Australian rules football in Asia dates back to 1910 but was only sporadically played until the 1980s after which it has boomed. Clubs have begun in most Asian countries and a governing body for the region, AFL Asia was formed in 2008 to coordinate the Asian Championship and promote its affiliated leagues.
Up until the 2000s, the sport was played mainly by expatriate Australians, however in a growing list of countries including Japan, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Timor-Leste there are competitions running is a large portion of locals in the playing base sufficient to field teams in international tournaments such as the
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup or simply the IC) is a triennial international Australian rules football sport competition. It is the biggest worldwide tournament in the sport and is open to ...
and the All-Asia Cup division of the
Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
.
There are now several regional leagues including the South China Australian Football League (SCAFL) (2011); South East Asia Australian Football League (SEAAFL) (2013); Guangdong Australian Football League (GDAFL) and North East Asia Australian Football League (NEAAFL) (2014).
The main tournament and cup competition is the annual Asian Australian Football Championships. Played every year since 2000 this international tournament is the pinnacle of Asian Australian football calendar. It currently comprises teams from over a dozen countries contesting for Asia's greatest trophy.
The most prominent player born in Asia is
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coac ...
member
Peter Bell (of South Korea) while the most prominent locally developed player is
Michito Sakaki
Michito Sakaki (born 19 May 1983) is an Australian rules football player from Japan. Michito has achieved recognition as currently being one of the best and most successful players to learn and play the game outside of Australia, being named i ...
(of Japan).
Australian rules
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
is broadcast into Asia on
satellite television
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna com ...
through the
Australia Network
ABC Australia, formerly Australia Television International (or just Australia Television), ABC Asia Pacific, Australia Network and Australia Plus, is an Australian pay television channel, launched in 1993 and operated by the Australian Broadc ...
.
History
Australian rules football in Japan was first introduced in 1910. A. W. McLean founded the Seisoka Football Club and was successful in introducing it as a sport to four large high schools in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
by having the rules translated into Japanese. McLean had hoped to select a national team, however met with a lack of assistance from Australia. McLean returned to Australia and Sydney in 1912 and it is not known if the game survived his departure.
During the wars, matches were played primarily by Australian servicemen in several countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea. Before this time, only informal matches had been played in some countries. A rare example involving participants from other countries was the 1941 game held in
Port Dickson
Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Podeksen'', Jawi: ) is a beach resort in Port Dickson District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the second largest urban area in Negeri Sembilan after Seremban, its state capital. The town's admin ...
,
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. ...
.
The sport has been organised in Asia since the late 1980s with teams based in Australian expatriate communities and around universities, such as in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
.
The first international games in Asia started in the early 1990s (the Hong Kong Dragons played their first match the day after the 1990 AFL Grand Final.)
There existed an informal association for various Asian AFL clubs for some time, but on 27 July 2013 a meeting of Asia's presidents was held in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
to discuss the future of footy in Asia. In all, 13 countries / clubs attended and submissions were received from a further four clubs. This was the first time representatives of Asian Australian Rules football had ever met with the sole purpose of preparing a road map for Asian footy. This meeting lead to the formation of AFL Asia, the official Association for Australian Football in Asia.
Leagues
The following leagues play within AFL Asia:
* South East Asia Australian Football League (SEAAFL): Was first played on 26 January 2013, in Phnom Penh, between the Cambodian Eagles and Vietnam Swans as the EAAFL. Member clubs included the Malaysian Warriors, Cambodian Eagles, Lao Elephants, Vietnam Swans, Singapore Wombats, Jakarta Bintangs, China Reds and Thailand Tigers. Malaysia went on to win the first year.
* South China Australian Football League (SCAFL): The League was created in 2011 following a game between Guangzhou Scorpions and HK Dragons in Guangzhou. Both clubs were keen to establish a league so that players would have the opportunity to play frequently. It comprised the Macau Lightning, Guangzhou Scorpions, Hong Kong Reds/Typhoons, Hong Kong Blues/Cobras, Lantau Lizards and the Hong Kong Gaelic team was added in 2013. The Guangdong Seagulls a local Chinese team joined in 2014.
* Guangdong Australian Football League (GDAFL): After experiencing Australian Football in the SCAFL local Chinese teams were created and play regular "metro" footy 10-a-side round robin tournaments. Teams include Guanzhou Scorpions, University Seagulls, Dongguan Giants and Huizhou Hawks.
