Inside the changing face of footy as the AFL is set for a cultural explosion
The AFL’s venture into China has been shelved for now, but perhaps the league has just been looking at it the wrong way. Here’s how tapping into the Chinese market could work.
The face of footy is changing.
And the rapid change at the top level might be coming faster than you think.
As Zach Tuohy prepares on Sunday to break Jim Stynes’ record for the most games played by an Irishman in VFL/AFL history, the Irish experiment has finally reached full maturity.
More players than ever before have been brought to our shores from Tuohy’s homeland, as an explosion continues in the AFLW.
The Irish may be the most notable of international imports to our game but the new faces in the game are coming from within our shores.
Different cultures are picking up a footy more often than ever before and as the old adage suggest, if you can’t see it you can’t be it.
Recruiters have been salivating at the talent on display at the national underage championships in recent weeks, as the next wave of talent shows their skills.
Across the 880 boys and girls to play in the under-18 and under-16 championships, 152 have at least one parent born outside of Australia, just short of one-fifth, according to AFL numbers.
Of the lengthy talent lists across the country, 289 players have at least one parent born overseas, which equals 12 per cent.
As the cream of the junior crops continue to show more diverse cultures, the top level may look different in 5-10 years time.
As Port Adelaide’s star defender Aliir Aliir, who was born in Kenya with Sudanese heritage, was forging his career with Sydney, he made the see it-be it mentality clear as he followed in the footsteps of the AFL’s first player with Sudanese heritage, Majak Daw.
“I said to myself, ‘if Majak can make it, why can’t I make it?’ He’s been huge. When I was playing at under-18 level he would give me a call, give me a word of advice and just have a chat to me,” he said in 2016.
“Now that I’m up here, I try to help other kids as much as I can.”
From the years since those words, Aliir’s work, which followed Daw’s pioneering career, players with African backgrounds continue to grow into the game.
Hailing from Colac and now in the Geelong Falcons system, Sudanese-born Ben Rongdit played in Vic Country’s under-16 boys team in the championships.
Plucked at No. 5 in the 2021 AFL Draft by Gold Coast, Mac Andrew is growing into an intercepting, rebounding defender standing at 201cm.
Born in Egypt and with Sudanese heritage, Andrew has a brother worth keeping an eye on – young Riak, who was in Vic Metro’s under-18 squad.
Egypt-born defender James Borlase was almost added to the list of AFL players this week, when he came into selection calculations for Adelaide, and Borlase was named an emergency for Sunday’s meeting with Essendon.
With more faces to follow, more diverse cultures are joining the game.
Mahmoud Taha was also in the Vic Metro squad and has been developing with Calder Cannons.
He took inspiration from Richmond great and Muslim football trailblazer Bachar Houli and went through the retired defender’s foundation and elite performance camp on his way to draft consideration.
THE EXPERIMENT CONTINUES
While no contemporary player has matched the heights of Brownlow medallist Stynes, the Irish experiment has been a clear success as it nears its fifth decade.
Geelong veteran Tuohy will pass Melbourne legend Stynes’ tally of 264 games on Sunday when the Cats host North Melbourne.
Tuohy’s compatriot and teammate Mark O’Connor – who went past 100 games earlier this year – said it was after he read Stynes book and watched a documentary of his life he understood the impact the Melbourne great has had in both countries.
“It was probably when I came to Australia and realised the full impact he has had, obviously the statue he has outside the MCG and the work he has done with the Reach Foundation, it is a pretty incredible legacy,” O’Connor said.
Tuohy also said this week that if Stynes hadn’t hit – and hit he did, winning four Demon best-and-fairests and earning two All-Australian nods along with a Brownlow Medal – the experiment may have folded.
“I have no doubt that if Jim didn’t move to Australia, or if he wasn’t as good as he was, I never would’ve had the chance to play,” Tuohy said.
Irish numbers have exploded, largely because recruiters have a proved track record those from the Emerald Isle can adapt to the game.
