Australian rules football in Asia

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See also: Australian rules football in the Middle East

The Japanese National Team takes on a Melbourne based Vietnamese representative team (wearing the yellow and red national colours) during the Samurais' tour to Australia in 2006.

Hong Kong Dragons after winning the 2007 Asian Australian Football Championships

Australian rules football has been played as an organised sport in Asia since the late 1980s, with the foundation of teams in Japan based around universities in Tokyo.^[1] Before this time, only informal matches had been played in some countries. Since the 1980s a number of clubs have been formed in east Asia, mainly by expatriate Australians, although in Japan, Indonesia and Pakistan the majority of the playing base is nationals.^{[citation needed]} There is no official governing body as such, although an informal association named the Asian AFL has existed between clubs for some time, with discussion currently underway to formalise a regional body.^{[citation needed]}

The only Asian league with sufficient local player numbers and organisational structure to have attended the Australian Football International Cup so far is Japan, although China and possibly Indonesia may join them in future.^{[citation needed]} The main cup competition between the expat-based clubs are the annual Asian Australian Football Championships.

[edit] Nations

[edit] Brunei

Australian rules football has been played in Brunei since 1998 when a social match was held, followed by a meeting to establish the Brunei Australian Rules Football League. Anthony Rodaughan was duly appointed the League's first president.

The domestic competition soon commenced at the Jerudong International School soccer field, with a three-team competition including players from from England, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and Brunei. Late 1998/99 saw huge changes in the fledgling competition as the country began ending numerous expat contracts. Player numbers were reduced but the league took stock and continued to provide a regular competition for its members. 1999 brought the formation of the Brunei Sharks, a composite side representing the league, playing their first match against the Singapore Wombats. The Sharks' first appearance at the Asian Australian Football Championships was in 2000 in Jakarta.^[2]

[edit] Cambodia

Australian rules football has been played in Cambodia by members of the expatriate Australian community in Phnom Penh since around 2000, when a club nickanmed the Cambodia Crocodiles was formed^[3]. The Crocodiles hosted other teams from around the Asian region for at least one tournament, but have since gone into recess.

[edit] China

Australian rules football has been played in China since 1998.

There is now a development organisation called Aussie Rules China based in Tianjin, focused on bringing Chinese nationals into the sport. The Tianjin program is sponsored by the Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne City Council (through links formed with John So during the Australian Football Multicultural Cup). These organisations have since held exchange programs.

There are also three expatriate Australian-based clubs in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. A juniors league named the Gobi Desert AFL existed briefly in the province of Xinjiang.

A representative team mainly consisting of expat Australians in China has competed under the names China Blues and China Reds in International fixtures and Asian AFL Championships.

While there were less than 70 senior participants and only 1 junior team in 2007, the AFL reported a total of 9,000 junior participants in Auskick styled programs with multiple sessions, through programs in Tianjin^[4] and Suzhou, where 18 schools have introduced the sport into their cirriculum.^[5]

[edit] East Timor

Australian rules football has been played sporadically in East Timor since the country's independence in 1999 saw a large number of Australian Defence Force personnel stationed in the country. In 2001 an organisation named the Timor Lorosae Australian Futeball Associacao (TILAFA) was formed in Dili and there were plans to send a team to the Arafura Games in Darwin^[6], although this organisation appears to have disappeared.

In early 2006 two teachers from Kambrya College, a secondary school in the outer-eastern Melbourne suburb of Berwick, visited a partner-school in the village of Letefoho, Ermera district as part of the Friends of Ermera organisation, holding clinics in Australian rules football in addition to donating other sporting and educational materials^[7].

In 2007, several matches were played between ADF personnel and locals at Democracy Field in Dili, including several Auskick clinics.^[8]

[edit] Hong Kong

Hong Kong is home to one of Asia's oldest Australian rules football clubs, the Hong Kong Dragons having played their first match in 1990. Based primarily around expat Australians, the club plays frequent matches against other expat-Australian clubs in the Asian region, including other teams from mainland China.

[edit] India

The West Australian Football League toured India in 1969, playing a series of exhibition matches between East Perth and Subiaco Football Clubs, which attracted large crowds and interest.^[9]

Australian rules football began in India with the creation of the Indian Amateur Australian Football Association in 2001. The organisation was based in Delhi, but disbanded in 2004.^[10]

The potential for the game has several times attracted interest from Australia, with the WAFL proposing an exhibition match for Mumbai.^[11]

The next appearance of organised Australian rules in India came with the visit of Brian Dixon to Calcutta in 2006 which resulted in the formation of starter clubs in the city and a platform for the development of an Indian team for the 2008 Australian Football International Cup.^[12][13]

[edit] Indonesia

Australian rules football was played in Indonesia by Australian soldiers in 1945 in Morotai and also Ngada.

It is currently played in Indonesia by expatriate Australian clubs in Jakarta (formed in 1995)^[14], Bali (formed in 1997)^[15] and a club under formation (as of 2006) in Banda Aceh, as well as a league consisting of villagers around the Pancawati area in West Java. The Jakarta Bintangs and Bali Geckoes regularly contest the Java-Bali Cup and participate in the Asian Australian Football Championships.