* North East Asia Australian Football League (NEAAFL): Introduced in 2014 North East Asia AFL includes Beijing, Shanghai, teams from Japan.
The main tournament and cup competition is the annual
Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
. Played every year since 2000 this international tournament is the pinnacle of Asian Australian football calendar. It currently comprises teams from over a dozen countries contesting for Asia's greatest trophy.
The most recent Asian Champions are the Malaysian Warriors who defeated the Philippine Eagles in Manila, Philippines on 21 October 2017.
The 2018 AFL Asian Championships will be held in Kuala Lumpur on October 13, 2018.
Nations
Afghanistan
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
soldiers have (in the past) played games of Australian rules football in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
, most notably on
ANZAC Day
, image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg
, caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary.
, observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Ne ...
.
Brunei
Australian rules football has been played in
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by th ...
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
Jerudong International School ( Abbrev: ) is a co-educational, boarding and day school in Brunei, Southeast Asia. It has over 1680 students - of which around 200 are boarding students. Less than 50% of its student body are Bruneians, with the re ...
soccer field, with a three-team competition including players from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
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
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
was in 2000 in
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
.
Cambodia
Australian rules football has been played in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
by members of the expatriate
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
community in
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
since around 2000, when a club nicknamed the Cambodia Crocodiles was formed. The Crocodiles hosted other teams from around the Asian region for at least one tournament, but then went into recess.
A new club, now known as the Cambodian Kangas, was under formation in 2008, hosting a four-team Indochina Cup in Phnom Penh in November of that year, but this club also did not last beyond their first tournament. In 2010, the Cambodian Cobras formed, hosting the Vietnam Swans in Phnom Penh on July 31.
The Cambodian Cobras went from strength to strength in 2011, signing a partnership with the Australian Football League club, The West Coast Eagles. The Cobras changed their name to the Cambodian Eagles and participated in their first Asian Champs in the same year.
A number of
Cambodian Australian
Cambodian Australians are Australian citizens who were born, raised in, or from Cambodia usually having Khmer ancestry but also including Chinese Cambodians, Vietnamese Cambodians, Chams and other ethnicities of Cambodia. The term may also re ...
s play for the
Southern Dragons in the
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
.
[Melbourne's Dragons taking the next step](_blank)
/ref>
The Cambodian Eagles went on to win the 2016 ICC where BJ Fitzgerald was named player of the tournament.
China
Australian rules football has been played in China since the 1990s, and is currently played by senior clubs in Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...
, Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...
, Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...
and Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
, with the Beijing AFL metro league beginning in 2009. There are also clubs in the special economic development zones of Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
and Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
that play against Chinese teams from Guangzhou and Guangdong in the South China Australian Football league (SCAFL), since 2011.
A representative team of mainly expatriate Australian players has represented China under the names "China Blues" or "China Reds" in competitions such as the Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
.
The first representative team composed entirely of Chinese nationals appeared at the 2008 Australian Football International Cup
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested.
It was scheduled for 2008 (as part of the 150th year cele ...
, competing as the ''China Red Demons''. Then as TEAM CHINA in 2011, 2014, and upcoming 2017. Midfielder/Forward Jang Luu has represented China internationally since 2001 and is considered the best Australian Rules footballer to come out of China.
The Australian Football League AFL exhibition match in Shanghai in 2010 and a series of AFL Premiership matches was played there from 2017-2019, the first outside of Pacific.
East Timor
The sport began after the independence of Timor-Leste in 1999 due to Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Fo ...
personnel stationed in the country. The East Dili Eels were founded around this time.
In 2001 an organisation named the Timor Lorosa'e Austrálian Futebal Associacao (TILAFA, en, East Timorese Australian Football Association) was formed in Dili
Dili ( Portuguese/ Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed i ...
and there were plans to send a team to the Arafura Games
The Arafura Games is a unique, inclusive multi-sport event where athletes with a disability compete in the same program as able-bodied athletes. Competitors from around the world compete in the week-long games held every 2 years in Darwin, Northe ...
in Darwin, although this organisation later disappeared.
In early 2006 two teachers from Kambrya College
Kambrya College is a state government funded coeducational secondary school located in Berwick, Victoria, Australia. Opening in 2002 with 97 Year 7 students, the school quickly grew to over 1600 students by 2007. The school has facilities for v ...
, a secondary school in the outer-eastern Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
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.
