First ever overseas AFL regular season game announced

[stuie 7,374]

Swans v Saints in NZ on ANZAC Day

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/147501/default.aspx

[Arrow 1,257]

Bold move by the Saints and two per year is a big move. I'd suspect alot of the media would perceive it as good for the AFL, bad for the Saints.

Kudos though it could open up a huge member base if NZ catch on. They're like us, love contact hard sports so may be a success but time will tell.

Interesting to know Melbourne played in the first ANZAC Day game, how times have changed; we'd be the last team selected to play it now.

[beelzebub 23,390]

Beijing anyone ?

[Gippsland Dee 367]

i like it! i'd like to see the game be publicised around the world and to see the game grow, this is a good start

[thaipantsman 180]

commonwealth football league on crown land coming soon

[Sir Why You Little 37,342]

China here we come?

[thaipantsman 180]

China here we come?

you may well be onto something big here. may save melbourne in years to come

[jnrmac 20,304]

So much for the traditional Demons v Sydney on ANZAC day.

Stuffed again by the AFL.

[beelzebub 23,390]

you may well be onto something big here. may save melbourne in years to come

Not sure about saving. ( as in wont need to be ) ...but might be some very tasty icing on a cake !!!

[Little Goffy 14,793]

New Zealand isn't exactly a horror flight, not much more trouble than crossing the Nullabor, don't even need a visa.

If the Saints get to play two games a year against out-of-state teams it will be a big financial win. Only question is slotting in enough recovery time - particularly if it played on the constantly moving ANZAC Day.

Maybe one day we'll have a split round themed on international games? Play in Kyoto or Kunming, take an extra week off afterwards to recover.

[IRW 1,388]

If they get 5,000 turning up it'll be a miracle, and most of them will be there to laugh at the softness of the game compared to Union.

AFL and its fans...no friggin idea.

New Zealand equals All Blacks and that is true in Outer Mongolia,Kathmandu,Instanbul and Paris ,and maybe even Tennesee where they think Paris is in Texas (and it is)

As for the nonsense travelling argument,it almost proves the point about soft sport.No one in the Bledisloe Cup or the Three Nations or the various world wide Union competitions ever complains about travelling.

I understand that the Rugby League players are too stupid and the game is too simple for it too matter but what is it about AFL that makes it so precious? They'd better send a few high marking tpes because if they go into one of those quasi rolling malls around the ball the Kiwis will just die laughing and they will go to sleep watching Lewis Jetta because they see better every week

[dee-luded 2,959]

Beijing anyone ?

Hmmn, how about Canada?

Canada in our Winter, after a bye, or before?

Or, somewhere in Southern Africa. Mozambique? We may find another like Majak Daw?

http://wikitravel.org/en/Mozambique

[hardtack 10,980]

So much for the traditional Demons v Sydney on ANZAC day.

Stuffed again by the AFL.

Face it, we stuffed ourselves.

[hardtack 10,980]

Hmmn, how about Canada?

Canada in our Winter, after a bye, or before?

Or, somewhere in Southern Africa. Mozambique? We may find another like Majak Daw?

I'd be more inclined to go for somewhere like LA or SF if we had to travel great distances... large expat community and more inclined to be receptive to the obvious hype that would be selling the product.

[monoccular 17,697]

Good luck to them, but as has been pointed out we had ONE (I think) "new traditional Sydney v Melbourne Anzac game" a few years back - I guess Eddie didn't like his party being gate crashed so thevAFL scrapped it.

As far as international expansion is concerned, ground size and shape is a problem, though in cricket playing countries there should be more scope.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I'd be more inclined to go for somewhere like LA or SF if we had to travel great distances... large expat community and more inclined to be receptive to the obvious hype that would be selling the product.

I think I'd be into that. I reckon I'd rather go somewhere southern hemisphere, but the Americas could be good.

[daisycutter 29,914]

Good luck to them, but as has been pointed out we had ONE (I think) "new traditional Sydney v Melbourne Anzac game" a few years back - I guess Eddie didn't like his party being gate crashed so thevAFL scrapped it.

As far as international expansion is concerned, ground size and shape is a problem, though in cricket playing countries there should be more scope.

so, pakistan it is (or bangladesh).

[ILLDieADemon 804]

So much for the traditional Demons v Sydney on ANZAC day.

Stuffed again by the AFL.

At least we get the queens birthday. Which collingwood also get.

Collingwood gets everything.

[Sir Why You Little 37,342]

We will play in China.

No doubt.

[dee-luded 2,959]

At least we get the queens birthday. Which collingwood also get.

Collingwood gets everything.

Maybe we should take it off e'd, and play the Blues or Bombers, or Cats, or any team we choose a year prior. Whichever team is at they're peak.

[jnrmac 20,304]

Face it, we stuffed ourselves.

What with their 'fix-ture' and scheduling being too chock a block with blockbuster games and traditional rival games and derby's etc??

[demoniac 1,337]

If they get 5,000 turning up it'll be a miracle, and most of them will be there to laugh at the softness of the game compared to Union.

AFL and its fans...no friggin idea.

New Zealand equals All Blacks and that is true in Outer Mongolia,Kathmandu,Instanbul and Paris ,and maybe even Tennesee where they think Paris is in Texas (and it is)

As for the nonsense travelling argument,it almost proves the point about soft sport.No one in the Bledisloe Cup or the Three Nations or the various world wide Union competitions ever complains about travelling.

I understand that the Rugby League players are too stupid and the game is too simple for it too matter but what is it about AFL that makes it so precious? They'd better send a few high marking tpes because if they go into one of those quasi rolling malls around the ball the Kiwis will just die laughing and they will go to sleep watching Lewis Jetta because they see better every week

I work with a few Kiwis in their early 20s. They played Aussie Rules in NZ. One has played Aussie Rules on the ground that is going to be used for the Saint's games. They are Hawthorn fans by the way due to the Hawks work in NZ, went to the Hawks v Pies last Friday. Know their AFL. One is winning the tipping at his previous workplace. Yep AFL is not going to challenge the dominance of Union. It does not have to be a success. We might get a few players out of it. Much like Queensland we might get a disproportinate number of 195cm plus talls who don't feel like packing down in a union scrum and are too tall for league. Or slight kids who get knocked about by much bigger kids in league and choose AFL and stay with it as they mature and fill out.

Who knows..in 30 years time there might even be a NZ based team in the AFL.

Smart move by AFL to include an ANZAC Match. They'll get more than 5000 for that as well as a sizable prime time audience back in OZ.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

We will play in China.

No doubt.

Yeah well, I come down from the country to watch the Dees play, may as well go to China for the weekend, heck Mongolia even........we just change from the Demons to the Dragons....heck why not Vlad??

[Deestroy All 14,266]

Woopiedoo.

[Sorge 9]

I must admit football is boring me lately. Soon very few people will remember how great the VFL was in it's grace and simplicity. The national league started the decline and the corporatisation of the game will eventually kill off any semblance of the wonderful game it once was. I must admit I buy my membership more in support of a wonderful old institution than the game itself. So go international I don't care, neither will the Kiwis I suspect.