AFL set to appoint full time international development manager

Welcome to World Footy News Tuesday, April 30 2024 @ 09:06 am ACST

AFL set to appoint full time international development manager | 8 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

This site requires you to be logged in to post a comment. If you have an account already (or need to create one), please login here.

AFL set to appoint full time international development manager

Authored by: smusic
on Monday, April 26 2010 @ 05:42 pm ACST

I do not believe it!!! Do you guys REALLY want to promote AFL on the World stage??? or are you, like Aussie cricket fanatics and my fellow victorians, afraid of getting beaten in the 'game we invented'??? of course there would be SOME concessions, and allowing someone to play for the world team when they were BORN overseas or have at least one parent who was, would provide this game, not only a great spectacle involving players from all around the world, but also great promotion all around the world and the All-Aussies a chance to pay a meaningful game AT their OWN game (even if there is a slim chance of O'Brien, Kennelly, Nautinui and co beating them ... HA HA HA ... LOL) I only understand your resistence because I have seen it all my life among my fellow victorians when it comes to interstate footy. Having lived now in 4 states, including the very parochial SA, and spent time in most (except tasmania) i KNOW what interstaters think of us vics when it comes to footy. Please do not hold Aussie Rules back over idiotic insecurities, that is the reason why NSW play rugby league after all!!! I have said my piece and I will say no more.

AFL set to appoint full time international development manager

Authored by: Aaron Richard
on Monday, April 26 2010 @ 05:55 pm ACST

This is not about idiotic insecurities - this is reality.

Our primary focus is on giving exposure and support to the leagues and clubs playing outside Australia. That's probably about 80-90% of what we do. We also write about the guys who are Australians with some overseas connection or other (eg Nic Nat), but it's a secondary focus.

The ARL (or maybe NRL at the time, not sure) put together teams (Russia and Lebanon good examples) for a World Cup in the 90s using players whose parents had been born overseas, but themselves had lived their entire lives in Australia. It was blasted in the media as being a complete joke, and ended up being a spectacular failure. That ended up being the last WC they had for years.

When there are 30 or so quality players in the AFL who were drafted or rookie listed from overseas, then it'll be time for World vs Australia challenge. Optimistically, this could happen within a decade or two.

In the meantime, come down and watch the IC next year.

AFL set to appoint full time international development manager

Authored by: Brett Northey
on Monday, April 26 2010 @ 06:36 pm ACST

Yes there are insecurities that hold some people back from embracing the game's international growth. But that certainly isn't us. We put a lot of time into promoting that growth, hopefully slowly eroding some of those insecurities of other people.

Aaron is quite right. To have a senior level "World" team now would be labelled a sham by the media, be an easy target for "enemies" of the AFL, and if anything undermine true international development. Even if 1st or 2nd generation Australians were told to play for the "World" team, I still think it would get hammered by the All-Australian side - as we all know, in Aussie Rules the slightest discrepancy in strength can result in a 100 point blow out. With a midfield like Judd, Ablett, Cooney, Griffin, you'd be hoping one of them has a British parent.

I just reckon you'd have a critical media and public, the "World" team smashed, and nothing much achieved - it'd just be used to "prove" that it isn't an international sport.

The game needs the right dose of enthusiasm, vision but also realism. The true international wave is starting to arrive - it's them who need to be promoted and supported, but we need some patience too.

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

RSS news	RSS events
Twitter	Facebook

World Footy News

Search

Translate

User Functions

Events

Featured Sites

Older Stories

Wednesday 14-Feb

Thursday 08-Feb

Sunday 07-Jan

Friday 14-Jul

Thursday 15-Jun

Friday 09-Jun

Thursday 08-Jun

Saturday 03-Jun

Thursday 25-May

Saturday 13-May

Socials

Who's Online

Random Image

What's New

Articles last 2 weeks

Comments last 2 weeks

Links last 2 weeks

Advertisements