In 2007, an exhibition match was played between the ISF (International Stabilisation Force) Tigers from the ADF and the UN Police Warriors (Jumpers borrowed from the NT Team Waratah Warriors). Both teams had female players and local Timorese players, played at Democracy Field in Dili, which was constructed by the Combat Engineers, this match was the culmination of several Auskick clinics over two months where up to one hundred kids participated. The match raised $10,000 US for the Mary Mackillop Foundation and went to the local, underprivileged people of Timor. The clinics and match were planned and implemented as team effort to build relations and trust between the local Timorese and Soldiers and Police on deployment between the Army and VICPOL members on secondment to the AFP, CPL Adam Bourke instigated the philanthropic activity and Captained the ISF Tigers to a 10-goal win in front of a curios crowd.
In 2008 Luke Gosling and Justin Bayard helped start the Timor-Leste Australian Rules Football Club. The club managed to work with the Northern Territory Football League
The Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) is an Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.
The league is one of few (and the highest level) Australian Rules competitions played during ...
and Australian Volunteers International
Australian Volunteers International or AVI recruits skilled professionals from Australia to work with partner organisations in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Its work focuses on reducing poverty, promoting human rights and gender ...
to get locals playing the game. A national team was created in 2008, though not in time to get to the 2008 International Cup.
In 2008, the East Timor Crocodiles team formed, making their debut at the 2008 Bali 9s
Bali () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, ...
tournament.
A governing body, AFL Timor-Leste, was created in 2011 to facilitate sending a team to that year's International Cup.
East Timor, playing as ''Timor-Leste'' participated in its first International Cup in 2011. The team did participate in 2011 however not win a game and did not return.
Lin Jong
Lin Jong (; born 4 June 1993) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the club in the 2012 Rookie Draft, with pick 9. He was the first Australia ...
, of East Timorese heritage, debuted in 2011 and received a congratulatory letter from Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Jong served as an AFL Multicultural Ambassador and ambassador for the East Timor Hearts Fund.
Notable Players
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is home to one of Asia's oldest and most successful Australian rules football clubs, the Hong Kong Dragons having played their first match in 1990. Based primarily around expat Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
, the club plays frequent matches against other clubs in the Asian region, including other teams from mainland China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
.
The Hong Kong Dragons have won the coveted AFL Asian Championships title six times, in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015.
Hong Kong local teams also play in the South China Australian Football league where they play against teams from southern Mainland China and Macau.
Hong Kong also have an active Auskick community with over 400 children participating in Auskick and the HK Junior AFL. Spread over 5 centres across Hong Kong teams train weekly and regularly play against other teams. The representative team HK Junior Dragons also annually play against the Singapore Sharks and tour Australia playing against Australian local teams and half time at professional AFL games.
Hong Kong Vikings Masters teams born out of Dads from the Junior Auskick centres have been training together in growing numbers and internal Reds v Whites AFL 9's games, social events and once a year play against the Hong Kong Dragons.
India
The sport is played in India and the country has participated in the International Cup since 2008. However India is not currently afiliated to AFL Asia. India's national Australian rules team is known as the Tigers. The sport is played in more than 12 Indian states, though it is most popular in the eastern states, particularly Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
and West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
. The current record attendance is 6,000.
History
The West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from March to September ...
toured India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
in 1969, playing two exhibition matches in New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...
between East Perth and Subiaco Football Club
The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions and known before 1973 as the ''Maroons'', is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WA ...
s, which attracted large crowds and interest.
Australian rules football began in India with the creation of the Indian Amateur Australian Football Association in 2001. The organisation was based in Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, but disbanded in 2004.
The potential for the game has several times attracted interest from Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, with the WAFL proposing an exhibition match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
for Mumbai.
The next appearance of organised Australian rules in India came with the visit of Brian Dixon to Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
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
The Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup or simply the IC) is a triennial international Australian rules football sport competition. It is the biggest worldwide tournament in the sport and is open to ...
. The first Indian national team was drawn from players recruited by the AFL India in Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, as well as Indian nationals living in Melbourne.
Australian expatriate Lincoln Harris kickstarted a junior competition in Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
in 2010.
Former AFL players Balraj Singh and Alex Rance
Alex James Rance (born 9 October 1989) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Rance was a premiership player, five time All-Australian, a one time ...
are both of Indian heritage. Other high profile players from India include Fred Pringle
Frederick Neville Pringle (22 December 1899 – 12 November 1982) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Cananore in the Tasmanian Football League (TFL) and Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1920s.
Family
T ...
(1923-1924).
The Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victo ...
