It seems the International Cup has stirred someone in control of the Age's Real Footy website to run a poll (at time of writing) asking "Should the AFL look at hosting a football World Cup, including an Australian team?"

It's nice to see the topic being raised in a mainstream site, although even as advocates for international footy, we're also realistic enough to know that most versions of an Australian side would be far too good. Although we've seem massive score blow-outs between the top and bottom sides, there has at least been the knowledge that the top few sides had a genuine shot at the title.

The presence of an Aussie team would pretty much wipe out that possibility. So do we want a World Cup? One day, absolutely. Soon? Only if the Australian side was very much restricted, such as an All-Australian under 18 team, or All-Australian under 20 amateur team. Perhaps in that context it would be a good idea, along with higher and lower divisions. It would certainly help increase the public exposure for the tournament, would probably make fundraising easier for the other teams, and would be a good way to test the best few teams. But bear in mind the difference recently displayed between New Zealand and country Victorian side Maffra - so again, the Aussie side would need heavy restrictions. Make up your own mind and visit the site to vote.

As part of the Australian Football 150 years celebrations, a competition is underway to find the world's best (or according to the title, Australia's favourite) non-AFL club footy jumper.

The top 20 have been shortlisted and are available via this link for viewing.

International footy connoiseurs will recognise 5 among them - the NY Magpies, Borneo Bears, Timor Crocs, Bromma Vikings (Stockholm) and Vietnam Swans. Feel free to cast your vote and push one of the international teams over the line!!

ABC Radio National’s The Sports Factor ran a good story on the progress of FootyWild in South Africa and mentioned the International Cup, in their weekly program last Friday morning at 8.30AM. Audio and Transcripts are available clicking the link in the first line of this story. Lets hope The Sports Factor follows this up with a report on the International Cup itself.

In other mainstream media news, veteran Melbourne football writer, Mike Sheahan, who previously could perhaps have been labelled a sceptic on international footy, appears to have had a conversion experience with his visit to Royal Park last week. Writing in the The Herald Sun he compared the standard exhibited by the more established nations as equivalent to Victorian Amateur League B grade – a very respectable standard indeed and encouraged readers to get along and see the games for themselves.

While it is not unusual to find the odd Australian Rules football related story in overseas media, it is extremely rare to find sections in news or media sites dedicated to the sport. Happily this situation is slowly changing.

Earlier this month on August 7th, the AFL celebrated the 150th anniversary of what many believe to be the first match of Australian Football between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College which was held on August 7th 1858.

Though there are minor historical discrepancies, the match is about as close as the sport's governing body could get to reliving the early history of the game while at the same time promoting the spectacle of modern day professional AFL football.

Scott Clayton, widely regarded as one of the top talent scouts and list builders in the AFL has been recruited to the GC17 team aiming to secure the 17th AFL licence for the Gold Coast. The team also recently signed former West Coast premiership player and current Collingwood assistant coach Guy McKenna to a two year deal to coach the initial squad, most likely in the Victorian TAC Cup Under 18s in 2009 and VFL in 2010 (yes, the Gold Coast is in Queensland, not Victoria, but the players will have to get used to travelling anyway). It seems like a smart move by McKenna, as if he is deemed to be doing a good job it probably puts him in pole position to land a contract to be the Coast's inaugural senior coach, without particularly damaging his credentials if they look elsewhere. Colours and mascot are likely to be named in the next few week, and GC17 has already achieved its target of signing up 20,000 non-paying "members".

Of interest to international footy fans is that Clayton, currently at the Western Bulldogs and formerly with Brisbane, has recently been scouting talent in Fiji for the Doggies (see Cloak and dagger but international recruiment on the burst), so we know he's prepared to think internationally, which will hopefully increase the chances of some international players getting on the GC17 list. A press release from GC17 follows.

Today marks 150 years since the first recorded match of Australian Football was played and to celebrate, the AFL has declared it ‘Kick Around Australia’ day. All Australians have been encouraged to join in the celebrations by wearing their football colours to work or school and having a kick of the footy. It initially seemed there would be no official international aspect to the day, but the AFL has teamed up with the Australian Defence Force to ensure that our servicemen and women overseas will be able to join in today’s celebrations. Kits containing all the essential tools for a football match have been sent to defence bases around the world, so that defence personnel will be able to have a kick of the footy with the rest of Australia.

Still imagery of Defence Force personnel playing football at various bases around the world will be available the ADF site. Vision will be fed to the television networks at Parliament House.

SCHOOL OF HISTORICAL STUDIES Free Public LECTURE

Beverly Knight, Director of the Essendon Football Club, shares her experiences and observations of the game of Australian Rules football in a free public lecture, celebrating cultural difference in sport. In her 15 years as an official of the Essendon club, Beverly Knight has seen massive change in the game’s treatment of racial vilification, sexism, and the masculine culture that dominated the AFL and VFL. She will discuss her involvement with AFL and Indigenous Australians, as well as her views on the game’s origins in this, the game’s 150th year.

Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre, University of Melbourne - Wednesday 6th August 2008 6:30pm.

ENQUIRIES - Gabrielle Murphy - School of Historical Studies
www.historical-studies.unimelb.edu.au

Recent AFL Commissioner Colin Carter has returned to a position on the board of the Geelong Football Club. He left Geelong in 1993 to join the AFL Commission, serving there until early 2008. Amongst more widely known activities such as the report "Establishing the basis of future success" (adopted by the original VFL commission in 1985 as its strategy for competition equalization, ground rationalization and growing the national competition), Carter is also regarded as a key driver who pushed the AFL towards greater international involvement.

The GC17 group, aiming to be granted the 17th AFL license, have begun signing young players under the AFL concessions to allow them to build a second Queensland team. So far three 17 year olds have been signed up - two from the Gold Coast and one from Cairns in the state's far north (it's encouraging to see talent coming from up there - we once likened the start up of Aussie Rules in Cairns to that of international efforts).

More details of GC17's recruiting follows...