Young but ambitious

Spain is a welcome addition to the International Cup

Until 1996, it is fair to say that Australian Football was almost unknown in Spain. Without the official AFL website to provide scores and news, those of us living in Spain who had grown up with the sport were sadly out of touch. On the odd occasion, we had a kick in the park.

That same year, the Australian Embassy in Madrid received a call from Spanish television network Teledeporte, which was looking for someone with knowledge of the sport to work on a match of the week program.

Interest in the game grew and in 1997, the Canal+ network signed a contract to show two matches and a highlights program each week.

Without doubt, Australian Football is one of the fastest and most spectacular sports in the world, and in Spain it continues to emerge as a minority alternative sport to soccer, the dominant sport of Europe that attracts widespread interest and significant media coverage.

While some of us continued our irregular kick in the park sessions, no real attempt was made in the late 1990s to start a club.

An Australian social group called GUDONYA hosts annual events, including a broadcast of the AFL Grand Final.

The 2002 AFL Grand Final between the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood proved to be a watershed event for Australian Football in Spain.

Five minutes before the match started, the door opened and into the GUDONYA Grand Final function walked a guy fully decked out in the Brisbane Lions gear – the jumper, shorts, socks and boots.

The locals rarely see such sights and, to say the least, we were quite impressed.

Andrew Nielsen, a staunch Adelaide Crows supporter who had become a Lion for the day, had just arrived in Madrid.

The party was a great success and as a result of Andrew’s energy and contacts, we finally got down to business about setting up a club.

Jeff Callow has been instrumental in building support for the code in Spain, through events such as the AFL Grand Final party, with more than 100 fellow Aussies turning out each year to watch the game.

The Madrid Australian Rules Football Club – nicknamed the Bears in honour of the city’s traditional mascot – was officially formed on March 26, 2003.

Madrid has 37 players and a member database of almost 400, with numbers growing. The club’s home ground is just outside Madrid in Alcorcón, with capacity for 3000 people.

There are plans to establish teams in Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia, La Coruña, Zaragosa, Bilbao and Málaga.

Andrew Nielsen organised an international championship in Spain in 2003, with Spain, Germany and England taking part. The hosts defeated Germany in the final.

Spaniards are genuinely interested in Australia and Australians. We trust that our team will help that interest grow. With continued coverage of the AFL on Canal+ and support from the Australian Embassy, Spain may in the long-term be able to provide talent for the AFL competition.

Australian Football is Spain has certainly come a long way in the last two years. The Spanish Bulls are looking forward to representing the country at the Australian Football International Cup in Melbourne, and in time, we hope to become an international powerhouse.