AFL’s China experiment should have NRL fans worried and asking why we weren’t there first

[Beaussie]

Well, there you have it. The AFL succeeds where the NRL fails.

AFL’s China experiment should have NRL fans worried and asking why we weren’t there first
Paul Kent, The Daily Telegraph
May 16, 2017 6:47pm

BACK in 2012 Canberra and Manly discussed playing the 2014 season opener in Shenzhen. It is a city in China of no particular note.

After almost 18 months in planning it all came to nothing when the ARL Commission canned the idea in 2013. Rugby league in China?

It has been a dirty idea in rugby league since John Ribot declared in 1995 that Super League’s intention was to make rugby league players “household names” in China.

Oh, how we laughed.

The only idea sillier than that would be to play Australian Rules in China, or something equally absurd. Oh dear.

Yes, this week the Chinese-language Wenhui Daily, with a circulation of 1.7 million readers — almost double the highest circulation newspaper in Australia — wrote: “The core of the charm of Australian football is that it provides no protection from physical impact except the speed of the players’ reactions.”

Seems they love the game.

This was said after Port Adelaide beat Gold Coast 1.14 (110) to 4.14 (38) in a game that would have recorded not much more than a blip of interest if played the same weekend in Australia. Now, it might eventually prove to be seismic in the Australian sporting landscape.

And it could have been us.

What would they have said watching rugby league players crash into each other, the collisions far more savage than what is seen in Australian rules?

Instead, the NRL sputters along trying to figure out what it wants while dousing spotfires week to week, a game in slow collapse.

Ten years ago the AFL had a vision to be the first billion dollar game in Australia. Tick.

It wanted local derbies in all the major metropolitan centres around the country. Tick.

And while league fans are quick to ridicule the cost of sustaining GWS and Gold Coast, the AFL realise the true secret of local derbies was not so much the extra team but to drive cross-town rivalries and, so, conversation.

And when they saw their game in 50 years, they thought it obvious every metropolitan should have at least two teams and so they planned for it.

Five years ago the NRL published its own, more modest strategic plan.

It was some piece of literature. Among the key forecasts:

“An NRL Growth Fund will have made $200m available for investment in key projects.” Fail. Chief executive Todd Greenberg has said he will look to lend $25 million this year for cash flow.

“Club memberships will reach 400,000.” Fail. There is slightly more than 300,000.

“Average attendance at NRL games will increase to 20,000.” Fail. Crowds averaged 16,415 in 2012 and are 15,557 this year. No year in between reached a 16,000 average.

“700,000 people will play in competition.” Fail. The number playing the game is about 170,000. Including women.

“Central revenue will have doubled to more than $300m.” Fail.

The great fear, which should reach up and with a cold hand grab every NRL fan by the throat, is the AFL’s brilliance at the Trojan horse strategy.

When the GWS Giants launched in Sydney they were careful not to threaten rugby league. Instead, the clear message was follow your rugby league team but come along and watch us as well.

Meanwhile, they recruit strongly through the school-ages, planning to keep them when they became wage earners. More AFL posts pop up at council parks with each year.

Be very clear, the AFL’s goal is to exterminate rugby league.

The true cleverness of the AFL’s move into China has nothing to do with being a “household name” in China.
In all likelihood the Power-Suns game in China was little to do with conquering the world, although you can never underestimate them.

It’s immediate benefit is making the game viable to the thousands of Chinese immigrants in Australia right now. It is a market almost completely untouched.

And the seduction would have less to do with trying to cultivate a Chinese player — who would become an instant star within the Chinese community, generating thousands of unspent dollars — than it is to do with the larger Chinese community already settled but yet to find a major sport to identify with.

The result will be rivers of gold, which the AFL has recognised.

Meanwhile, the NRL heads to Perth this weekend for a one-off between Melbourne and Souths, a place where we have no plans for expansion or anything else really.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... ec5882cdff

[AFLcrap1]

Lol
Paul Kent .
About as respected as Slothfield

Rl already plays games pro or semi pro in many countries .
If we don't play in China lol ..no big deal

Just News LTD taking another shot at RL .

