Maybe settlers took rules back to England from Australia or China or all the other countries that had kicky bally games. 

Dont get your knickers in a twist.  I agree the link to Aboriginal culture is tenuous, and that in the main, the origin is in English school sports tradition.  Firstly, I think you will find the biggest push to create the association comes from indigenous people, who by your argument are therefore insulting themselves.  Secondly, by indigenous, I think he means local, not Aboriginal.  The backdrop of Australian football is the English school system, but the actual game of Australian football was developed and codified here and is therefore indigenous by definition.

And all this time we thought "wog ball" was a pejorative term.

They actuallu dropped the "iri" incase people thought wog ball would be associated with ethnics. 

I have a feeling this might be more successful than some people think. I also have a feeling this may have unforeseen consequences for the AFL. 

Yeah me too. 

If you really want to go deep. AFL will change to 17 weeks plus 4 finals. Using this year the AFL GF is in week 39. 39  minus the 21 rounds is 18. This year the A-League GF is week 18. 



AFLX will be popular and successful. Start around Jan until May. The same final date and the A-League GF. Probably the same time. Normal season will shorten and still have the GF in September. 

New game shows how to use airtime in the silly season

• The Australian
• 12:00AM January 27, 2018
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• PATRICK SMITH

  

  Senior sports commentator

  Melbourne

  @Smithersss

  

So the less than serious or sensible are often given a significant run in the press, broadcast and digital outlets when normally they would fall to the side unloved and unnecessary. While it might be called padding, the articles and news grabs suit the mood of a ­nation sozzled on sunscreen and exhausted from a sudden exercise routine of slip, slop and slapping. The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is the quintessential example.

A scary challenger to the big boat event has set sail this summer. Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm pushed his name into the spotlight (momentarily it must be said) when he accused the federal government of racism. ­

Leyonhjelm thought a government-funded program designed “to provide a better understanding of indigenous Australians in the workplace, social environments and the community in which you live and work” not at all helpful. Worse, it was racist.

Leyonhjelm was reported in The Australian on Wednesday as having said that although the training was not compulsory, he was opposed to the use of ­tax­payers’ money to deliver it.

“It’s racist because it favours a particular race over another race,” Leyonhjelm said.

Mmmm. Favours or informs?

“It infers other Australians require training to become culturally aware of indigenous Australians, whereas we don’t require training to be aware of other cultures.”

He appears to wilfully apply any logic to his position. It is the banal response of someone who has read or heard something but is incapable of understanding it so churns out mechanical responses. Does he not know of protocols in football leagues that teach exactly what the federal government plans? Is he unaware of the value these programs have been to ­officials, players and fans. Mark him down a fool.

It is true just about everyone is after a fix for summer. Pity Leyonhjelm picked a topic of which he has no understanding or empathy. A Leyonhjelm comic comet.

Yet such is the vacuum of the holiday hiatus that sports have tried — seriously — to grab ­whatever air is to spare to get a hold in summer on what they might have once had by right in winter. Soccer and basketball for starters.

Both codes moved away from the saturation of rugby league and the AFL. At one time, rugby union made that a trio but since losing any threatening space in the ­football marketplace, its chances of doing anything mesmerising or relevant are minimal. One rider on that: Rugby Australia appears to have made a shrewd decision (there have been precious few of them lately) with the appointment as its chief of rugby league’s ­Raelene Castle, who is said to be as smart as she is robust. But there is a morbid sense that Castle is the code’s last and final line of defence.

The AFL’s many critics have formed a substantial posse as they swipe away at the league heavies over the introduction of a new form of the indigenous game — AFLX. It has been called a joke, embarrassment, ego tripping, money gouging. And that’s even before a game has been played. When it comes to any change in any code, blind resistance is for media’s first responders. Not to nurture new products or rules but to save the game from change ­itself.

AFLX will be played over three days next month, replacing the usual weekend of pre-season trial matches. The game is such a ­radical change you would not necessarily believe it is naturally related to its mother, the AFL.

To best understand the presence of AFLX, it is important to note that demand for AFL in the northern states has continued on a growth spurt. It was fast tracked last summer by the unpredicted growth of women’s football. It meant the game was running out of venues. Demand was squashing the sport of playing fields and thus a grander future. Without a quick and viable solution, momentum would hit a brick wall as thick as Leyonhjelm.