Coming from Gaelic football, skills are intertwined with Australian rules, meaning it’s easier to adapt to the football than step off a foreign court like ex-basketballer turned Magpie legend Mason Cox.
Geelong boasts a strong Irish contingent around Tuohy and O’Connor, with Oisin Mullin making his way in the game.
In fact those three Cats were named as the team’s centerline for Sunday’s game for the Roos.
With more success stories will come more scouting, as GWS Giant Callum Brown becomes the latest Irishman to make it big, having soared from Limavady to Western Sydney.
And the Cats went hard after the Irish space, having signed Anna-Rose Kennedy and Aishling Moloney recently, joining forward Rachel Kearns on the list.
A remarkable 32 Irish players filled out the AFLW lists across the country, as clubs scour the Gaelic leagues for talent.
One list manager said their club received better reports on Irish players than some Australian juniors given their quality of scouting overseas compared to at home under the AFL’s stringent soft cap rules.
Numbers will only rise in coming years, with the amateur leagues in Ireland providing Australian football with a point of difference.
As one player agent said, those players need Australia as much as Australia needs them, unlike in other countries.
Cox believes there is more talent that can follow him from the United States to the MCG and the AFL is slowly building back its scouting and work in the home of Donald Trump, as well as Ireland and the South Pacific.
“We’ll continue to invest in a small way in those areas,” AFL recruiting doyen Kevin Sheehan said this year.
“It has been a tough period because of the obvious – Covid and the restrictions around it – but everyone would agree that players from international markets do enhance our game.”
THE CHINESE MARKET
If Chinese-born player agent Jamie Pi had his way, a football academy would already be set up in China.
The Asian market remains largely untouched by the top levels of football, even after the likes of Peter Bell and Lin Jong paved the way.
Pi believes there is an untapped market in China full of players already embedded in a sport lifestyle, and the AFLW in particular could take advantage.
“There may be some opportunities, like the Irish influx,” he said.
“But there has to be some catch for them, they are not going to just come over here just to play football.
“They have systematic sports universities with young girls in training. It is a different spot but it is elite training.
“We have a very good education system, especially in the sports science and sports management. There is some opportunity for our universities to get involved.”
The AFL has created diversity squads focused on landing Chinese and Indian youngster in regions like Werribee, Melton and the Monash area.
In Victoria, 19 per cent of Auskick players have at least one parent who was born overseas and 11 per cent of players aged 8-12 fit in that category.
If those figures grow, Pi is sure more players of Asian heritage will join the game, which will add massive financial benefits to clubs.
A passionate advocate for footy, in particular the women’s game, he argues the AFL shouldn’t be looking to grow the game in China, but instead tap into China to help grow the game in Australia.
“It is a generational change that we need,” he said.
“We are not able to plug a kid in at 15 and get them to play footy. We need them to start at Auskick and get into the game when they are younger.
“They may not all be Lin Jongs and play AFL footy but if we get a critical number, that is better than none.
“The fans will jump on board if we do, why can’t we get more than 80,000 people to watch Collingwood each week, or fill stadiums for North Melbourne. You want your neighbour (with Asian heritage) to come and enjoy the football alongside you.”
FEMALE GROWTH
Clubs expect to see more indigenous faces in the AFLW in coming years and alongside the Irish imports, more players from different backgrounds will enter the game.
One AFLW list boss said there were concerns in regional areas about the potential for players to lose interest in the game and drop out as they should be moving through the pathway.
But new faces are coming to the league.
South Sudanese experienced head Akec Makur Chuot has long been a leader in the AFLW, having played 33 games for Fremantle, Richmond and now Hawthorn.
Kenyan born member of the South Australian under-18 squad Elaine Grigg has soared up draft boards this year after ditching basketball for football.
Grigg played with the AFL’s Medleys squad, a talent team designed to bring through players with at least one parent born outside of Australia.
The Medleys played against the Woomeras, an indigenous squad, in an under-16s carnival this week.
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