World Footy News

It has been a big build up in the football media all week to this historic match in China for Premiership points. Early in the week much of the media seemed negative, possibly because of Rodney Eade’s post-match comments last week when asked about the game.

As the week has gone on though the sentiment has gradually turned supportive of the match and the acceptance that the potential that China offers should be given a go.

Unlike previous matches in Wellington, this overseas match was shown on free to air TV in Australia and late in the week the deal was secured for the match to be shown live in China on various networks (with Mandarin language commentary).

Along with the debut of an AFL regular season match in China - there is also a lot of grass roots Asian footy going on to take advantage of this match as a chance to get together. The AFL Asia Shanghai Cup conducted yesterday - Saturday May 13th - took place at the Wellington College International Shanghai. Many of the players competing Saturday will likely attend the Port v Gold Coast clash today. One of the competing sides is the Vietnam Swans. And while for many people there is a view of expats dominating AFL in Asia - the Swans are among the growing band of footy outposts that are working at developing local footballers; and for the first time the Swans were captained by a Vietnamese local in Nguyen Quang Vinh.

The AFL is pleased to confirm Chinese television networks, CCTV, Shanghai TV and Guangzhou TV, will broadcast Sunday’s Round 8 Toyota AFL Premiership Season match at Jiangwan Stadium into mainland China, in addition to the Australia Plus Channel being available for pick up across China via satellite.

 AFL General Manager of Clubs Travis Auld announced today the three free-to-air Chinese television networks will broadcast Sunday’s historic match between the Gold Coast SUNS and Port Adelaide Football Clubs.

 “I’m pleased to confirm that CCTV, Shanghai TV and Guangzhou TV, all free-to-air networks in China, will broadcast Sunday’s Round 8 match from Shanghai,” Mr Auld said.

WATCH AFL are offering a SHANGHAI 2017 FREE PASS (for viewers outside Australia only):

This details are

24-hour free pass which runs from 00:01AM - 11:59PM AEST Sunday 14th May

• Free pass period covers three matches being played that day - Richmond vs Fremantle, Port Adelaide vs Gold Coast and North Melbourne vs Sydney - plus users can access all previous 2017 matches and FOX FOOTY content 

Users only need to sign up with their email to access the free pass, no credit cards or commitments are required

• Previous cancelled subscribers can also access the free pass

 Click here to access the free pass

Tom Wills, the man credited with founding Australian rules football, will be recognised during Saturday’s Powercor Country Festival match between Essendon and Geelong, with the player adjudged best on ground receiving the Tom Wills Award. 

Wills was born in 1835 and grew up various regional areas on family owned properties. A great cricketer in his day, Wills is credited with co-writing the original rules of Australian rules football. Wills pushed for the establishment of a football code, and famously on 10 July 1858 his letter to Bells’ Life sports paper was the catalyst for the formation of the game we now know as Australian rules. 

The squads for Sunday's historic clash between the Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide in Shanghai has been named tonight.  See below.

After just six games of Australian football, Irishman Mark O'Connor will make his AFL debut for Geelong at the MCG on Saturday. 

After being a very promising GAA football talent in Ireland and playing for County Kerry, O'Connor was invited to the AFL Europe combine in Dublin.  Impressive in the testing there he was invited to Melbourne where he was hot property at the AFL Combine in Melbourne last October.  

Being an international rookie prospect he was in the position of fielding a number of offers before he finally chose Geelong.  He joined fellow Irish recruit Zac Tuohy who had just been traded from Carlton. An impressive pre-season and good early from in the VFL have seen the Geelong selectors back the raw Irish talent for his accelerated AFL debut. 

On Saturday there is some chance he will run out on the MCG and be matched against another Irishman in Conor McKenna who had a similar journey via the AFL Europe combine before ending up at Essendon.

Round 8 of the 2017 AFL Season kicks off at Domain Stadium in Perth on Friday night with the West Coast Eagles hosting the Western Bulldogs.

