Ian "Dicko" Dickson is known to most Australians as a judge from "Australian Idol", with his background in recording industry. He has also made several appearances on reality television shows including "My Restaurant Rules" and "Celebrity Survivor" as the host.

Dickson, from Birmingham in England, spent much of his 45 years watching soccer and playing it socially. Now, believe or not, he's set to play Australian Football in Victoria.

The Essendon Football Club in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are hosting the Unity Cup Family Day on Sunday April 13th, featuring a round robin between four multicultural community teams.

The Unity Cup will be held at Windy Hill and will also feature multicultural entertainment, AFP/Victoria Police Expo, a chance for kids to meet Essendon senior players, Boys/Girls junior football activities and longest kick competition.

The feature game will be between Essendon FC/AFP Staff vs a United Community Youth Team, with ex-AFL players Matthew Knights, David Calthorpe and Paul Barnard taking part.

"Sports Without Borders" have thrown in a $1000 prize pool, with $700 going to the winner of the round robin and $100 each to the other three teams.

Entry to the Cup is free, with all welcome.

As the AFL celebrates 150 years since some of the first games of what was to become Australian football, it is time to ask where to now? I am not going to answer that question because I don’t know the answer. Actually, I don’t know the question. When we look to the future of Australian football, whose interests are we talking about, whose future are we talking about?

Are we talking about the AFL going global with the Seattle Grizzlies competing in the Pacific Division of the WFL? Are we talking about 10,000 Americans kicking a red leather ball around on the weekend by 2020? Are we talking about the West Coast Eagles taking market share of global merchandise sales from Man United? Or are we asking whether my son will have the opportunity to represent his country (the USA) in his favorite sport (footy) against the best players in the world.

Is Carlton going to look like the 2007 San Antonio Spurs with only 60% of the team being native born? Will footy help kids of the South African townships overcome poverty, AIDS and years of institutionalized racism? Are we going to see Chinese signage around the MCG advertising domestic products to the Demons’ large fan base? Is International Rules going to become an Olympic sport? Is USFooty going to become the largest footy league in the world, competing with the AFL for talent from Ireland and South Africa? What is the future? What future do we want?

Catalan footy pioneer Pere Moliner recently mentioned to WFN that he is president of a new "World Australian Football Federation" and that the WAFF is planning a 9-a-side World Cup for later this year. While no location or date has been announced officially, Paris in September-October has been mentioned.

Moliner tells us that in addition to Catalonia, Andorra and France, he has players in the LFAC (the Catalan league) interested in representing Senegal, Brazil and Argentina, who are currently searching for fellow countrymen to put together their teams.

In related news, the Catalans are now in discussions with the AFL about attending the International Cup in Melbourne this year, separate to the possible return of the Madrid-based Spain Bulls. This would be the first time a non-sovereign nation would take part at the IC, but would bring an extra traditional rivalry to the Cup, along with USA-Canada, Tonga-Samoa or PNG-NZ.

The LFAC is back at 4 teams this year, with the Picamuixons Birds replacing the Andorrans who were forced to withdraw from the league due to logistical reasons. Picamuixons is a town not far from Catalonia's footy capital Valls, with three teams now in the Alt Camp region.

The Australian's Chip Le Grand interviewed Colin Carter as he came to the end of his long stint on the AFL Commission. Carter was one of the key people behind the scenes who directed the evolution of the debt-ridden Victorian Football League through to the vibrant Australian Football League, he pushed for the continued expansion into new areas of Australia, and remains a strong advocate for investment in South Africa. The interview can be found here, but is reproduced below given that it is a rare insight into some of the driving forces behind the sport's radical changes over the past couple of decades.

After the initial disappointment to hear that the book launched for the 150 years of Australian Football apparently hasn't given attention to the game's international spread in the past few decades (a fairly serious oversight), it is pleasing that the 150 celebrations are seeking to embrace international footy in other ways.

Staff involved with the 150 website have several areas that football leagues can get involved, including Kick around the World, photos for the 150 website, the Community Football Weekend and promotion of the International Cup in August. Details follow.

Tonight sees the launch of the 2008 AFL season, with last year's strugglers Carlton and Richmond at the MCG and last year's grand finalists Geelong and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in Adelaide. We'll have a quick look at all the clubs' prospects, and invite readers to rank the teams themselves.

And it's good to see the television schedule for Round 1 is available from the front of the AFL website - not just the normal domestic times but details of coverage around the world. It includes Setanta in the UK, US and Canada, the Australia Network across Asia/Pacific and Sky Sports 2 in New Zealand.

AFL on international television - Round 1

AFL Broadcast Guide page

An article published on the AFL website yesterday suggests that when Essendon drafted practising Muslim Bachar Houli last year, they may have a secured more than an up-and-coming midfielder. Houli's ability to make the grade in Australian football's premier league has resulted in an upsurge in “interest in Australian Rules (and the Essendon football club) among Muslims in Victoria" according to Islamic Council of Victoria spokesperson, Waleed Aly. Houli is seen as a role model for young Muslims, having provided them with "the opportunity to see themselves succeeding". This is coupled with interest from an increasing number of Muslims that are born in Australia, who regard football as "their local game".

Houli's story to date can be followed below:
Houli determined to make the grade
Houli gets the nod
Further exposure for Houli
Footy Shorts - Nauru and Pakistan updates, International footy on AFL website, Houli's debut and NY marathon

The comedians behind the FootyWrap are back in 2008 and have started the season in fine form. In their episode dedicated to "speckies" (spectacular footy marks), look out for Mike Sheahan (the Melbourne journalist who earned our wrath recently) and, yes, it appears to be rock star Jon Bon Jovi. The FootyWrap's Jeff Wortman's only comment was "don't ask me how I managed it". Or you might want to look at their 2007 highlights package.

FootyWrap speckies

Best of Footywrap 2007

The Australian Football League's Commission has signed off on a major change to AFL club recruitment rules which could be the catalyst to sparking a wave of international recruitment in what may be a watershed moment for the spread of our sport. It also indicates that the AFL is genuinely considering international talent as a means of expanding the player base as new teams enter from the Gold Coast and West Sydney.

Two years ago the AFL added the International Scholarship List to encourage AFL clubs to bring international players into the system. This was separate to the international rookie list which effectively merged with the normal rookie list (think Irish players such as the O'hAilpin brothers, Martin Clarke, and more recently Brendan Murphy) and this new list excluded Irish players. There was a financial overhead that may have put off clubs taking the risk, and so far none have done so, despite some very talented Papuan youngsters such as John James playing in Queensland. The drop to just $1000 if the player remains in their home system and an increase in the number that can be listed must surely now see AFL clubs prepared to invest in some of international football's bright young talent.

worldfootynews.com is aware of at least one AFL club that is making plans to actively seek out talent (and not in the better known regions of Ireland, South Africa or PNG). This listing change is believed to have only strengthened that motivation.

The full details of the changes follow, from the AFL document issued Friday 14th March by David Matthews, General Manager of National and International Development, and Andrew Dillon, General Manager of Legal and Business Affairs, as sent to AFL clubs and international affiliates.