The next available grounds were used for rugby codes and ­soccer. If the AFL games were short so they did not impinge on the other codes then maybe the AFL could fashion a variation that got kids on the park and off quickly enough that the regular businesses of all codes remained unaffected.

Quickly, though, AFL innovators believed they had a game they figured worked and worked so well it could and should be incorporated into the senior AFL curriculum. And better still, of course, it is set up perfectly for the AFL to be played anywhere in the world.

You can see why: there are seven players from each team on the field with three each on the bench. It will be a more intimate game played on the small rectangle fields (about 70m wide and 110m long).

As in the big time there will be four posts at each end of the field for goals and behinds. There will be 40m arcs and in the middle X marks the spot.

The game is over quickly. So quickly commentator Dermott Brereton may not be able to finish his opening sentence. Depending on the rules of a particular tournament, the contest can be played in 10-minute halves or 10-minute quarters.

There is a free kick against the side that last touched the ball before it went out of bounds. Play will be restarted after all scores with a kick-in from behind the goal line.

In a rule change long ­demanded for the big league by purists, marks will not be paid if they come on the end of a ball kicked backwards. The rule sensibly does not apply in the forward 40m zone.

Each quarter is started with a ball-up but two players from each side must start in the 40m zones. A rushed behind point will be ­recorded but also penalised with a free kick to the opposition from in front of the goals on the 40m arc.

And the “piece de tough resistance” will be 10-point super goals when kicked on the full from outside the 40m arc.

Perversely, the greatest impact from the truncated game will be seen in the numbers required to play. Essentially it is seven a side. Any reasonable scratch match of Australian rules would take more than that.

AFLX’s best ingredient for scratch matches with kids and any international contest is that the depth of talent is not so obviously tested.

Nonetheless, this AFLX is a gamble and it will create interest (hopefully excitement, too) in the silly season. It should be fun if nothing else.

If it works, the AFL has just ­another vehicle with which to dominate the nation’s sporting market. Might not be as silly a ­season as it sounds.

New game shows how to use airtime in the silly season

When a hack sport writer wishes he was a political commentator

The fact that you think it's a novelty consigns womens AFL to its deathbed already.

What a wanker. Bit of a novelty giving those girlies something to do outside the kitchen, hey.

I'm stuck in Adelaide for 2 more months and it's like stepping out of the tardis and walking amongst dinosaurs in this place. Still the 70s in Adelaide.

2 months too much hey . but you are right , once you leave Adelaide and see the world , you get a sense of how stupid the place is sometimes
From nepotism , to thinking wineries,cafes and AFL will convince tourists to visit Adelaide ( hint , wineries  and high class eateries exists all over the world  , and no one gives a shit about AFL overseas except for handful of expats )

I thought everyone knew what the AFL's motive is. -  They want to legitimately  make their sport transferable to Europe & America. Because they play their parochial little game on an oval ( like no-one else in the world does) they need rectangular pitches to show it overseas, unfortunately for them they have to change the rules so much, but BBL began in England as a "fun night out thing" AFL has no option but to do the same.

The comparisons with rugby 7s and 20/20 cricket are so silly. Rugby is a lower-scoring sport, often you'll go 20 minutes or more without seeing a try. Test and one-day cricket you can go several overs, sometimes an hour or more, without seeing a wicket or a 'big hit'.  The shorter versions of the game 'rectify' this and offer the action in a much shorter timeframe. AFL is already a high scoring game, so what does AFLX offer thats fundamentally different?  It'd be like a shorter version of basketball on an oval court. 

Add to that, the difference with Rugby 7's and T20 is that they're not changing the rules of the 'parent' sport - T20 is simply reducing the overs to a single evening, it is still very much cricket at its' core. Same with 7's - all the rules are very much present in 7's as they are in 15-a-side, thus making the game recognisable and relatable, just at a much faster pace.

This AFLX game is such an abortion of rules and regulations that I can't see it taking off, even with the diehards. The reason why football is such a global success is because of its' simplicity - you have a ball, two teams and two goals. At its' core, that is all that is required to play the beautiful game. Could you imagine some Chinese school kids bothering to learn all the rules set in the above articles? I can't.