(Tigers) expressed strong interest in holding an AFL exhibition match in India in 2008. The idea has been furthered by the club in 2012 and 2018, although plans were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Despite no AFL matches being staged, a match held in 2017 between the Indian national team and an Australian AFL Masters side attracted over 6,000 spectators at Paschim Medinipur district
Paschim Medinipur district or West Midnapore district (also known as Midnapore West) is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal, India. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the Partition of Midnapore into Paschim Medinipur and Purba M ...
(West Midnapore).
Indonesia
Australian rules football was played in Indonesia by Australian soldiers in 1945 in Morotai
Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands.
Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
and also Ngada
Ngada Regency is one of the regencies on the island of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. It is bordered by East Manggarai Regency to the west and Nagekeo Regency to the east, with the Flores Sea to the north and the Sawu Sea to ...
.
It is currently played in Indonesia by clubs in Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
(formed in 1995), Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...
(formed in 1997) and the Borneo Bears based in Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated ...
, these three clubs being mainly made up of expatriate Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
. There is also a league consisting of local villagers around the Pancawati area in West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
. The Jakarta Bintangs and Bali Geckos regularly contest the Java-Bali Cup and participate in the Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
.
A club was under formation as of 2006 in Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh ( Acehnese: ''Banda Acèh'', Jawoë: كوتا بند اچيه) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of . The city covers an area of and had ...
, although this project was ultimately unsuccessful.
Founded in 2003, the West Java Australian Football League (WeJAFL) has over 500 local junior and senior players in the local competition. The large number of local players makes it the Asian nation with the highest participation rate amongst locals, and the club sent an Indonesian team, the Indonesian Garudas, composed of members of all the Indonesia clubs to the Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup or simply the IC) is a triennial international Australian rules football sport competition. It is the biggest worldwide tournament in the sport and is open to ...
in 2014.
The Jakarta Bulldogs Australian Football Club, Established in late 2006, is an Aussie Rules Football Club made up of primarily of Under 18 year old expatriate and local students from the British International School Jakarta, although they share no affiliation with the school. The club was founded by Australian-born brothers Alf Eddy (Club Captain) and Max Eddy (Head Coach) and has played against a wide variety of local Australian Football teams such as the Pancawati Eagles, Depok Garudas, the Bandung-New Guinea AFC and the Jakarta Bintangs. Since 2006 the club has gone from strength to strength obtaining full sponsorship from ANZ Bank which allowed for the acquisition of proper uniforms of AFL standard and new footies in 2007. In 2008 Bulldogs will take part in the inaugural Junior Asian Championships, going into the competition with high expectations from all involved. A Finnish member of the club, Tuomas Anttila, was scouted to play with the Finnish national team at the 2008 International Cup, but was unable to make the journey.
The Borneo Bears were formed in Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated ...
in 2008, making their debut at the 2008 Bali 9s
Bali () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, ...
tournament.
The Jakarta Bintangs, Bali Geckoes and Borneo Bears formed the AFL Indonesia in 2009, with a centralised plan for further development of the sport among native Indonesians, and the long-term goal of an Indonesian side at the 2011 Australian Football International Cup
The 2011 Australian Football International Cup (or IC21) is the fourth edition of the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition run by the Australian Football League.
It was contested between 1 ...
, although they did not ultimately take part in that tournament in that year, however, they sent 18 Indonesian youth to play in Melbourne in 2014.
Indonesia's national team is known as the Garudas.
Australian rules football in Indonesia receives regular coverage from the Jakarta Globe
The ''Jakarta Globe'' is a daily online English-language newspaper in Indonesia, launched in November 2008.
The paper initially came out as a print newspaper with an average of 48 pages a day, and published Monday to Saturday. It had three se ...
and is now regularly played on television via the Australia Network
ABC Australia, formerly Australia Television International (or just Australia Television), ABC Asia Pacific, Australia Network and Australia Plus, is an Australian pay television channel, launched in 1993 and operated by the Australian Broadc ...
including live coverage of the AFL Grand Final.
Japan
Australian rules football in Japan is coordinated by the AFL Japan
AFL Japan is a league and governing body for Australian rules football in Japan.
The Top League season runs from April to November, with a summer break during August. All teams including the University teams compete in the Top League. The most s ...
, with a national league based mainly in Tokyo (affiliated with the Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling ...
) but with clubs in Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
and Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui ...
. Development teams from the AFL Japan
AFL Japan is a league and governing body for Australian rules football in Japan.
