“FootyWild – The New Game That Roars”

There is a new game that is about to roar in South Africa. “FootyWild” is an introductory sports program unlike any other, that will launch in Potchefstroom this April providing the opportunity for young South African boys and girls aged 8 – 13 years to play the unique game of “footy”, which in Australia is often called AFL, Australian Rules Football or Aussie Rules.

FootyWild is derived from the Australian introductory program called AFL Auskick. The African program will introduce young players to everything that is wild and exciting about the funny game from Australia.

Specially designed skills drills, games and modified rules matches will teach kids how to take high marks, kick goals from impossible angles, bounce the funny shaped ball on the run, use creative handball and tackle opponents from any direction.

AFL South Africa Ambassador and Head Coach Mtutuzeli Hlomela is very excited about the new program.

“Unlike soccer you can use your hands as well as your feet and because the game is played in 360 degree fashion, it provides a challenge that is very different to rugby. At youth and senior level players can tackle from behind and move the ball in any direction by hand or foot. It’s fast and exciting and some say the most spectacular sport in the world”, said Mtutu.

The National launch of FootyWild will be conducted in Potchefstroom on Saturday April 14 at Sedgars Park the home of AFL South Africa. The launch from will act as curtain-raiser to the Australian Under 17 National teams very first game against South Africa on Saturday April 14 which will start at 3pm.
The Australian team is represented by the finest young talent in the country many of which will go to play at elite AFL clubs next year.

“Following the launch, FootyWild will be run as pilot program in Potchefstroom during the second term of school, providing the local Development staff with a chance to test the product, before releasing it across four provinces in the second half of the year”, said new Operations Manager Joel Kelly, who has just arrive in South Africa on secondment from the AFL. Gauteng, Kwa Zulu Natal and the Western Cape will also have the opportunity to try the new sport for the new South Africa said Mr Kelly.

FootyWild is fast as a leopard, mighty as a lion and totally wild. To find out more please contact your Provincial Development Manager in your Province (refer to contacts page) or AFL South Africa at Sedgars Park on +27 18 293 3158.

Footy Aussie Style Hits South Africa

An Australian U17 team made history on Saturday April 14 2007 when they played the first ever International game of footy against South Africa in Potchefstroom, the home of AFL South Africa, in the country’s North West

The North West Cricket Stadium (Sedgars Park), normally used to the sound of cracking willow, was transformed in to an alien playing field, as 36 young men chased leather of a totally different shape and feel for the very first time. AFL standard goal-posts stood tall in front of the traditional sightscreens, the scoreboard rained goals and behinds rather than runs and wickets and the small but enthusiastic crowd of African and Aussie supporters cheered every kick, mark and tackle instead of sixes and fours.

As was to be expected from a group of young men, many of whom will be at AFL clubs in the next year or two, the Aussies proved far too skillful for a South African team still learning the game. Despite the convincing victory to the Australians, there was nothing but sportsmanship on display as both teams joined as one at the post-match function, singing and dancing to their very own tune.

The unbridled emotion shown by both groups clearly showed that they were all aware that they were a part of something special – an historic occasion where Australians young and old, watched in delight as another culture embraced our Indigenous game as their own. This was not International Rules or some other hybrid version of Australian football – this was footy, the new game that roars in Africa!

Ahead of the main game, over 300 South African youngsters aged 8 – 16 years filled Sedgars Park in a sea of colour as “FootyWild” games erupted everywhere. The Under 16’s curtain-raisers saw the locals wear the colours of AFL Clubs, Fremantle (North West) , West Coast Eagles (Kwa Zulu Natal) and Collingwood (Western Cape) , each of which has fostered a Province, as the game expands across South Africa.

The comraderie developed between the South African and Aussie boys over a week of school clinics, township visits and cultural tours, emphasised that this particular AIS/AFL tour was about so much more than developing the lads as footballers.

“This week I saw 30 young Australian men mature as people – they can return home safe in the knowledge that they have been fine Ambassadors for their country,” said AIS Assistant Coach and former Brisbane Lions legend Michael Voss.

The tour now heads to Capetown, where the Aussie boys will launch FootyWild, Africa’s answer to Auskick, in two major townships before the long journey home

Sat April 14 Match Result – Australia 23 : 24 : 162 def South Africa 1 : 6: 12
Goalkickers
Australia: Hartlett 4, Ebert , Rich, Cotchin, Grimes 2, Morton, Notte, Whitecross, S reid, Maric, Smith, Stanton, Dangerfield, Gugliotta, Zespreni, Cornelius 1
South Africa : Benji Motuba 1
Best players:
Australia : Dangerfield, Cotchin, Ebert, Hartlett, Gaerter, Grimes, Maric, Ross
South Africa: Richard Phakedi, Brian Mitchell, Benjamain Motuba, Steven Matshane, Julian Horn

An Aussie into Africa!

By Phindile Khambule
05 April 2007

The Australian Football League (AFL) has recently seconded it’s very first full-time staff member to an International post, with the appointment of Joel Kelly as Operations Manager for AFL South Africa (AFLSA).