It'll rate well on TV because diehard bogans will watch it and families will go because, like the Big Bash, it will be a 'fun evening' for the cost of $50 - however, it will still be the same audience that already attends AFL games. They're having an absolute giraffe if they think this will translate into greater penetration in the Northern states or overseas.

I would say they have a more cynical and simplistic motive - they want to take the soccer pitches away from kids in their off-season.  They will claim a legitimate reason for councils to prioritise free AFL-X for kiddies rather than the 'expensive' soccer programs, and hijack the playing fields - impacting on our ability to further develop our game...  And they will get their own way in Victoria at the very least.

AFLX would be to AFL what 20/20 is to cricket if an AFL game went for 5 days

Goalkeepers can already kick box to box. How the fuck is this game going to work? Might as well just have two players kicking end to end. Actually come to think about it, a game of marks up with pro afl players would be better to watch.

Does X mark the spot in AFL expansion?

Port Adelaide and Gold Coast play in Shanghai last year.
Port Adelaide and Gold Coast play in Shanghai last year. Photo: AAP
It's perhaps appropriate league chiefs have branded their latest baby AFLX, for X could mark the moment when they have a product to take internationally. That will become clearer – to a degree – when the first exhibition series is held from February 15-17.

The league's 18 clubs will be broken into three groups, with a round-robin of matches (made up of two 10-minute halves and a squad of 10 per club) to be held on rectangular fields at Etihad Stadium, Hindmarsh Stadium in South Australia and Allianz Stadium in Sydney.

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This trial comes at a time when the AFL, along with Port Adelaide and Gold Coast, is seeking to bed down a move into China, with the two clubs to meet for a second year in Shanghai in round nine. The AFL Commission has backed this year's clash, and another next year, but there is no guarantee from there.

The man charged with implementing these major programs is David Stevenson, the former Western Bulldogs chief executive who has a long history in senior executive roles with Nike and Foot Locker.

The Power and Suns are heading back to Shanghai.
The Power and Suns are heading back to Shanghai. Photo: AAP
Stevenson said the two projects were tracking well, with AFLX potentially providing "endless" possibilities. The ultimate success would be a product that could be sold internationally, particularly in the mass markets of China and India, but that remains a long-term ambition.

Club officials point to previous overseas plans which either failed or didn't get the traction league chiefs had wanted. South Africa and New Zealand spring to mind. But in AFLX, this may, and there is a heavy stress on may, be the format that can open a door in non-traditional markets.

"I think the possibilities are endless. One of the reasons it was created was for the kids ... but, secondary, some of those other markets like NSW, Queensland, China, India, where there just is a shortage of oval-sized grounds. We feel like AFLX could be a way to get kids exposed to it in those markets where they are not used to the game, or they have challenges around appropriate fields," Stevenson said.

"We haven't finalised a plan yet but we wanted to see how this first year goes. You can look at overseas, you can look at using past players, you can look at juniors, even the timing of where it sits in the season."

It's been pointed out the No.1 US sport, the National Football League, is also held on a rectangular field but this multi-billion-dollar business has been unable to take hold overseas, although regular-season matches are held abroad, notably in London.

In the short term, AFLX is about creating a vibe locally. As Stevenson said, supporter reaction will be sought, with fans set to enjoy something different – should they wish.

"It's the first time we have had the opportunity, if you think about it in Melbourne, six home teams all playing at the one stadium at the one time," he said.

"What we are trying to create is an experience where fans can sit together with their club supporters or, if they don't want to, they can sit elsewhere but we really want to create a great home away from home feeling for all of those teams."

I think the possibilities are endless ... some of those other markets like NSW, Queensland, China, India, where there just is a shortage of oval-sized grounds.

AFLX project manager David Stevenson
There will be six group matches with a grand final, all completed in about three hours. Broadcast ratings, as always, will be crucial. That the league's free-to-air broadcaster Channel Seven this week breathlessly reported the finalisation of the fixture reinforced that the big sell is on.

The decision to hold matches through the pre-season was welcomed by clubs because they can be used to help build fitness bases and even provide a fresh take to the monotony of laps and sprints.

