AFL Presence - the raw numbers
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2011 6:55 pm
In order to back up Topper and silence Raider and Eel once and for all, I've gone over to Wikipedia to sort out this BS about footy not being played properly in other countries.
AFRICA
AFL South Africa is a league affiliated with the AFL. Three notable AFL players were born in Africa, two in SOuth Africa. Stephen Lawrence, who played 146 games for Hawthorn including the 1991 premiership side, and Damien Cupido, who played 53 games for Brisbane and Essendon as well as 72 games for South Adelaide and West Adelaide in the SANFL. Majak Daw, a rookie who is on North Melbourne's list, was born in Sudan.
I saw South Africa play in the match for third and fourth place in the 2008 International Cup, a match they won with a kick after the siren against Ireland. The majority of the South African team had dark skin - hardly Australian ex-pats. And the crowd that watched the game rivalled numbers at a local metropolitan game at around 200.
http://www.aflsouthafrica.org
NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
The USAFL and AFL Canada are the two leagues affiliated with the AFL here.
The USAFL is the equal largest outside of Australia (NZAFL is the other) with four leagues within the country. Five exhibition matches have been played, the first in 1963 in San Francisco between Geelong and Melbourne. Three games were played in the late 1980's, two of which were played in Miami in 1988 (Collingwood v Geelong) and 1989 (Essendon v Hawthorn). The other game was in 1990 in Portland, Oregon between Melbourne and West Coast. The most recent game was played in Los Angeles in 2006 between North Melbourne and Sydney.
"By 2006, the league had grown to 40 affiliated clubs, making up 60 teams and 2,000 players"
http://www.aarfl.com/images/stories/usa ... report.pdf
Of the 709 players who competed at the USAFL National Championships, 77.4% were non-Australian, and over 60% were American.
http://www.usafl.com
AFL Canada is older than the USAFL, formed in 1989 as the Canadian Australian Football League compared to 1996 for the USAFL. Canada has also hosted five exhibition games, all in the late 80's with no less than three in 1987 all in Vancouver. Melbourne played two games against North Melbourne and Sydney with the latter game drawing 32,000 to BC Place - an international record. Collingwood and Hawthorn played the other game. Toronto hosted games in 1988 (Collingwood v Hawthorn) and 1989 (Essendon v Hawthorn). The 1989 game was played at the Toronto Skydome, a venue with striking similarities to Docklands Stadium with the retractable roof.
There are three leagues playing in Canada. I saw Canada play Nauru in the 2008 International Cup when they were beaten soundly for 5th place.
http://www.aflcanada.com
The other affiliated leagues are ARFL Ireland, Danish Australian Football League, AFL Britain, AFL Japan, Nauru Australian Football Association, New Zealand AFL, AFL PNG, AFL Samoa, Tonga Australian Football Association, AFL Germany and AFL Middle East. I'll detail these later if I have time. I will also provide the raw numbers AGAIN from Australia with a focus on New South Wales and Queensland. After all, I cover all of the leagues there on my website - as Topper already knows from viewing my website.
AFRICA
AFL South Africa is a league affiliated with the AFL. Three notable AFL players were born in Africa, two in SOuth Africa. Stephen Lawrence, who played 146 games for Hawthorn including the 1991 premiership side, and Damien Cupido, who played 53 games for Brisbane and Essendon as well as 72 games for South Adelaide and West Adelaide in the SANFL. Majak Daw, a rookie who is on North Melbourne's list, was born in Sudan.
I saw South Africa play in the match for third and fourth place in the 2008 International Cup, a match they won with a kick after the siren against Ireland. The majority of the South African team had dark skin - hardly Australian ex-pats. And the crowd that watched the game rivalled numbers at a local metropolitan game at around 200.
http://www.aflsouthafrica.org
NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
The USAFL and AFL Canada are the two leagues affiliated with the AFL here.
The USAFL is the equal largest outside of Australia (NZAFL is the other) with four leagues within the country. Five exhibition matches have been played, the first in 1963 in San Francisco between Geelong and Melbourne. Three games were played in the late 1980's, two of which were played in Miami in 1988 (Collingwood v Geelong) and 1989 (Essendon v Hawthorn). The other game was in 1990 in Portland, Oregon between Melbourne and West Coast. The most recent game was played in Los Angeles in 2006 between North Melbourne and Sydney.
"By 2006, the league had grown to 40 affiliated clubs, making up 60 teams and 2,000 players"
http://www.aarfl.com/images/stories/usa ... report.pdf
Of the 709 players who competed at the USAFL National Championships, 77.4% were non-Australian, and over 60% were American.
http://www.usafl.com
AFL Canada is older than the USAFL, formed in 1989 as the Canadian Australian Football League compared to 1996 for the USAFL. Canada has also hosted five exhibition games, all in the late 80's with no less than three in 1987 all in Vancouver. Melbourne played two games against North Melbourne and Sydney with the latter game drawing 32,000 to BC Place - an international record. Collingwood and Hawthorn played the other game. Toronto hosted games in 1988 (Collingwood v Hawthorn) and 1989 (Essendon v Hawthorn). The 1989 game was played at the Toronto Skydome, a venue with striking similarities to Docklands Stadium with the retractable roof.
There are three leagues playing in Canada. I saw Canada play Nauru in the 2008 International Cup when they were beaten soundly for 5th place.
http://www.aflcanada.com
The other affiliated leagues are ARFL Ireland, Danish Australian Football League, AFL Britain, AFL Japan, Nauru Australian Football Association, New Zealand AFL, AFL PNG, AFL Samoa, Tonga Australian Football Association, AFL Germany and AFL Middle East. I'll detail these later if I have time. I will also provide the raw numbers AGAIN from Australia with a focus on New South Wales and Queensland. After all, I cover all of the leagues there on my website - as Topper already knows from viewing my website.