World Footy News

Here's a quick pointer to some of the recent media stories that relate to the AFL and international footy. Not surprisingly South Africa is the current focus.

Pretoria run possible for rejuvenated Docker

So much to gain out of Africa: Hasleby

NAB Cup heats up

Magpies out in Africa

The race is on into Africa

Africa Pies a new high

Destination: South Africa

Boomerangs take flight to South Africa

The RealFooty website is reporting that the South African government will fund AFL South Africa to the tune of AUD$250,000 as part of an anti-smoking campaign. Hopefully they've got their numbers right and it really is Australian dollars, not Rand (worth about one fifth of an Aussie dollar). If true, it marks another impressive step forward for the game's acceptance there, with the national government obviously impressed with the AFL's commitment and their ability, with AFLSA, to deliver healthy messages to local children. The article values the AFL's annual funding to footy in the African country at AUD$400,000 per annum, with an additional approximately AUD$600,000 coming in sponsorship and other sources, making for a million dollar annual program.

Full article: The race is on into Africa, by Len Johnson.

With their 2008 season fast approaching, the Australian Rules Football League of Ireland have signed a two year sponsorship agreement with Specialist Mortgage and Australian Tax Services, with an option for two more years.

Under the agreement the Super 9s will be known as the Smats.net Super 9s and the Premiership will be known as the Aussieproperty.com Premiership.

The Irish have also launched their new "Irish Footy Record" newsletter, available by contacting arflipr@yahoo.com.

In other Irish news, the new club in County Kerry has been officially titled the Kingdom Kangaroos. Irish International rep and former Leeside Lion Denis Kennelly has the club preparing for their first season in the Irish Premiership and they are hopeful that their new site at www.kingdomkangaroos.com will help in their recruitment drive.

Denis, cousin of Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly, has been busy converting his fellow Kerrymen to the cause and is keen to hear from anyone who would have an interest in joining the fledgling team. He can be contacted by e-mailing kingdomkangaroos@gmail.com.

Most of the news around footy in Dubai at the moment is centred on the Collingwood-Adelaide clash, but two other sides are set to meet there off the field. Dubai is set down for the latest in a seemingly endless series of discussions between the AFL and GAA. It appears that the GAA will be guests of the AFL, who will have high level officials present in Dubai primarily for the NAB cup match.

The two bodies will discuss once again the likelihood of a resumption of the International Rules series. The Irish Independent news site reported today that GAA president Nicky Brennan is open minded about the resumption of the series but “If the series is to continue it will have to be on the basis of mutual respect for each other”. Just like the location of the meeting it is expected that the Irish will want the AFL to meet them more than half way.

Brennan might get a chance to catch up with Collingwood’s Martin Clarke and Kevin Dyas in Dubai as well, with the increase of Gaelic players being recruited by AFL clubs also likely to be a discussion topic.

Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper today had a short article on the conversion of the Ghantoot Polo Club ground into an Aussie Rules venue.

Organizers are expecting a crowd of 5,000-7,000 spectators, with over one thousand tickets sold after they went on sale yesterday.

The club is surrounded by desert, around 40 minutes from downtown Dubai and roughly halfway between Dubai and the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. The ground will be 155m x 136m, which is similar to Melbourne's Telstra Dome at 160m x 129m. Curator in charge is Tony Hemming, who previously was in charge at the Telstra Dome, Optus Oval and Launceston's Aurora Stadium.

The full article can be read here.

This Saturday, 26th January is Australia Day, a day that becomes especially important to the many expatriates living away from their home country. Every year there are many parties held around the world to celebrate the day, which inevitably links in with Australian Rules football clubs who celebrate the day with a game or use the occasion as a fund raiser. Other celebrations hold games purely as part of the fun of the day and may provide non Australians at the festivities with their first live taste of the game.

We highlight some of these festivities and ask anyone out there having a party or game to feel free to post details by using the comment feature below.

The Australian Indigenous youth squad to tour South Africa has been announced. The tour follows on from the February 2006 tour and a reciprocal visit last season. The team features some well-known surnames and will play the South African youth side as a curtain-raiser to carlton versus Fremantle in Pretoria. In an article on the AFL website, the target of 25000 South African players by 2009 is re-stated.

The two approaching international AFL matches are receiving some publicity in the countries they're being staged. According to a post on the fan forum Bigfooty, the Dubai match has had a full page advert in a local newspaper. There's also been two similar promo videos produced for the matches, viewable on the Bigpond site (you don't have to be a subscriber). Just visit http://bigpondvideo.com/AFL/43150 and scroll down the video looking for the Dubai and South Africa Television Commercials (Dubai's also accessible from here, look for "Click here for a preview of the AFL Action").

The AFL Challenge Carlton versus Fremantle match is listed as February 2nd, 7:30pm start (so presumably under lights) at SuperSport Park, Pretoria, with the Australian Indigenous Youth versus South African Under 19s (actually a mixed age youth side) at 4:00pm. The Collingwood versus Adelaide NAB Cup match is down for 1:45pm February 9th at Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, Dubai. The venue and surrounds can be seen on the map at the ticket vendor's site.

Last year, this weekend saw AFL teams North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans at UCLA as part of the G’day USA festival. This year however, the match was replaced by an Australia vs England cricket match featuring Steve Waugh alongside Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson taking on Robbie Williams, Simon Jones and Daniel Radcliffe (who Carlton assure us is a fan of the Old Dark Navy Blues).

Sufficient funding was unable to be raised to get AFL clubs back to LA this year (see LA Clash off the Agenda).

Regardless, the USAFL, who played a Revolution v All comers game as the curtain raiser in 2007, were back in LA as part of the preparations for this year’s International Cup. Last year it was the UCLA grounds, but for this year's clash the grounds at Katella High School in Anaheim were used.

The change of venue for the NAB Cup match between Collingwood and Adelaide in Dubai has been confirmed, with the match of Saturday February 9th now to be held at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

The day will begin with the Auskick kids at 10am, followed by a match between fierce local rivals the Dubai Dingoes and Dubai Heat for the "Multiplex Cup".

The main game will kick off at 1.45pm local time. The new venue means no alcohol will be allowed at the game.

The past few years has seen a significant increase in women's involvement in football, both on and off the field. In Australia there are female board-members at AFL clubs and studies have suggested that women account for 40 or 50% of football fans.

Adding to this, more women's football clubs are being established, with the largest league (Victorian WFL) gaining greater exposure in the media.

Having said this, the ladies version of Australian football is far less advanced than the mens in Australia. There are no professional leagues, nor is there a large spectator following - basketball, netball and to a lesser degree cricket are ahead in this regard. For this reason, many people have pointed out that a World cup involving a full-strength Australian side would be ready for the women much before the men. Women’s involvement in football has been documented in South Africa, PNG, the USA and Canada.

WFN now looks to the Pacific, and gives football fans a brief overview of how women are involved with the game there.