Live stream: US Amazons determined to take Footy 9s concept across the globe (AFI World 9's)

They have paid their way, and now the US Amazons are ready to pave the way for the growth of a new generation of footy lovers in their homeland. Hear from them ahead of the World 9s carnival.

Amazons team leader Sara Rohner is hopeful this weekend’s World 9s event will be a stepping stone in the development of footy in the United States.

The Amazons, a side made up of women from across the United States – will be one of 14 cultural-based sides competing in the carnival on Saturday.

The World 9s carnival will be exclusively live streamed by KommunityTV, with the coverage including every match from field one.

WATCH THE WORLD 9S LIVE THIS SATURDAY

While many of the Amazon players are experiencing Australia for the first time, Rohner insists the trip is far from a holiday and is, instead, the beginning of football’s blossoming in the US.

“I really think that 2023 is going to be a gateway into a new era of football in the United States,” she said.

“To be able to show that this is doable, and we love the game so much, even if we have to play smaller fields with fewer numbers, it’s still footy and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

US Amazons players Jani Boal, Maclyn Matheson, Sara Edwards Rohner, Tina Lane and Mariam Mehter ahead of the World 9s carnival.

“I wanted to bring these girls here and show them that as much as we all love the traditional game of Australian football, there are alternatives – especially for Americans.

“In the US, we have no proper footy ovals, in the entire United States of America, we don’t have one dedicated footy oval, it’s just not popular enough.

“But we have rugby fields, football fields, soccer fields everywhere – for me I wanted to bring them down here and expose them to this alternative so they can take this home.

“From there, the game can blossom, the numbers will grow, and you will eventually have enough numbers for 18 a side and enough for a team in every city.”

Rohner and her teammates are simply obsessed with footy, so much so that they packed up and flew across the world to compete in the round-robin style tournament out of their own pocket.

“There are currently only six full women’s teams across the nation, from California to New York, there are only six,” she said.

“The rest of us that aren’t on a full team, we get clumped together at a national tournament or the smaller teams have to band together and create a larger team, so there isn’t a lot of game time opportunities.

“We train, we train, and we train for only like six games a year through from April to October, so I said: ‘why don’t we build an unaffiliated all-star team, let’s get together a talented group of athletes for a Footy9s tournament in Melbourne in February’.

“It was expensive, everyone paid between 1800 and 3000 US dollars just for their plane ticket, but we only needed 12 – if we had to build a squad of 24, I don’t think we could’ve got that many willing to spend the money.

“Even though we only get to play six or seven times a year and train all year long, that’s how much the women on this trip love this sport, they’re willing to put forth the money and fly halfway across the world to play the sport in its birthplace.”