The Top League season runs from April to November, with a summer break during August. All teams including the University teams compete in the Top League. The most s ...
regularly tour to Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
and have competed at all Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup or simply the IC) is a triennial international Australian rules football sport competition. It is the biggest worldwide tournament in the sport and is open to ...
s to date.
Laos
The Lao Elephants were formed in Vientiane
Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
in 2007, as the first Australian Rules Football club in Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
. The team played their first international fixture against the Vietnam Swans and Thailand Tigers in November 2007 in Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi i ...
. The Lao Elephants impressed many by defeating archrivals Vietnam and Thailand on debut at the Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
in Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
in September 2008.
Later, the "Phants" were victorious in the Mekong Cup held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 22 November 2008, involving the Cambodian Kangaroos, Thailand Tigers, Vietnam Swans and Lao Elephants.
The first domestic match in Laos was held in May 2009, with the Northerners (squad members based in Vientiane
Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
and Luang Prabang
Luang Phabang, ( Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ/ ຫຼວງພະບາງ) or ''Louangphabang'' (pronounced ), commonly transliterated into Western languages from the pre-1975 Lao spelling ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ (ຣ = silent r ...
) defeating the Southerners (mine workers from the Sepon area) in Savannakhet
Savannakhet (ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane ( lo, ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ; th, ไกสอน พมวิหาน) since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (ຄັນທະ ...
.
Macau
Macau Lightning AFL club was formed in 2009 and began running Auskick Clinics at the International School of Macau. With an increasing demand for more football from the kids participating, the club started Saturday morning training which continues to grow with boys and girls aged between 4 and 13 years. In September 2010 the Macau Lightning Auskick played their first match against the Hong Kong Auskick marking the first of many future match days between both clubs.
It was a small beginning for the Senior Macau Lightning Team in 2009 with only a handful of guys looking for a social kick. As word spread of AFL in Macau numbers gradually grew to a competitive squad of 30 players by May 2010. 2010 has seen the Senior Team make their International Debut with matches against Hong Kong Dragons in May, touring to Guangzhou in August and participating in the China Cup against the Hong Kong Dragons and the China Reds in early September.
On April 13, 2013, the Lightning achieved their greatest team feat thus far in the short existence defeating both the Hong Kong Blues and a combined Hong Kong team in Round 4 of the SCAFL.
Malaysia
Australian rules
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
football is regularly played in Malaysia, currently the main Australian Rules Football team is the Malaysian Warriors who will play four home and four away games in 2015 as well as the Manila Cup tournament and the Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
.
The earliest known history of Australian rules football in Malaysia goes back to the Australian armed forces
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air For ...
(2/19th battalion) playing at Port Dickson
Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Podeksen'', Jawi: ) is a beach resort in Port Dickson District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the second largest urban area in Negeri Sembilan after Seremban, its state capital. The town's admin ...
in 1941. Australian servicemen also attempted to introduce the code to Malays at Penang in 1958 and 1963.
Regular games have been played since the late 1980s in Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
, primarily by expatriate
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
living and working in the city. The club was initially known as the MARK Tigers (Malaysian Australian Rules Kelab) and the team played their first game in February 1993 against Hong Kong in Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
and first toured to Singapore in July 1993. They recorded their first win in August 1994 against a team from the Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
base in Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the largest urban town in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies about east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait. , Butterworth has a total population of 107,591 residents.
Butte ...
. Between 1994 and 1998, 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. In 2000 the team reformed under a new name, the Malaysian Warriors and have played continually since. In addition to teams visiting Malaysia, the Malaysian Warriors have toured to Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
to contest the "Killing Fields Cup", to Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
for the "Changi Cup", to Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
for the 'Batik Cup', to Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
for the "Communist Cup" and 2014 Anzac Day game in Vung Tau, to Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
for the "Fish Bowl Cup" and to Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...
for the Adidas Bali 9s
Bali () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, ...
tournament.
The Warriors also participate in an annual five match series of International Rules
International rules football ( ga, Peil na rialacha idirnáisiunta; also known as international rules in Australia and compromise rules or Aussie rules in Ireland) is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed ...
games against the Orang Éire Gaelic Football Club.
The most notable results for the Warriors to date have been the 2012 Manila Cup winners, Premiers of Asia in 2013 and 2015, and runner up in the 2015 Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
.
The Warriors train at Padang Merbok, located near the Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur
Perdana Botanical Gardens, formerly Perdana Lake Gardens, Lake Gardens and Public Gardens, is Kuala Lumpur's first large-scale recreational park. Measuring , it is located in the heart of the city and established in 1888. The park served as plac ...
