Pacific the target for Aussie Rules expansion
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:39 pm
16 January 2012
Pacific the target for Aussie Rules expansion
BY JESPER FJELDSTAD
THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE has identified the South Pacific as its growth area, with the region seen as ripe for mass participation.
The AFL has intensified its efforts in the region following the success of players with Pacific heritage, such as Brisbane premiership player Mal Michael (Papua New Guinea), West Coast's Nic Naitanui (Fiji) and Power pair David Rodan and Alipate Carlile (Fiji).
The move has left previous expansion markets, most notably Ireland, in the shade. The South Pacific is also considered a more viable target than North America, which had previously been seen as a potentially fertile recruiting ground.
Initiatives in the South Pacific include:
STAGING international championships in the region.
HOLDING a draft combine (previously known as draft camp) with thorough testing of talent.
HELPING to set up football programs, and
ALERTING clubs to local talent and encouraging them to pick up players under the international scholarship scheme.
The AFL sees the South Pacific and South Africa as the main markets with potential for growth, and now views Ireland and North America as having little realistic chance of bringing a mass of players. Several clubs have also baulked at the expense of recruiting from the northern hemisphere.
The added bonus of the South Pacific is that children are already familiar with the game because of Australia's proximity.
AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said the league was aiming to double its overseas numbers within the next five years, with most of the growth coming from the region.
"We're really keen to build South Africa and the South Pacific in the traditional sense, to get participation numbers up," Sheehan said. "And from that talent emerges.
"Right at the moment, we have 100,000 people playing football around the world (outside Australia) and most of those are in the southern hemisphere.
"We'd like to build that to about 200,000 in five years. If we set it up, the kids will come and play, and we're really quite ambitious about South Africa and the South Pacific. In other parts, like the US, Canada and Ireland, there might be the odd one at 20 or 21 who might switch across, but we'll never grow to be quite large in the northern hemisphere.
"But we really think there's a niche for us in the southern hemisphere to grow into a mass participation sport.
"The example of Vanuatu is quite special. They had a boy who last year made the South Pacific side and they were rapt. And off the back of him, they've now got 300 kids and adults playing footy, including women, open-age players, Aus-kickers.
"They now have regular training for various age levels. It's just marvellous to see the great spirit with which they play this new sport.
"A dozen kids have already been signed over the past couple of years.
"And the best of these boys will play for the South Pacific in the under-16 nationals next year, which will be the third year for this emerging market.
"The size of the region and the closeness to Australia - you can watch Australian television, see matches - and we're now starting to do a lot more with their promising athletes."
AFL taskforce kicks off in Papua New Guinea
Pacific the target for Aussie Rules expansion
BY JESPER FJELDSTAD
THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE has identified the South Pacific as its growth area, with the region seen as ripe for mass participation.
The AFL has intensified its efforts in the region following the success of players with Pacific heritage, such as Brisbane premiership player Mal Michael (Papua New Guinea), West Coast's Nic Naitanui (Fiji) and Power pair David Rodan and Alipate Carlile (Fiji).
The move has left previous expansion markets, most notably Ireland, in the shade. The South Pacific is also considered a more viable target than North America, which had previously been seen as a potentially fertile recruiting ground.
Initiatives in the South Pacific include:
STAGING international championships in the region.
HOLDING a draft combine (previously known as draft camp) with thorough testing of talent.
HELPING to set up football programs, and
ALERTING clubs to local talent and encouraging them to pick up players under the international scholarship scheme.
The AFL sees the South Pacific and South Africa as the main markets with potential for growth, and now views Ireland and North America as having little realistic chance of bringing a mass of players. Several clubs have also baulked at the expense of recruiting from the northern hemisphere.
The added bonus of the South Pacific is that children are already familiar with the game because of Australia's proximity.
AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said the league was aiming to double its overseas numbers within the next five years, with most of the growth coming from the region.
"We're really keen to build South Africa and the South Pacific in the traditional sense, to get participation numbers up," Sheehan said. "And from that talent emerges.
"Right at the moment, we have 100,000 people playing football around the world (outside Australia) and most of those are in the southern hemisphere.
"We'd like to build that to about 200,000 in five years. If we set it up, the kids will come and play, and we're really quite ambitious about South Africa and the South Pacific. In other parts, like the US, Canada and Ireland, there might be the odd one at 20 or 21 who might switch across, but we'll never grow to be quite large in the northern hemisphere.
"But we really think there's a niche for us in the southern hemisphere to grow into a mass participation sport.
"The example of Vanuatu is quite special. They had a boy who last year made the South Pacific side and they were rapt. And off the back of him, they've now got 300 kids and adults playing footy, including women, open-age players, Aus-kickers.
"They now have regular training for various age levels. It's just marvellous to see the great spirit with which they play this new sport.
"A dozen kids have already been signed over the past couple of years.
"And the best of these boys will play for the South Pacific in the under-16 nationals next year, which will be the third year for this emerging market.
"The size of the region and the closeness to Australia - you can watch Australian television, see matches - and we're now starting to do a lot more with their promising athletes."
AFL taskforce kicks off in Papua New Guinea