Founded in 2003, the West Java Australian Football League (WeJAFL) has over 500 local junior and senior players in the local competition.^[16] The large number of local players makes it the Asian nation with the highest participation rate amongst locals, although an Indonesian team has not yet appeared at the Australian Football International Cup.

The Jakarta Bulldogs Australian Football Club^[17], founded in 2006, is an Aussie Rules Football Club made up of Under 18 year old expratriate and local students in Jakarta. The team has played against local Australian Football teams such as the Pancawati Eagles, Depok Garudas and the Jakarta Bintangs. There captain, Arthur John Wilkinson who won BOG(best on ground) for two years in a row, continues to recruit more players to join them. They are currently sponsored by ANZ.

[edit] Japan

Main article: Australian rules football in Japan

There are two leagues coordinating Australian rules football in Japan, the AFL Japan based mainly in Tokyo (affiliated with the Australian Football League) with one club in Osaka and the Nippon AFL based mainly in Nagoya and Kansai province. Development teams from the AFL Japan regularly tour to Australia and have competed at both Australian Football International Cups to date.

[edit] Laos

The Lao Elephants were formed in Vientiane in 2007, as the first Australian rules football club in Laos. The team played their first international fixture against the Vietnam Swans and Thailand Tigers in November 2007 in Hanoi.

[edit] Malaysia

The Australian armed forces (2/19th battalion) played Australian rules football at Port Dickson in 1941.^[18]

Australian rules football has been played in Malaysia since the late 1980s in Kuala Lumpur, primarily by expatriate Australians living and working in the city. The club was initially known as the MARK Tigers (Malaysian Australian Rules Kelab) and the team recorded their first win in August 1994 against a team from the Royal Australian Air Force base in Butterworth, Penang. Between 1993 and 1997, the club became consistent contenders on and off the field in Asia. Games were mainly played against the RAAF in Penang, the Singapore Wombats and the Jakarta Bintangs.

The Asian economic crisis of 1998 saw many members of the Australian community in Malaysia return home, leaving the club in great difficulties. The team reformed under a new name, the Malaysian Warriors, which has continued to this day. In addition to teams visiting Malaysia, the Malaysian Warriors have toured to Cambodia to contest the "Killing Fields Cup", to Singapore for the "Changi Cup", to Jakarta, to Vietnam for the "Communist Cup", to Thailand for the "Fish Bowl Cup" and to Bali for the Adidas Bali 9s tournament.^[19]

[edit] Pakistan

Main article: Australian rules football in Pakistan

Aussie Rules is played in Pakistan's Swat Valley, coordinated by the AFL Pakistan. The AFL Pakistan has held school tournaments and aims to send a Pakistani national team to the Australian Football International Cup in future. The AFL Pakistan is also connected with an anti-drug charity network.

[edit] Philippines

The Philippine Australian Football League was created in 2004.^[20] The league currently runs a two-team competition in Manila, and hosted the 2005 Asian Australian Football Championships. The representative side of the PAFL is known as the Philippine Eagles.

[edit] Singapore

Australian rules football started in Singapore in April 1993, when a group from the Australian expatriate community founded the Singapore Wombats Australian Football Club.^[21] The Singapore Wombats play between 8-10 matches throughout each year against visiting Royal Australian Navy ships, as well as a number of tour matches against other expat-based teams from around Asia.

[edit] Thailand

Australian rules football has been played in Thailand since the 1990s with the creation of the Thailand Tigers by Australians living in the city of Bangkok.^[22] The Tigers run a domestic social league in Bangkok, as well as competing as the Tigers in regional competition. The Tigers hosted the 2007 Asian Australian Football Championships.

[edit] Vietnam

Australian rules football was first played in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

A match was played in May 1966 between members of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.^[23]

A social game was organised in 1969 by Captain Bill McMahon of Croydon, Victoria, a former Melbourne Football Club and Sandringham Football Club footballer, "Diggers" vs "The Rest" which was played with Vietnamese soldiers in August at the headquarters of the Free World Military Assistance Organisation.^[24]

In 1971, Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) and 110 Signal Squadron played a match in Saigon organised by Private Conboy of Clifton Hill, Victoria a previous member of Melbourne Football Club Under 19s squad.^[25]

There was at least one contest between 110 Signal Squadron and 104 Signal Squadron in 1970, one being played at a police or army academy at the sea-side village of Vung Tau and a little later another http://home.people.net.au/~ihg/Vietnam1.html between the Nui Dat based units of 104 Signal Squadron and 106 Field Workshops on a pretty rough ground at the Reinforement Wing at the Dat.

Organised Australian rules football has been played in Vietnam since 1998 by the Hanoi Swans and Saigon Saints, two clubs comprised mainly of expatriate Australians.

A team drawn from the Melbourne Vietnamese community also competed in the Australian Football Multicultural Cup in both years of the competition's existence (2004, 2005) and has competed against touring teams from the Japan Samurai, members of this team have expressed interest in working together with the Hanoi club to develop Aussie Rules amongst local players in Vietnam. Players from this squad eventually formed the Elgar Park Dragons, a team mainly made up of Vietnamese-Australians affiliated with Box Hill North in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.^[26]

[edit] External links

• Hanoi Swans
• Aussie Rules China
• Shanghai Tigers
• Beijing Bombers
• Video of TJ Sports Channel Tianjin interview from YouTube
• Hong Kong Dragons
• Singapore Wombats

[edit] References