.
More recently ex AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
players Daniel Chick
Daniel Patrick Chick (born 10 February 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn and the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. Chick is also well known for having a finger amputated in 2002 so he cou ...
and Tim Fleming have played games for the Warriors, with Fleming scoring 7 goals in a game against Jakarta which Malaysia went on to win to retain the 'Batik Cup'.
The Warriors had an unbeaten 2015 season before the Asian Australian Football Championships and finished on top of the AFL Asia ladder.
In 2016 they contested the Manila Cup and the 2016 Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
as well as various home and away games most notably the 2016 Anzac Day clash against the Thailand Tigers in Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
.
Notable Players
Mongolia
The Mongolian Wolves joined Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
in 2019.
Nepal
The first matches in Nepal were played in 2013 by the ''Thyangboche Yaks'' and local children also began playing. More regular matches were later played and the ''Himalayan Leopard'' club were formed around 2017. Further growth was facilitated by the Association of Nepalese Alumni from Australia, and Nepal was granted entry to AFL Asia in 2018.
Pakistan
Australian rules football began in 2014 and has grown rapidly.[The Rise and Rise of Australian Rules Football in Pakistan Part 1](_blank)
by Michael Gallus for Daily Times Pakistan 7 August 2020 It was first introduced by Chaudrey Zulfiqar Ali and Tayyab Chattha with support from the Australian High Commission. Teams were established in Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...
, Rawalpindi, Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the old ...
and Gujranwala.
It is currently strongest in the Swat Valley
Swat District (, ps, سوات ولسوالۍ, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pro ...
, where a large competition operates and draws large enthusiastic crowds.
AFL Pakistan (connected with an anti-drug charity network) was formed to govern the sport and select the national team, which has participated in the Australian Football International Cup every tournament since 2014. A women's team was formed in 2017.
Philippines
The Philippine Australian Football League (PAFL) was created in 2004.[Philippine Australian Football League](_blank)
Trimmers and Bangers are considered the greatest players in the PAFL. The league currently runs a two-team competition in Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. The teams, the Dingoes and the Eureka's, were originally based on the division of Victorian (Eurekas) and Non-Victorian (Dingoes) players, but with expansion that divide has not been followed. PAFL hosted the 2005 and 2014 Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
, its representative side is known as the Philippine Eagles. The Eagles won their first AFL Asian Championships in 2016 in Vietnam.
Notable Players
Singapore
Australian rules football started in Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
in April 1993, when a group from the Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
expatriate community founded the Singapore Lions (later Wombats) Australian Football Club. The Singapore Wombats play 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
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
in the AFL Asia League and the Bali Masters. One of Asia's most successful clubs the Singapore Wombats have won the AFL Asian Championships many times including 2005, 2006, 2011,
The Singapore Sharks FC est. 2007 for Junior and Auskick players and since 2014 Masters/Dads team was added. Sharks juniors play weekly at the Australian International School (AIS) on Lorong Chuan, Singapore and have toured to Australia, Shanghai, Hong Kong and played at half time of several professional AFL games.
Notable Players
South Korea
Australian rules was played in South Korea during the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. On August 29, 1950, Australians stationed on the USS Bataan (CVL-29)
USS ''Bataan'' (CVL-29/AVT-4), originally planned as USS ''Buffalo'' (CL-99) and also classified as CV-29, was an 11,000 ton light aircraft carrier which was commissioned in the United States Navy during World War II on 17 November 1943. S ...
introduced it, playing along with locals in front of bemused onlookers.
Australians and New Zealanders played further matches in 1951.
In 1953, VFL matches were broadcast to Australian troops stationed in Korea via radio.
In 1954, Australians stationed in South Korea built a dedicated Australian rules football ground and played matches of both football and also used the ground to play cricket against the English.
South Korean born Peter Bell debuted in the Australian Football League in 1995 and played 286 games and kicked 250 goals during his AFL career in which he was Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fr ...
captain, played in 2 AFL Premierships and was two time All-Australian
The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-performed players during the season, led b ...
.
AFL South Korea was formed in 2022 and became a member of AFL Asia.
Notable Players
Sri Lanka
Australian rules was introduced to Sri Lanka in 2016 and the country participated in the 2017 Australian Football International Cup
The 2017 Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup 2017 or IC07) was the sixth edition of the Australian Football International Cup, a triennial international Australian rules football competition run by the ...
.