[Beaussie]

Oh of course, head in the sand response as expected. Forget the NRL's forecast failures noted all together in the article because it's from News Ltd.

[pussycat]

After the Prime minister talked the game up no end. Did you expect the Chinese to create an international incident? The Chinese showed some diplomacy, But privately amongst themselves they would'nt be able to contain there laughter. The only thing missing was some Benny Hill music. That fark - up - athon has probably set Australia/Chinese relations back 100 years.

[post_hoc]

Whining from Football? more like uncontrolled laughing at the AFL

Captain of the Adelaide nobodies claiming the first western pro sport team to play a game for points. Despite the fact that football plays every year and in fact Adelaide Utd where there a few weeks playing in the ACL, despite the fact that the V8 touring cars were racing in the same city in 2005.

Football were laughing at the AFL for once again trying to act like they have a place in the world, no whining, more like crying with laughter

[NlolRL]

Lol
Paul Kent .
About as respected as Slothfield

Rl already plays games pro or semi pro in many countries .
If we don't play in China lol ..no big deal

Just News LTD taking another shot at RL .

Just like clockwork the excuses come flooding forth. The article highlights a number of successes for the AFL and failures for the NRL. Are you disputing these facts?

[Fred]

I never knew the nrl set those targets? Crowd numbers not growing is a concern but maybe the admin have conceded that this is not going to change. Maybe they will settle for tv revenue ? I think there has to be some point where the nrl admin do something .... there just has to be. They can't sit around d being content with what they have ... they must be ready to pounce... they should pounce . What is holding them back? Are they too risk adverse? Are they too Sydney centric ? If they wait too long they may just miss the boat and as we have seen with ru in this country... it's along way to come back from. Especially as soccer and Australian rules expands into newer markets.

[NRL&NFLweLaughATafl]

What, worried about a game which had more Aussies turn up than locals in a stadium that looked 3rd world?

Honestly if I was AFL I would be embarrassed by that effort.

[Fred]

More there in china than a lot of nrl games.

[AFLcrap1]

More there in China than a lot of GWS games

[post_hoc]

Whining from Football? more like uncontrolled laughing at the AFL

Aside from the "wheres our exposure and why doesnt anyone give a shit because we play in china all the time" posts - especially on 442 and recently on my twitter feed.

Captain of the Adelaide nobodies claiming the first western pro sport team to play a game for points. Despite the fact that football plays every year and in fact Adelaide Utd where there a few weeks playing in the ACL, despite the fact that the V8 touring cars were racing in the same city in 2005.

Touring cars/motorsport is generally not considered in the same vein as ball sports - never has been, its more like horse racing in that regard.

Football were laughing at the AFL for once again trying to act like they have a place in the world, no whining, more like crying with laughter

Sure they were champ.

If that is what you need to tell yourself, then who am I to stop you. The simple fact is the football community where laughing at your expense.

You want to see real outrage from football at the AFL look at ticketteks dumb promo for the Brazil Australia match.

[NlolRL]

More there in China than a lot of GWS games

GWS is a second expansion team in an expansion market. Homeland NRL games have smaller crowds

[Fred]

True

[NRL&NFLweLaughATafl]

More there in China than a lot of GWS games

GWS is a second expansion team in an expansion market. Homeland NRL games have smaller crowds

Well AFL has never ever had a bigger crowd in NSW or QLD than state of Origin in Melbourne.

And you can sugar coat the AFL game in China as much as you like. But at the end of the day it was a huge flop.

Notice there has been no talk of doing it next year. I wonder why.

[NlolRL]

More there in China than a lot of GWS games

GWS is a second expansion team in an expansion market. Homeland NRL games have smaller crowds

Well AFL has never ever had a bigger crowd in NSW or QLD than state of Origin in Melbourne.

And you can sugar coat the AFL game in China as much as you like. But at the end of the day it was a huge flop.

Notice there has been no talk of doing it next year. I wonder why.

and i wouldnt be surprised if the AFL have had the biggest home and away crowd in Sydney......

As for the AFL game in China, no one expected it to be huge, which is why it was scheduled ina stadium that could only fit 11k. As for talk of doing it next year the AFL have already flagged expanding the ground capacity