If this sport is supposedly so great .so good,Then why the constant need to lie .
New Zealand AFL CEO Rob Vanstam says there is growing interest in the game across the Tasman
Andrew Hamilton
The Courier-Mail
April 24, 2014 9:00PM
WHAT do Sam Mitchell and Karmichael Hunt have in common?
They are both members of the New Zealand AFL Heritage team of the year and, if New Zealand AFL CEO, former Queenslander Rob Vanstam, has his way they may one day play a Test against the Aussies.
The Kiwis pride themselves that the selection criteria, which insists a player must have been born in New Zealand or have one parent born there, is more stringent than the one for the national rugby league team which has a handful of Aussie-born players.
Vanstam believes the growing interest in AFL across the ditch, and from expat New Zealanders in Australia, means a trans-Tasman Test could replace the hybrid International rules series against Ireland.
“Why would you ever want to play them with a round ball when you can play a real game of footy against another country,’’ he said.
Vanstam said the impact Hunt's transition to AFL had made in the country of his birth should not be underestimated.
“What he does is he provides a reference point for New Zealanders. They understand his pathway and realise yes it's possible,’’ he said.
“In many ways what he has achieved is more regarded over here, we can understand the courage of the guy to change, to have a go.
“And there is a thousand Israel Folaus and Karmichael Hunts in South Auckland and they are 15, not in their early 20.’’
The Kiwi under-18 side plays a Victorian amateurs representative side and the national senior team plays the AIS each year. The last game the Kiwis fell four points short of victory and Vanstam said creating national representative opportunities was the quickest way to make AFL grow in New Zealand.
“There are only 15 spots in the All Blacks,’’ he said.
“What AFL is doing is providing another code for New Zealanders to play sport at an elite level.
“The AFL community is still learning about national representation, whereas in New Zealand it is in their DNA. Every kid grows up wanting to represent their country.''
There are currently 30,000 registered AFL players in New Zealand and Vanstam believes a new broadcast deals which wills see live AFL beamed into the land of the long white cloud will see that figure grow.
The team was selected by retired Lions star Simon Black and former Kangaroos and Swans star Wayne Schwass.
Black attended a function of AFL New Zealand in Wellington last night where the team was announced.
He admits he knew little about footy in the country of his ancestry until one day, after a hot pre-season training session at the Lions’ summer base at Coorparoo, AFL New Zealand chairman Graeme Dixon stepped out from under the shade of a tree on the hill and asked him to be a selector.
“That was the first I’d really heard of footy being played on any real level over here but throughout the selection process I've discovered there's a community here that love their footy,’’ he said.
“There's some good AFL players in the side but also some local stalwarts which has really created a buzz.''
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/af...-1226895240928
30K.
Sad thing is fruitloops like Cos read this LIE & believe it ,,then repost it as Gospel.
30K.
My bet is there wouldnt be 3K registered players.
liar extraordinaire 
