Andrew Dillon, Dave Matthews on how AFL could emulate NRL’s Las Vegas trip for Australian rules

Andrew Dillon, Dave Matthews and Mason Cox all think an AFL game being played for points overseas is coming, especially after the NRL’s glitzy weekend in Las Vegas. Here’s how.

The GWS Giants remain eager to partner with the AFL and rejuvenate their “ambition” to play for competition points overseas.

After a weekend where the NRL dominated headlines thanks to the second year of their Las Vegas experiment, talk has again emerged about whether the AFL could follow suit.

The Giants have previously shown interest in taking a match to the US, with the club holding several connections in that market.

GWS chief executive David Matthews thinks it would be remiss of the club and the league not to dare to dream to take Australian rules to a global stage. And although the US had previously been the main target, he believes other large sporting markets with ready-built oval stadiums, like India, could also be an option.

Giants CEO David Matthews is confident AFL matches will be played overseas again in the future. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think many years ago, when we appointed an evangelist in Kevin Sheedy (as coach, he) always felt that we’ve locked the game up in the southern states too much,” Matthews said.

“We’re now locking it up in Australia too much for his liking. So he was always, ‘Where do we go and take the games’.

“We obviously need cricket grounds, and that’s been the issue in the US when we flagged that as an ambition a few years ago; there weren’t cricket grounds there at the time. They are developing them, but they built one in New York and took it back down.

“But the first step would be to partner with the AFL to say, ‘Have you got an ambition to play a game in India, to potentially play one in Japan or the US?’.

“I don’t see it as a competition with the NRL; they’ve got ready-made stadiums to play in, and it’s a great initiative. Over time, I think there will be four-point (AFL) games offshore.”

More than 45,000 fans attended the four rugby league matches played in Las Vegas over the weekend. Picture: Ethan Miller Getty Images via AFP

Matthews reinforced the club’s short-term priority is helping grow the game in the northern states, particularly their Western Sydney and Canberra hubs. However, he remains optimistic that the AFL will continue to look at ways to expand in the future.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon threw the imperative back on the clubs when quizzed about a potential game in the US market.

Speaking to this masthead, Dillon believes that if a club can identify a market and is willing to back-in its plan, it is a move that the organisation could endorse – as long as fans remain the No. 1 priority.

“I think it’s incumbent on the clubs, and also the AFL, to look at new frontiers,” Dillon said. “Whether they’re within Australia or outside of them.

“Then, if they’re identified it’s, ‘Okay, if it is going to happen, what’s the strategic reason behind it?’.

“I think particularly when you’re looking international, you want to take a game. And every team’s got a limited number of home games, so it’s got to be a big call to do that. There’s got to be a strategic reason for that, and looking after the fans first.”

The Giants already take three of their AFL home matches each season to Canberra as part of a five-game, multi-year deal with the ACT Government, which includes an AFLW fixture and a pre-season game.

While the Giants are eager to take the game international, Collingwood’s Mason Cox believes the USA would be the perfect market. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Arguably the biggest fan of taking an AFL game to the US is Collingwood’s Mason Cox, who has long called for a match to be played in his homeland.

Yet again, the Pies’ ruckman endorsed the move at the Opening Round launch on Monday and believes that the game needs to find ways to tap into bigger international markets.

“I would love to see an AFL game in the US,” Cox said.

“It’s great to see Australian sport on the international stage. What they’re doing over there at Allegiant Stadium is big press for the NRL over there and for rugby (league) in the US, and you can definitely see the benefits of it.

“You look at the Olympics and how much media coverage that and everything else got, rugby is also going really well and being able to reach that international market. Hopefully, the AFL can invest in it and be able to do the same.”