AFL Football Blog Interviews Brett Northey from World Footy News
With all the hype surrounding the AFL’s push into the South Africa market at the moment I thought I would catch up with someone who knows a lot more than most about Australian Rules Football outside of Australia. Brett Northey from World Footy News was kind enough to answer a few of my questions relating to his site and also the state of Australian Rules Football across the globe.
World Footy News is a site that focuses on the great game of Australian Rules Football around the world covering news topics from all the different leagues, and many of you may not realize that there are quite a few. We are all caught up with Australian Rules Football here in Australia but what is really happening with the game everywhere else.
1. Where did the idea of World Footy News come from?
It was obvious that footy was becoming entrenched in other countries and their news deserved to be heard, but other than a few leagues or clubs with good websites, getting the information was difficult and really only for the dedicated international footy junkie. So the need was there, and a gentleman in WA started a small blog/news site, and I volunteered to help him. But when he stopped doing it, myself, Aaron Richard and other’s were keen to see the gap filled, and in fact the reporting taken to another level, getting regular news and interviews from all around the world. Aaron and I knew each other as regular posters on fan forum Bigfooty, so we agreed to make it happen and World Footy News was born – it just spiralled from there.
2. How on earth do you keep informed on all that is happening in the different leagues around the World? And How many people do you have working on the site?
At first we got most of our information by finding and reading websites of leagues and clubs. Over time we started to contact them, mostly by email, and built up a network of contacts ranging from league presidents through to players. We get a lot of tip offs and inside information – not all of which we can publish unfortunately. Over time most of us have travelled a bit and met each other or caught up on the phone or by Skype. Every once in a while you find just the right person who volunteers to cover a region and has the time and skills to do it. We’ve got about nine regular contributors and a couple of guys that help out on the technical side when we get a bit stuck.
3. What are the biggest leagues / competitions outside of Australia?
The Auckland league in New Zealand has 6 clubs each with reserves and is a pretty good standard. The Ontario AFL in Canada should feature ten teams in 2008, and the BARFL London leagues are very strong, with a lot of expat Aussies and some improving Brits. Port Moresby in PNG is also fairly big for footy. Those would be the four biggest off the top of my head. Other countries with a lot of players such as the US tend to have their clubs spread over multiple leagues across the country.
4. How would you compare the standard of these competitions with say the standard of a local grass roots competition here in Australia?
It’s something that gets asked a lot. I haven’t had the chance to see the leagues in action myself, my own experience is based more on going on a tour of South Africa in 2005, the many international matches at the 2005 International Cup which we covered, videos of matches, and talking to the people involved. I think the main difference between the top overseas leagues and Australian grass roots leagues is depth. You’ll get a few top Aussie players who would earn their spot in A grade amateurs, and you’ll get a few locals who might be worthy of A to Cs, but you’ll also have a high number of players who are in their first season or two, so well below even E or F grade amateurs or equivalent in say Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth. But the standard is improving all the time, and in many cases the passion for the game and hardness at the ball can be the equal of, or even greater, than in some Aussie matches.
5. Obviously, South Africa is in the news at the moment with AFL making a concerted effort in growing the game in that region. Do you now much what the AFL is doing there? And do you think there is enough talent there that warrants clubs like Fremantle, Essendon, Carlton and Collingwood exploring the recruiting opportunities?
The AFL put a toe in the water in the mid to late 90s, but it’s really been local government and other agency support, along with funding from companies like Tattersals and more recently Costa Logistics that has shown to the AFL that they can really develop the game without it costing the AFL clubs too much money – a balance that unfortunately the AFL has to strike. But with Freo, Carlton, Collingwood and West Coast all committing to a province each, things are happening very fast. We’re basically one year into a massive 3 to 5 year program, with paid staff and the resources to explode – they’re aiming at 25,000 players by 2009.
In terms of talent there, it’s unlikely anyone currently playing is a gun. The standard of the AFL is actually getting further away even from state league level here in Australia, so a player needs to get into the system early on. But just as talented athletes are spread throughout Australia, so too are they in South Africa. Within a couple of years I’m sure a handful of special young players will have been identified and on their way to the AFL. On average South African blacks aren’t particularly tall, so we may see small forward or on-ball types as the first to emerge.
