World Footy News

The Australian is Australia's major national newspaper and on 18th August 2005 ran a story previewing the Round 21 AFL match between Sydney and the Kangaroos. The first half focused on the non-Victorian domination of recent AFL grand finals, but of interest on the international front was a discussion of Aussie Rules as an important potential product in promoting "Brand Australia", and was put in the context of the upcoming match in Los Angeles between the two sides.

The relevant section, by Ross Fitzgerald, follows. Extract from "Prelude for the Swans":

This season the Kangaroos beat a shockingly inaccurate Sydney Swans by 23 points in round two at Manuka and the Swans desperately want their revenge. But the Kangas won't go down without a fight.

And here's the twist: after the game, the Swans and Kangaroos will put their prejudices behind them to focus on the other side of the world, where together they will showcase our indigenous game to the Americans next year. During Australia Week, on January 15, 2006, the teams will break new ground by going head-to-head in the Los Angeles Challenge at famous University of California, Los Angeles. Australian Football is one of the few Australian inventions that has flourished with time. It's nearly 150 years old and is a game Australians know and love. But the majority of Americans don't realise our great game exists. It's uniquely Australian, yet we seem to significantly underestimate its role as an international promotional medium for Brand Australia. I never cease to be amazed at how many people who live around the world are familiar with the game -- even though most have a very limited understanding, if any, of the rules. Unlike all the other football codes played in Australia, Australian Football is unambiguously Australian. Both the administrators (today the AFL) and business and tourism authorities have been slow in this regard. Australia Week is supported by the Australian federal and state governments and by various private sector corporations in the US and Australian; Rupert Murdoch, Richard Pratt and the Lowy family have all been strong supporters. Under the leadership of the consul-general in Los Angeles, AFL fanatic John Olsen, the week has grown to become a big event and it's expected that 2000 people will attend the black tie dinner on Saturday, 14 January. Other events will include the promotion of Australian art, film, fashion, retail, food and beverage and trade and investment. But the centrepiece event next year will be the Swans v Kangaroos game at the UCLA, and it promises to be something special. Not unlike this Sunday, I dare say!