AFL, channel 7 are the last remaining strongholds of white Australia policy.

Add to that Channel 9, The Herald-Sun, 3AW and the latter two's counterparts across the country.

Speechless.

So it was DFAT who blew the bid?? Honestly I'm not surprised, how very convenient not to have heard this before, uusual suspects always blaming FIFA and the ethnics for 'rigging it' or the 'incompetent' FFA wasting the 'hard working battler's taxes', off the cuff remarks by someone not even connected to the bid team can be all you need sometimes....

So is that it for AFLX?? One weekend??

Was at an accounting seminar today and a lady brought in this letter from Little Athletics .

’It is that time of the year again, when the regular Little Athletics season draws to a close, and the winter sports season begins. This does not necessarily mean that Little Athletics is over, and if you like running middle or long distance, or if you just want to keep fit, you should get involved in one of the winter Cross Country programs offered by a number of Little Athletics NSW centres. If you would like to find out more, or want to know where you can get involved in Cross Country, please contact the staff at the Little Athletics NSW office on 02 9633 4511, or by emailing admin@lansw.com.au.

If Cross Country is not for you, or if you also want to be involved in a great team sport during the winter season, why not give AFL/Auskick a try. As part of our alliance with AFL NSW/ACT, a couple of great opportunities exist for Little Athletics members to experience Auskick and learn more about AFL. Here's what's on offer:

AFL Auskick Launch

Birchgrove Park, Thursday 15 March 4.30pm-7.00 pm

More information
Free AFL Clinic

FREE Little Athletics GIANTS AFL Clinic prior to the women's GWS Giants v Brisbane game held at Blacktown International Sportspark, 16 March 2018.

More information

AFLW half-time Auskick

Kick to kick at the women’s GWS Giants v Brisbane game held at Blacktown International Sportspark, 16 march 2018. AFL NSW/ACT are offering any registered Little Athletes between the ages of 5-12yrs the chance to be involved and have an Auskick experience on the main field at an AFLW game!

More information
Kind regards,
The Little Athletics NSW Team“

Got to hand it to them.

The GAA would be far better off to just send one of their own games to the US than that bastardisation.

They already do. New York GAA play in the All-Ireland Championships for Gaelic Football and Hurling through the Connacht Qualifiers.

AFLX has finished its first public outing, was it a success — or is it just 'AFL lite'?

  By Emily Bourke        Posted   about 4 hours ago


While crowd numbers were comparatively low and the television ratings modest, the Australian Football League is claiming success after the first round of its experimental format, AFLX.The AFL wanted fans to experience the unexpected with AFLX, a fast-paced format played on a rectangular field with seven players on the field and three on the bench.The tournament games were played across a three-day carnival, with each day seeing six teams play in a round-robin format.

What is AFLX?

• The game is played on a rectangular field (100-120m x 60-70m)
• Each side has 10 players - seven on the field, three on the interchange
• Two 10-minute halves will be contested
• A super goal is worth 10 points
• A ruck ball up will be used

David Stevenson, the AFLX project manager, said anytime a new concept gets introduced there are always people who need a bit of convincing. "But you also have people who jump onboard straight away," he said."We want to listen to the fans and the players and the clubs, and the broadcasters, and decide how do we make some of those changes and make it even better next year."

Coming soon: More marks, and more of a contest

Ms Stevenson said there are already some tweaks to the format planned for next year."We'd like to get some more high marks between the forward line and we'd like to get maybe a little more contested footy, so we'll look at the number of players on the ground," he said."And then there's some things we learn off field as well. How do we make it more fun and exciting, particularly for those new kids we're trying to attract to the game?"Stevenson said they have received positive feedback from younger audience members, with the kids describing AFLX as "fun" and "exciting".
"I think what we want to make sure is we listen to the kids, they're our most important market here," he said."So based on their feedback we feel pretty good."

Is it just 'AFL lite'?

Francis Leach, a sports broadcaster, said in terms of a spectacle the new game was "AFL-lite.""It was designed to provide a teaser to the season," he said."But more importantly — strategically to the AFL — it's designed to try and build some momentum to encroach on sports grounds in the northern states."Leach said the AFL struggled to find enough ovals in those states to grow their game, so they utilised the more common rectangular field."They're going to be changing the game to try and colonise Queensland and New South Wales — because it's a game that can be played on a rectangular field, I think it's a simple, as brutal as that."Leach said it would work as a "recreational practice.""Sport these days, in a time poor environment, is something where people want to be able to play in a short period of time," he said."And as a version of the game that's not requiring 18 players a side on the field at any one time, that goes for over two hours, it's probably a smart move."ABC sports commentator Paul Kennedy said he could not see the format taking off. "The AFLW has much bigger appeal to me as a real contest. If you're watching sport you want to watch a proper contest," he said."[In the AFLX] I know that players are trying to get as fit as they possibly can but I'm not sure that they were desperate to win."Kennedy said it looked like they were trying to copy the success of the Rugby 7s, which has done well internationally.But he could not see the same international appeal for AFLX."I don't see it travelling and I actually think that although they want to broaden their appeal, it might work against the core values of what the AFL should be — and that is community football," he said."Because at the same time that they're doing this and trying to experiment, there are parts of the Aussie Rules heartland — like Tasmania — which is really struggling at the moment."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-19/was-the-afls-new-experimental-format-aflx-a-success/9460896

@BA81 Of course the great irony is as Lowy/Gallop continue the purge of football in an attempt to sanitise the sport to become more like AFL, the AFL are actively moving in the opposite direction to become more eff-nik. You really couldn’t make this up with the ffa.

@BA81 Sporting imperialism lol, I won’t disagree with that and it will all be in AFLs terms. But at least they’re putting the effort in, the FFA have a chance once a year with the ACL and the best we get us free tickets handed out to someone’s favourite Chinese restaurant or equivalent.

I wonder if more Asian based investors would change things? Take for instance someone like Martin Lee at the Jets - being Chinese, and thus knowing how well the Chinese clubs do in the competition etc, would he be more inclined to throw more resources at the Jets for a successful tilt at the competition than say Sydney and Victory have done (Sydney with a Russian owner, Victory primarily Australian owners)? Just a random thought that popped into my head.

When buying the club he set the target of ACL football within 3 years, we are one year ahead of schedule. I assume he will up the finances if we qualify.