6. I read with interest your article on the 2 American brothers that are playing at the West Perth Falcons. A lot is made of AFL Players trying their hand in the NFL, do you see the possibility of more Americans coming here to play our game?
There’s also been a few other Americans try their luck at slightly lower levels in Australia. Again, this is the tip of the iceberg, and we’ll see a few Americans head out each year from now on I would think. There’s also a young Canadian player whose whole family is moving Down Under for him to pursue his dream. It’s just in the last couple of years that many of these leagues are reaching critical mass to get good competition and reasonable athletes who certainly will be solid players in Australia. One day some of those will get noticed early enough to make it to the big time.
7. You wrote in your article that was published on the AFL’s website on the 21st January that there are still sceptics out there that do not believe there is any interest in our game outside of Australia. Do you think the time will come when we call this game an international game?
Absolutely. Personally, I think it already is. It’s a matter of semantics I guess, but if there’s around 30 countries that play footy, and 20 or more that can put a team on the park that is purely local players, then surely that qualifies? But if we mean international like soccer or cricket or Rugby, with say 3 or 4 or more countries playing it with tens of thousands of players each and full stadiums watching internationals, then the answer is still yes. People often wrongly compare with soccer, which after all is freakish in its saturation of the world. But look say at Rugby, with really only 5 or 6 top countries, and then another 10 or so on the rise. There’s no reason Aussie Rules won’t be in a similar situation in 25 years. It’s just that Australia is so strong now, that in a way makes other nations so far behind. And being such an attacking, high scoring sport, even a small difference shows badly on the scoreboard. So we’re still a fair way off seeing anyone else compete with Australia, but things are starting to get on the right track.
8. If you could jump into a time machine and head into the future by 10 years, what country will we be talking about when it comes to a recruiting ground for AFL Clubs?
In 10 years South Africa and PNG should be mature recruiting grounds, with players from each drafted as a matter of course each year, along with Ireland. From there it’s crystal ball stuff. There’s no other countries with the same growth curve, but China is looking likely, and there’s some good work in the UK where early signs indicate that various factions are now pulling in the same direction, so in 10 years, we could see the start of some Chinese and British recruitment. I’ve probably earned the scorn of many other nations by not including them, and I could rattle off another 10 with some promising but smaller scale junior programs, such as Canada, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Denmark and more, but at this stage they seem more likely to provide one-off players rather than a steady stream of draftees.
9. Can you see any light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the International Rules Series being brought back? Or have all the bridges been burned?
Well I can’t see the Irish ever agreeing to the juniors again – kind of makes the job of Aussie talent scouts like shooting fish in a barrel. The GAA also want more rule changes than I think the AFL can allow, so that’s the main stumbling block. However, increasingly I think the GAA may feel they need the IR more than the AFL does, so it wouldn’t shock to see it again in 2009. Can I sit on the fence and say I think it’s 50-50 at this stage.
This is the second part of an interview I did with Brett Northey from World Footy News. If you didn’t catch the first part you can read it here.
10. Ok last but not least, no one can see anyone beating Geelong for the 2008 Flag. Who do you think will win the 2008 AFL Premiership?
Ah, my Adelaide Crows? I’d just be happy for them to make the eight actually. A lot will depend on the Cats’ attitude. They were a mess just 18 months ago but suddenly put it all together. I’m sure they now think they’re giving the pre-season 100% and are on track to repeat, but are they or deep down have they relaxed? No one can really know. They start deserved favourites, but Collingwood keep lurking and leave no stone unturned despite perhaps a less talented list, and I don’t think the Saints’ window has closed either. Let’s face it, this is all wild speculation, but let’s say a narrow Geelong win over a gallant Collingwood, with Fremantle and St Kilda just falling short again, and Carlton to give the top eight a real shake.
There We Have It
Well folks there we have it, quite an interesting interview. I Hope everyone enjoyed my chat with Brett as much as I did. There is certainly a lot more people playing Australian Rules Football than many people realize and it will not be long before we see more players from overseas reach our shores to try their hand at our great game.
If you would like to keep upto date with AFL Football from around the world be sure to check in to the World Footy News website at www.worldfootynews.com
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I loved to read about your love and enthusiasm for Australian football.I’m from the USA and I loved playing soccer. I think it is close your football. As you know, we in the USA have a different looking game. I love them both. This Sunday, I think we are having our Super Bowl game. I really don’t care who wins. I just like to watch it.