Interest in Australian rules in Sri Lanka dates back to 1910, with a failed proposal for the Young Australia League
The Young Australia League (Inc) (YAL) is an Australian youth organisation which was formed in Perth, Western Australia in 1905 by Jack Simons and Lionel Boas. Developed as a means to encourage Australian nationalism and patriotic values, the o ...
to tour Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
.
A group of AFL officials met with the country's Minister of Internal Trade & Cooperatives, Johnston Fernando in 2010. Manel Dharmakeerthie and Milton Amarasinghe, a former Director General of Sports, worked together to develop Australian Football in Sri Lanka. Their first aim is a tournament to be held in 2011. Fernando was supportive of their plans, and has agreed to offer, "his fullest support to develop footy (in Sri Lanka)." Several current and former AFL players were also present at the meeting, including the AFL's new International Ambassador, Brett Kirk. The players are in Sri Lanka to learn more about that country's indigenous Vadda people and their place in Sri Lankan society, in an attempt to assist Australia's own indigenous communities upon their return.
Cricketer Ricky Ponting who popularised the sport on the sub continent in 2008.
In 2016 talent searches were undertaken to identify players to represent Sri Lanka in the 2017 International Cup, the result was the establishment of a league in Colombo in February 2017 following clinics by Ed Kurnow, Jesse Glass-McCasker & Harry McKay of the Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's top professional competition.
Founded in 1864 in Carlton, an inner suburb of Me ...
in 2016 at local rugby clubs.
Sri Lanka affiliated with AFL Asia
Australian rules football in Asia dates back to 1910 but was only sporadically played until the 1980s after which it has boomed. Clubs have begun in most Asian countries and a governing body for the region, AFL Asia was formed in 2008 to coordina ...
in 2018 along with Nepal.
Notable players
Thailand
Australian rules football has been played in Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
since the 1990s with the creation of the Thailand Tigers by Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
living in the city of Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
. 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
The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia member clubs.
The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Austr ...
.
The Thailand Tigers, was established in the 90's and has grown strong ever since. The club plays weekly intra-club matches fighting for the inaugural 'Bob & Gerry Cup' (the club founders). Also playing in international tours including hosting the annual Anzac Day Cup and events such as Indo-China tri-nations and the Asian Cup.
The Tigers is now a tradition for expat's from Australia and beyond, extending to the Tigers netball team for the ladies, bringing everyone together regularly for sports and social events. Family, partners and children are always welcome to Tigers events.
Anzac Day Cup - Hellfire Pass
Every year for Anzac Day, the Tigers invite an international club for a special match commemorating the memory of the prisoners-of-war (POW) working on the Hellfire Pass
Hellfire Pass ( th, ช่องเขาขาด, known by the Japanese as ''Konyu Cutting'') is the name of a railway cutting on the former Burma Railway ("Death Railway") in Thailand which was built with forced labour during the Second Wo ...
, part of the Burma Railway
The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...
, during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
The day begins early with both teams attending the dawn service at Hellfire Pass, the moving tribute sets the tone for the day.
The full-time match fielding 14 on field players commences 1:30pm in the full heat of Kanchanaburi close to the Myanmar border. The match is also attended by the Quiet Lions and VIP guests of the last remaining Diggers (POW's) who attend every year for the game. At the game's end the winning team and best player are presented with their awards by 'Snowy' a tribute to mankind with a genuine Aussie personality.
The Anzac Day Cup held in Thailand is open to all public.
Notable players
Vietnam
Vietnam War era
Australian rules football was first played in Vietnam during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
.
A match was played in May 1966 between members of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
A social game was organised in 1969 by Captain Bill McMahon of Croydon, Victoria
Croydon is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Maroondah local government area. Croydon recorded a population of 28,608 at the 2021 census.
History
D ...
, a former Melbourne Football Club and Sandringham Football Club
The Sandringham Football Club, nicknamed The Zebras, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne which was formed in 1929 and plays in the Victorian Football League (VFL) which was formerly called the Victorian Football Association ...
footballer, "Diggers" vs "The Rest" which was played with Vietnamese soldiers in August at the headquarters of the Free World Military Assistance Organisation.
In 1971, Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) and 110 Signal Squadron played a match in Saigon organised by Private Conboy of Clifton Hill, Victoria
Clifton Hill is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Yarra local government area. Clifton Hill recorded a population of 6,606 at the 2021 cen ...
a previous member of Melbourne Football Club Under 19s squad.
