World Footy News

The International Rules Series returns this October with Test matches between Ireland and Australia at Subiaco Oval in Perth and the MCG in Melbourne. But an interesting story from the Sydney Morning Herald notes that the AFL wanted to play a match in Sydney at either the SCG or ANZ stadium on the eve of the Rugby League world cup.

Australian Rugby League chairman Colin Love said he “would be extremely disappointed if it was the aim of the AFL to rain on our parade." However AFL CEO, Andrew Demetriou, noted that the GAA was keen for the game to go on in Sydney because of calls in the past from the Irish diaspora there for a match to be played.

The ARL chairman’s comments seem a bit precious, perhaps he should’ve thought of the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup when on the same weekend thousands of Irish men and women decended on Melbourne and 60,000 attended the International Rules Test at the MCG and 56,000 the Rugby WC match at Telstra Dome. The more the merrier seemed the theme that weekend.

Meanwhile Melbourne’s Herald Sun reports Pies firm on Dublin game on Collingwood taking on Dublin as soon as this November. The match would mean a busy end of year to Collingwood players who would be hoping for late September finals action, and several of whom would be likely selections for the national side in the International Rules in October. This game featured earlier on WFN Magpies to play Sky Blues.

While there is general consensus among the chiefs at the AFL that South Africans will be recruited to the AFL in the next 3-5 years the question is how? Although there has been plenty of development action and visits from Australia, the biggest issue facing the growth of the code in the African country could be a clearly defined pathway.

Further to our recent story on the South Australia versus Victoria state league match, the West Australian Football League has again demonstrated their status at number three, proving too good for the Sunshine state. Played in northern Queensland's Townsville at Tony Ireland Stadium, the Sandgropers were jumped in the first quarter, trailing by 17 points at the first change. By half-time they were in front and the contest was done and dusted by the last change. The last four goals of the game made the margin a very comfortable 73 points, WAFL 24.20 (164) to AFLQ 14.7 (91).

Who would have thought, back in 1984, that when arguably the oldest football club in Australia, the Melbourne Football Club, approached a young Irish Gaelic footballer to come play their foreign game Down Under, that the young man might go on to be the club's salvation?

That's now quite a possibility, with Jim Stynes tipped to become the next Chairman of the Melbourne FC. After a distinguished career on the field Stynes stayed in touch with football but also involved himself in anti-racial vilification and youth charity work in Australia, leading to him being named Victorian of the Year in 2003.

Melbourne have struggled both on the field and financially for many years now and have survived on AFL hand-outs. The current administration has had some success, but not enough to guarantee long term survival. Stynes, now very much well-connected and well-respected in Victoria's business community, has been mentioned more and more this year as the man to put together an off-field team to lead the Demons to stability. It looks like he will now make his move.

The AFL has confirmed that talented Queensland teenagers will be given the chance to opt out of the next national draft, to instead sign up for the new Gold Coast franchise. The initial development squad will play in the Victorian elite Under 18 TAC Cup in 2009 and the VFL in 2010, before entering the AFL in 2011.

Chilean football is up and running with the formation of the Santiago Saints (los Santos) AFC which kicked off in April and has been getting great numbers to training at the foot of the snow capped Andes mountains.

Los Santos are coached by Pablo Mejias, who grew up in Australia and played some footy at the Port Adelaide Magpies. Pablo is one of six Chilean nationals currently training in a club that also includes Australian, Peruvian, Kiwi, French, English and Irish representation. Jose Romero of Kangaroos and Western Bulldogs fame is the only known player of Chilean background player to have made it at AFL level to date.

Los Santos are preparing to tour Buenos Aires for the historical first Latin American international against the Argentinean Eagles, las Aguilas, on June 28. The Aguilas are looking to kick-start footy in Argentina after running a minor league format from 1998 until 2005.

The countries are fierce sporting rivals and the maiden Australian football fixture should provide plenty of entertainment for those coming to the game.

For many countries competing at this year's International Cup, securing sponsorship has proved a challenge. Not so for the Peres Peace Team, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious team from Israel and Palestine. Several AFL figures have already pledged their support. Brownlow medalist Robert DiPierdomenico will coach the team and now Ron Barassi has committed to assisting DiPierdomenico on game days.

As reported previously the Pratt Foundation and Carlton Football Club will sponsor the team. Other major sponsors include AFL South Africa supporter Costa Group as well as Hyundai, NAB, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Diadora, James Richardson Group, Victorian Multicultural Commission, University of Sydney and Deloitte.

In an article on The Australian Jewish News website, DiPierdomenico expressed his desire to take the Peace Team to an AFL match and introduce them to some big football names and most importantly getting the message across that "we can all live in one world.”

The International Cup is now little more than two months away. For the island nation of Samoa, home to around 180,000 people, sending a squad to the tournament is no small feat. The minimum wage is as little as a dollar an hour and costs to send a team are between fifty and eighty thousand dollars. Teams able to secure accommodation or airfares sponsorship find funding easier but still face costs of at least thirty thousand dollars. Yet at the same time, the tournament offers Australian football priceless exposure and a great opportunity for growth in many of these countries. For the past two years, AFL Samoa and the organisation's National Game Development Manager, Michael Roberts have been busy securing partnerships for their team, to help make Samoa's International Cup goal a reality.

In exciting news for Aussie Rules in China, it has been announced in an article on the AFL's website that the City of Tianjin is investing $1.5 million to develop a community facility that will include an Australian Football oval. The full story is So sews seeds for football in Tianjin, by Chelsea Roffey.

We've previously been told by people in the know of the fundamental importance of securing the approval of the Chinese government, something other major sports have overlooked and as a result wasted sizeable investments. It has taken key stakeholders time, but it seems footy has successfully negotiated this issue. Read on for more information about football developments in China.

As countries begin settling on their line-ups for the third International Cup, it’s interesting to note that the coaching staff behind the British Bulldogs are very much focussed on players that have been developed in the UK, even if that means overlooking, in theory at least, potential players Down Under – even an AFL-listed one.

In a similar initiative to the Melbourne football club in 2007, fifty international students were guests of the Carlton football club for their match against Fremantle on 24 May. The Australian National Institute of Business and Technology students, who were mostly from India, sat with Carlton’s cheer squad and experienced first-hand the excitement generated by the Blues final quarter comeback.

Several of the students shared their feelings about the game in an article titled Carlton, Bollywood bond at The Dome on the Carlton football club website.

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