The historic match played in Shanghai between the Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide will be broadcast live in China on GZTV and SMG (with Mandarin commentary).

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).  You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the  Watch AFL banner below and paying the subscription fee.

 

MATCH	DATE	TIMESLOT	MATCH	VENUE	STATE	LOCAL TIME	GMT
1	12-May	Night	West Coast Eagles vs. Western Bulldogs	Domain Stadium	WA	18:10	10:10
2	13-May	Day	Hawthorn vs. Brisbane Lions	UTAS Stadium	TAS	13:45	03:45
3	13-May	Day	St Kilda vs. Carlton	Etihad Stadium	VIC	14:10	04:10
4	13-May	Twilight	GWS GIANTS vs. Collingwood	Spotless Stadium	NSW	16:35	06:35
5	13-May	Night	Essendon vs. Geelong Cats	MCG	VIC	19:25	09:25
6	13-May	Night	Adelaide Crows vs. Melbourne	Adelaide Oval	SA	19:10	09:40
7	14-May	Early	Richmond vs. Fremantle	MCG	VIC	13:10	03:10
8	14-May	Day	Gold Coast SUNS vs. Port Adelaide	Jiangwan Sports Centre	CHINA	13:15	05:15
9	14-May	Twilight	North Melbourne vs. Sydney Swans	Etihad Stadium	VIC	16:40	06:40

Best local talent in Asia to play Shanghai “curtain closer”

There has been much hype surrounding the historic and monumental first ever AFL game to be played for Premiership Points within Asia, between Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast Suns in Shanghai, China on Sunday May 14th  2017.

However, the anticipation and excitement within Asian Footy circles about the Team China versus the AFL Asia Lions game is being held in a similar regard, as the game will for the first time showcase the best Asian-born footballing talent on the big stage at Jiangwan Stadium, directly after the Port Adelaide Power and Gold Coast Suns game.

You can find this article and more at Joe's Blog here.

This week over a year’s worth of groundwork and preparation come together as Port Adelaide and Gold Coast take the field for a Round 8 match at Jiangwan Stadium (capacity 10,964) in China on Sunday, May 13.

This game is the first ever to be played for premiership points in China, and it became official in April 2016. Last October we learned the Gold Coast Suns would be the opposition.

This is the crown jewel in a new agreement between Port and China, but it’s far from the only element. The Power’s Round 3 match with Essendon and Round 5 match against Geelong were both televised nationwide as part of the TV agreement with Chinese Central Television. CCTV is also televising the 25-week series The AFL Show.

In addition to AFL scores and highlights, the Power’s Chinese international recruit Chen Shaoliang is featured regularly on the 30-minute program to share his experiences into Port Adelaide, the AFL, and living in South Australia.

There’s more.

 

AFL Scotland clubs, the Edinburgh Bloods and Glasgow Giants, fought out a brilliant match last weekend at the Leith Academy fields in Edinburgh. In a match described by both clubs as one of the closest in recent memory, the Bloods pinched the game with just seconds to spare to outlast the Sharks.

Edinburgh Bloods 75
Glasgow Sharks 73

The two clubs have a long history, being the oldest in the competition as it now stands, and their rivalry goes back to the early days of the code in Scotland. But it is also built on mutual respect and both clubs applauded the efforts of the other after a thrilling match. The result sees Edinburgh join the Greater Glasgow Giants with a win apiece after two matches (rounds) of the AFL Scotland competition.

The new 2017 ARFLI Premiership season got underway recently with players just itching to get back amongst the action after an all too long off season. Of those teams impatiently waiting, reigning champions, the Leeside Lions, were keen to get off on the right foot as they seek to go back to back.

Hosted by the Lions at their home turf at The Farm, UCC playing fields in Curraheen, Cork, teams were under immediate pressure playing the current premiers on their own home. Results somewhat reflected that as the Lions won both of their matches and sprinted from the blocks in fine style.

The South Dublin Swans and Galway Magpies both nabbed victories along the way to register solid starts to the season while the Belfast Redbacks lost both of their outings.