Australian stars across football codes and Super Netball make secret plea to compete at LA 2028 Olympics

With eyes set on a rare chance at Olympic gold, stars from AFL, NRL, Super Rugby and Super Netball have been making secret queries over the prospect of surprise code switches.

Australian Gridiron player Cayden Close could have crosscode competition for his spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

AFL, NRL, Super Rugby and Super Netball players have been reaching out to American Football Australia about momentary code switches ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

American Football Australia CEO, and former NRL Bronco and Bear, Wade Kelly confirmed they’ve been fielding secret questions from male and female athletes across codes about how they could become a part of an Australian Flag Football Olympic squad for 2028. 

“There’s some big names, that’s for sure,” he says from Los Angeles while checking on pre-Olympic training camp facilities.

“That’s been going on for a while now. Incoming messages to us and then communication from us going out.

“It’s a mixture of current players, those just finishing and the curious that are at the peak of their careers in the biggest sports in Australia.”

Australian Gridiron player Cayden Close could have competition for his spot at the LA Games. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Flag Football is a modified form of American Football, where physical tackling is replaced by removing one or both flags that hang from a belt worn by players. Similar to Touch Football’s modifications, there are less players and a smaller playing area.

The NFL has increasingly promoted Flag Football in recent years as a safer and more accessible alternative to their main game, with it now featuring heavily in NFL broadcasts. It lobbied hard for the sport’s eventual inclusion for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

From an Australian perspective, Flag Football has been a key plank of the NFL’s Australia/New Zealand operation that was set up in 2022, with plans to have the sport reach 100,000 school children in Australia this year ahead of its Games debut.

Some of those curious current athletes are already privately working to develop Flag Football skills away from their day jobs.

“That lure of the gold medal in 2028 … there’s a lot (of athletes) around asking ‘how early would I have to commit?’, so that’s something we’re discussing heavily with our high performance committee.”

Many Australian athletes are avid NFL fans, so that emotional pull further multiplies the interest.

“The north star is that it could be an opportunity to win a gold medal at the LA Olympics against the USA. They are the clear favourites and the men would likely be playing against NFL players. That’s the big carrot.”

Kelly says they have a particularly close eye on enquiries from the AFL, AFLW, basketball and netball given the overlapping attributes the two sports have in movement and catching.

“The core is elite level speed, and that’s speed, agility, quickness,” he says.

“You don’t have to be running the 100 in 10 seconds, but if you can run the five in sub-one, then we can work with the rest. The rest is pretty easy to work out.”

Flag Football will make its Olympic debut at the LA Games. Picture: Luke Hales/Getty Images

Reading the flight of a ball and timing a run and jump to take a ball, or get a hand in to deflect, are tricks that AFL footballers and netballers exhibit regularly that are vital in flag football.

“What we’re really looking for is explosiveness to get separation from the defence or the explosion to shut down attack.

“That’s what AFL, netball and basketball bring, because that’s their game.

“To read the game as a 360 threat and be able to shut it down is really second nature to them, that’s what they grow up with.”

The interest is expected to peak over the coming weeks.

A host of AFL, NRL, Rugby Union and netball players who have been told they will not be re-contracted by their clubs will be scrambling for a lifeline. If new contracts do not materialise, playing Flag Football with an Olympic carrot would be attractive as a part-time pursuit.

“That’s exactly what we’re looking at,” Kelly says. “It’s already begun.”

To coincide with this interest, the organisation has partnered with the ‘Future Green and Gold’ Australian Sports Commission talent search initiative.

Athletes aged from 13-23 can register their details and then attend a physical and physiological testing day to determine suitability to Olympic sports.

For Flag Football that means identification and perhaps fast-tracking into its Olympic program.

Wade Kelly sees plenty of similarities between the skill-sets for flag football and netball. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Yet it’s those currently at the top of their sports that are most intriguing.

As far-fetched as it may seem for a star contracted player in one sport to switch to another sport they’ve never played, Kelly says they are taking a flexible approach to help make it possible.

“A lot are asking us that question; whether they could park 2028 in whatever sport they’re playing and really go for a gold medal.”

It may be that players who show interest are given some ad hoc sessions alongside their day-jobs, before being tempted to switch across just for the Olympic year.

“That’s definitely an option,” Kelly says. “It’s something that’s been discussed a lot.”

For AFLW and NRLW players who are not fully professional it becomes an even more attractive proposition given they could spend more time honing their game in the lead-up to 2028.

There are also further incentives for female athletes on top of being an Olympian.

The NCCA (the elite US college system) is expected to adopt Flag Football as a female sport which opens up college scholarships for young Australian women that show aptitude. Lower level colleges already do, with one time AFW hopeful, Olivia Manfre, the first Australian to take one up.

“To be able to come to the US, get a $500,000 academic scholarship and play flag football in a full -time program … that’s a really high incentive.”

Australia’s Olivia Manfre is on a US college scholarship for flag football.

Professional leagues for both men and women are planned in the US, which Kelly says gives a career path beyond 2028.

“It’s an ideal time to jump on board when you’ve got the Olympics, you’ve got US scholarships on the horizon and then the inevitable pro league. The sport is growing exponentially, there’s already over 20 million people playing (worldwide).”

State-based talent combines for male and female athletes will be held early in 2025 that will help form the squad towards 2028. He would like squads, and the status of potential code-swappers, to be finalised by mid-2027.

While in LA Kelly will also be meeting with high performance coaches and expects the Australian program to be spending time annually in the city running into 2028. A national athletic performance director and national coaching director for flag football will start work this month.

Originally published as Australian stars across football codes and Super Netball make secret plea to compete at LA 2028 Olympics