Stevenson said the exhibition series, which has been backed by senior players including Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood and Shaun Higgins, could be expanded into a competition. Some suggest it could take on the Big Bash League. But is there a danger of too much football, now AFLW has also leapt into the summer months?

That may seem an odd question considering the hold the AFL has on Victoria, South Australia and in the west, but can there be too much of a good thing, as the BBL may have found this summer?

"Given that we have reduced the JLT (pre-season matches) from three games to two, in effect that is taking the place. It is not an incremental load of games for each club. I think that is a smart way we can evaluate it and then we can determine what that looks like for the future," Stevenson said.

The AFL also hopes it has a long-term future in China – in the traditional format. The Power are the biggest driving force in that regard, believing the opportunities to tap into a sprawling market are endless.

The Suns failed to embrace the opportunity last year, on and off the field to the point they asked the Power for sponsorship help. Their indifference drew a sharp rebuke from the AFL publicly and privately. Chief executive Mark Evans had little time to prepare last year, having just taken the top job, but he and fitness chief Justin Cordy were among those who went to Shanghai pre-Christmas to ensure a more committed approach.

"They were focused on the preparation – how do they make it as close as possible to a regular-season game. They spent time preparing hotels and training facilities and food and transport were all going to be exactly where they want it to be to maximise their performance," Stevenson said.

The Power, as they did last year, have raised the prospect of a Victorian team joining them next year. A Victorian club would certainly raise interest in the match in the Melbourne market, and generate better ratings. However, the Gold Coast has the benefit of being a prime holiday and student destination for the Chinese.

"We have had strong interest from clubs looking at it," Stevenson said.

Some may claim AFLX and China are "ambitious" plays but league headquarters has been nothing but since South Melbourne was relocated to Sydney and became the Swans before the 1982 campaign.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/aflx-does-x-mark-the-spot-in-afl-expansion-20180125-h0omef.html

Female footy boom leads to Victorian ovals shortage
Herald Sun-2 hours ago
A boom in female football is a major factor in the shortage of ovals, with more than 83,000 female players joining the game in the past 12 months. ... “AFLW has inspired thousands of young girls to put on their boots and play Australia's game, which means we need to ensure our grounds and facilities are up to scratch.”.

It begins,, herald sun will lead the charge like it always does... AFL , the great welfare sucker , much like news ltd  

But they blame the dole bludgers. LOLOL what a    - oops, I just ate my own poop...ry .

Women and girls are boosting footy clubs at every level

AFLW Round 1: Sarah D’Arcy reported as Blues beat Magpies
Coaches’ task to put on show
THE explosion of women and girls playing Australian football is benefiting sporting clubs at every level, but is putting pressure on facilities.

Adelaide Footy League president John Kernahan said the growth in women’s footy at grassroots level “is enormous”.

“We have enjoyed a 50 to 75 per cent growth year on year since 2015,” he said.

“The added interest in women’s footy through the national competition (AFLW) and the success of the Adelaide Crows prompted a surge in interest to the point we facilitated competition for 47 women’s teams in 2017.”

That has swelled to 75 for 2018, with an extra 12 clubs added in Adelaide. The league hosts clubs as far south as Christies Beach, east to Nairne and north to Angle Vale.

The total number of female participation across all levels of football in SA increased by 22 per cent to 46,364 in 2017.

And as the Crows start the defence of their premiership against Brisbane today, females now comprise around 30 per cent of the total of 175,000 participations.

Leading football and cricket club Goodwood Saints is a benefactor of increasing female representation, but its changerooms are inadequate and will be replaced with a new two-storey building.

Club secretary Sharon Zacher-Partington said that “there are no facilities at all for the girls ... we had to address it and are going to start from scratch,”

‘The dramatic increase in female participation was definitely the catalyst for us to improve things.”

With three girls’ teams, a women’s team, nine boys’ teams, an Auskick program and five men’s teams, but only one oval, demands on facilities are high at Goodwood Oval.

The State Government yesterday announced two key SANFL venues would share in almost $1 million to build new female-friendly facilities.

Norwood Oval and Unley Oval will each receive $482,500 as part of the Government’s $24 million Female Facilities Program that has seen 34 clubs and ovals around South Australia provided with grants.