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 between the Nui Dat
Nui Dat (Núi Đất) is a former 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) base now part of Ba Ria city in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province, Vietnam. It is not the name of an official ward, it just means "dirt hill" ( núi đất).
History 1966–1972
In ...
based units of 104 Signal Squadron and 106 Field Workshops on a pretty rough ground at the Reinforcement Wing at the Dat.
Lance corporal Ian Granland of 104 Signal Squadron organised a game of Australian Football at Nui Dat in 1970. There weren't too many grounds of a suitable size on which the game could be played, but luckily it was learned that there was one within the Task Force Area in the area of 1 Australian Reinforcement Unit.
Lance corporal Geoff Morris and Granland did a recce and located the ground. It was big enough for Australian Football and it even had posts erected but the grass literally ranged from 20 cm to 1m in height. That meant that it would have to be cut!
In the meantime Granland organised a game against 106 Field Workshops.
Next job was to locate a slasher. Word of mouth informed the two that 105 Field Battery had an old Massey Ferguson Tractor with which they used to tow their guns around, plus a slasher.
Permission to use it for mowing the ground was given. Morris became the driver and the machine was driven over to the field and he began driving it round and round. He got the grass down reasonably short but certainly not bowling green stuff however good enough. The mowing had to be done the day before the game because any earlier and the grass would have grown significantly enough to require another cut.
This was pre centre square and 50m arcs so a hand mower was used for the goal squares, centre circle and boundary.
Lance Corporal Granland umpired the game.
The players turned up in their Land Rovers and trucks. What jumpers they wore is till a mystery but it certainly wasn't 'skins v shirts'. There were players of all ages, size and shape and some bloody good footballers amongst them too. A photograph of this game would be a gem today.
104 Signal Squadron won the game. The umpire copped a bit of abuse from the opposition but that was par for the course. It was in the days of the one central umpire.
The out of bounds on the full rule had only just been introduced and of course it was applied. Some of the older heads were not too happy but recognized that it had become a law of the game. Many of the blokes who had probably been pretty fair footballers in their youth but now in their late thirties or so they were no match for youth and speed. Some of these tried to slow the youngsters down by wacking them but the umpire was on top of that.
There was no function after the match or anything, just back to the units. But, it was a good relief because obviously everyone who played etc. just loved the game.
Current Clubs
Organised Australian rules football has been played in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
since 1998 when the Saigon Saints, was formed by expatriate Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
. It was followed shortly after by new rivals the Hanoi Hawks, also established by Australian expatriates. The Saigon Saints stopped playing in 2001.
In 2003, footy was reborn in Hanoi under the Hanoi Swans banner with a tri-nations tournament against Hong Kong and Thailand. In 2007, a movement started in Saigon to get footy up again with the goal of combining with Hanoi to form a national team, the Vietnam Swans.
In July 2007, the Vietnam Swans, played together for the first time in Bangkok for the 8th Annual Asian Championships. They returned to the Asian Championships in 2008 in Singapore and have been playing ever since.
In 2009, highlights included the ANZAC Day Match against the Thailand Tigers at Hellfire Pass on the Death Burma Railway; a Black Saturday Tribute Match and Fundraiser against the Bali Geckos a match against and the Asian Championships.
Vietnamese Community in Melbourne
A team drawn from the Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
Vietnamese community also competed in the Australian Football Multicultural Cup
The Australian Football Harmony Cup is an amateur Australian rules football competition featuring teams drawn from Melbourne's migrant communities. The tournament is coordinated by Australian Football International.
It was first held in 20 ...
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 to develop Aussie Rules amongst local players in Vietnam, with plans to visit Hanoi for matches against the Vietnam Swans.
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
The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It consists of seven senior men's and women's divisions ranging from Premier to Division ...
.World Footy News - Vietnamese to export the game back home
/ref> In 2009, the Dragons became a stand-alone club under the name Southern Dragons, moving to the Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English ...
. The Dragons have since moved back to the VAFA.
A number of Vietnamese members of the Elgar Park Dragons also played for Team Asia at the 2008 Australian Football International Cup
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested.
It was scheduled for 2008 (as part of the 150th year cele ...
.
References
External links
Aussie Rules China
Beijing Bombers
Borneo Bears
Hong Kong Dragons
Jakarta Bintangs
Malaysian Warriors
Shanghai Tigers
Singapore Wombats
Thailand Tigers
Vietnam Swans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Rules Football In Asia
Australian rules football outside Australia
Sport in Vietnam