Mthethwa (13) is a participant in the AFL's KwaMashu Footy Wild development project and shyly nods that she enjoys playing Aussie Rules: "I like netball," she says, "but we don't have a ground to play on or a teacher to teach us."
With South Africa's population twice as large as Australia's, Jackson believes this sports void is an opportune one to fill as the AFL plots the expansion of his country's most popular sport -- it would appear the Aussies, tired of beating one other, are looking to develop Aussie Rules in 32 countries, including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and South Africa.
"Our vision is to have a professional league in South Africa in five to six years' time; the kids here in KwaMashu lack everything in terms of resources and support, but have everything when it comes to talent and enthusiasm," says Jackson.
The AFL development drive in South Africa has been rebranded as the Footy Wild project and in KwaMashu, since August last year, Aus$400Â 000 (R2,8-million) has been poured into getting children from eight primary schools and two high schools to play the sport.
Jackson says Aussies Rules isn't new in the country. The sport was first played in South Africa in the late 1800s when Australian soldiers served under the British during the Anglo-Boer War. In 1996 soldiers from the Australian Defence Force reintroduced the game in the North West province, with a development officer from the AFL appointed there in 2001.
In 2003 AFL South Africa was set up as a development body with funding from AusAid, Australian Volunteers International and the North West Academy of Sport. The focus was on the North West, but clubs were recently created in Gauteng and the KwaZulu-Natal project is an extension of this development drive.
"It's been an enormous success in the North West. I started playing it there 11 years ago and now we have 17 teams -- one in each of the major towns -- and thousands of kids are playing it," says South African national captain Benjamin Motuba after the match, which the Boomerangs won 76-57.
Motuba, who participated in a six-month development programme in southern Australia, works as an Aussie Rules community development officer in Gauteng.
He says Aussie Rules provide a release for many bored and marginalised children in his province, he being one of them: "The AFL has taken children off the streets and invested in them. That is only a good thing."
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-02-29-upsidedown-football-mate
The only thing I'd be careful of here is the branding exercise by the AFL - such that we have AFL Japan, DAFL, FAFL, etc etc.
They there for run a "{insert country here} Australian football league".
However, we DO know that the "Laws of Australian Football" refer to "Australian Football", and the HAL play the same game as the EPL which use the FIFA/IFAB "Laws of Association Football".
I'm relatively fine with "Aussie Rules" so long as soccer don't go claiming devine rights on "Football" and certainly NOT 'Australian Football'.
Isn't this what you asked for?
Then an article gets posted from the Guardian and all of a sudden its "Turn it up. That article just reaks of PR. Make AFL out to be the saviour of all of Sth Africa's ills."
Sour much?
Bang on, where did he go?
Standard procedure for vinnie I'm afraid.
1.) There's a billion people there.
2.) They play cricket, which means heaps of suitable stadiums
3.) There are no really popular football codes. Soccer isn't big there.
4.) There are cultural ties to Australia
5.) Did I mention there's a billion people there. $
Courtesy of Wikipedia, but it doesnt matter where this info comes from, you need to be taught a few things, cos it just shows how naive you are:
Association football is one of India's most popular sports, and is said to rank second only behind cricket in popularity, although some reporting considers domestic football to be more popular [1] than domestic cricket. Football is played in almost all schools in India. Football is also said to be the top sport in the states of Goa, Kerala, Manipur, West Bengal, Mizoram and Sikkim.
In September 2006, India and Brazil signed an agreement formalise a scheme to train Indian footballers and coaches[1]
Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), in the state of West Bengal, is considered to be the home of Indian football. The city contains the two most famous Indian teams East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan AC. Derbies between these two clubs often draw crowds around the 120,000 mark.
Recently Goan clubs have been doing very well in the I-league. Dempo FC are the defending champions.
You're right, nothing touches cricket in India, but as far as football codes go, soccer has that down pat. Go on any Indian online newspaper publication, its all cricket and soccer.
kthnxbai
1. A billion people who have very little interest in contact sports
2. Suitable stadiums that are built on rock hard ground, and exposed to 45+ degrees 24 hours a day all bar 6 weeks of the year when it drops to a balmy 30degrees for winter. No one could possibly play regular, serious football - day or night - there, except in far north India.
3. and if soccer isnt popular (given culture & climate), then thats a really big warning sign, surely. AR is a wonderful game, but still a football code -and a much harder one to take up than Soccer.
4. Not really. We both play cricket, and theres alot of Indian students in Australia, thats about it. Modern Indians are only interested in India and the future of India. They want to prove to the world how great they are/are going to be. They are not in a stage of their history where they want to be importing culture. like most countries, what they know of the overseas world is about the USA and UK. Australia is an interesting spec.
5. true but sadly irelevant given 1-4.
given a choice S.Africa and North America would be much more fertile ground than india