The announcement coincides with a big weekend of women’s sport in South Australia, with reigning AFLW Premiers the Crows taking on Brisbane at Norwood Oval to night and the SANFL State-wide Super Women’s League starting the 2018 season

But it’s not all about the elite level and anyone looking for a club to begin a career can ring the Adelaide Footy League on 8443 8999.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/women-and-girls-are-boosting-footy-clubs-at-every-level-ng-8e417c34976f192ba7e786ef0b558211

might be big percentage growth, but off a very small base, I'd be surprised if the AWFL can survive more than a few seasons

The AFLX starts soon, so I think that talk about AFLXW or AFLWX or whatever will come soon after.

I think AFLX will be successful. There may also be a shift by AFL to make the AFLW play AFLX instead.

In terms of field occupation, AFLX can still be played on ovals for training but not the other way around. Time will tell.

I don’t understand why they say there is a shortage of ovals in India.

Isn’t the man sport by far cricket, surely there would be more ovals than pitches over there

I don't know if aflx and aflw are successful for the AFL but i am enjoying the shitstorm that the fans are giving them.

If ever you needed proof that Victorians will watch any old shit so long as it is AFL, look no further than AFLW. The score was 22-14 or something crazy like that, it was literally 3 hours of people not being able to catch a ball, not being able to pick up a ball and not being able to kick it through the massive fucking goals.

AFLX will rate big time in certain parts of Australia.

The FFA needs to stop dreaming that the mainstream Australians are going to watch football anytime soon, we need to go back to the woggy niche sport and just do it as well as we can and as true to football as we can. This means multiple divisions, P/R, transfers, no salary cap. 

We can't rely on TV deals and mainstream acceptance, but we can function well as part of a global market. Stop trying to be like AFL or NRL and be like Football. FFA is out of its depth and swimming downwards.

It's annoying that the Adelaide Crows womens team beat Adelaide United easily head to head last night, over 3,000 more at the footy.

I have to agree that the A-League has to start looking towards fans who are actually interested in the sport in the first place instead of trying to attract all the so-called "mainstream" supporters. It not only alienates the true supporters but when it comes down to it we don't have the money or influence in the media to compete.

I hadn't been before but mates had tickets and went to the Big Bash semi-final at Adelaide Oval on Friday. Even though the game went down to the final ball it all felt very sterile and the atmosphere was very average for a 36,000 strong crowd. It comes with all the pre-fabricated chants and noises through the PA you could wish for, fireworks, dancing girls and more KFC bucket hats than you can poke a stick at but there is clearly a fairly large section of the public that enjoy it while it is on.

I then went to the Adelaide United - Perth Glory game the following night where only ~8000 people turned up. It was 30+ deg so the sensible option was to get a grandstand seat which for adults is $36 (+handling fee), close to double the amount of a BBL game. The atmosphere from the crowd was much better than the BBL despite such low numbers with genuine passion for whether the team won or lost, and this is what attracts football fans to games. These are the people FFA need to support and unless this changes soon the crowd numbers will continue to dwindle. It's clear all the gimmicky type stuff to attract so-called "families" is not working.

Football is never going to be able to offer all the peripheral "entertainment" that BBL provides for dirt cheap and nor should we. Let the average punter be wowed by the odd firework at the BBL and focus on supporting the people who actually play, support and follow football. By all means try and attract new fans as well but we will always be fighting an uphill battle against the larger codes whether we like it or not.

It doesn't need to revert back to the 'woggy' niche - all it needs to do is focus on the football. Build a genuine competition pyramid where clubs and players can showcase the best of Australian football and we'll be fine. Allow clubs to decide how big or small they want to be, rather than try and equalise things so that 'everyone' has a shot - I'd rather boutique grounds rocking with 8k genuine fans than 20k event goers.

FFA needs to stop trying to entice people who want an 'entertainment product', and rather focus on returning those fans who simply want to watch football - which, believe it or not, brings its' own form of entertainment to the game, both on the field and in the terraces. The FFA have caved in to the bullshit that the mainstream media says we're not family friendly - thus they think that family friendly means fireworks and songs blasted over the PA during break in case kids get bored.