Australian Football or AFL as it commonly known in Australia, is the countries biggest sporting code with well over 500,000 participants nationally. In South Africa however, the game is relatively unknown, with the exception of the North West Province, where footy has been played in certain regions since 1997.

“I was lucky enough to be part of the AFL’s very first Indigenous Youth Tour to South Africa in February 2006 – as a result of that visit, the AFL recognised the potential to grow the game nationally and as luck would have it, I was offered a posting in Potchefstroom, the home of AFL South Africa, for the next two years” said Joel.

Mr Kelly arrives in South Africa after spending the past 18 years in the Northern Territory of Australia, where footy is almost a religious experience, particularly amongst the Aboriginal people.

“Over the last decade or so I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing people in the footy industry and hope to be able to bring some of that experience with me. There are a lot of similiarities between the outback of Australia and South Africa, but there are also a lot of differences. It will be as much a learning experience for me as it will be for a country slowly coming to terms with our strange game, but I am confident that the spectacular nature of footy will hold great appeal for a sports-mad South African public”, said Joel.

AFLSA is looking to expand the game beyond the North West, to three other provinces with Gauteng, Zwa Zulu Natal and the Western Cape our immediate target areas. Four Provincial Development Managers have been appointed with a range of Community Development Officers to be employed in May to deliver programs at grass-roots level. A pilot program in Potchefstroom will provide a practical opportunity to train new staff in coaching, umpiring and administration skills. Beyond that a complete roll-out of the introductory “FootyWild” program will commence in Term 3 of 2007.

“We plan to start with staff-driven programs linked to Primary and Secondary schools but as the local community becomes more familiar with the game, we hope that many volunteers will get involved. The Australian game has no history in this country, so we hope that everyone will feel comfortable playing – it’s fast and exciting, it’s unpredictable, it’s spectacular and we think it’s the new sport for the new South Africa.

To catch a glimpse of this exciting new sport head to Sedgars Park in Potchefstroom on Saturday April 14 where kids games will be played from 12pm followed by the Australian U17 National team playing against South Africa for the very first time at 3pm. Entry is free.

Further comment:
Operations Manager Joel Kelly 0061 419 848 563
AFLSA CEO Jean Verster +27 829 236 399

AIS-AFL Academy Squad to Tour South Africa

By Michelle Clyne
05 April 2007

The AFL wishes to advise the AIS-AFL Academy Squad will embark on its first tour to South Africa next week. The squad will play an international match against a South Africa team on Saturday April 14 in the North-West Province city of Potchefstroom

The players will also help launch a children’s participation program called “Footy Wild – the new Game that roars” in Potchefstroom, Sowetoand Cape Town. Over 1000 South African children will attend footy (Australian Football) clinics and will wear the colours of AFL Clubs Fremantle, West Coast Eagles and the Collingwood, who are partners in this exciting new program.

AIS-AFL Academy Coach Alan McConnell said the South African tour offers a fantastic opportunity for the young players to develop their football skills and enhance their personal development.

“Not only will the squad play an International match against the athletic South African team, they will experience life lessons that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. It really is a once in a lifetime experience that will make them better footballers and individuals,” Mr McConnell said.

Assistant coaches Jason McCartney (Kangaroos AFL star and Bali bombing survivor) and Michael Voss (Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Captain & Brownlow Medallist) will join the squad on the tour that will also include visits to Soweto, Robben Island and a Table Mountain climb.

AFL South Africa currently employs five people full-time, but this will grow to 13 over the coming months as the new sport for the new South Africa , expands to Gauteng, Kwa Zulu Natal and the Western Cape.

There are currently over 2500 “footy” participants playing the Australian game mainly in the North West Province

The tour commences with the AIS-AFL Academy Squad playing Perth Football Club in a curtain-raiser before the West Coast-Collingwood match on Saturday April 7 at Subiaco Oval.
AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan said the tour involved AFL players of the future.

“The AIS-AFL Academy has proven to produce future stars of the AFL with 30 players, including nine of the top 10, selected in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft coming from Academy squads,” Mr Sheehan said.

In 2007, 19 per cent or 137 players currently listed at the 16 AFL clubs have graduated through the AIS-AFLAcademy. Players include Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy, Brett Deledio, Adam Cooney, Brendon Goddard and Luke Hodge. Brownlow Medallist and Premiership Cup captain Chris Judd was a member of the 1999 intake.

The tenth AIS-AFL Academy squad includes 11 Victorians, eight West Australians, three Queenslanders, four South Australians, one player from the NSW/ACT region, one Tasmanian and two players from the Northern Territory.

The AIS-AFL Academy is part of a commitment made by the AFL and the Australian Sports Commission, through the Australian Institute of Sport, to support Australian Football’s best young players with their football and education development.

The AIS-AFL Academy offers 30 AIS scholarships following the NAB AFL Under 16 Championships. The Academy offers expert and personal skill development from the Australian Institute of the Sport and the AFL for 12 months and involved the opportunity to represent Australia at an Under 17 level in an International Youth Series.

The AIS-AFL Academy is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program.

Kevin Sheehan will be available for interview during the South Africa tour on his mobile: + 61 419 318 876.

Issued by Michelle Clyne
AFL Publicity & Promotions Manager
03 9643 1926